2001 Ducati Monster 600

What is it about the Italians and their uncanny sense of aesthetics? Is it the gorgeous landscape, the luminous sunlight, that provokes from them such unforeseen and beautiful productions, of industrial design as much as of painting and sculpture? I wish I knew. I do know, however, that Ducati's Monster 600 may well be the sexiest beginner bike on the planet.

To begin with, there's the Monster 600's exposed trellis frame. There's something wild and undomesticated about it. That it works supremely well, giving the bike tremendous agility and balance, is almost beside the point. An architect friend looked at the bike and said, "It's like a Richard Meier building. Exposing a building's I-beams can be beautiful, given the right vision. That Ducati has it in spades." Spend time looking at almost any detail and you end up admiring it for its appearance and function.

There's also the V-twin engine, which generates such a lovely roar. It's exposed too, as God intended. If Harley-Davidson has made V-twin engines sexy in cruisers, Ducati has done the same for standards and sportbikes. Like all Ducati motorcycles, the Monster 600's engine features "desmodromic drive," a method of closing a four-stroke engine's valves without using valve springs ("desmodromic" being a Greek compound meaning "controlled run"). This way, the theory goes, valve "float"--the irregularity that occurs when valve springs are unable to close the valves quickly enough at high rpm--is eliminated. It's a feature unique to Ducatis, and is partly responsible for their distinctive sound.

I rode the bike in Rome, where they don't have traffic, they have qualifying heats. City buses, moving vans, tiny Peugeots and Renaults, Fords and Fiats; old Moto Guzzis and BMWs beaten to a pulp; all manner of dual-sport bikes; the ubiquitous scooters with their enormous windscreens and their bee-like whine--they all fight for space on the crowded roads. "Fight" is the operative word. To establish oneself as an equal among Roman drivers, one needs to learn the fine arts of blockpassing, dizzying lane-changes and high-speed roll-ons--all at the same time and on half-second's notice.

Given this context--Rome's inimitable wild ride--the great majority of Roman motociclisti have decided that cruising the thoroughfares is best done on a light, stylish standard, sporty yet comfortable, with extreme maneuverability. The Ducati Monster 600 is the stylish standard of choice. It is the best-selling motorcycle in Italy, with 4,060 M600s being purchased there last year. 2001 marks the first year Ducati has brought the 600cc Monster to the U.S., and it was a wise decision. US beginners have been hungry for a suitably-friendly bike from a sexy Italian manufacturer. The Monster 600 provides just the ticket. And at $6199 for the "Dark" version, it represents the market's least expensive entrance to an exclusive European marque (for a full-sized motorcycle). Compare BMW's F650GS at $8100, for example.

Much has been written about the Argentinean designer Miguel Angel Galuzzi's creation of the Monster in 1993. Suffice it to say that this unusual design surprised everyone--Ducati especially--with the long-term tenacity of its hold on motorcyclists' imagination and dollars. With the 600cc model, Ducati created a bike that was easy to use for beginners, reliable, and affordable--qualities not exactly overflowing from previous Ducatis.

I have to admit that, before visiting Italy, Ducati's marketing of the Monster had always puzzled me. The factory brochures insist that the bike is poised somewhere between a sporting motorcycle and a cruiser--possessing the best qualities of both, and that it is custom-ready: Change the tires. Paint it black. Leave your mark. (The latter assertion is clearly a reference to the endless ingenuity and bankrolls of Harley customizers, with Ducati hoping to attract a similar kind of devotion.) But anyone who has ridden the bike knows that it is a standard, and a sport-oriented one at that. Who in their right mind, I used to think, would use the word cruiser (or half-cruiser) when describing this bike?

In Rome, though, the idea makes all the sense in the world. "Il Mostro" has the rakish good looks and exposed engine of a cruiser, and in Italy a certain macho aura or mystique has accrued around it that I can only compare with that of Harley-Davidsons in the States. People are drawn to this bike. Young couples pointed and waved as I flew past the Trevi fountain. Old men, sitting in chairs outside a pasticceria (pastry shop), interrupted their daily talk to give me a nod and a smile. Even nuns gazed admiringly at it as I rode by St. Peter's Square. (Of course, nuns on scooters, like everyone else, will blockpass you in a second on a strada if you don't defend your line.)

