Ducati Monster 797

The Ducati Monster 797 is going to be the entry-level bike into the world of Ducati Monster. It's a bike that is for new riders and for those who are attracted by the Ducati brand and want to own a Ducati motorcycle. It will sit just above the Ducati Scrambler in pricing and shares the engine with the Scrambler as well, going back to the basics of the first air-cooled Ducati Monster bikes in the early 1990s. Ducati discontinued the last entry-level Monster, the 796 in 2014 to make the way for the Monster 821.

Once the largest selling motorcycle model, the Monster made up over half of Ducati sales worldwide in 2005. And though the Monster sells respectable numbers today as well, that honour of the largest selling Ducati currently belongs to the Scrambler. And although the Scrambler is a retro-cool bike in its own right, the styling isn't really Ducati, the sporty bikes Ducati is usually associated with. And so, the lack of an entry-level Monster has once again come back to the drawing board - to bring in newer riders into the Ducati fold and to once again relive the glory days of the Monster brand.

Ducati says the Monster 797 has the essence of the original Monster and Ducati values - sporty and compact, yet sophisticated and modern. In India, the bike will be launched on 14 June 2017, and we will of course be bringing a quick first ride impression when we get to ride the bike. But before that, here's a quick look at all you need to know about the new Ducati Monster 797.

The Monster 797 will be the entry point into the Ducati brand, and priced just above the Ducati Scrambler. So expect a price of around Rs 7 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Monster 797 shares the engine with the Ducati Scrambler as well - the 803 cc air-cooled engine puts out a decent 75 bhp at 8250 rpm and 69 Nm of peak torque at 5750 rpm. The exposed trellis frame, which is part of the Monster's design lineage, is a one-piece design, unlike the chassis on the 821 and 1200. The bigger Monsters have a separate front trellis piece that mounts to the cylinder head and a subframe that mounts to the rear of the engine.

Suspension includes a non-adjustable 43 mm Kayaba fork and a Sachs shock at the rear with adjustable spring preload and rebound damping. The swingarm is double sided, unlike the single-sided swingarm on the 821. The 797's braking system consists of Brembo calipers biting on 320 mm Brembo discs up front and a 245 mm single disc at the rear. There are no fancy electronics, no rider modes and no traction control. So, the Monster 797 gets just ABS and a slipper clutch for sporty riding. But the bike does get an LCD display.

Seat height is 805 mm, making the baby Monster accessible to shorter riders as well. The Monster 797 will be available in three colours - Star White Silk, with red frame and wheels, the classic Ducati Red, with black frame and wheels and Dark Stealth with black frame and wheels.