2023 Ducati Monster SP Is A Hit & A Miss

TopSpeed

By Punya Sharma

Published Sep 16, 2022

Ohlins, Brembo Stylemas, and a smashing MotoGP-inspired livery take the Monster Moniker to new heights

For its second world premiere, Ducati has taken the wraps off the new-for-2023 Monster SP which headlines the Monster lineup.} The SP, as we suspected earlier, boasts a number of upgrades over the standard variant, including shiny Ohlins and top-shelf Brembos. However, there are some misses too.

2023 Ducati Monster SP - The Hits

To start off on a smashing note, the Monster SP flaunts gorgeous MotoGP-inspired livery which wraps it in an aggressive blend of red and black}. Additionally, there’s a small windscreen and rear cowl too (similar to the Monster+ variant), topped by a red saddle.

Speaking of saddle, the new flagship Monster now has an 840mm seat height (20mm more than before), along with a sharper rake and trail to help improve the riding dynamics. Judging from Ducati’s promo video, we’d say it works!

The crown jewels of the new Monster, though, are its Ohlins suspensions and Brembo brakes. Yes, the Monster SP runs Ohlins NiX front forks and an Ohlins monoshock, alongside top-shelf Brembo Stylemas up top. Both are also lighter than the standard bits and help the SP save 2kg over the standard Monster’s curb weight. Credit for this feat also goes to a 1.7kg lighter Li-ion battery.

Finally, rounding all this off is a Euro-5 homologated Termignoni exhaust system, a steering damper, and Pirelli Rosso IV tires, to make life louder and easier on the track, respectively.

2023 Ducati Monster SP - The Misses

As impressive as all this, the Monster SP has no engine performance upgrades to show off. Even with the Termignoni exhaust, Ducati claims it pumps out the same 111 horsepower and 69 pound-feet, as the stock Monster. Sure, the 2kg weight saving will help its case a bit, but not enough to give it an advantage in the market.

This brings us to the price. The Monster SP will retail for $15,595, around ~$3,000 more than the Monster Plus. More importantly, however, it is $2,600 and $3,200 more expensive than the more powerful Triumph Street Triple RS and the KTM 890 Duke R.}

It doesn’t mean the Monster SP is a flawed product or something, but just that if you want the utmost value for the money, there are better alternatives. But hey, who buys a Ducati thinking about money, right?

Source: Ducati