DUCATI MONSTER 1100 (2009 - 2013) Review

At a glance

Owners' reliability rating: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Annual servicing cost: £260
Power: 95 bhp
Seat height: Medium (31.9 in / 810 mm)
Weight: Low (373 lbs / 169 kg)

Prices

New N/A
Used £6,600

Overall rating

Next up: Ride & brakes
4 out of 5 (4/5)

Like the Ducati Monster 696 that arrived earlier in 2008, the Monster range was, after 15 years, in desperate need of an update. And the result is the best air-cooled Monster ever. Only subtle styling tweaks have been applied, but serious thought and attention has been lumped on the engine and chassis components. If it’s a pleasurable, no-nonsense, quality and stylish ride you’re after, this is it.

 

Love Monsters? Check out all of our Ducati Monster reviews, views bikes for sale now, and learn more about the range at MCN's Ducati Monster hub.

Ride quality & brakes

Next up: Engine
4 out of 5 (4/5)

On the road the ride is plush with the usual shed of feel from both wheels. Handling isn’t race bike fast but quick enough to have fun when the right set of bends demand. Thankfully the absurd feel of the bars being bolted directly to the front spindle to give impromptu waggles has been diluted.

Engine

Next up: Reliability
4 out of 5 (4/5)

The Ducati Monster 1100's peak power of only 95bhp isn't going to set anyone's world alight but the way the V-twin delivers the power is a seamless, grunty character-laden joy. Claimed torque of 79ftlb makes the short burst of performance in each gear very satisfying, and deceptively fast. And also very easy to control...

Reliability & build quality

Next up: Value
4 out of 5 (4/5)

Ducati got it together by this point and its motorcycles are tidily put together. There are no unnecessary wires or cables flapping about in the breeze and everything is finished to perfection. From frame to engine cases, everything is tidy and polished.

Value vs rivals

Next up: Equipment
3 out of 5 (3/5)

The problem with the Ducati is, for the performance it offers there is a lot of competition that offers more for the same price. But then it is arguable the Ducati is far better looking and has a shade more credibility when the garage door swings open. Find a Ducati Monster 1100 for sale.

Equipment

3 out of 5 (3/5)

The base model of the 1100 Ducati Monster range is quite sparse on techno goodies. But we do like the tapered handlebars, stacked headlight, painted frame and the timeless view of a single-sided swingarm.

Specs

Engine size 1078cc
Engine type Air-cooled, 4v, 90° V-twin four-stroke. Six gears
Frame type Steel trellis
Fuel capacity 15 litres
Seat height 810mm
Bike weight 169kg
Front suspension Rebound and compression damping, spring preload
Rear suspension Rebound and spring preload
Front brake 2 x 320 discs with 4-piston calipers
Rear brake 245mm disc with two-piston caliper
Front tyre size 120/70 x 17
Rear tyre size 180/55 x 17

Mpg, costs & insurance

Average fuel consumption 45 mpg
Annual road tax £117
Annual service cost £260
New price -
Used price £6,600
Insurance group 14 of 17
How much to insure?
Warranty term Two year unlimited mileage

Top speed & performance

Max power 95 bhp
Max torque 79.5 ft-lb
Top speed 125 mph
1/4 mile acceleration 11.46 secs
Tank range 171 miles

Model history & versions

Model history

1993: Ducati M900 S Monster, 904cc, 74bhp
1996: Ducati M900 Monster with basic detail cjhanges and optional flyscreen
1998: Ducati M900 Monster Dark, all-black version, lower price
2002: Ducati M900ie Monster, 904cc, 78bhp, fuel injected, lighter and tweaked components, revised suspension. Monster Dark version available
2003: Ducati M1000S ie, 992cc 84bhp
2005: Ducati Monster S2R, 803cc, 77bhp, single-sided swingarm, side mounted exhausts

Other versions

The Monster 1100S is the hotter version and came with Ohlins suspension, carbon fibre infill body panels, timing belt covers and front mudguard. Front disc inner rotors are aluminium and the bike is 1kg lighter at 168kg dry.

