Styling a Bike with No Real “Style”

When Garage Builders Cobbled Together the First “Naked” Bikes in the 1990S by Stripping Away the Crashed-out Plastic of Modern Sportbikes to Reveal Their Cores, I’ll Have to Admit I Was Not a Fan of the Look. It Seemed Like Owners Were Simply Too Cheap to Buy New Plastics and Return the Once-Sleek Sports Machine to Form. Then I Rode One, and Understood. It Wasn’t About the Look at All, It Was About the Ride, as It Should Be. but 21 Year's on from the Birth of the “Factory Naked Bike, ” the Nothing-but-Essentials Look Has Been Largely Codified. Thankfully, Ducati Splashes That Basic Look with a Welcome Bit of Style. It’s Still Just the Essentials, with a Dense, Purposeful and Approachable Look That’s Quite the Opposite of the Runway Model Gloss Reserved for Ducati’s Pure Sport Bikes.

Tech Angels Soothe (Smooth?) the Savage Beast

The Original Air-Cooled Ducati Monster Was About as High-Tech as an Anvil. Even the 2013 Evo 1100 Still Relied on Air Cooling (With a Oil Cooler Assist), Although Liquid Cooling Was Also Present on Older Machines Like the Monster S4R 1000. the Original Monster Featured Finicky Carburetors, Analog Clocks and Its Only Nod to Silicon Was Electronic Ignition Timing. over Time, More and More Tech Has Been Added, and the New 2014 Monster 1200 Is a Tech Showcase, with Liquid Cooling, Re-Jiggered Fuel Injection, Abs, Traction Control (“Dtc”), Ride-by-Wire Throttle, a Slipper Clutch and Three Ride Modes, Making up What the Manufacturer Calls the Ducati Safety Pack. the New, Highly Informative Color Tft Lcd Instrument Panel Is Also an Update for the New Model.

The New Monster 1200S I Saddled up at Motocorsa in Portland Had a Scant 70 Miles on the Clock, So I Was Admonished by Motocorsa Czar Arun Sharma Not to Zip His New Baby to Redline. the Tires Were Also Fresh Enough to Preclude Knee-Dragging Around My Favorite Corners. Not to Worry as the 1200S Packs Immense Power in the Middle of the Tach Where I’d Be Riding Most of the Time Anyway, and I Like to Save the Boy Racer Antics for the Track. but Was It My Fault Ducati Doesn’t Include a Tach Readout in Urban Mode? How Would I Know If I Was over the Lower Rpm Limit? If the Scenery Began to Warp, That Was Probably Going to Be a First Clue.

The Minimalist Aesthetic Naked Bikes Like the Monster Follow Helps Keep Things Like Spendy Bodywork out of the Cost Equation. in the Sphere of Ducati Pricing, 16 Large for the up-Sell S Model Is Actually Fairly Affordable, Considering What You Get for All Those Dollars. the Horsepower and Torque Boost, Ohlins Suspension, Better Brakes Wheels and Carbon Fiber Bits Would Likely Cost Far More Than $2,500 to Add on to a Plain 1200, So the 1200S Is Actually Somewhat of a Bargain.

2014 Ducati Monster 1200S Review

By James H. Sterling

• Oct 8, 2026 • 13 min read

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

It Truly Gives the Rider Confidence at Speed, Which Is High Praise for Any Bike. Kudos to Ducati on the Latest Generation of Monstrous Fun.

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.

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