Bringing the Ducati Model Line-Up Into Sharper Focus

People ask us all the time to recommend the Ducati model that best suits their needs. That’s not always the easiest thing to do, as there are a lot of natural similarities between various models, and many of the models are not sharply-focused single-purpose machines. Variety is the spice of life, and also the spice of the Ducati model range!


Things to consider when selecting the Ducati model that is right for a particular rider include:

• Riding style (commuting, sport riding, touring, track days, etc.)
• Riding experience (length of time as well as different types of bikes)
• Riding position preferences (sport position, semi-sport, sport-touring, touring)
• Need for passenger accommodations
• Need for storage/hauling capacities

Even with all of those variables, there can still be a lot of personal preference involved when selecting a new Ducati, including the totally subjective factors such as how the bike looks.

In order to help point you in the right direction if you’re feeling a bit “lost” in evaluating the Ducati model range, we’ve put together this basic summary of the Ducati model families:

Ducati Superbike

This one is the easiest to “classify”, as the Superbike is clearly an all-out performance machine, engineered for the race track and “tamed down” just enough to make it street legal and usable as a street-going sport bike. Ducati takes the highest level of race-bike engineering and pours it all into the Superbike range with no compromises. The primary focus of this bike is sport riding, both on the street and on the track. The riding position is sporty, and comfort takes a back seat to performance, although the late-model Superbikes are much more comfortable for street riding than some of the earlier versions were. The Superbike has passenger accommodations, but they’re rarely used as the bike is not designed primarily for a passenger. The Ducati Superbike is for a rider who demands performance and top-level racing technology, and a style that is unmistakable.

Ducati Monster

This bike created it’s own category of motorcycle when it was launched in 1993, and is still the king of the “Naked Bike” category. The Monster is a multi-purpose bike and can be used for everything from commuting, to light touring, sport riding and even track days. The Monster’s main advantage is its versatility, and owners of Monsters have done just about everything you can think of doing on 2-wheels. The Monster model range includes the beginner-friendly small Monster (696), the value-priced middle Monster (796) and the ultimate Monster (1100 Evo). Ducati has tried to ensure that there is a Monster for every potential owner, and it’s not uncommon for an owner of a Ducati Monster to come back and trade their Monster for another one several years down the road. The Monster is the best-selling model family for Ducati and has been for many years, with many loyal fans all over the world.

Ducati Hypermotard

The Hypermotard is another bike that created its own category when it was released. Based loosely on prior supermotard bikes, which were off-road bikes adapted for street use, the Hypermotard took an entirely new direction in that it was designed primarily as a street bike, but sharing the riding position and some of the styling of an off-road bike. The capabilities of the Hypermotard in a lot of ways mimic the capabilities of the Monster line, in that both offer a multi-purpose platform for a variety of riding situations and needs. However, the Hypermotard has a character all its own, due to the upright dirtbike-like riding position. We think the Hypermotard may very well be the best urban bike ever made, it can slice through city traffic like a scalpel!

Ducati Multistrada

The Multistrada has redefined both the Sport-Touring and Adventure-Touring categories by blending together the highest level of outright performance and technology of any Sport-Touring bike with the versatile multi-surface capabilities of most Adventure-Touring bikes. It’s not as fast around a race track as a Superbike, and not going to plod through a muddy creek bed like a knobby-tired dual-sport bike, but for anything in between it would be hard to beat a Multistrada. Ducati considers this bike to be a glimpse into the future of motorcycling, where performance compromises need not be made in order to have a bike be comfortable and versatile. The level of outright performance available is unparalleled in the market. Yet the Multistrada is a bike you can easily ride cross-country on, either solo or 2-up with fully-loaded luggage, commute through city traffic with ease, blast the back roads on a warm Sunday afternoon, and even take to a track day with full confidence. It’s definitely the most comfortable bike for a passenger that Ducati has ever made, so those who ride 2-up often should look no further.

Ducati Streetfighter

The Streetfighter is hard to categorize, if you compare it to a Superbike it shares a lot of the same DNA, only with a revised riding position to make it more street-friendly, and a “naked bike” styling devoid of the fairings that typically define a sport bike. Comparing to other naked bikes like the Monster is like taking a gun to a knife fight, as the level of performance is off the charts for that category. The Streetfighter is truly unique and one of the most aggressively styled Ducati models ever made. Buyers of the Streetfighter typically come from the sport bike market, particularly those looking for something a little more comfortable for street riding, as well as owners of other naked bikes who yearn for a higher level of performance. The Streetfighter is all about performance, and is not a beginner-bike by any means.

Ducati Diavel

The Diavel is an all-new concept from Ducati and it’s really too early to tell where the bike will excel. Initial indications are that the Diavel will offer a level of performance similar to that of the Multistrada or Streetfighter, only in a revised package offering more “accessibility” for a wider variety of riders due to the low riding position and advanced electronics package. Styling is decidedly “muscular” and the Diavel will undoubtedly appeal to those looking for a performance-oriented naked bike. It should have good all-around capabilities as well, including light touring, commuting, and just blasting around the back roads. The level of technology available on this bike is groundbreaking, and sets the stage for the future of the entire Ducati model line.