Owners' reviews for the DUCATI MONSTER 1100 (2009 - 2013)

13 owners have reviewed their DUCATI MONSTER 1100 (2009 - 2013) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.

Review your DUCATI MONSTER 1100 (2009 - 2013)

Summary of owners' reviews

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 (4.5/5)
Ride quality & brakes: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Engine: 4.9 out of 5 (4.9/5)
Reliability & build quality: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Value vs rivals: 4 out of 5 (4/5)
Equipment: 4.3 out of 5 (4.3/5)
Annual servicing cost: £260
5 out of 5 Monstrous !
07 May 2024 by Joe90

Year: 2011

Its a very light bike for the size of the engine, so power to weight element is great. Its built with some nice products but its not the sort of bike you want to be using in the depth of winter. with salt and the like around. The only down side is the small petrol tank. Im happy to do 100 miles then Im looking for a station

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

Good fun for a sunday blast, couple of hours and you need to stop for fuel anyway, its not one to take out for a trip across Europe ! The cowl on the rear seat stops me having a pillion

Engine 5 out of 5

keepit above 3000 rmp and its sweet, it doesnt like town work but its not that bad. Sixth gear is only used on dual carrigeway .Loads of torque from the engine so overtakes and coming out of corners are sublime.

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

Had mine for 18 months now no problem but iI do keep up with the maintainence and i dont ride it in the winter.

Value vs rivals 3 out of 5

Its not a cheap nike to run when it comes to servicing just find a good independent garage.

Equipment 5 out of 5

ABS and a couple of electronic aids. Fine brakes and suspension

4 out of 5 My opinion
04 October 2023 by kevin.fletcher10@yahoo.co.uk

Year: 2009

Annual servicing cost: £230

First of all it's an excellent bike I had to get used to riding the torque hit the rev limiter in 2nd and 3rd a few times on 1st ride , brakes and chassis are superb with a great soundtrack. My only small niggles are background light on speedo way to dim and the seat needs leveling out a bit to stop your privates smashing into the tank , but overall great bike.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

The seat needs about 12 degrees taken out of the angle of seat this can be done with a seat refurb , then you have a bike for all seasons , touring , track , of to the shops .

Engine 5 out of 5

Engine limiter comes in early in 2nd and 3rd , could be my riding style ?

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

Zero problems in 33k miles.

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

I service every year or 5k miles .

Equipment 5 out of 5

Engine noise is awesome 👌

Buying experience: Private sale

5 out of 5 Re-Light your passion
04 May 2023 by Booner

Year: 2010

This bike has re lit my passion for biking. It is truly sublime.Creamy power fantastic handling and looks to die for. I stand and stare at it, I can't believe its 13 years old. Did a lot of research before buying and decided the mix of tec free raw biking mixed with the looks made the base 1100 the right choice. Word to the wise, The bike standard gearing is too high.Ducati had to do this to get it through emission laws.I have put +1 tooth at the front and -2 teeth at the rear. The difference is incredible. The bike is so much more rideable. One of the bikes I have loved the most !

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

Just amazing, very comfortable for full days out

Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 5 out of 5

Basic but what do you really need. This was part of the attraction for me.

Buying experience: Bought from CMC Chesterfield, great to deal with.

5 out of 5 Possibly the best naked bike i have ever owned.
11 October 2022 by Nick

Year: 2010

I love this bike, did a lot of research before buying and decided this model was the one. Air cooled, no electronics and 1100cc only weighing 169kg. Its fantastic to ride, superb handling with creamy v twin power, there is nothing i don't like. Fitted 40mm bar risers for a slightly relaxed ride and after owning a lot of litter + nakeds over the years, I think this is my favourite bike ever.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5

Has everything I need

4 out of 5 MONSTERS INC
16 July 2018 by MARK WH

Year: 2009

NO GEAR CHANGE INDICATOR OR FUEL GAUGE BUT MASSIVE GRIN FACTOR TRADED UP FROM THE 796 GOOD TRADE UP I FEEL. FANTASTIC FEEL MORE SMILE TO THE MILE THAN ANY OTHER BIKE I'VE HAD ON MY 38TH

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

BREMBO PADS SUCK, FERODO WORK BETTER.

