Exclusive: Ducati 1198-engined Monster spied

Ducati is just months away from unleashing the most powerful Monster ever produced.

Exclusive photographs of the new 2014 model clearly show it’s powered by Ducati’s 1198cc water-cooled V-twin motor, likely to deliver over 150bhp.

This heralds the first significant reworking of the Monster range since the current model range was unveiled in 2008 and will be the most powerful Monster since the nutty S4R and S4RS, first seen in 2004 and 2007 respectively.

The importance of the Monster family to the Ducati factory cannot be overstated. The rampant sales success of the original saved the company from financial ruin when it was launched in the early ’90s, and Monsters remain Ducati’s biggest selling bikes today.

See the full story in this week’s MCN – on sale Wednesday 26 June.