The 2023 Ducati Monster SP will be here in January

Has it really been 30 years since the OG Ducati Monster? Why, yes. Yes it has. Ducati is celebrating the birth of Miguel Galluzzi’s naked baby by introducing a special, SP version for ’23, with: Öhlins suspension, Brembo Stylema front calipers, Termignoni approved silencer, Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, steering damper, and a lithium-ion battery. Buon compleanno, bambino Monstro!

Ducati Press Release:

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 15 September 2022 – In the second episode of the Ducati World Première web series 2023, Ducati presented the new Monster SP: a version designed to enhance the fun, thanks to a perfect package of technical equipment for those who love sporty riding.

Presented in 2021, the Monster represents all the essence of Ducati in the most compact, essential and lightest form possible. The recipe is the original 1993 one: a sporty engine, but perfect for road use, combined with a Superbike-derived frame. Everything you need to have fun, every day. 

Motore

The Monster SP is powered by the 937 cc Desmodromic Testastretta 11° twin-cylinder engine, lightened, refined, enhanced and naturally exploited as a stressed element of the chassis. Euro 5 approved, this engine has a maximum power output of 111 hp (81.6 kW) at 9,250 rpm and a maximum torque of 9.5 kgm (93 Nm) at 6,500 rpm. All this with a full and friendly delivery curve at all engine speeds, with particular attention to the medium-low range, the most used on the road. 

Despite its outstanding performance, the Testastretta 937 is an extremely reliable and undemanding engine from a maintenance point of view. Oil change servicing has expiry dates of 15,000 km (9300 miles), while the valve clearance must be checked and adjusted if necessary every 30,000 (18,600 miles). 

The use of the Ride by Wire system allows the adoption of the different Riding Modes, updated and recalibrated specifically for the SP version, to offer the possibility to change the character of the engine according to tastes or needs. The slipper clutch that equips the Monster SP works in an oil bath and is extremely light to operate and modular, but at the same time more performing in power transmission. In fact, the system works in a bidirectional way by “pushing” the discs against each other in acceleration and relieving the pressure of the springs when opposite torque is applied, thus avoiding rear wheel lock-up in the most sudden braking. The gearbox is equipped with the standard bidirectional Ducati Quick Shift, to better support the rider in sporty riding and at the same time reduce fatigue when touring or in the city.

Looks

The sporty nature of the Monster SP can be seen immediately thanks to the livery that incorporates the 2022 colors of the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Desmosedici GP, the golden anodizing of the Öhlins NIX30 fork and the presence of a Termignoni approved silencer as standard. Particularly high-quality details are the red saddle, which is integrated with the tail in the side view, the Monster SP logo on the passenger seat cover and the Ducati logo on the fuel tank, larger and inspired by the Panigale V4 graphics.

The SP livery gives the Monster a more attractive and aggressive image, with graphics inspired by the factory team’s Desmosedici MotoGP bikes. Characterized by a play on the three shades of red of the different tags – Ducati Red, Racing Red, Amaranth Red – in contrast with the glossy black, the graphics underline the dynamism of the Monster SP. The saddle in red fabric recalls racing imag es, and helps to give lightness to the tail, creating visual continuity with the side panels in the same colour. The Italian flag is included on the latter, together with the specific Monster SP logo. Even on the tank, the Ducati lettering is characterized by higher dimensions, with clear reference to the Panigale V4 graphics.

Chassis

Functional and effective, the chassis of the Monster SP carries the inspiring principles of Ducati Superbikes on a road bike, as has always been the philosophy of the Monster. The load-bearing engine is connected to an aluminum Front Frame chassis conceptually similar to that of the Panigale V4, which contributes to the overall lightness of the bike. The swingarm is also made of aluminum with a structure similar to the Multistrada V4 unit. 

Thanks to higher quality components, the Monster SP becomes even lighter, weighing 186 kg (410 lbs) in running order. The chassis is also extremely compact, agile and usable, with a wheelbase of only 1,474mm (58 in.). On the Monster SP, the lightweight self-supporting tail made of GFRP (Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer) that acts as a housing for all the electrical and electronic elements, contains a lithium-ion battery, even lighter (3.7 lb) than the one used on the Monster. 

Suspension 

The new Ducati Monster SP is equipped with a 43mm diameter Öhlins fork and an Öhlins shock absorber, both fully adjustable, which, compared to the standard Monster units, increase the rider’s feeling and above all the lean angle that can be reached in sporty riding and the ability to close the trajectory. The fork, in particular, contributes to the overall lightening of the Monster SP by being 0.6 kg (1.3 lb) lighter than the standard Monster unit. 

Precision in sporty riding, in terms of distance and acceleration, is further improved thanks to the use, on the Monster SP, of a Sachs steering damper. 

Tyres (Tires) and wheels 

The light alloy wheels, characterized by the red tag that enhances their sportiness, measure 3.50 x 17″ and 5.50 x 17″ and are fitted with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres, in 120/70 size at the front and 180/55 at the rear, to give superior performance in sporty road riding. 

Brakes

The braking system improves in performance, increasing in power and modulation thanks to the adoption of Brembo Stylema radial calipers that act on 320mm diameter discs featuring new aluminum flanges. At the rear the 245 mm single disc unit remains. The modifications allow the Monster SP to express greater braking power but also to improve agility thanks to the reduction of unsprung masses: the Stylema calipers allow a weight saving of 0.4 kg (0.9 lb), the aluminum flanges another 0.5 kg (1.1 lb).

The general lightening of the bike also comes with the adoption of a lithium-ion battery, which brings the overall weight saving to about 4.4 lbs in running order compared to the standard model (already a benchmark in the category for lightness), despite the addition of components such as the steering damper and the windshield.

Electronics

The electronic sector of the Monster is at the top of the segment. The standard equipment includes ABS Cornering, Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Wheelie Control, all adjustable to various levels of intervention. The sporty character of the new Monster SP is also underlined by the Launch Control which ensures lightning-fast starts. This top-of-the-range motorcycle equipment allows the Monster SP to safely express its full performance.

The Sport, Touring and Wet Riding Modes allow the rider to shape the Monster’s character according to tastes and needs. Everything is easily managed through the handlebar controls and the 4.3” color TFT dashboard, featuring racing graphics that echo those of the Panigale V4, with a large rev counter and a complete set of information on the left, including that of the gear engaged.

The Ducati Monster SP will arrive in dealerships starting from January 2023, also in a depowered version for riding with an A2 license*.

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