The Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany is huge. It happens every two years, and the whole German automotive industry comes out in full force, flexing its muscles and showing off all its sparkling new wares. And now, for the second time since acquiring Ducati, Audi has unveiled a new Ducati at the show: the 2016 Monster 1200R, the hottest Monster ever. The R in the model name signifies that this Monster joins the Diavel and Multistrada in adopting the 160-horsepower version of the ever faithful Twin Spark 1198 Testastretta 11° liquid-cooled 90-degree V-twin. Compared to the previous top version, the Monster 1200S, the new Monster 1200R boasts an 15 extra horsepower (175 hp at 9,250 rpm), while peak torque now is 97 pound-feet at 7,750 rpm (up from 91.8 at 7,250 rpm). 
Where does the extra power and torque come from? Ducati has bumped the compression ratio from 12.5:1 to 13.1:1, and it has replaced the round 53mm throttle bodies with elliptical units that are equivalent to 56mm round units. The last touch relates to the exhaust. It retains its mating snakes 2-into-1 manifold design, but uses 58mm tubing, an increase of 8mm over the 1200S. New mufflers are more elaborate and elegant. Thanks to these upgrades, the Twin Spark 1198 Testastretta 11° is said to pull smoothly and strongly from 3,500 rpm to past 10,000 rpm. The oil-bath slipper clutch uses a sophisticated Brembo hydraulic actuation system designed to that make it light to operate, while still being smooth and progressive. 
As for the Monster 1200R chassis, it’s the latest generation. It features a steel-tube trellis front section bolted to the heads of the 1198 V-twin—a light, compact, and rigid structure. The wheelbase, at 59.4 in., is unchanged, but to increase ground clearance for extreme lean angles, the bike is 15mm higher front and rear, which brings the seat height up to 32.6 in. Same as on the Monster S, top-class fully adjustable Öhlins suspension is employed: an inverted 48mm fork in front, complemented by the latest monoshock at the rear. Front-end geometry is basically unchanged. The new Monster 1200R features 24.3 degrees of steering rake and 3.5 inches of trail. Top-class Brembo brakes are on duty, featuring twin 330mm front rotors and radial mount four-piston calipers pirated from the 1199/1299 Panigale. It’s all under the control of the latest Bosch 9MP ABS. Of note, the three-spoke wheels are forged aluminum; they are lighter than the cast aluminum units of the Monster S, which translates into more agile and more precise handling in quick line changes. 
With a claimed weight of 397 lb. dry, the 2016 Monster 1200R bike weighs about 4.5 pounds less than the 1200 S. Wheels are 3.5 x 17 and 6.00 x 17, respectively, shod with the latest Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas (120/70-17 front, 200/55-17 rear). As you’d expect, the new Monster 1200R features the electronics suite of the Ducati Safety Pack, which includes ABS, eight levels of traction control, and three riding modes: Sport (160 hp, aggressive throttle response), Touring (160 hp, smooth throttle response), and Urban (100 hp, very smooth throttle response). Additionally, the new Monster 1200R features a new tail section, which looks leaner, svelte and more elegant. The whole bike, in fact, looks elegant, both in style and in graphics. The bike is available either in black with a black trellis frame, or in red with a red trellis frame. Very subtle; Ducati has decided to let the performance of this new Monster do the talking.
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| 2016 Ducati Monster 1200 R | |
| ENGINE | Liquid-cooled Testastretta 11° DS V-twin, 4 valves per cylinder, Desmodromic |
| DISPLACEMENT | 1198.4 cc |
| BORE x STROKE | 106.0 x 67.9mm |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 13.0:1 |
| CLAIMED HORSEPOWER | 160 hp @ 9,250 rpm |
| TORQUE | 97 lb.-ft. @ 7,750 rpm |
| FUEL INJECTION | EFI, 56mm elliptical throttle bodies, Ride-by-Wire |
| EXHAUST | 2-1-2 with catalytic converter. Twin aluminum mufflers |
| GEARBOX | Six-speed |
| PRIMARY DRIVE | Straight-cut gears; Ratio 1.84:1 |
| RATIO | 1=37/15 2=30/17 3=27/20 4=24/22 5=23/24 6=22/25 |
| FINAL DRIVE | Chain |
| FRONT/REAR SPROCKET | 15/41 |
| CLUTCH | Wet, multiplate, hydraulic, slipper action on over-run |
| FRAME | Tubular steel trellis frame attached to the cylinder head |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Öhlins fully adjustable 48mm fork |
| FRONT WHEEL | Tri-W spoke forged alloy 3.50 in. x 17 in. |
| FRONT TIRE | Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP, 120/70ZR-17 |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Öhlins monoshock. Aluminum singlesided swingarm |
| REAR WHEEL | Tri-W spoke forged alloy 6.00 in. x 17 in. |
| REAR TIRE | Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP, 200/55ZR-17 |
| WHEEL TRAVEL (FRONT/REAR) | 5.1 in./6.3 in. |
| FRONT BRAKES | Dual 330mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Monobloc M50 4-piston calipers, radial pump with ABS |
| REAR BRAKE | 245mm disc, 2-piston caliper, with ABS |
| INSTRUMENTATION | Full-TFT color display |
| CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT | 397 lb. |
| CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT | 456 lb. |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 32.7 in. |
| WHEELBASE | 59.4 in. |
| RAKE | 24.3° |
| TRAIL | 3.5 in. |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 4.6 gal. |
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