Ducati Monster 1200 25th anniversary edition revealed

Ducati has just revealed a new limited (to 500 pieces) Monster 1200 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Monster brand. The new bike is called the '25° Anniversario'.

The new edition features machined components, carbon-fibre bits and mechanicals from the top-spec Monster 1200 R. It is available in a special colour scheme – the three colours of the Italian flag on the visor, fuel tank and passenger seat cover – inspired by the 2008 Monster S4RS Testastretta Tricolore.

The Monster has a gold-coloured frame and forged Marchesini wheels with W-shaped spokes in the same colour. The mirrors, handlebar-end weights and the petrol cap are all machined from solid aluminium. Carbon fibre has also been used for the front and rear mudguards, keyhole cover and the exhaust heat guard.

Powering the 25° Anniversario is Ducati’s liquid-cooled, 1,198cc L-twin engine that makes 147hp and 124Nm of torque. These figures are identical to that of the Monster 1200 S. However, when it comes to the suspension and brakes, the Anniversario is more 1200 R than 1200 S. It uses the same 48mm, fully-adjustable Öhlins fork and monoshock. The bike is also equipped with a steering damper from Öhlins. The bike uses twin 330mm discs paired to Brembo M50 monoblock callipers up front, and a single 245mm disc at the rear.

The naked bike is also heavy on electronics; it features an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) which supplies information to the ABS Bosch Cornering and Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) systems. Other electronics aids include Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Ducati Quick Shift Up and Down (DQS). The bike also features three riding modes (Sport, Touring and Urban).

The Monster 1200 will be available in Europe from September onwards, from October in Japan, from November in the United States and from December in Australia. It is unlikely that this bike will be offered in India, as the Monster 1200 R isn’t available here. The Monster 1200 range is one of the last bikes in Ducati’s line-up that comes directly from Italy (instead of Thailand) and this makes the price quite high – Rs 20.10 lakh for the Monster 1200 and Rs 24.63 lakh for the Monster 1200 S (both prices, ex-showroom, India).

The Monster was first presented at the Cologne trade fair in 1992, Bologna, Italy and production began on March 5, 1993. Since then, the Italian bike maker has sold 3.25 lakh units of Monster. The Monster is, undoubtedly, one of Ducati’s most popular models, worldwide.