darkknight

This dates back to the day when a call from sunny resulted in me being monster'd

This is just my impression & all other details are ofcourse covered extensively in Feb issue of Xbhp magazine

Looks

The first impression of the monster as you unveil it loudly proclaims a “HE”, you most certainly can't call this one as she’s my bike.

The muscular tank, the jacketed round headlight, the arched back turn indicators, bright red steel trellis frame, thick one sided swing arm & two huge protruded exhaust give a total manly feel & look to the bike.

From the front the bike most certainly looks poised to rule the urban landscape & the rear gives a feel of a fatboy on a roll.

As we thumbed the starters the bike starts with a snarly growl and the warehouse reverberated with the sounds of the L Twins

All eight bikes powered on produced enough decibels to cause a raucous cacophony which only a biker will truly understand as a sweet music.

Specs
Though you can find detailed specs on the net here’s what is immediately apparent as you look at the bike.

1) Extreme lightweight (for its category).A 167 kg dry weight immediately gives you a sense of control while riding or hauling around
2) The Marzocchi upside down stanchion fork
2) Saddle height – comfortable even for short statured guys like me.The seat is bit higher than the 696 & lower compared to the 1100s but well within the comforth zone.
3) The raised handle bars further makes the 796 a comfortable machine & great for tourers & likes.
4) The bright red steel trellis frame with a all round white color of the bike makes it stand out real good
5) The dual disc four piston front brembos make up for an excellent braking. Add to that an ABS option & you are set to roll.
6) The rear comes with a 2 piston disc at the rear
7) Pirelli Diablo rosso tires make up for good grip & stability
8) Humongous looking twin exhausts which look to be very lightweight & has one Lambda probe dedicated to each cylinder, enabling precise fuelling for a smoother power delivery

The rest of the ensemble is pretty much available across everywhere so not adding here.

Ride experience
1) As you release the wet, hydraulically actuated clutch with an APTC slipper unit & shift from the first gear, the bike kinda pushes you back with the sheer torquey feel. For the uninitiated (my kinds) in these kind off experiences the feel is akin to G forces one feels in a plane.
2) Starting tentatively as it was night we soon hit Nh3 & “cruised” at comfortable speeds of 70-80 kmph
3) As only 2nd & 3rd gears at max of 4000 rpm were used you can literally feel the urge to tap the unused power up the rev range
4) The comfier seat results in a less intimate relationship to the tank, reducing sensations of between-the-legs claustrophobia
5) Emotionally speaking the bike even at idle feels “live” like a beast with a huge throbbing heart. Something about the bike gives a feeling that you are riding something which is alive & has got a soul. Surprisingly all the riders felt the same feeling of “something between the legs”
6) The next day morning ride saw 6 riders riding the monsters & ashish on his super sleek red 848 evo. With a super godown shot urban video we hit the road again to enter Mumbai
7) Once on the road in daylight, especially once you rev past 3,000 rpm, the new Monster pulls quite nicely, with grunty thrust that doesn't quit until the rev limiter kicks in at around 8,500 rpm
8) Because of its relatively low redline, the Monster delivers satisfying acceleration in urban settings, thanks to the oodles of available torque which obviate the need to wind up the engine to stratospheric rpms
9) As we enter Mumbai the traffic does take a toll on the air cooled monster & it starts to heat up upwards towards the thigh area. With riding pants though this might be taken care of.
10) I also had the opportunity to travel as a pillion sitting behind Praveer & can thus say that its scary at first with me, a lightweight person being felt like thrown around every time he used to wring the throttle.A little getting used to was all that was required to enjoy the rest of the ride.
11) The pillion seat is extremely comfortable & can be good for long tours. The absence of grab rails though cause a little discomfort.
12) As I was holding onto the frame below the seat it was immediately apparent that as soon the bike travels the highway the air cooling is pretty fast & makes for a complete stress free ride

Verdict

The 796 is flickable yet stable, with a spirited exhaust note and enough thrust to appease most speed hungry riders and offers an attractive blend of elemental functionality, performance, and value
It offers a lot of bike for a relatively reasonable sum, especially considering Ducati's typically premium pricing. The new Monster may not be the most practical commuter or the most potent motorcycle around a track, but for a city bike with real world usability, specially for India, it strikes a sweet spot between the smaller-engined 696 and the bigger, pricier 1100
That said, the 796 hones in on the qualities many riding enthusiasts are looking for in a naked middleweight: a quick, nimble, reasonably comfortable, and appropriately priced ride with loads of personality.
Welcome to the world, Monster 796; you've got a winning personality that should draw plenty of new fans towards the Ducati brand.

Conclusion

All in all it was 2 days well worth spent in the company of these machines if I can call them just that.
Thanks to sunny, MG, Praveer , Noor & Xbhp for letting me this opportunity to enjoy something which otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do as of now.
Also my thanks to co riders’ vijay, ashish & akshay for making an awesome experience out of simple city rides.

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sunilg

'first impression' approved.

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satyenpoojary

Nice review there DK!
Point 8 gives kinda a false indication that there a ride mode selection option in the bike. I guess the correct words could be urban environment or something

~Jealous!

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Sachinnair

It's definitely male no ways a 'SHE'

Good write up. Did n't you click your pics on this beast oops sorry monster.

Good going. Wish I could get a chance to ride Monster Lucky you

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darkknight

Yup.This thing was written immediately on the fly right after those two days

I have many a pics which ain't featured.will upload them here as time permits.

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krish2778

Nice review bro. Expected nothing less in Xbhp reviews..!!
Now only thing is that it is incomplete without the awsome photography during the rides.
Since you said itll be up soon,so ill be waiting for those..

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