2016 Ducati Monster 1200 R Review | MC Commute
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Senior Editor Zack Courts is always arriving to office after his commute with a bunch of opinions about the bike he’s riding. Too much this, not enough that, and occasionally has some decent insights. We thought some of it might help consumers or entertain enthusiasts, so we strapped a camera and microphone to the side of his helmet and told him to turn it on when he leaves his house. A lot of him talking in his helmet is complaining about drivers, yelling at red lights, and wondering why billboards aren’t more expensive. But sometimes he actually talks about the bike, and those are the parts we keep. Got a bike you would like to see discussed? Let us know and we’ll send him home on that one next.
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It's no secret we're always trying to get our staff to work a little harder. Especially the ones that always seem to have too much to say. "Write it down!" the boss yells, exasperated. Senior Editor Zack Courts is a classic case, always arriving to office after his commute with a bunch of opinions about the bike he's riding. Too much this, not enough that, and occasionally has some decent insights that we thought might help consumers or entertain enthusiasts.
So we strapped a camera and microphone to the side of his helmet and told him to turn it on when he leaves his house. A lot of him talking in his helmet is complaining about drivers, yelling at red lights, and wondering why billboards aren’t more expensive. But sometimes he actually talks about the bike, and those are the parts we keep. Got a bike you would like to see discussed? Let us know and we’ll send him home on that one next.
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Man you know you've been around super bikes too long when you almost sound bored riding that outrageous monster!
That scared the crap outta me😬
The last bike before my dad stopped riding was a Ducati monster 750 from the early 2000s, it was ridiculously loud and intimidating as hell to me as a 12 year old but it sparked my love for motorbikes and is probably the reason I ride today. I want one of my own some day
By far the best reviewer of motorcycles and all things good - well done Zack
I'm a blinker cancel switch over presser.
Had the same problem test riding one. I get that they're trying to keep it minimal, but surely they could one more button for that. Agree on the heels hitting the pegs too.
Your profile pic makes it even better.
I d the same with automobile emergency/ parking brakes.
I think they should have had it as press and hold the cancel button to access the menu. Makes way more sense
the way i see it is you get what you pay for...i bought my ducati on a whim...i went to my bike shop to test ride a vfr800 and jokingly said i wanted the 2011 796 hypermotard when the guy clicked his computer a few times and said i could have it for 195 a month for five years...i told him to load it into the truck without even starting it... now if ten guys walk by my bike at least one will say "cool bike" its not even new but its the nicest thing ive ever owned and just fills me with pride...the most amazing thing about the bike is the way it corners, i tell my friends its as though the bike has eyes and knows when the corner starts and stops
phil tripe 5 year loan? Fuck that!
I bought a 959 Panigale Corse without having seen or ridden one. It's not cheap and I could have spent my money better but it always gets compliments and it's a joy to ride.
@@nothingtoseehere4902 i know right. That's a horrible loan program. Especially at basically $195 a month. That's $11,700 on a bike that was 5+ years old when the guy posted his comment. I mean within a year to a year and a half you're already underwater on the loan (not including high maintenance costs and repairs). The longest loan I've ever taken was a 24 month loan on my first brand new bike. Bike was roughly ~$10,000 new, I had just got a really good job after graduating technical school and thought I'd treat myself. Plus I knew that when the loan was done I'd own the bike and be able to resell at a pretty competitive price as the bike was only 2 years old and had only 2 summers and autumns on the clock. It helped me build really good credit and when the loan was up the warranty had 1 year left but i decided to sell and get another new bike that was a bit faster and more comfortable. Sold my first bike for $8100 (so a $1900 loss) and with some money I had saved got another brand new bike with no loan whatsoever. Since then I haven't done a loan on anything, house, car, bike, phone, nothing. You literally get killed by long contracts and ridiculous fees and interest %s.
@@noirceur_ good for you, but our society runs on loans
@@nemanjap8768 never been able to fathom paying rent or loans, just seems like money being thrown away no matter how small the $ amount is. I have yet to pay a dime of rent, have a lien, or a credit card. I have a slightly above average office job for a local insurance company, no college degree, and I'm not in a major city. If I can do it, there are TONS out there who can as well.
hahaha wow!! i shit my pants for you on that front wheel lock
That freaked me out too, haha.
when you do it on purpose, it's a lot less scary than you'd think
Scared me too!
