gsferrari

Pizza, Pasta, Pastrami, Panini, Pavarotti, Puccini...

What do all these words have in common?

To state the obvious, yes they are all Italian...
To someone who has real "taste" though, they exemplify excellence!

Bravo! Eccellente! Encore!

...all words that I was screaming out loud inside my helmet as I rode the Ducati Monster 796 for the first time!

When I swung my leg over the saddle for the first time it felt so small and delicate compared to the MT-01 which I usually ride. The trellis frame stands out when you look at the bike side-on but it disappears when you get on the bike. You don't see it...and you don't feel it. The seat felt comfortable and at a nice height which shouldn't trouble shorter riders too much. It was wide enough to contain my trailing end, plush and yet firm enough to prevent the onset of soreness over a long ride. It felt pretty much perfect in fact. I grabbed hold of the wide bars which felt unnaturally wide for a bike this size. It felt...different and in a good way. It gives you the impression of riding a bike 2-3 sizes larger than what the 796 actually is. The wide bars give you enough leverage when you want to really push the bike into a line on the tarmac...but I never had to use force with this bike and I'll tell you more about that in a bit.

A generous gas tank gives you plenty of "mass" to grab hold of with your knees as you accelerate, brake or corner. The riding position has you almost sitting on top of the tank and you only see the tarmac ahead of you thanks to the dainty instrument panel almost hidden from sight. It is completely unobtrusive and you have to really WANT "information" in order to look down at it.

Firing the bike up results in a subdued drone. After the relentless pounding you have to survive when you ride the MT-01, this was quiet and peaceful in comparison. I am sure a nice pair of aftermarket cans will turn this bumblebee into a screaming banshee. The unmistakable V-twin drone sounded and felt reassuring for someone who is such a big fan of the V-twin motor. The diminutive controls felt weird after the roomy and man-size controls on the MT-01. I struggled to get my huge feet working with the gear-shift and rear-brake but when I had it all figured out, I notched the Monster into first, let the clutch out and gave it a bit of throttle expecting to be LAUNCHED into 2011 but instead I experienced hesitation. Getting the 796 away from standstill required unusual amounts of clutch slip...the MT-01 can move away from the stops even if you just let the clutch go with little or no throttle thanks to the monstrous torque. This...felt weird!

I didn't stall the bike but when I raised this concern to Old_Fox later on he explained that it was due to the low inertia flywheel and the inexplicably tall gearing. Due to this combination, the bike is a little bit hesitant off the line to someone who is used to instant response. Grab a fistful of throttle and she goes just fine and once the motor is properly spooled up the Monster lives up to it's name! First gear...70Kph...SLAM into Second to see about 110...SLAM into Third to hit 140 and from there on you start losing track of space and time as the tall gearing gives you a chance to rev a V-Twin to near in-line four levels at which point it suddenly hits the limiter and reminds you that physics cannot be cheated...even by the Italians. All the speeds I mentioned are just approximate because the MFD is incredibly hard to read thanks to it's positioning and due to the glare of the sunlight but you really have to nitpick to point out any glaring issues with the ergonomics when you are so comfortable and have the best view in the WORLD of the road ahead.

The light weight and long swingarm give the bike a super planted feel even thought it has a tendency to almost READ your mind and react to your inputs faster than your brain can comprehend. Minor movements of your body don't affect the balance of this bike but any inputs on the controls has an IMMEDIATE effect on the path of motion. The MT-01 on the other hand is a recalcitrant bull elephant...stubborn, heavy and capable of angry retribution if pushed beyond the limits.

To put down the experience in text is hard work. Acceleration is on-par with the MT-01 with the light-weight maybe giving the 796 an edge. So yes...it accelerates ferociously once the motor is in the zone. It pulls strongly up to the rev limiter which makes the limiter all the more unwelcome when it cuts in suddenly. Braking with the Brembo kit coupled with ABS is an awe inspiring experience. The last time I was THIS happy with the brakes was when I rode Ariz's Streetfighter. The 796 follows the same lineage and it really can rein in all the rampant horsepower and momentum without much fuss. The tires are right up there to match the performance of the bike in all aspects. This bike is so "transparent" to rider inputs while some other bikes seem to deploy a "translator" between what you do...and what the bike does on the road. It is DEFINITELY a big-bike experience without the big-bike fuss. I can recommend this bike to a beginner and an expert with equal enthusiasm. The only issue owning one in India will be the questionable after sales support offered by Ducati. I am not saying it is bad...just untested. Anyway...back to my first impressions...

On the return ride from BWM to Vashi I was on the 796 following Sunny who had taken over the cockpit of the MT-01. What ensued was a lesson in riding for me and I was in AWE of Sunny's cornering abilities. I could see that he was on the extreme edge of the MT-01's tire patch and this was virgin territory for my bike!! I wouldn't dare to corner with those extreme lean angles and yet here was another rider who was doing it with ease!! I was feeling sorry for myself but then I caught my thoughts and realized that I was RIGHT THERE with him doing everything he was doing without even thinking about it! The 796 was fully leaned over matching Sunny's efforts on the MT-01 without batting an eyelid! I wasn't thinking...everything was happening subconciously and there wasn't any time to think about what was happening. There was a symbiotic connection right then between me and the 796 and I cannot describe the inputs I was giving the bike...I simply thought and it went. I know this doesn't make any sense but this is only the 3rd time I have experienced this "connection" between man and machine. The first time was when I was riding my GSXR-750 on the tarmac at Deals Gap. The second time was when I was riding a kawasaki Ninja ZX-6r in anger at the Bajaj test track at Chakan. After we came off the expressway I had a big smile on my face and I patted the tank affectionately...what a bike!

