Ducati New Monster 1200 S

I think the only miss step with this bike is the name. using “Monster” was bound to elicit strong reactions. however (comma) if they used the name “Dragster” or “Monster Drag” it would be perceived differently. swap in the old swinger and seat section and the uninitiated wouldn’t know a ’14 from a ’13.For all you guys saying this bike is anything but gorgeous… get your eyes checked! What a stunner… my question is how this bike can live next to a the Streetfighter – or did Ducati discontinue it and I’m not paying attention? If they have both bikes in the lineup they seem to be very similar.And the only thing that makes it look like a Diavel is the frame (somewhat) and the rear fender thing. Otherwise, not even close.I like it. Gimmee! Beautiful. The dash sounds very interesting . Looking forward to seeing close up pis of it or in person.
Again, just ignore all the negative, critical, angry sounding commenters who just seem to relish criticism of almost anything shown here.
Wow. Just enjoy all the new and different things coming from the manufacturers.
Hopefully, the industry is recovering quickly and we will all benefit from the new products and technology. We are blessed to be here today with so many high quality motorcycles. Had to go look up the actual wb and it is 59.5 which is about IDEAL for a monster with this engine. L twins need a little more wb the more power they have.
Monsters are great blur-bikes and as long as it is red I do not can’t see too much when riding them- scarcely notice the telephone poles .
OK, I am not going to call it “ugly” like so many do about some recent motorcycle styling. But, this thing is kinda weird, with too many different styling cues on too compact a package. The Ducati Monster concept started with attractive simplicity, but has gradually become more, ah, comprehensive.
This latest version has crossed SOME kind of line. Well, well, there’s been a paradigm change at Ducati. Higher/closer bars and a comfortable flat seat on a Monster? What took them so long? That’s exactly what I’ve done with my 1976 Monster750 in order to make it fit an average rider! Hopefully the new version has better more-compliant suspension than mine and can be ridden for rather longer.
Why doesn’t this new Monster have that ubiquitous license plate/taillights extender thingie seen on so many other naked sportbikes such as the FZ-09 and Street Triple? If Ducati doesn’t have to have that, why do the others?
Otherwise, as gorgeous as this thing is, I think I’d still have to go with the Tuono V4R or, especially, that crazy new KTM Super Dukaholic. With the naked BMW R1000RR also coming along shortly, wooo, these look to be wild times for the naked sportbike enthusiast.

MV Agusta Turismo Veloce 800

VLJ, I’ve ridden the Daytona 675 a number of times and now this F3. Both nice machines, but the MV has a lot more tuned intake/exhaust sound (that I love to hear), it spins up much faster (appropriate for a sport bike, I think) and it has styling that looks good from every angle (character is appearance also). The bike comes off a lot edgier than the Triumph, which some will praise and others will fault, but I love it. It reminds me of the Ducati 748R I owned for several years – a racebike for the street. MV keeps adding new and improved bikes. Great job! The new dash looks fine! Try to ignore all these super critical commenters. They must be miserable to be so angry and critical of almost anything posted here. This is such a great time of the year. Lots of new and exciting new bikes! Enjoy the show. We live in such a great time.The “only 36 MV dealers in the US” comment is valid, but as the owner of a first-year F3 I can say the bike has been reliable so far and has so much more character (in a good way) than any Japanese bike or even the Triumph triples. I’m not so enthralled, however, with the styling – too “adventure bike” for my tastes and inseam (34″ seat height!).What is thing but a Weestrom in fancy duds? Set them side by side, they have the same lines and the same function.It’s funny how when the Italians copy the Japanese, they make the bike look alot better and jump the price. When the Japanese mimic the Europeans, they make the bike look a whole heck of alot uglier, but lower the price.And this rule almost never varies. It’s like a law of nature. Must be cultural differences between the two societies on how they view and value copying and mimicking.This is a “Watershed” moment, for me at least. This is exactly what I’ve been asking for low these many years. Upright Ergos, Very Capable SportBike handling & weight, all in a package with decent touring accuterments; wind protection & hard bags.The closest thing was the BMW F800 GT, but I wouldn’t spend that kind of $$$ on a buzzy twin. The next was the KTM SM-T but it had the tallish suspension, which I don’t need/want.I think its a beautiful sexy Italian designed bike but its also got all the limitations that being an Aprilia has, namely; snatchy EFI, questionable long-term reliability and limited dealer network.So I’m still waiting for Yamaha FJR 09 or the Triumph 800 cc motor to get the Daytona Treatment and then be assembled into this format, or a Speed Triple with the wind protection and bags and better seat . Yes, I love triples. Have you ridden one?There would simply be no comparing this to the 600-700 lb tourers, even those with 150+ HP because you’ve got 200+ lbs of bike to drag around.I hope its a sales success and that the other manufacturers follow suit. I hope this is the dawn of a brand new sector of bikes; The lightweight, midsized, upright ergo’d tourer with long distance serious sport riding as the target.OK, looks totally righteous, but… It’s 43 degrees out and raining. It will be raining all day. I need to ride 600 miles that day, then ride another 500 the next, and another 700 the day after that, then back home on the last day, a 300 mile jaunt. I do not like wearing sox or underwear on successive days. I will need to see someone at a nice restaurant on day 2 and will need to have a decent shirt, slacks and shoes ready to wear, possibly a sport coat. I’ll be spending at least half my time on big slabs, on cruise control, and where I can I’ll be riding rather less sedately on secondary roads, but I have a schedule to keep. Now, will the MV be able to cover this? I’m not so sure. Until it can, it’s better designated a SST rather than GT. My 2008 K1200gt (sofa strapped to surplus shuttle booster) does GT quite well. Not so sure I’d dump it for the MV.