Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO 2020
For some it is a Scrambler, and for others it is a café racer. Why? Who knows, these Italians. Apparently, in Italian, Scrambler means something different from what we are used to - something like motorcycles that cannot be classified into other classes. Ducati has several very different motorcycles under this name - some with off-road tendencies, while others are closer to cafes.
Road Test: Ducati Monster 1100 (2009) – King Prawn
Ducati unveiled the Monster 696 to great fanfare in Barcelona last spring. A lot of meaning was invested in the ceremony: the 696th should become the next bestseller of the company. But in fact, everyone was looking forward to the presentation of the big “Monster” with an engine capacity of 1100 cc. Will the king prawn live up to expectations? Ducati Monster 1100 road test will show!
MOTOGONKI.RU, January 3, 2009 — For 15 years, the success of the Monster series around the world can be called incredible. It is enough that small “monsters”, according to some estimates, make up up to 50% of all motorcycles from the Italian plant in the world! Just three months after the global launch of the 696, riding on the back of the success of the model years, Ducati's factories produced around 10,000 motorcycles - a huge number. Hoping to repeat the success of the S2R 1000, the Bologna office launched the Monster 1100. Pure calculation.
The day of the test drive of the “big shrimp” turned out to be cool, I really wanted to hope that the Bridgestone BT016 Hypersport tires would warm up enough. And here I am on a narrow and very winding section of highway leading from the French Riviera to the west of Cannes - into the mountains, and then onto the plain, through many villages and small neat towns. The tires had warmed up enough, it became warmer, now I was calm: I would be able to take turns as deep as the bike would allow! I climbed the mountains at full throttle, enjoying the responsiveness of the engine and the stability of the motorcycle in corners. At 169kg dry weight, the Monster 1100 is 10kg lighter than its S2R predecessor. Ducati is betting on this difference in weight, which they believe is the key difference between the models. Breaking out of the embrace of the turns, I enjoyed the sensations that the motorcycle gave me. With each next turn, the gas opened wider and wider, I went straight ahead more boldly. My first impressions of driving the liter “monster” reminded me of the 696 test: the rigid chassis and Bridgestone tires allow a lot. Even despite the fact that I had a standard “monster” with Showa suspension in my hands, a feeling of confidence in the filigree work of the fork and rear shock absorber filled me within 20 minutes. I am sure that the basic set is somewhat softer than the Ohlins installed on the 1100S version . But this was enough for me.
The braking system is similar to the one installed on the 696, but according to the Ducati brochure, these radial Brembos are 17% more powerful. How to check? Only on the dyno. I had two wheels and several hundred kilometers of excellent asphalt roads at my disposal. The precision of the chassis, suspension and brakes made me feel euphoric. I added more and more gas, and then braked harder and harder.
Taking a deeper look at the Monster 1100, it becomes clear that it has little in common with the 696cc model other than its appearance.
There is a different fork, a different shock absorber, their attachment points to the chassis are higher. Recommended tires have a smaller profile. Obvious calculation for high peak speed, even greater sportiness, especially on the track. Here the engineers have thought through everything well: a 95-horsepower engine with a torque of 103 Nm delivers a lot of energy to the rear wheel, so the Italians prefer to overplay it a little. The road bike is equipped with 180/55 Supersport motorcycle tires, and the front wheel is shod with 120/70 tires.
OK! We return to the road. The tires stick to the asphalt as if they were smeared with glue. Flying through the turns, I felt the difference in which the bike fell to the right and to the left. Left turns were given to him with particular ease. I'm not sure, but I think Ducati took care to somehow compensate for some of the excess in the lower left part of the engine. I repeat, in appearance, the “king prawn” is exactly like a “mini-monster”. But the double mufflers of the haut couture “1100” differ in their filling and weight. Since the advent of the Ducati “vodushki”, we have been able to enjoy the magnificent sound from the standard end switches of Italian engines, at speed it is akin to the music of Vivaldi. I couldn’t deny myself the pleasure and, returning to the Riviera, I decided to go for a second round. In my humble opinion, a small jet plane decided to do the same thing right above me. Probably also a test drive! In city traffic I used the dry clutch more often. The “monster” springs are much softer compared to the S2R, but I can’t call the operation of the Monster 1100 clutch as light as a feather.
The power unit of the “monster” is the same 2-valve 1078 cc as that of the Hypermotard 1100. It has also undergone modifications. The engine weight of the DS 1000 prototype was reduced by 3 kg due to the use of high technology in the manufacture of engine covers: they are made of high-pressure reinforced aluminum. Starting from 3000 rpm, every time the throttle is opened, the front wheel shoots into the sky, requiring the pilot to more carefully handle the “mountain of muscles”. It’s hard for me to even imagine the maximum speed that a “king prawn” can develop on a prepared track. “696” with its 225 km/h will seem like “four hundred”!
When I tested the 696, my main (and only!) disappointment was a certain lack of “horses”. Monster 1100 – the factory’s answer to the questioning glances of the suffering! As for me, 95 hp, and more importantly, 103 Nm of torque, are much more suitable for such a motorcycle. Not too much, but you can’t call it “small” either. The chassis is close to ideal in my opinion. Throughout the test, I experienced a pure, unclouded feeling of driving joy. What else do you need?
The position in the saddle is simple and clear. There is enough space to comfortably accommodate a pilot of any height, with a slight sporty tilt: seating with the knees resting on the tank, with a slight tilt forward. Even here, the 696 differs from the 1100: the seat design is improved, the front section is raised by 10 mm to compensate for your body movements during steep braking.
A window into the inner world of Desmo, that is, the dashboard is the same as that of the “little monster”. It’s strange that during the entire trip I almost never looked at her, although a couple of times I paid attention to the cops who were aiming their radars at me. The landing, it seems to me, is designed so that the pilot in any position is simply obliged to see the instrumentation - the numbers on the speedometer, the tachometer scale. But nothing distracted me from the beautiful view of the rolling asphalt!
Leaving the hotel, I inadvertently began to compare my Monster with the 620 parked a little further away. A couple of minutes were enough to understand: the current generation of “shrimps” is finished at the highest level! Improvements in everything - from the quality of plastic parts and welds, to final painting and polishing. The styling of the Monster 1100 and 696 is sharp and crisp. And if you're a man and you still don't like the newfangled oval headlight, take my advice: just close your eyes.
Total:
The Monster 1100 is not just a bigger 696. Everything here is much better designed, from the engine to the suspension. The rear wheel cantilever mount is great! The classic Ducati Rosso red color makes the Desmosedici frame an integral part of the interior, at the center of which is the magnificent 1100 cc L-Twin.
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For some reason, it seems to me that this bike is much better suited for everyday city riding than the 696.
Ducati can't wait for the new generation of Monster to continue the good tradition and become another global bestseller. They did a great job and deserve it! Oh, did I forget to tell you about mirrors again? It would be better if they did not exist at all.
+ One of the lightest liter nakeds on the market + I haven't tried the 1100S yet, but the handling of the base version is simply a dream! + The 1100cc L-twin is finally friendly
— The tidy is not very readable on the go, just like on the “696”
Thor Sagen, specially for MOTOGONKI.RU from Cannes
Photos: Milagro
