Ducati Monster 1200R Unveiled

"BobintheMtns" (bobinthemtns) 09/14/2015 at 16:22 • Filed to: None

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Just came across this pics on facebook of the upcoming Monster 1200R... and at a first glance, I’m going with “nope”. The diavel inspired swirly exhaust pipes look too ostentatious for a naked and the overall proportions just don’t do it for me.... too front-heavy looking... And the severely shortened trellis frame just leaves me wanting more.. literally.

But with a teaked out 1200cc motor I’m sure it’ll be a...... monster.

scoob > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 16:28

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I don’t know anything about bikes, but I think this looks odd.

TheOnelectronic > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 16:28

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The frame is short because the engine is part of the bike’s structure, rather than being supported by it. Helps to save weight.

From what I’ve read, the R isn’t really that much faster than the S. I think it’s something like 155hp vs the S’s 145.

BobintheMtns > scoob 09/14/2015 at 16:29

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Yeah, that’s just for gov’t regs... those brackets usually last about a day before they’re replaced with an low-profile aftermarket bracket..

TheOnelectronic > scoob 09/14/2015 at 16:31

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Especially since the vanilla 1200 has a wheel-hugging rear fender

BobintheMtns > TheOnelectronic 09/14/2015 at 16:37

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No, I understand using the motor as a stressed-member.. but ducati trellis frames used to extend along the whole top of the motor, connecting to (or also comprising) the rear subframe... here it’s so shortened that it looks fake... instead of a traditional trellis, you get a homage to one....

For example— a proper trellis (imho):

BobintheMtns > TheOnelectronic 09/14/2015 at 16:40

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That is odd that they’d be different... but I guess if you’re gonna ask for more $$$ there better be some visual clues that this a different model/beast...

bob and john > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 16:45

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monster has had that swirly exhaust for a while now...

Snuze: Needs another Swede > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 16:56

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Agreed, but the wheel hugger actually looks much better. It’s possibly the only motorcycle license plate bracket I have ever seen that I wouldn’t immediately chop and replace.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 16:58

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Overall, I like it. The only things I don’t like are the stupid license plate bracket. The wheel hugger on the base Monster actually looks way better and cooler and I may not chop it off.

Also, and this might be fundamentally harder to fix, but the damn headlight. The original monster headlights looked really good, but the light on the newer monsters looks like some kind of blob, like a tumor or something.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Snuze: Needs another Swede 09/14/2015 at 17:00

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Also, this looks way cooler in my opinion...

It’s a Hypermotard that has been “de-beaked”

Sam > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 17:00

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Here’s another proper trellis.

Though not a Ducati trellis.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Snuze: Needs another Swede 09/14/2015 at 17:25

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Sex

TheOnelectronic > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 18:14

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It could also be a non-US regulation thing, and the bike used for press shots is a Latvian Market bike or something.

TheOnelectronic > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 18:15

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Again, though, it’s weight. Less frame means lighter frame. They probably realized they had to do something to appease the rabid fanboys when they went with liquid cooling.

Take some grains of salt, but some reviewers have claimed the current bike feels more rigid than the outgoing, fully-trellis’d bikes, since there’s also less frame to flex.

BobintheMtns > TheOnelectronic 09/14/2015 at 19:17

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Okay... check this.. this is pretty cool....

I’m with you that the new frame is lighter/stiffer/better... I don’t doubt that for a second. But my issue was that I like the traditional trellis frames, they’re just so beautiful. Especially so on the Monsters, since they’re the quintessential beautiful naked bikes... The trellis on the front half of the new Monster looks like a fake to me- like it was bolt-on plastic piece to evoke the trellis frame... So I googled to see what the new frame looks like—Holy Shit! Check this out!

One the left is the traditional monster trellis from the 90’s. Simple, purposeful and beautiful. Frame bolts to the top of the motor, swingarm bolts directly through the motor.. and there you go, start adding the components and you got a monster.

The new frame is on the right— and that front-half trellis is clearly NOT a bolt-on plastic piece. BUT LOOK AT THE BACK HALF OF THE MOTOR!!! The shock mounts directly to the horizontal cylinder head!! The sub-frame is really just for the damn seat! I’m just blown away by how much frame became redundant... I now get why they threw 60% of the old trellis design in the dustbin... Just wow!

TheOnelectronic > BobintheMtns 09/14/2015 at 22:14

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You think that’s nuts, the panigale has no frame at all. There’s a small subframe for the seats, but the swingarm bolts to the motor, and the forks mount to the gas tank.