Engine 5 out of 5

MISSILE UP TO 125 THEN NOTHING BUT HELPS KEEP THE OLD LICENCE

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

STILL SHINY 9 YEARS ON COOL.

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

DESMO SERVICE AND BELTS WELL SALTY BUT HEY, IT'S A DUCATI

Equipment 3 out of 5

HEALPRO GEAR CHANGE INDICATOR FAB. MAXXIS DIAMOND NOT SO GOOD DRIFT ON FAST BENDS BUT EXCELLENT MILAGE, TERMIS TO NOISEY BUT AFTER MARKET BAFFLES QUIET IT DOWN.

Buying experience: PRICE A LITTLE BIT STEEP FROM DEALER

4 out of 5 A great versatile bike.
10 August 2016 by monster1

Version: evo

Year: 2013

A great all round bike that is comfortable yet still sporty to ride. Makes all the right noises, especially with the Termi pipes. Gives off a bit of heat, but thats the price of an air cooled engine (with one cylinder under your bum). Shame it doesn't have a gear indicator but it is true that you 'feel' this bike as it has so much character. The bike will tell you what gear it needs to be in.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

Suspension slightly on the firm side but overall very good.

Engine 5 out of 5

Magic, flexible engine

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 5 out of 5

Has ABS and TC

4 out of 5
24 September 2015 by Sander

Year: 2009

Easy to fall in love with. Amazing looks, torqey and powerful yet useful engine.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

Great handling, very light. Good brakes.

Engine 4 out of 5

Lot of torque, enough power and easy to manage. Gearing and trottle response are a little but tricky in slow corners/roundabouts.Will get better with the Performance ECU and Termignoni cans. Lovely sound.

Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5

Made of quality components like showa forks, radial brembo's etc. Has sometimes troubles starting cold at first attempt

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

Service is not cheap but Ducati's hold their value well

Equipment 5 out of 5

This is a naked bike, what you see is what you get. Very good components tough.

5 out of 5 Emotional and pure riding experience
27 July 2015 by Basstler

Year: 2013

Annual servicing cost: £300

Very emotional, completely focused on riding. Good compromise between comfort and sportiness. Not recommended around town for the engine is pretty rough in low RPMs and it gets quite hot.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

Ride is relatively smooth for this sporty setup but forks may need adjustment if you are > 70kg. Brake feel can be improved with different pads, performance is very good. ABS system works perfectly. Cornering could not be more fun. Very safe feeling and excellent control.

Engine 5 out of 5

Extremely emotional engine, very sporty configuration for open roads. With traction control disabled you get ultra direct throttle response. Power delivery is beefy and linear from 3000RPM right into the limiter. Great noise in stock configuration. This very direct setup makes it a bit annoying around town but great on open twisty roads. You can definitely battle the "unbeatable" 1200GS on Alps passes!

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

Premium feel, no breakdowns, virtually no oil consumption after more than 4000 miles. Very good components all over.

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5

If you buy one used now, you'll probably not lose much in a few years if you ever want to sell it again. With maintenance intervals of 7500 miles the running costs are converse to prejudices pretty low. Also this is a two valve engine, so even more complex services are rather cheap.

Equipment 4 out of 5

Have to do a tail tidy. Stock handle bar may be something that causes irritation for people that have not ridden a Monster before. It has a quite unique seating position. For longer rides, the touring seat is a definite recommendation. I love the look of the rims (they're lighter too). ABS and DTC (traction control) work very well with stock Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 tires. Have now Continental RoadAttack Evo 2 on and those are great except for that the DTC does kick in way earlier.

Buying experience: Dealer. Depends as always. However I do trust my guys.

