"Ducati hits the AutoBlog" or, "Fanning the Flames of the redesign rumor mill"

[fasterdammit]

In an unlikely place for a motorcycle to turn up, Ducati has snuck its way onto the AutoBlog, which covers all sorts of great 4-wheeled lust objects - and now they're chiming in with "A redesigned Ducati Monster on the way for '08", including a crappy, questionable "spy shot":



According to them:

"It's rare that we cover motorcycles on Autoblog, but a new Ducati Monster is too big to pass up. Ducati has rattled off a string of successful new model launches as of late, including the SportClassic range, the 1098 and the Hypermotard. But its true bread-and-butter model remains the Monster. Introduced way back in 1993 with a 900cc 90° V-Twin engine, the Monster is what many think of when they hear the word Ducati. Being that the Monster practically invented the naked bike genre, Ducati doesn't want to mess too much with success when it introduces its totally redesigned Monster in 2008. Rumor has it that the Monster range will include only air-cooled engines with a separate naked bike line featuring versions of Ducati's water cooled engines, including the awesome 1098's Desmo twin.

Take a look at the spy photo here of the new Monster undergoing testing. Little detail can be seen in the super-grainy photo, but a few things that jump out are the high mounted exhaust and the currently in-thing-to-do on naked bikes: a chopped tailsection. We wonder if Ducati should be setting trends, not following them; but we'll wait for official pictures to make any final conclusions on the design. To be sure, though, Ducati has a tough act to follow based on the success and cult following that its current Monster range enjoys, and deservedly so. We're anxiously waiting for November's show in Milan to see the real thing!

[Source: Motorcycle News]"
[Source: AutoBlog]

So says MCN:
"This is the world’s first spy shot of the all-new 2008 Ducati Monster, caught in secret tests on an Italian race circuit.

The Ducati Monster is set to get its first major redesign since it’s introduction in 1993 for the 2008 model year, but until now Ducati has kept the motorcycle’s crucial redesign under wraps.

The new motorcycle is set to continue with just the air-cooled engine range (695, 800 and 1100) to make way for a new Ducati 1098-based naked motorcycle running separately to the Monster.

The new Ducati Monster is an evolution of the old machine’s style rather than a complete overhaul – the Monster’s main selling point is it’s style, and Ducati can’t afford to change too much. A new chassis is to be used.

The finished motorcycle is due to be launched in at the Milan Show in November in three engine capacities – a flagship 1100DS model, plus a mid-capacity (around 800cc) and a small capacity (likely to use a variant of the current 695 engine).

See this week’s MCN, out Wednesday 26 September, 2007 for more details."
[Source: Motorcycle News]

[fasterdammit]

So make your own opinions of that. Personally - crappy "spy" photos are just that, and I've never put much stock in anything with MCN's label on it, no offense to anyone.

So I'm not sure what's wacky with that picture - something is up with the shot, because the front wheel doesn't even look round. And I'm going to assume that whatever is causing that distortion in the image is also causing the bike to look like it's a freakin' chopper with that rake. I'd buy the exhaust, because that fits with what we've been seeing on the Multistroodle and Hyper. But holy swing arm! And is that the battery box (maybe just for testing purposes)? And those look like some serious rearsets - unless that tester is 7' tall.
Anyway - I don't buy it. At least not for '08. The '08s are already shipping, on ducati.com and they wouldn't just slip a drastic Monster change past its adoring public like that.

Let's just hope that rake isn't the new front end. blech ...

[marc11]

Ducati has the Tri-Color S4RS listed as a 2008....wouldn't that put an end to the "new Monster for 2008" rumor mill and start up the "new Monster for 2009" rumor mill???

[fasterdammit]

You're catching on

[wheezer]

Just because there is a 2008 TRICOLORE based on the current bodywork/frame/motor doesn't mean there won't be a redesigned bike for 2008.

In fact, history has shown that "limited edition, collector's items" are a way of keeping interest high in the previous model while the next generation is waiting to be launched. Its also a handy way of selling the leftover old style once the new one has hit the showrooms. Automakers have continued to sell the both the old style and redesign in the same model year by adding a "Classic" label.

My money's on a S2R1100 with built around a new frame and tank in 2008. Whether its a 2008 or an early 2009 I think you will see it in the first half of the year.