Ducati honour 30 years of the Monster family with limited run special

Ducati are kicking off a roster of 2024 new model reveals by celebrating 30 years of the iconic Monster name – unveiling a 30° Anniversario special edition limited to 500 units, said to be the lightest bike to ever use the name.

The bike’s arrival kickstarts a chain of new releases, with another five set to appear between now and Tuesday, 7 November – covering a range of model types.

The Anniversario pays homage to a dynasty that began back in 1993 with the 904cc M900, with Ducati having now sold in excess of 350,000 Monster nakeds across the world in that time. This latest £16,095 machine builds on the latest 937cc Monster that appeared in 2021, which was the first of its kind to use the name and go without a trellis chassis – dividing opinions amongst fans.

Slimming down

Tipping the scales at a claimed 184kg, the Monster 30° Anniversario is said to be 4kg lighter than the standard machine, and even 2kg lighter than the more focussed £13,995 SP model.

It retains the same twin-cylinder engine, capable of 15,000km (9320 miles) between oil changes and 30,000km (18,640 miles) for valve clearance checks, and this is bolted to a Panigale-esque aluminium front frame, which uses the motor as a stressed member.

From here, the anniversary special is distinguished by its Tricolour paint scheme, which is said to be inspired by the sportiest Monster models of the past (there have been over 35) and covers the bike – including a front cowling not seen on the standard models.

There’s also an embroidered 30-year logo on the seat, and a dedicated animation on the 4.3in TFT dash when you switch it on – with this unit also helping to control the lean-sensitive electronics and three rider modes.

Being limited to 500 units, you’ll also find the bike’s unique number etched into a plate on the top yoke, with a certificate of authenticity, and a special bike cover to go alongside it. Finishing off the look is a pair of gold Öhlins forks, and rims that have been specially made for this model.

Show and go

It’s not simply about colours and fancy trinkets though – the Anniversario is as focussed as Monsters come and shares many components with the existing SP.

This includes the Öhlins NIX30 forks, which are said to be 0.6kg lighter than the standard 43mm non-adjustable units. Said to improve front end feel and improve ground clearance, there’s also an Öhlins steering damper, and Brembo Stylema front brake calipers.

These brakes are 0.4kg lighter than the standard Monster’s four-piston Brembo monoblocs, with aluminium flanges for the 320mm discs then cutting an extra 500g off the load.

Coupled with the new 17in golden forged rims, wrapped with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres, the unsprung weight is down by 1.86kg, decreasing the moment of inertia of the front wheel by 21.8% and the rear by 26.9% respectively – helping the bike to steer quicker.

In the interests of weight shedding, the front and rear mudguards are also carbon fibre, there’s a lithium battery, and the soundtrack has been enhanced by a road legal Termignoni slip-on exhaust.

More Ducatis to come

Although it’s unclear exactly what else we can expect from Ducati’s 2024 model reveals, a 42 second YouTube video preview provides some hints – with shots of woodland, mountain passes, race tracks, the inner-city, and more.

We got a further hint about what we could expect from these launches back in late February, when we sat down for an exclusive chat with the Diavel V4 Project Manager, Stefano Tarabusi who said: “Currently our strategy is to have a V4 engine for our top of the range models and for our mid-displacement models, a V-twin engine.”

Going into further detail, he stated every motorcycle over 150bhp would now be set to leave the Bologna factory with a four-cylinder motor.

Currently, the only model that doesn’t adhere to this plan are the XDiavel Dark and S, which climb upwards from £19,395 and produce a claimed 158.2bhp at 9500rpm from their 1262cc V-twin engine.

When asked if this was due for a V4 conversion, Tarabusi smiled: “You make one plus one equal two, and you get the result! It’s a logical conclusion.” Whether this is one of the five remaining reveals remains to be seen, but it certainly sounds promising.

Ducati Monster 30° Anniversario highlights

• Power 109.5bhp @ 9250rpm
• Torque 68.7lb.ft @ 6500rpm
• Engine 937cc 8v Testastretta V-twin
• Weight 184kg
• Seat height 840mm
• Price £16,095
• Available January 2024