Photoshoot of the Week: April 27th-May 3rd 2020 – Ducati Monster 796 & Mrs Black Soul

Ten years ago, in April 2010, Ducati unveiled its newest naked bike, the Monster 796, producing a factory-claimed 87 hp (65 kW). 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.
Ducati’s lineup sticked to a lightweight, performance-oriented theme, and the new Monster 796 adhered 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.
Like the Monster 696, the 796 featured non-adjustable Showa 43mm inverted forks up front, while the rear monoshock by Sachs was preload and rebound adjustable. The Monster 796 incorporated a wet, hydraulically actuated clutch with an APTC slipper unit (a la Hypermotard 796), and unlike the littlest Monster, the 796’s swingarm was a slick, single-sided design. As with the Monster 1100, the 796 received aluminum tapered handlebars and Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires; the wheels and tires were identical to the big bore Monster’s, apart from their black finish with short section pinstriping. Dual-disc, 4-piston Brembos were found up front, with a 2-piston disc at the rear.
The Monster 796’s ergonomic triangle was been revised for greater comfort: the handlebar was .79 inches taller, the saddle had been re-shaped for greater comfort (and sits .39 inches lower than the 1100’s), and 4-point adjustable hand levers had also been incorporated.
Thanks to the re-contoured seat and slightly revised ergonomics, the Ducati Monster 796 naked middleweight feeled noticeably more comfortable than its predecessors. The single-sided swingarm’s design moved the seat .2 inches higher than the Monster 696’s (to an altitude of 31.5 inches), and that repositioning might deter those of shorter stature. But the added clearance benefited the bike’s handling, especially when it came to canyon carving. Though it was still got a sporty, arms forward posture, the comfier seat resulted in a less intimate relationship to the tank, reducing sensations of between-the-legs claustrophobia.
The Monster 796’s gruntier engine and single-sided swingarm were notably more lust-inspiring than what the 696 had to offer, and with a price difference of only $1,000, those two distinctions cannibalized sales from the smaller-engined stablemate. That said, the 796 still now hones in on the qualities many riding enthusiasts are looking for in a naked middleweight: a quick, nimble, reasonably comfortable, and appropriately priced ride with loads of personality.
The 796 was replaced by the Monster 821 in mid 2014, equipped with the 821 cc Testastretta from the hyper line, and incorporating the same electronics suite as the monster 1200