5 out of 5 Joy Machine!
11 August 2012 by Ricklehurst

There is compression adjustment on the rear shock, but you have to to buy your own C-spanner to use it, as there isn't one in the tool kit. Personally I don't find it a problem riding in traffic although the characteristic low down lumpiness took a couple of rides to get used to & it does, granted, get a little warm after a while (as with all air-cooled bikes?). The balance & precision of handling is superb which, combined with the light weight, makes low speed manouvres a doddle & inspires confidence in out-of-town corners, or even at the indicated top speed of 134mph (with luggage, on the autobahn!). I have to take issue with the last reviewer's final comment: The sensation of speed is, for me, enhanced by the way the motor thunders up to speed, not hidden. After test riding the Monster, my 1250S Bandit felt phenomenally quiet, slow & boring at the same speeds. Test one. If it's the sort of bike you're looking for it will instantly seduce you to the point where you just have to get one!

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5
4 out of 5 Great B-road blaster
24 September 2011 by carpel21

Nice bike that succeeds to keep it simple. Ride is sporty but not too harsh but I would've appreciated some compression adjustment on the rear shock. Handling is light and stable and the riding position is much sportier than it's naked appearance suggests making it great fun on twisty back roads and mountain passes. Not so good in town unfortunately. Fueling is snatchy at low revs and hunts around when trying to hold a constant speed and clutch is a bit heavy for stop-start traffic. Inside thighs will get uncomfortable hot if you get stuck in traffic! Best mod for this bike is dropping a tooth on the front sprocket. It's been over geared to help pass emissions regulations and the motor is much happier spinning a little faster with noticeably less 'shudder' at low rpm's. Equipment is ok when you consider Ducati have tried very hard to keep the cost down. Brakes are Brembo and plenty strong enough and suspension is very well matched to bike. No fuel level but it does have a reserve light and economy is excellent. I rode nearly 2.5k miles around Europe and was seeing 200 miles to a tank cruising in 6th at 65mph. Usually 130 miles to reserve light when giving it a weekend thrash. No reliability issues at 8k miles and finish is good too. Ok it's a bit expensive for the level of kit you get but it should hold it's value well and and it's great fuel economy takes the sting out out of Ducati ownership if you plan on riding more than 3k miles a year. Servicing is around £350 for 7.5k mile service at a main dealer which is a bit pricey but nothing compared to the superbikes in their ranges. Engine is a real gem. Loads of torque from as low as you can stand the vibes (about 2.5k rpm for me) and you can actually use all of the rev range without accidentally hitting 3 figure speeds. Your usually moving faster than you think though as the slow revving motor hides the sensation of speed.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5
4 out of 5 Ducati Monster 1100
03 July 2009 by TassieRod

I've only had mine a few weeks but knew what I was getting into after riding 800 k's in Spain in October 08 at the Ducati World Presidents Meeting. That pre-launch adventure was enough to convince me to trade the Sport Classic in on something more practical and comfortable, although I loved that bike as well. The Monster provides superb torque and tractability and brings a smile to my face every time I jump on. It's light and handles like a dreram. Yes, they're expensive but what the heck, it's a Ducati! I reckon this one might be a keeper!

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 3 out of 5
Equipment 3 out of 5
5 out of 5 Loads of fun
10 June 2009 by pporfirio

I have had motorcycles for the past 25 years, but it was only when I moved to London that I started using it everyday. After 1 year on a Honda Hornet, I wanted something bigger. Tried the Honda CB1000 and the Speed Triple, and they are very nice bikes, but the minute I got the Ducati out for a ride I felt I was 13 again riding my two stroke bike. Fantastic. Very fast. The sound is great, the response of the two cilinders amazing. Put some Leo Vince pipes and opened the clutch, really enjoying it. Only problem is: you hit traffic those 1,100cc will generate tons of heat. All of my friends that took it for a spin got back with a big smile. Impressive if you consider that it does not even have 100hp.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 5 out of 5
5 out of 5 Fantastic Monster
03 March 2009 by sicknote2000

Straight from the off I have been massively impressed by this bike. A few little niceties missing like gear and fuel indicator but with a bike this much fun to ride im willing to forgive. Although expensive I have the Titanium Termis, all considered I would say they are worth every penny.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5
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