Zack Courts what's "coldish" for California... 87? :P
Wow way to handle that like a pro...it did nothing to him. Zack is the man.
Full hooligan mode towards the end, haha.
Hooligan mode kicked in when he have himself an ultradose of adrenaline after nearly losing the front when testing the front brakes with ABS disabled.
You're not the only obsessive blinker cancel switch presser, I'm also a hopeless case.
Love these commutes, so entertaining. Great job as always, Zack!
Zack is the man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Road with him years ago ridding XR100's in Maine .... still the same person... well done sir well done :) Keep up the good work bud :)
keep up the good work on these reviews, they're probably the best motovlog reviews on youtube because you actually now everything about the bike and know how to ride the shit out of bike
I love this channel. Just plain old good to watch videos with honest opinions about bikes and potential ownership pro's and cons.
By reviewers who actually are good riders whose opinions mean something.
I love how it's a proper naked. The S1000R, Tuono etc are incredible bikes and I'd do terrible things to own one... but they're hideous to me with all the plastic, they just look like gimpy versions of the superbikes.
Haha thought I was the only one with blinker signal twitch! Sweet bike.
Casual Keith same here. OCD kicks in.
Every time I see a car at any intersection either side of the road, the twitch kicks in.
Lol, same here. I cancel my blinkers even when I don't use them. It's more of a nervous twitch I think.
Thanks!! I just love watching this series so much that I watch them all day(literally), and I think that you guys really got great skills cause I don't even know what to say when I'm riding on one of those bikes...
You may thing a pirates favorite letter be "R"
But a true pirates only love is the "C"
Keep these coming. This is how a bike review should be.
Thanks so much for this video (and the 1200S video from Monaco). It helped me make my new bike decision (1200R :)).
Zack, I would love to see/hear your thought on the new Yamaha V-Max! These commute videos are awesome! Thanks! I love them all...
ahhh, the blinker twitcher. same here.
awesome videos guys! keep them coming
Zack, you are a wild man. Awesome review as always.
Holy shit! His motorcycle skills are superb. Very impressive!
Just love your channel. That wheel lock was scary however. Drive safe. Cheers!
No bullshit reviews, right to the point. Good shit!
Dude, I am constantly canceling my blinkers as well.
Am i the only one who likes that Ducatis take just a little longer to start? Makes you feel like its preparing something BIG for you.
I love this bike but I find it hard to shell out 22k. Right now I'm debating between a Panigale or this Monster R. The future is bright. :)
I took out the 1200S for an hour, mixture of city and twisties. Biggest thing I noticed was the lack of power and smoothness under 5k. Sweet spot was 7k and up. Not the same as the R, but I've felt the same from the Diavel and last gen Panigale. Feels small and light for a 1200.
That sounds so weird for a v2 engine
Everyone says they are way better down low than inline 4 engines? But i see ppl saying that these duc engines make power sbove 6k
Or is it just in comparison to other v2 engines?
The fact that it's a twin compared to a 4 will have an effect, but the biggest factor will be the bore/stroke ratio of the bike. When you want to make power, you make the cylinders short and wide, so the pistons move up and down very small amounts and you can rev the engine very high. This is what makes an engine feel 'peaky', with reduced low end. An extreme example of this on either side would be any harley davidson v-twin (very long stroke!) Or any 600cc i4 motor (short stroke AND lots of pistons). But yeah in theory this thing would have slightly more low end than 4cyl bikes and less torque than other, more stroke-heavy v-twins :)
wicked reactions on the break test man.
I've got to stop watching this channel during January in Minnesota.
neanderthor66 --> Or April, in Ontario Canada... Winter in April... WTF?
god damn. i guess ill have to add this to my wishlist. still rocking a 2010 Streetfighter 1098, but i miss my 2005 monster S2R800 after all these years. smh.
Super duke 1290
180 hp
105 ft lbs
416 lbs
Monster 1200 r
160 hp
97 ft lbs
397lbs
I have a 2015 Super Duke and I'm wanting a Monster 1200 r. Seems like a better quality bike, the sdr is nuts with power but it doesn't want to carve curves like the Monster seems to do with ease. Great video!
