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Before the 2011 Ducati Monster 796 was unveiled, the rift within the Monster lineup was considerable: the entry level 696 served as a great advanced beginner bike, while the 1100 offered a considerably more ballsy option.
How does the Monster 796 bridge the gap?
To find out, I put Ducati's newest naked bike to the test on the twisty, hilly roads surrounding Bologna, Italy.
The Goods: Middleweight Architecture, Enhanced Ergonomics
Ducati's lineup sticks to a lightweight, performance-oriented theme, and the new Monster 796 adheres to the level of form and function we've come to expect from the Italian manufacturer. A steel trellis frame helps the naked middleweight achieve a dry weight of 368 pounds, and the air-cooled 803cc L-twin engine produces 87 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 58 lb-ft of torque at 6,250 rpm, a gain of 7 hp and 7.4 lb-ft over the 696 model. Priced at $9,995 ($10,995 with ABS), the Monster 796 runs $1,000 more than the 696.
Like the Monster 696, the 796 features non-adjustable Showa 43mm inverted forks up front, while the rear monoshock by Sachs is preload and rebound adjustable. The Monster 796 incorporates a wet, hydraulically actuated clutch with an APTC slipper unit (a la Hypermotard 796), and unlike the littlest Monster, the 796's swingarm is a slick, single-sided design. As with the Monster 1100, the 796 receives aluminum tapered handlebars and Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires; the wheels and tires are identical to the big bore Monster's, apart from their black finish with short section pinstriping. Dual-disc, 4-piston Brembos are found up front, with a 2-piston disc at the rear.
The new Monster 796's ergonomic triangle has been revised for greater comfort: the handlebar is .79 inches taller, the saddle has been re-shaped for greater comfort (and sits .39 inches lower than the 1100's), and 4-point adjustable hand levers have also been incorporated.
The Monster 796 comes with a 2 year, unlimited mileage warranty, and is available in red, white, black, or Ducati's custom color schemes.
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