Watching Sunny ride was an experience in itself. I was learning to corner just by following him. The MT-01 was putting up a good fight and he tamed it. Now I know what the MT-01 can do...and I know what I can do if I can fool my mind into forgetting it's self-imposed lean limits. If you want to learn to ride fast in corners - ride behind someone who is really good at it and you WILL learn...the trick is to remember what you learn.

Old_Fox later told me that it doesnn't require a quality rider to go fast in a straight line...that even a monkey can do it. But to go quickly through the corners is an art that most riders chase with an almost religious fervor without finding nirvana.

I guess everyone has a different idea of what cornering Nirvana is but for me, it was right there on that Sunday afternoon on the Mumbai-Pune expressway...on the Ducati Monster 796!

In a land that defines Perfection with words that begin with "P"...Ducati shows that "D" is more "P" than most...

Bravo! Eccellente! Encore!



P.S - Sadly I have no pictures documenting my ride on the Ducati so I hope you are satisfied with this...it is the best I can do.

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MG

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My photography page: Gourab Das Photography

abhichotu.abhi

Finally, a DUCATI which is rider friendly to a greater extent.

Old Fox

That's a pretty comprehensive and 'professional' review there GS. Not much left to say about the bike there from a rider's point of view. Love it.

You rode two bikes almost a 1000cc's apart that day and yet both are capable of almost identical performance in acceleration and speed. Says a lot for the 796.

You are spot on about the directness of the bike. Its almost telepathic and yet not twitchy. Gives you plenty of opportunity for hitting ctrl Z with a botched up input. Though you have to be quick enough and good enough with bikes to know what you did wrong very early. Allow the inertia to build up in the wrong direction and you're a mess on the best set of two wheels. Having ridden the 796 today from Mumbai to Ahmadabad, I have fallen in love with this bike as a tourer. The initial hesitation and need for slipping the clutch is a trifle painful in our city traffic but then using this bike within the bounds of a city is sacrilege. Let it stretch those long legs and it'll give you dollops of FUN every time you brake, downshift or accelerate. The vibes are pretty crude and overpowering at low revvs but get the engine spinning past 4000 rpm and they smoothen out to a level where the bike 'feels alive'. It's not the tingly zzzzzzing thing of in-line fours but a lively 'do you feel it all over' kind of vibration that adds to the sensory feedback.
And pssssst: a few good pulls right upto the rev-limiter in each gear has smoothed the engine quite a lot. It pulls a lot easier from take-off now.

As for the 'intimacy' between your MT and Sunny, I knew you'll love the sight of it being poled around by him. So after riding between you 'two' for the initial half hour or so, I backed off.

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anmol_1990

no pictures?

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TenHut

D is more P than most.
lol...nice way to end a bloody engrossing post GS.
Unfortunately I couldnt meet you guys but I did manage to catch up with Praveer and SunilG along with 3 Monsters in Pune.
This and only this, is the reason why I am into riding. If riding good werent a challenge you wouldnt be in it either :P

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simon

Welcome to Ahmedabad Sir ! See you soon...

fireblah

No pictures ?

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May the torque be with you..
My first F1 @ Sepang

gsferrari

Coming from you OF that is a generous compliment. Thank you!

I will grudgingly admit that it is the better of the two bikes to ride in anger. After I left the hotel and got back on the MT-01 and gave it the stick I smiled because it offers more to the senses with it's sound, vibes and visual appeal. I want to have them both and I will see if 2011 will allow me to add a Ducati to the garage.

In that case Sunny will be riding a butter smooth engine because I had to beat it with a cane to keep up with him on the MT-01. I guess these bikes are brand new when you took them out so some of the gnarliness is to be expected.

I was wondering where you guys were for a few minutes but then, just like every racer, I focused on my target which was the MT-01 and Sunny belting it away on the road ahead. WHAT A RIDE!!!


I was wondering where you were...should have come to BWM, we had a BLAST!

The best part is that this "quest" is addictive and thoroughly enjoyable. I must recommend the California SBK School to anyone who wants to know how to go around corners because you cannot learn this on your own. Once you ride behind the pros you automatically change your style to match theirs and the benefits are immediate. Then it is a question of making it muscle memory and sticking with the quest...wherever it takes you.

Sorry guys...like I said this was unplanned and Sunny and I simply tossed each other the keys on the way out of BWM and took off. He may have a couple of snaps but I'll tell you one thing, I make the MT-01 look like an FZ-16 and I make the Ducati Monster 796 look like a Mofa that rammed into a Rhino from behind. It won't be pleasing to the eye...even with Sunny behind the shutter

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NikhilB

Great words GS....
If only someone could post a comparo with the HM796

This is what I'm targeting to buy as my first sbk... I don't care much for the fairings and the track pedigree...

Sorry OF sir... When I get one, that is exactly what I plan to do with it (apart from riding on the highways also)...

PS: The "Ducati Piggy Bank" is accepting donations

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