That is the dry weight of the Monster 1200r, wet weight is 456 lbs. Super Duke wet weight is about 40 pounds more than the dry weight so close to the Monster wet weight.
You got a thumbs up just for the "Hair on fire crackling energy" comment ! lol
Well put brother. I'm more of a cruiser guy, but that bike sure looks fun to ride.
What a cool video and great on board commentary!
I test rode one of these in "S" trim, didn't care for its propensity to stall if you didn't give it a bunch of revs to get moving. Then 1,000 rpm later it was a slingshot. Kind of a narrow window of sanity. Definitely better styling than a Superduke, but wouldn't it be fun if either of them just bored these engines out and gave us 1600 cc? I mean, why not? There're all kinds of electronic aids now to reel it in. I just want to feel 1600cc's of torque. Triumphs already got a 2.5L motor in their Rocket III, so 1600 should be doable in a much lighter machine, IMO. I've owned 1441cc's and it was impressive, but 1600 in a twin with say a 10,000 rpm ceiling, would just be sweet, IMO.
I beleive you are missing the rear brake fluid reservoir cap. Had the same thing on my 1290. Just the rubber cap on top is their.
SirRedBeardTheThird Good spot bud...I think you're right...I don't see the cap either, maybe it's an accessory lol
Yes!
Yup @0:48 ... cap missing ... and the screw in the heel protector that Zack pointed out ...
I have the same bike here in Queensland, still getting used to it. Also ride a BMW K1200RS- totally different handling of course, still can't tell which I like more. Both powerful machines, about to get a BMW K1600GTL to add to the collection, that'll be interesting.
That front brake lockup freaked me out!
Thanks for sharing, great video, I’m actually saving to buy this bike, a 2016, beautiful monster...
Ahh nice little stroll through Newport. Gotta love it. Cheers.
Really liked the 821 I test rode, fantastic bike. I need to try the new 1200.
I went the other way and bought a 2013 Monster 696 20th anniversary edition. One of the lightest street bikes available at 350 pounds dry / 395 pounds wet. The bike was a bargain at less than $7,000 and I loved every ride on it this past summer. I removed the rear fender and turn-signals and installed an integrated tail light. The rear now looks much cleaner than stock. For the front I swapped out the stock mirrors for bar ends. I think the 1200 would look good with the same changes. Hope you find the best Ducati for you.
Great review, as always.
i own the 821 - and my buddy 1200. No point on the 1200, almost 60% more expensive. not worth it!
but the powa!
I own this M1200R and have to laugh every time you do. The bike is so much fun to ride. Twist the throttle in second and up it goes. It's a hoot.
i love the vids, and watching you and ari ride sick bikes...thanks for all the knowledge
These vids never disappoint.
Question, I'm torn between ktm super duke 1290r and the ducati monster 1200r. You had mentioned the ktm and I want to see what your thoughts were? If you could choose without money being an option...
Note to self.... never use sport mode on Monster R, the whole tone of the Video changed, I got a little sweaty lol
Thanks for the great upload.
Shat myself a little at 9:36...
I actually puckered...
Yup, thought he was going down. In all honesty, why would you ever turn off ABS if you have it?
Donald Trump's Space Force how so? Mine have saved my front wheel from locking several times?
@Donald Trump's Space Force macho crap. ABS is great for when you panic. And for most riders it's better full stop.
Yeah same here man
Nice review, nice bike as well. I hope you guys do a review of the Monster 821, I can honestly say 9 times out of 10 I would prolly choose the 1200 but the more practical and.......poor side of myself say the 821 is plenty fast, fun and functional enough for my wants and needs of my next motorcycle. Also a not having to sign my life away to get it is a plus lol
get paid to ride motocycles...this man is living the dream❤️
really enjoy these vids. I feel like that if i ever come over to visit i could make my way from your house to your office lol
U said it Man ?
Like most Ducati 's fun !
Couldn't agree more, Just love them, like no other !
Italian Stallion ,Love yr Style .
Great work, nice review ?
Cheers from Australia!
I would love to see you commute and VLOG on a power cruiser such as a Diavel, VROD, or VMax.
Hi Zack and team, please MC Commute the 2017 Yamaha FZ 09. Appreciate it !
