Monster 1100S

NOT SO MUCH

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine/chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, packaging and practicality: 4.0/5.0
Behind the bars: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.5/5.0

OVERVIEW
Ducati launched the Monster family way back in 1993 with a simple 'less is more' philosophy. It worked a treat, with customers taking to the nakedbikes in their droves as simplicity blended with stunning looks, light weight, comfort, compactness, honest air-cooled two-valve performance and urban versatility. And they were a bit cheeky too.

However, as time passed, the original meaning of the Monster exercise became ambiguous, and machines like the S4RS were launched - an aggressive machine, but not really fulfilling its obligations under the original Monster charter.

Ducati knew the lines were becoming blurred, and in 2009 the Monster family has gone back to its original roots with the 696, 1100 and 1100S.

Not that Ducati's now leaving the ultra-performance nakedbike sector to its competitors, as it unveiled the all-new 1098-powered Streetfighter in Milan last November.

The Streetfighter, voted the best looking bike in Milan, will be a powerhouse and take on the likes of Triumph's Speed Triple, the MV Agusta Brutale and Aprilia Tuono.

While that battle will be a beauty, the new Monsters, shrinking violets compared to the Streetfighter, will attempt to reclaim some lost ground in their traditional patch.

BikePoint recently sampled the new head of the Monster family in Sydney - the 1100S - and came away impressed with the pared down thinking.

In line with Ducati's standard and "S" taxonomy, the 1100S is just about identical to the 1100 with the same engine, frame, fuel injection, gear ratios, clutch, geometry and dimensions.

The main difference is that the "S" features an Ohlins 43mm USD fork and monoshock, instead of the Showa 43mm USD and Sachs monoshock on the 1100.

There are also weight-saving carbon-fibre bits on the 1100S: belt covers, silencer guards and the front fender, which lop off another 1kg off the standard equation.

Price is $18,495 (plus ORC) for the 1100, which will go on sale very shortly, and $21,995 for the 1100S ($$22,795 and $26,995 respectively in New Zealand).

Based on past experiences, Ducati expects about 60 percent of customers to purchase the 1100S, and the balance on the lower-spec 1100.

The company is certainly pinning a lot of hopes on the rejuvenated Monsters, although the segment did increase its total sales last year. Now the plan is to accelerate that even further, with the 1100s as the centrepiece models.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Things are a lot simpler in the Monster den these days, so there is not a lot to yak about.

The engine in both the 1100s is an L-twin, two valves per cylinder, air and oil-cooled 1078cc Desmo, pushing out a claimed 95hp (at 7500rpm) and 103Nm (at 7500rpm) through the six-speed gearbox and chain drive.

The bike meets Euro 3 specifications with its Siemens electronic fuel injection, twin lambda sensors and 45mm throttle body.

It's the same donk as used in the Multistrada alrounder and Hypermotard, but vacuum casting on the crankcases has stripped about 3kg off the engine alone.

The frame is the omnipresent steel trellis item, and the single-sided swingarm is aluminium.

With huge dollops of torque, the 1100S has a wide-ratio gearbox, with fifth and sixth gears less than 1:1. More on that later, but people who like to live in top gear will have to drop a cog or two on the front sprocket to make urban cruising more comfortable.

Dry weight is 168kg for the 1100S and 169 (less the carbon-fibre) for the 1100 - handy numbers.

The 1100S is available in red or pearl white, with red and matte black frames respectively. S wheels only come in one colour - gold.

The front brakes are quality four-piston radials and the tyres are courtesy of Bridgestone with its BT016 Hypersport Battlax. The wheels are Y-shaped five-spoke alloys.

The instrumentation packs a big punch, with the digital unit displaying the speedo, rev counter, clock, scheduled maintenance warning, oil temperature, trip fuel, air temperature, lap time, warning light for low oil pressure, fuel level, fuel reserve, neutral, over-rev and immobiliser.

ON THE ROAD
The media launch in Sydney was about a 150km affair from Mascot to Brooklyn return.

A large chunk off the ride was through mild to heavy traffic, where the 1100S was in its element, although the hydraulic clutch did become a little heavy during the start-stop drudgery of peak hour, with the dry clutch rattling away in the background.

At least that period confirmed the 1100S isn't prone to overheating, as the temperature in one of the Sydney tunnels must have been in the high 30s - and with no fresh air to cool things down in the bumper-to-bumper snarl.

The bike does have quite a long tank, although it's by no means holding a massive amount of cargo at 15 litres. What it does do is make things nice and compact with the taut handlebars - no gangly arms hanging out the side like some nakedbikes.

After a big "clunk" when first gear is engaged, the 1100S pushes hard from the get-go, as you'd expect from a bike punching out 103Nm of torque.

Around town, I only required third of fourth gear to keep things on the boil - anymore than that and the transmission snatch will be too much to bear. And sixth gear is only useful from 120km/h onwards.

Personally, that's not a problem for me, although prospective buyers who feel more comfortable in higher gears may want to drop a few teeth on the front sprocket to enliven proceedings. The current arrangement is 15/39.

In the open, I felt most comfortable on the Monster in the 4000-6000rpm zone, toggling between second and fourth gears. In that region it's a hoot: it's in the torque hot zone, the front suspension really gets to work, the vibes are pleasant, and it holds a line with precision.

You'll know when you're in the hot zone when the rev limiter kicks in rather abruptly at 8000rpm, just 500rpm after peak torque. That's quite early, but big and burly twins can get away with that.

The 1100S feels light, and it certainly has a swagger about it with a sporty performance and striking looks.

If you've become a little disillusioned with the Monster family of late, bury the hatchet and start all over again with the 1100S. You won't be disappointed.