Friday night we threw a little get-together to celebrate the latest from the Monster brood: the Ducati Monster 821. Turn out was terrific, especially thanks to the Chicago Ducati Riders. We love any excuse to celebrate, and a new Ducati model is good enough for us. Our 821 arrived just a few hours before our scheduled unveiling, so that was fun.
The new mid-size monster is water-cooled, making it the end of an air-cooled era for the Monster family. Weighing in at just under 400 lbs, the 821 makes 112 hp all wrung out. Throwing my own leg over the 821, I was surprised how neutral the ergonomics felt. One thing that helps that is an adjustable seat height. Smaller than the Monster 1200, the 821 would accommodate smaller riders, but also folks who just want a little less bike.
With the new Monster in the house, we’re also running specials on all our outgoing models. I just happened upon a new customer taking delivery of his own Monster. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a new bike, and you can see it all over his face.
As our shop has evolved over the last ten years, one thing has remained the same: how much we love connecting people with their bike. Whether it’s a new motorcycle, or one that’s new to them, or getting a bike going again after something’s gone wrong — the impulse is the same. It’s a relationship between a person and a machine. For some local Chicago Ducati fans, the new 821 will be the start of a beautiful friendship.
A huge thanks to everybody who came out, and especially to the Chicago Ducati Riders Desmo Owners Club.