Ducati India unveiled its most affordable offering, the Monster 797 at a very attractive price tag of Rs. 7,77,000 (Ex showroom Delhi). The new Monster 797 replaces the very familiar discontinued yet superb Monster 796. Alongside the Monster, the smaller and less expensive adventure motorcycle- Multistrada 950 was also launched. Here is a quick overview of the new Monster 797 in terms of looks, performance, equipment and pricing.
Looks And Design:The Monster 797 looks very similar to the old gen 796, though there is a large amount of design cues drawn from the bigger and much expensive Ducati 821. The overall design of the bike is very compact and minimalistic, while the bright red paint does the job of grabbing eye balls. The entire engine and exhaust pipes are visible, just like any other Ducati Monster.
The headlight unit looks similar with the Monster 821, while the exhaust pipes also seem to be borrowed from the Ducati Scrambler. The lengthy steel trellis frame design is also oriented on the Monster 796. The 16.5 litre fuel tank is large and sculpted and is made completely out of steel, which would allow riders to stick a magnetic tank bag. The instrument cluster is a full LED unit just like Monster 821, along with all those tell tale lights.
Engine And Performance:Just like the previous generation Monster 796, the 797 also gets an air cooled engine. The bike gets a 803cc air cooled L-twin engine with two desmo valves per cylinder. The engine churns out a good 75 hp at 8,250 rpm and 68.9 Nm of torque at 5,750 rpm, which is a pretty good figure for an entry level naked sport bike. The 803cc engine is said to be borrowed from the highly acclaimed Ducati Scrambler. The motorcycle is fueled by electronic fuel injection system with 50mm throttle bodies. The engine has a 6 speed manual transmission assisted with a APTC wet multi plate slipper clutch unit, though the clutch isn't hydraulic like other expensive Ducati's.
Brakes, Chassis And Suspension:The Monster 797 has a tubular steel trellis frame with the engine as a stress member. Suspension duties are carried out by non adjustable 43mm Kayaba USD forks up front, while the rear comes shod with a Sachs monoshock with pre load and rebound adjustability. The stopping power comes by radially mounted Brembo Monobloc M 4.32 4 piston calipers with dual 320mm semi floating discs at the front and a single 245mm disc at the rear.
The wheels are 10 spoke alloys which wear Pirelli Diablo Rosso II rubber as standard equipment with dimensions 120/70 ZR17 and 180/55 ZR17 respectively. The motorcycle tips the scale at 193 kg wet.
Features & Equipment:
The Monster 797 doesn't have any fancy electronic systems like the traction control, power modes or lean angle sensitive ABS. The bike gets a dual channel Bosch 9.1MP ABS module. The switch gear and overall build quality looks top notch just like any other motorcycle from their stable.
Final Impression: A Ducati at Rs. 7.77 lakh is a killer deal, given the fact that the Monster series has a great history. With this price point, Ducati will surely grab their market shares in the appropriate segments. A motorcycle from a legendary manufacturer, aggressive pricing, growing Indian superbike market altogether makes it a good package and would surely sell in good numbers.
Photographs By: Haroon Mohd. Khan
By: Aravind Rb.
