Ducati India has launched a new variant of its entry-level naked sport Monster 797, called the Monster 797 Plus. The Monster 797 Plus has been launched to mark the 25th year celebration of the Monster brand. The 797 Plus is identical to the standard Monster 797, and the only change is the addition of a flyscreen and passenger seat cowl, both matching the tank and front fender. Existing Monster 797 owners can get these two accessories fitted for a cost of Rs. 30,000. Mechanically, nothing has changed on the Monster 797 Plus and it remains identical to the Monster 797.
The Ducati Monster 797 has drop-dead gorgeous looks with the exposed trellis frame and muscular Italian design
Also Read: Ducati Monster 797 Review
At Rs. 8.03 lakh (ex-showroom), the Ducati Monster 797 Plus is priced on the higher side of the middleweight naked sport motorcycles on sale in India, and its closest rivals, at least in pricing, are the Suzuki GSX-S750, and the Kawasaki Z900. Here's a quick comparison on how these three bikes stack up against each other, at least on paper for now.
Aesthetically, the Monster 797 Plus does have the inimitable 'Ducati Monster' design with the exposed trellis frame, muscular fuel tank and oval shaped headlight. The design is typical Italian naked, and from a visual point of view, the Monster 797 Plus does stand out against the other two. Both the Suzuki GSX-S750 and the Kawasaki Z900 have typical Japanese performance naked designs with sculpted and muscular looks and an aggressive stance, even when standing still.
The Kawasaki Z900 has tremendous road presence with its muscular design and aggressive stance
Of course, styling is a subjective matter, but the Z900 does look brawny and more muscular than the GSX-S750, but if it's Italian style one is looking for, there's no need to look beyond the Monster 797 Plus. The only downside is that the Ducati looks smaller and seems to have less road presence than its Japanese competitors.
The Monster 797 has a L-twin engine and is least powerful in this comparison, making just 73 bhp
The Ducati Monster 797 Plus has a 803 cc, L-twin engine, while both the Suzuki and the Kawasaki have in-line four cylinder motors. The Kawasaki has the largest displacing engine, with 948 cc, closer to full-blown litre-class territory than a middleweight naked. The Suzuki, on the other hand, also has a parallel-four engine, but is the smallest in this comparison, displacing 749 cc. But performance can hardly be gauged from displacement alone, or the number of cylinders.
The 948 cc in-line four engine of the Z900 is the most powerful, putting out 123 bhp
Also Read: Kawasaki Z900 Review
The Ducati is the least powerful, putting out 73 bhp and 67 Nm, while the Kawasaki is the most powerful, putting out 123 bhp and 98.6 Nm. The Suzuki settles for middle ground, but has competitive output numbers with close to 113 bhp of power and 81 Nm of peak torque. Where the Ducati seems to impress is that, despite having lower power and torque output, the Monster 797 Plus belts out its 67 Nm of torque at much lower revs, and this should translate to a tractable engine which will be easy to use for in-city duties.
The Suzuki GSX-750 is the only bike offering traction control and has a superb blend of good looks, handling and performance
Also Read: 2018 Suzuki GSX-S750 First Ride Review
Suspension, brakes and other cycle parts of all three motorcycles in this specification comparison seem more or less evenly matched, at least on paper. How each bike behaves dynamically out in the real world is what will differentiate the best from the better ones and make it a compelling buy. All three bikes come equipped with standard ABS, but only the Suzuki offers the added safety net of traction control, and this certainly gives the GSX-S750 a definitive edge in terms of electronic rider aids and safety equipment.
The Ducati Monster 797 Plus offers exotic Italian design and lineage with decent performance
The Suzuki GSX-S750 is also the most affordable motorcycle in this comparison, with a sticker price of Rs. 7.45 lakh (ex-showroom), and together with the levels of performance and features, it certainly seems to make the best practical choice. But for the pure performance junkies, the extremely smooth and powerful engine of the Kawasaki Z900 is what will determine the best bike in this price bracket. And even though the Ducati has oodles of charm and gorgeous design, its high sticker price is what goes against it, when there are equally capable and more performance-packed options in the Suzuki and Kawasaki to give it competition.
| Ducati Monster 797 Plus | Suzuki GSX-S750 | Kawasaki Z900 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 803 cc, L-Twin | 749 cc, in-line four | 948 cc, in-line four |
| Max Power | 73 bhp @ 8,250 rpm | 112.6 bhp @ 10,500 rpm | 123 bhp @ 9,500 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 67 Nm @ 5,750 rpm | 81 Nm @ 9,000 rpm | 98.6 Nm @ 7,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed |
| Front Suspension | 43 mm Kayaba USD fork | 41 mm Kayaba USD fork | 41 mm USD fork |
| Rear Suspension | Sachs monoshock, pre-load and rebound adjustable | 138 mm travel on link-type monoshock | Horizontal back-link monoshock |
| Front Brake | 320 mm dual discs, four-piston Brembo M4.32 calipers, Bosch ABS | 310 mm twin petal discs gripped by Nissin four-piston calipers, ABS | 300 mm twin discs with four-piston calipers, ABS |
| Rear Brake | 245 mm single disc, single-piston caliper, Bosch ABS | 240 mm petal disc with Nissin single-piston caliper, ABS | 250 mm single disc with single-piston caliper, ABS |
| Electronic Rider Aids | Bosch ABS, no traction control | Four-level traction control, standard ABS | ABS, no traction control |
| Kerb Weight | 193 kg | 215 kg | 210 kg |
| Price | Rs. 8.03 lakh (ex-showroom) | Rs. 7.45 lakh (ex-showroom) | Rs. 7.68 lakh (ex-showroom) |
