The Ducati 750 Monster

An All Day Curve Eating Monster by Michael Kamrad

A Very Basic Machine... by Lee Meyer

An All Day Curve Eating Monster by Michael Kamrad This may be a scary story. The ghosts of Bologna are restless. Marcello, Adriano and Bruno are haunting our shores with a new monster. But have no fear, because this beastly creature is a Ducati. The 750 Monster mixes sport and cruising characteristics and a few surprises of its own. By Ducati's own admission, "...these motorcycles are not for everyone." Yet we see more and more Ducatis every year. Now we have the very affordable 750 Monster: easy to ride, plenty of sporting personality and a two-year warranty. This sounds like a Ducati for everyone. What are the ghosts of the Ducati brothers telling us? Riding is way too much fun on the 750 Monster. With an upright riding position, slightly raised handle bars and lowered footpegs this motorcycle makes an all day curve eating experience possible. Removing the rear seat cowl allows a passenger to come along. Every Monster has a heart of V-twin, desmodromic, cerebellum-pounding, torque-loving fun. It's an air and oil cooled, two valve, five speed, 90-degree motor mounted to a race-proven trestle frame. For those who are not familiar with a Ducati engine, the desmodromic valve gear is a method by which a cam driven valve control is used to eliminate valve springs. This theoretically improves engine efficiency and power output. The result is obvious from one "quack" of the throttle. This Duck has wings. The 750 Monster has inverted forks, single disc brakes, front and back and 120/160 ZR tires which allow the cycle to ride over any meatballs in the road with ease. Spaghetti junctions are never a problem with this confidence inspiring suspension. So, you have plenty of power and a suspension that behaves. Now, get this, the 750 Monster weighs 387 pounds! It's a featherweight in the middleweight category. In every aspect of riding this lightweight factor is obvious, making the 750 Monster the most fun of any motorcycle we have ridden for M.M.M. This motorcycle draws attention. The way it looks and the way it sounds appeal to more than just the rider. Is it a Hooligan bike? Why, yes it is. It's fun to ride; it's naked, and it begs to be throttled. Everyone who rides it will have a little devil sitting on their shoulder whispering Hooligan thoughts into their ear. The 750 Monster is also the only 1997 Ducati available in a silver metallic color which beautifully blends with the different hues of the metals present in the frame and other chassis components. This fit and finish are up to high quality standards. There are plenty of aftermarket parts available, but major components are still coming from Italy. Remember--"rubber side down." A Ducati motor is an engineering masterpiece that requires valve adjustments every 2500 miles. Two or more trips a season to Tony the friendly mechanic may be this Duck's reality for a long life. A healthy Monster is a happy Monster. "GRRR.." This bike is a ride for everyone. It's a lightweight beginner's sport bike or enough of a handful for a well-ridden enthusiast. The $7,200 sticker price is favorable when compared to any other import sport bike. The ghost of Bruno Ducati has haunted us with a new Monster. Test ride one, and you could end up repeating the next phrase often, "I'm going to play with my Monster."   M.M.M.   Back to Top The 750 Monster is a very basic Machine... a very basic Italian machine by Lee Meyer Well, we're riding another Hooligan bike--the Ducati's 750 Monster. First impressions? The finish is impressive, very clean. It's a basic motorcycle, and it looks small, very small. It doesn't have the big tire like the 900. That could be a good thing--big tires are big bucks and not really required for this type of motorbike. At idle that little twin just purrs, no shakes or vibes. I thought this thing would be kind of slow, but this is not the case. This is a spunky motorcycle. No, it is not scary fast, but it does have plenty of pep. I never really felt the need for tons more power. Even at 80 mph the little Duck has plenty of passing power left, and it gets up to 100 or so very quickly and easily. The manual we found in this cool little compartment under the seat claims the 750 is only a couple horses shy of its big brother, the 900. Like the 900, the 750 has no tachometer. That's something that drives me kind of bananas. Handling is light and responsive; the bike feels very short. The brakes work well, but shifting takes some work with long throws on the gear box. The 750 Monster is a very basic machine. However, it is a very basic Italian machine. This is the way I see it. Very nearly everything Italian is inherently neat-o. This is a sweet little commuter bike. For a price between six and seven grand what else are you going to get? The only bikes I can think of in that price range that are worth owning are the Suzuki Bandit 1200 or maybe the Kawasaki GPZ 1100. The problem is that both of these motorcycles are gobs too much bike for most people, and, oh yeah, they are NOT made in Italy. So, there you have it. In case you have not noticed, the Italians are building machines that cost less these days. Now they have several under the ten grand mark. Okay, let's review. A 750 Monster is fun, inexpensive and Italian. A Geo Metro costs more. I'm through talking about it.   M.M.M.   Back to Top