The Monster 1200 sits at the opposite end of the range from the newly-launched Monster 797 (click here) but gains similar looks thanks to shared body parts.
The firm says it was concerned that the largest Monster was straying too far from the original idea, and has worked to make the 2017 version sportier and more compact. It’s also taken the opportunity to pack a few more horses into the engine, which now makes 150bhp. That’s 15bhp up on the old Monster 1200 and 5bhp more than the previous Monster 1200S could manage.
It’s still the familiar Testastretta 11° DS motor, just reworked to meet Euro4 emissions targets. The extra power is an unexpected bonus.
Styling changes include a new tank, a redesigned seat and a new headlight – and on a Monster that’s all the bodywork there is, so it’s basically all-new in visual terms. The frame is unaltered, but there’s a shorter swingarm to make the bike turn faster, bringing the wheelbase down to 1485mm. The tank and seat are both slimmer than before to make the bike feel smaller, and the seat’s height is adjustable from 795mm to 820mm. The licence plate moves from its previous swingarm-mounted location to a more conventional seat-mounted bracket.
It’s a high-end Ducati, so of course there’s a host of electronics to help the rider. Wheelie control, multi-mode traction control and cornering ABS are standard. The new 1200S gets an up-and-down quick shifter, too, which is also an option on the base bike. The electronics are backed up by an IMU that feeds information to the wheelie control and cornering ABS.
While the base Monster 1200 gets 43mm Kayaba forks and a Sachs shock, the S gets the usual fully-adjustable Ohlins set-up, with 48mm forks. The S also has Y-spoked wheels compared to the 10-spoke design of the Monster 1200.
An updated colour TFT instrument pack means the appearance from the rider’s seat is new, too. It can be set into three configurations depending on the circumstances – ‘Core’, ‘Full’ and ‘Track’ each show different read-outs to suit the use. Core gives stripped-back info and is intended for urban use. Track offers a superbike-style layout and Full shows as much information as possible.
