2018 Ducati Monster 1200S: Naked and famous
Ducati's second gnarliest Monster might just be its very best.
2018 Ducati Monster 1200S
Ducati's Monster 1200S is the biggest Monster ever but thanks to amazing suspension and prodigious torque, it's a breeze to ride.
The Monster 1200S' water-cooled four-valve 90-degree L-twin engine is a powerful, sonorous, low-maintenance sweetheart.
The Monster's unique ergos are a little weird at first, but quickly grow on you.
The Monster 1200S features suspension by Ohlins and brakes by Brembo, who could ask for more?
One of the best parts of the Monster 1200S is Ducati's standard Safety Pack which bundles lean-sensitive ABS, traction control, wheelie control and ride modes.
It's not necessarily the world's prettiest bike (we're looking at you, headlight) but it's aggressive and conveys a sense of purpose.
The Monster is pretty comfortable which makes it ideal for running errands around a busy city like LA, though we wouldn't necessarily pick it for a road trip.
The Monster 1200S is available in a color other than red, thankfully. This dark grey is pretty damned handsome and how we'd order ours.
The test bike we had came with the optional carbon fiber Termignoni race exhaust and we couldn't imagine it with anything else.