[cycleworld.com] - Ducati Monster Senna First Look

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Ducati announced its limited-edition Monster Senna, paying tribute to the Formula 1 racing driver.

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Ducati’s Monster Senna pays tribute to Ayrton Senna. (Ducati/)On the occasion of the Formula 1 GP of Emilia-Romagna at Imola May 19, all the teams paid homage to the memory of the great Brazilian champion, Ayrton Senna, who died on this same track 30 years ago, May 1, 1994. The Italian world of motorsports took a major part in the homage and in the remembrance of the tragically lost champion, who had massive support from Italian Formula 1 enthusiasts. The late Claudio Castiglioni was one passionate fan of Senna and to underline his admiration for Senna gifted him a Ducati 851 SP.

That started a sort of cooperation between Ducati and Ayrton Senna, who was totally fascinated by the mythical Ducati 916 to the point that he and Castiglioni established a form of cooperation between the Senna brand and Ducati that led to the creation of the Ducati 916 Senna Edition featuring a very exclusive paint job and graphics. The 916 Senna Edition was intended for a 300-unit limited edition and was officially announced in March 1994. Tragically, two months later Ayrton Senna died, and the 916 Senna automatically became a jointly approved project to keep Ayrton’s remembrance alive.


Senna with his 851 SP. (Ducati/)The first 300 units of the 916 Senna sold out in a matter of weeks. In 1997, Ducati and the Senna family decided to renew the Senna commemorative edition of the 916 with refreshed color scheme and graphics, and they did it again in 1998. The collaboration between Ducati and Senna, now a brand, resumed in 2014 with the Senna edition of the 1199 Panigale—limited to 161 units reserved for the Brazilian market.

Now, Ducati has commemorated Ayrton Senna with a 341-unit limited-edition Senna Monster. Ducati’s styling department developed special graphics that sets the bike apart from all Ducati Monsters based on the colors of Ayrton’s racing helmets. In addition to its exclusive graphics, the Senna Monster features top-quality components that contribute to reducing weight by 9 pounds, down to 355 pounds dry—a very positive result for a V-twin in the liter displacement class.


Forged wheels and color-matched Brembo Stylema calipers are just a couple of the exclusive touches on the Monster Senna. (Ducati/)The Ducati Senna Monster is powered by that greatly versatile 937cc 11° Testastretta eight-valve desmo twin delivering a claimed 111 hp peak power at 9,250 rpm and a 69 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 6,500 rpm—an outstanding range of almost 3,000 rpm of top efficiency and performance that, in combination with the reduced weight, should make the Senna Monster a pleasantly responsive bike. This edition of the 937 11° Testastretta is equipped with an exclusive, street-legal Termignoni high-performance exhaust system.


Ducati’s latest Senna model comes with Öhlins suspension and a special Termignoni exhaust. (Ducati/)The chassis is the latest aluminum sheet “front frame” developed for the Ducati Superbike models that proved an improvement over the previous trellis structure, both in terms of weight-to-torsional rigidity ratio, and in terms of steering geometry and weight distribution optimization. Being based on the Monster SP version, the wheelbase spans 58 inches and the front end geometry uses a 23-degree steering axis rake for a 3.4-inch trail. Seat height is 33.1 inches, with a lower 32.3-inch seat as an option.


Only 341 examples of the Ducati Monster Senna will be produced. (Ducati/)Exclusive to this limited edition are the Öhlins suspension units: NIX 30 front fork, steering damper, and rear monoshock. Plus there are aluminum forged wheels in the standard 17 x 3.50 front and 17 x 5.50 rear sizes, shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV in 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 rear sizes, respectively. Braking is Brembo: twin 320mm front discs with Stylema four-piston calipers. Front and rear fenders are carbon fiber and the 4.3-inch TFT instrumentation features a dedicated Senna animation. Ducati’s standard yet impressive electronics suite includes three riding modes, eight-level traction control, cornering ABS adjustable on three levels, and electronically assisted quick shift up and down. The Senna Monster will be a highly distinctive, collectible sport runabout. Final price has not been confirmed yet.