Ducati Monster 1100 Evo

Ducati Monster 1100 Evo Design

The big-bore naked Italian roadster has been a favorite of the staff here since it first appeared in 2009 as a replacement for the Monster S2R. The strong pulling power of the comparatively simple air-cooled two-valve engine and the overall excellent handling performance from the chassis are key qualities we’re particularly fond of in the biggest of the Monsters.

Now with a revised engine, new exhaust, tweaks to ergos, reduced weight and the addition DTC (Ducati Traction Control) and ABS as standard, there's even more to like about the biggest of the Monsters.

Caprara also confirmed to me that it’s chiefly the reworked cylinder head that gives the Monster 1100 EVO a 5-hp gain over the previous model’s 95 hp at 7500 rpm (76 ft-lbs at 6000 rpm remains unchanged from the 2010 Monster 1100).

Ducati Monster 1100 Evo Engine

Considering we live in a world where literbikes make 200 hp at the crank, speed junkies may not get excited by a modest gain of 5 ponies. But what is noteworthy is that this new 100-hp figure allows the Monster 1100 EVO to lay claim to possessing the strongest Desmodue engine Ducati has ever created.

Powerful torque, particularly noticeable starting around 4000 rpm and building all the way to the 8500-ish rev limit, develops in a deliberate but linear manner. This steady delivery of power proved useful for digging out of the numerous hairpin switchbacks that at times made the road seem as though it was layering over itself. It was also during the climb that I found myself cursing ever-stricter emissions regulations that have caused Ducati to burden the 1100 with gearing taller than I would like in cogs 2 and 3.

While torque is plentiful, run a gear too high while attempting to exit a slow speed corner and you’ll likely find the engine lugging and chugging. These less-than-ideal gear ratios aren’t limited to the 1100, as we’ve bemoaned tall gearing on the Monster 796 and Hypermotard 796, too.

The Monster 1100 EVO replaces the standard, as well as the Ohlins-equipped S model 1100, in the 2011 Monster lineup. While it usually isn’t good to eliminate choices for the consumer, all the updates on the EVO only serve to make a bike we liked before even better. Sweetening the deal is an MSRP of $11,995, the same price as last year’s base model.