Ten years on, I have yet to buy a Ducati. But I also have yet to be let down by the brand. What I wrote then is true of the latest iteration of the family line. If I were in the market for a motorcycle, I’d buy the Ducati Monster that I recently rode for a week around Los Angeles. It’s the evolution of Ducati’s bread-and-butter seller, the peak of Italian design, and the first model in the Monster family to ditch the signature trellis chassis since the range debuted in 1993. (That’s a metal cage that covers the engines of some sport bikes.)
Before we start, I should tell you: I am biased. The first motorcycle I ever rode was a Ducati Monster 796. It was a decade ago when I was learning to ride in the parking lot of an abandoned shopping mall in Dutchess County, N.Y.
It was a great experience, despite the fact that a smaller, less powerful bike would have been a more conventional option for a complete novice. At the time, I wrote that the Monster’s smooth power delivery, good handlebar leverage, taller-than-some seat height, and general user-friendliness made riding it a thrilling, memorable experience, even for a beginner like me.
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