Run! Zack! Run! There's a Monster!
I love the commute videos but I think they need some cohesion. As you know, during the videos you review the bike mentioning the good and the bad. These pros and cons are very helpful for a large segment of viewers who watch these videos and use such information to make an informed purchase of a new/used motorcycle. The problem is the videos fail to bring it all together. I suggest creating a ranking system considering power, suspension, brakes, fit & finish, and price. Then compare all the bikes ridden during a period (quarterly, bi-annually, yearly, whatever).
can you do a bit on your audio solution? I can't believe I can understand you so well. maybe a comparison on the competition too?
No one else noticed that the rear brake reservoir cap was missing? WOW. How did he not see it when he had his hand mm from it! But he noticed the missing bolt from the exhaust cover!!!
Great vid! What helmet cam do you use?
Poor clearance for your right heel is a problem on a lot of Ducatis, on the 821 Monster it's so bad I'm surprised the bike is legal. Glad Zak mentioned it because I think it's a serious design flaw and journalists are usually too starstruck by any Ducati to give a real world opinion.
Expensive and fun, that could be their slogan.
Hey Zack, If you had your choice between the Monster, Tuono, and the Super Duke, which would you pick? You seemed to have more fun on the Ducati and the Aprillia. I am looking into getting one of these. Also what would be the most reliable?
Thanks for the great vids! Keep 'em up!
Zh2
09:00 when the bike is teaching you italian
These videos are awesome 👍🏼
do you think that perhaps if the super duke 1290 didn't exist, then perhaps this bike also would not exist? love your work guys
Beautiful bike! I would love one when I have built up enough experience to handle it! LOL!
That brake test scared the shit out of me
HOW THE HELL DID YOU JUST WHEELIE AND JUST ACT LIKE IT WAS NOTHING DUDE - awesome 👏 you got skills man nice !
the big monsters don't tempt me . But i really like the older 796..the only thing that puts me off is the 7500mile valve clearance check / adjust + belts every 2 years. Just seems like a massive inconvenience and costly especially vs a Yam with a triple or twin engine where the clearances are at 24k .
And how is the clutch, transmission, fueling, on off throttle response?
love these commute videos lol
Foot peg problem it's been there for ages. They still have done nothing about it...according to owners.
What's with the locked wheel, abs turned off ? 😁
Sweet bike but i would rather have a Tuono Factory, SD1290, SpeedTriple R or MT-10SP.
P.S: Put RED Loctite on that muffler shield bolt when you install it. I own a v twin and put loctite on EVERYTHING. 😣 so far so good. 👍
Can you please share your comments comparing the 2016 Aprilia Tuono Factory vs the 2016 Ducati Monster 1200 R from a low rpm and low speed perspective for torque and power wheelies (not clutch wheelie) perspective. I recently made the decision between these 2 bikes to buy there Aprilia Factory Tuono and Im wondering whether I made the right decision. I find my Tuono very fast and an amazing bike, but i feel the front is is heavy despite being well planted )almost overly). Getting the front end up is easy in first, but it feels heavy and is harder to keep up than i expected. In 2nd it takes a lot more effort and actually requires more revs / speed to raise the front end than i thought (i was hoping a simple blip would bring it up (which is not the case). Im not into fast / high speed wheelies anymore, but more so lower speed power wheelies (off the line without having to stand on the rear brake to prevent flipping), easy power wheelies after shifting from 1st to 2nd and getting on the gas without having to pull up on the bars or wack the throttle (in 2nd) at lower revs and speed or and wait till I'm 100+ kms for the wheel to power up and ride it out in 2nd.
This has to be Cali because you can lane split, against the law here in FL. People here will pinch you out if you try that here. Pulling up the front wheel , that would cost about a grand if caught. Saw a guy do it, cop caught him, spun around in my work van and talked to the guy who was slapped with a 250 dollar fine. Be warned driving in FL. BTW... the bike looks awesome!!
That... is a beautiful front end!!
I just bought one. It makes you do naughty things. Freakin love it.
O my. I did not realize the street fighter has lived on in this version of the monster. Wow.