In other words, this bike has taken the classic sex appeal, V-twin rumble, and naked styling of cruisers and translated those qualities into a package that works in the insane conditions of Italian city streets.

In Rome the Monster is in its element. Need to avoid trouble by passing another motorcycle, car, or scooter (or all three) while sharing the same lane? No problem. Ditto for successfully weaving through throngs of tourists as they leap out of nowhere onto narrow, cobblestoned streets. Such maneuvers are almost an afterthought on the Monster, even for a beginner. The bike's light weight and agile chassis means that very little effort is required to jostle, sprint, dodge, cut and thrust through and around traffic. The engine provides 46 very user-friendly horsepower--about perfect for a beginner who has ridden enough to feel at home with the basic controls of a motorcycle.

Of course, braking, especially in environments like Rome, is as important as acceleration. The Monster's 320mm disc with a 4-piston caliper at the front and 245mm disc with a 2-piston caliper at the rear provide outstanding stopping power, slowing me confidently even in panic situations (don't ask!). While in Rome, I also rode a Monster 900, which features dual discs at the front and thus gave superior braking feel and bite. Nevertheless, the Monster 600 offers some of the best brakes of any beginner bike (none of which, I hasten to add, come with dual discs at the front).

How well does it suit a beginner? Quite well, actually, though we have a couple of reservations. First, the footpegs are set too far rearward. Their position mimics Ducati's sportbikes, but they cast your legs in an aggressive position that can become cumbersome at slow speeds. Also, the clutch pull is heavier than that of other beginner bikes. Combined with the tall gearing, it's easy to imagine a beginner stalling at intersections until he or she gets accustomed to the heavy pull. The seat is hard and flat, but then, comfort is almost beside the point on a Ducati; here the aftermarket is ready to help you out if you're so inclined.

But these are minor complaints compared to the bike's strong points. As we noted above, the engine is at once friendly, usable and exciting, and the handling surpasses that of nearly every other beginner bike except a Ninja 250. Sit on the bike and you'll be surprised at how compact it feels. The bend to the bars is comfortable. The seat height is a low and confidence-inspiring 29.1 inches.

Unlike most Japanese beginner bikes, a Ducati will take a bit more scrupulosity as regards maintenance to keep it in top shape. One of the most important elements in Ducati upkeep is replacement of the belts that drive the cams at least every 12,000 miles. (If you rev the engine to its redline often, replace them sooner.) Also, having the valves adjusted every 6,000 miles is essential. These requirements are not that much more onerous than a Japanese bike's, but if you don't follow them, the consequences

are more dire. Perform these requirements (or have your dealer perform them) along with the usual 3,000-mile oil changes and the Monster 600 should prove reliable for years.

Tech Specs

Ducati Monster 600
Ducati Monster 600	Tom Andrews on the Ducati Monster 600
Engine	L twin cylinder, 2 valve Desmodromic, air cooled
Horsepower	37kW - 51HP@8000 rpm
Bore and Stroke	80 x 58
Displacement	583 cc
Compression Ratio	10.7:1
Carburetor	2 x 38 mm Mikuni Carburettors
Ignition	Electronic
Start-Up	Electric
Torque	50 Nm - 5.1Kgm @ 6000 rpm
Clutch	Wet multiplate with hydraulic control
Gearbox	5 speed with straight gears
Primary Transmission	Straight cut gears; Ratio 1:85
Secondary Transmission	Chain Front sprocket: 15 Rear sprocket: 46
Gearbox	5 speed with straight gears
Frame	Tubular steel trellis frame
Suspensions	Front: 43 mm upside-down fork Rear: Progressive linkage with adjustable monoshock
Brakes	Front: 320 mm disc, 4-piston caliper Rear: 245 mm disc, 2-piston caliper
Rims	Front: Three spoke light alloy 3.50x17 Rear: Three spoke light alloy 4.50 x 17
Tires	Front: 120/60 ZR 17 Rear: 160/60 ZR 17
Dry Weight	383 lbs
Fuel Tank Capacity	4.2gal
MSRP	$6495

Additional Resources

• Buyer's Guide
• Rider Reviews
• Ducati's Web Site