Ducati unveils Monster SP sportsbike

Ducati has unveiled the new Monster SP (Sport Production). It is a more track-focused version of its sporty middleweight naked, the Monster.

The Monster SP gets a host of mechanical changes to suit its track-focused character, including, but not limited to, fully adjustable Ohlins suspension, Brembo Stylema calipers and a homologated Termignoni slip-on exhaust. 

There is a whole lot that has changed over the standard Monster. Ducati has gone through the entire bike and shaved off 2 kilos from its kerb weight, which means the Monster SP tips the scales at 186kg fully fuelled up (188kg for the standard Monster). This has been achieved due to the implementation of superior, and lighter, componentry in the form of a lithium-ion battery, a steering damper and a homologated Termignoni slip-on exhaust. The Monster SP also comes shod with the Pirelli Diablo Rosso 4 tires, same as on the recently launched Ducati Streetfighter V2.

That is not all though, Ducati has taken it one step further with changes to the bike’s geometry as well. For starters, the seat height has risen to 840mm (up from 820mm on the standard Monster), which can either be increased to 850mm or reduced to 810mm, depending on the accessory seat option chosen. Coming to the geometrical changes, Ducati has shortened the wheelbase and endowed it with a sharper rake angle and reduced trail, in an effort to increase cornering clearance, which should pay dividends on the track. Ducati claims that the cornering clearance has increased, but, by how much, has not been mentioned.  

The Ducati Monster SP also gets different riding modes compared to the standard Monster as well — it gets Sport, Road and Wet riding modes, as against the standard’s Sport, Touring and Urban. The rest of the electronics remain unchanged.

To differentiate it visually from the standard bike, Ducati has adorned this higher-spec version of the Monster with a paint scheme borrowed from its MotoGP bikes, a red seat and red accents on the front fender and wheels. The Monster SP also comes standard with the bikini fairing, which is an optional extra on the standard Monster.

The 937cc liquid-cooled, V-Twin engine is in the same state of tune as the standard bike, and as such, it is good for 111hp at 9,250rpm and 93Nm at 6,500rpm. Mated to this engine is a 6-speed gearbox, which is hydraulically-actuated and also benefits from a bi-directional quickshifter.

While the brake calipers are more premium Brembo Stylema units compared to the 4.32 monoblocs on the standard Monster, the actual brake discs are the same in size at 320mm. As with the standard Monster, the SP version can also be equipped with heated grips and Ducati Multimedia System as an optional extra.

While the pricing has not been revealed yet, this version may cost more than the standard version, considering the number of changes that have been made. As far as India is concerned, no official word on the launch has been made yet. Considering that it will command a significant premium over the standard Monster, expect very few Monster SP bikes to come here, if at all.