I commute on my Street Triple R, I think it's only fair that u send me the Monster..... Great vid, thinking of getting one
Lol you scared the shit out of me at 9:36
Wow! What a bike! Can't wait to see what the "entry level" 797 goes like - pale imitation or good starting point?
Zack Courts Me too - and it might be a bit more in my price range!
Andrew Tunnicliffe go ride a scrambler, exact same engine.
Hey Zach, you did a comparo with the Streetfighter and the Tuono before. Out of curiosity how the this Monster R compare to the Streetfighter S? Thanks for your videos!
gorgeous fun looking bike
try performance windshields...they make a diff...believe it or not!
Man you know how to ride! I’d register for your advanced skills course.
Not your normal commute, Zachr. Looks like fun. I had a Multistrada with that engine. Was a hoot. Not reliable though (the bike, engine was fine).
Having learned my lesson about Italian bikes I'm looking at the Aprilia Caponord (I'm a slow learner). Rode one. Liked it. loved the torque.
My Speed Triple R is my commuter but I need something for touring 1-3000 mile trips that isn't naked and isn't 7-800 pounds of dead weight. Damned few choices out there. Can't stomach the thought of a GS. have you tried the Caponord yet?
Repeated fuel level sensor failures Keyless feature would fail to function at the most awkward times, a sensor on the swingarm threw a code.
The killer though was a sensor issue on the front (S model w/ electronic suspension). I got a code and on the way home a fork seal failed, blew oil on brake and tire. Dealer replaced sensor, wire harness, then had a factory tech "log in" to the bike over the internet. Still no fix.
After 5 weeks in the shop I traded it. It was an awesome ride but how could I trust it 1000 miles from home?
***** '13, 17k miles.
***** I've never been so glad to have bought the extended warranty when I bought the bike! Frightening to think what it would have cost.
Alberto Knox stop scaring me. I'm getting intermittent DSS errors.
17,000 miles seems to be the magic number. I've seen lots of bikes besides mine show up on the market with about that many.
hi Zack. i know the torque is brutal, in big turns you manage that with the clutch? cause i read that if you cut the throtle a bit then it would come back as an on off response.
nice place too , where is it?
Zach is it ok to be expecting a review of the 310 gs and the new members of the Rninet family ??
Out of the NAKEDS, aesthetically i personally would choose the monster or striple.
Touno & S1100R look like sportsbikes with a little less plastic.
The Superduke looks like a glorified rec bike.
I'm interested to know what camera and microphone you're using. Is it a GoPro or some kind of professional set up? And $20K? That's BMW GS territory! I know totally different bikes but so much more equipment. Does this have cornering ABS?
So which one has been the most fun to ride on the street..the Tuono 1100, the KTM Super Duke, this Monster or ?
Would like to know this too. I have been thinking about trading in on one of these and would like to know what others have thought. Thanks
I'd guess the duke, it's just such a phenomenal bike.
Do you like riding this bike more or less then the Speed Triple R?
Love the vids guys. Keep it up!
At that price why not go with the KTM 1290 Super Duke R? I was really interested in the Monster when I was bike shopping but even the used market is ridiculously priced.
Like those rev-it gloves! What say you about them? What model are they? Tell me!
Answer me.
gotta love that 9:00-10:00 section!
I wonder how many dealers crapped their pants watching that and wondering who was going to demo the bike and try to duplicate it. "Hey I'll put it in sport mode and test to see if the tires are as good as the brakes!" And in 5 seconds dump an $18k bike yeeehaa
It's really best to consider it a twenty-thousand bike, and that's a lot of money *then proceeds to do another tail-slide*
So verdict between the 1200R and 1290 Super Duke R? That's a story I'd read for sure.
how reliable are these bikes in terms of longevity? I've heard Ducs are tempermental. In terms of reliability, how does it compare to BMW's R Nine?
If you want to feel the rumble and true sound of the engine then watch this video with good headphones.
And the savings for this bike will start now for me lol
I think an EBR 1190SX would be one to follow this, seeing as it has 185hp.
How would you compare this bike to the Street Triple R of the same year?
Makes the Trumpet feel like a kids toy
I currently ride a Monster 821 Stripe and have the opportunity to upgrade to the 1200R.... Should I??!
If you want more power, then I guess yes. If more power is not your main priority, then stick with what you already have.