What the Monster invented
The modern naked
The 1993 M900 Monster was THE bike that defined the modern naked category. Stripped-down Ducati 900 engine, exposed trellis frame, no fairing, sport-tourer ergonomics. Every Yamaha MT, Triumph Speed Triple, KTM Duke, BMW S1000R owes some DNA to the original M900.
Engine architecture
L-twin throughout
Every Monster has been a 90° L-twin (Ducati's V-twin) — air-cooled until 2014, liquid-cooled Testastretta from the 821, and now the all-new 890cc V2 for MY26. Same engine layout for 33 years, but the V2 is a clean-sheet design that drops desmodromic valves for conventional springs with intake variable timing — first non-Desmo Monster ever.
Power gain
+33bhp
78bhp M900 → 111bhp Monster V2. 42% more horsepower from the same engine layout. The MY26 V2 holds the 111bhp headline despite a 50cc displacement cut from the outgoing 937 — that's the IVT story doing real work.
Frame revolution
Trellis → Monocoque
For 28 years EVERY Monster had a steel trellis frame — visible, signature, Ducati DNA. The 2021 redesign moved to an aluminium monocoque frame. Many Monster fans hated it; Ducati went with it anyway because it cuts weight and improves rigidity.
Real cost change
−A$1.9k
M900 was about A$12,700in 1996 (A$25,400today). The 2026 Monster V2 is A$23,400— about 8% cheaper in real terms despite full electronics, ride-by-wire, IMU, 5" TFT, and the new V2 platform with 28k-mile valve-check intervals. Ducati pricing the Monster honestly even through the V2 transition.
Rider aids count
1 → 8
1996: fuel injection only on later models. 2026: cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, quickshifter, smartphone, lift control, slide control, urban mode. Modern Monster is far more sophisticated than the M900 ever was.
Cheapest way in
A$6.8k
A clean M900 Monster from the mid-90s. The bike that invented the modern naked. Air-cooled L-twin, trellis frame visible, no electronics. The most authentic Monster experience available — and the one that started it all.
