Ducati Monster 1200 R vs. Triumph Speed Triple R - COMPARISON TEST

All this talk about sexual identity and which bathrooms transgender people should use is clouding a more important issue: What’s the sexiest naked bike made? There are more powerful and less expensive alternatives, but ultimately the debate comes down to the Ducati Monster 1200 and Triumph Speed Triple 1050. Both were upgraded for 2016, making them sportier than ever. Little surprise they both carry an R suffix in their model designation. Say it like a pirate would: Aaarrrggghhh!

News flash: Motorcycles are sexy. And red motorcycles are sexier yet. And a red Ducati Monster 1200 R powered by a thunderous desmodromic V-twin? Damn sexy!

We knew the Monster 1200 R was going to be formidable when Ducati held the press intro at a racetrack. But how would it work on the street? That was the question. The answer is: even better.

Based on the Monster 1200 S, the new-for-2016 1200 R was upgraded both mechanically and cosmetically. Higher compression (13:1, up from 12.5:1), larger elliptical throttle bodies (56mm versus 53mm), and larger header pipes (58mm versus 50mm) help boost output to 135 hp and 82 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel on the Cycle World dyno. The S-model's Öhlins suspension was revalved (but not resprung) and the shock lengthened 15mm for increased cornering clearance. A firmer, flatter (but no longer adjustable) seat, toothier racing footpegs, and new pentagonal-shape mufflers round out the chassis changes, all capped off with a carbon-fiber front fender and bikini fairing. An adjustable Öhlins steering damper resides atop the top triple clamp.

Saddle up to the Monster and you can’t help noticing that it’s all motor, the 1,200cc Testastretta 11º dual-spark V-twin filling every square inch of the engine bay. Things are a bit busy below the belt with the exhaust heat shield, coolant catch bottle, and hoses, etc., but step back and the overall look is clean. And mean.

Settle into the Monster’s nicely stitched saddle, reach for the wide handlebar, and you’ll find yourself hunkering down with the tank rising up to fill your chest. You’ll appreciate that when you’re fluttering like a leaf in the triple-digit windblast behind the tiny fairing. The mirrors are unusual in that they don’t swivel up/down, just back/forth, which means you have to adjust the stalks and then the mirrors to effectively raise or lower them.

Thumb the starter button and the Ducati bursts to life with the offbeat cadence of a Top Fuel drag racer. Twist the throttle and it revs pretty quickly for a motor with a pair of 4-plus-inch pistons. Pull in the hydraulically actuated slipper clutch, snick it into gear, ease out the lever, and you’re immediately impressed by the plateau-like torque curve. Wheelies aren’t even a question; yank one up anywhere, anytime you want. That partly explains why the Monster has a lengthy 59.4-inch wheelbase.

Like most of Ducati’s higher-end models, the 1200 R comes equipped with antilock brakes, traction control, and variable ride modes (Sport, Touring, Urban), all independently adjustable. The digital display isn’t as intuitive as on some other brands, but the more you use it, the easier it gets. You can switch ride modes on the fly, but you must come to a stop to fine-tune them.

Having ridden the Monster on the racetrack we already knew it handled well, and riding it on the street just confirmed this impression. Sporting Ducatis are renowned for their chassis feedback, and the Monster is almost telepathic. Feel from both Pirelli Supercorsa SP tires and, in turn, roadholding are as good as it gets. The Öhlins suspension seems too stiff and harsh at a real-world pace, but like a racebike it works better the harder you push it. For everyday riding, we took out a few clicks of compression and rebound damping. And did we mention the brakes? The radial-mount Brembo M50 monoblock front calipers grasping massive 330mm rotors are among the best in the business.

There’s a bit of a debate about where this whole naked-bike thing began. Ducati was the first to productionize the concept with its 1993 Monster 900, but some would argue that it originated earlier, during the British streetfighter craze of the 1980s. That movement was embodied in the 1994 Triumph Speed Triple.

The Speed Trip has been redesigned multiple times since then and for 2016 has been further refined. The manufacturer claims the latest version of the DOHC, 12-valve, three-cylinder motor has no fewer than 104 new parts, including the crankshaft, pistons, cylinder head, balancer gears, transmission ratios, and slipper clutch. Peripheral changes include a redesigned airbox/inlet and exhaust.

The bigger news, however, is the new ride-by-wire throttle borrowed from the Daytona 675 R. This features no fewer than five ride modes: Rain, Road, Sport, Track, and Rider, the latter user-configurable. Both ABS and TC can be shut off in the latter mode, and if you do, you have to come to a stop to select it. Otherwise, you can toggle through on the fly.

At 1,050cc, the Triumph's engine is 150cc smaller than the Ducati's, but it has one more cylinder. With 122 hp and 76 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel, the Britbike gives up a few ponies to the Italian stallion, and yet the performance numbers are almost identical. The Speed Triple was just 0.2 second slower in the quarter-mile, posted identical 0-to-60 mph and 60-to-80 mph top-gear roll-on times, and was 0.3 second quicker from 40-to-60 mph in top gear. The only cate­gory in which the Triumph came up short—or rather, long—was in braking distances, likely owing to its smaller 320mm front brake rotors, shorter 56.7-inch wheelbase, and heavier 459-pound (17 pounds heavier than the Ducati) dry weight. Moreover, CW Road Test Editor Don Canet reported that the Speed Triple's fork bottomed under heavy braking, causing the rear wheel to unweight and snake back and forth. Considering that both bikes use comparable Brembo brakes, Öhlins suspension, and Pirelli tires, much of this is probably down to setup. Of course, with a list price of $14,900—nearly two grand cheaper than the Ducati—the Triumph deserves to be cut some slack.

The Speed Triple’s styling is derivative of the previous models, but it still looks quite a bit like the Monster with its minimalist bodywork, tubular-aluminum frame, and single-sided aluminum swingarm.

The Speed Triple’s seating position is also similar to the Monster’s, with a slightly narrower handlebar and a slightly less supportive seat that you sink farther into. The fairing cowl doesn’t have a clear windscreen, but then who ever tucks down that low? Bar-end mirrors come standard and provide an excellent rear view even if they hinder lane-splitting.

The Triumph’s engine has tons of character and a unique sound—not just the usual three-cylinder growl but also an underlying deeper tone that sounds like a Ducati is following you (even when one is not). The throttle response is superb save for a slight lean surge right off of closed throttle. Otherwise throttle connection is excellent, and the bike wheelies with the best of them provided TC is dialed down or disabled. The new slipper clutch is a nice addition, as it lets you crowd downshifts closer to corner entrances without upsetting the chassis. Shifting is a bit notchy but mostly positive, though we did catch neutral a few times on the first-to-second change.

Like the Ducati, the Triumph displays exemplary roadholding and feedback. The only thing holding it back is its too-soft fork, and with no tool to adjust spring preload in the underseat tool kit, we weren’t able to increase that until a subsequent ride. Doing so helped prevent dive, but as with the Ducati the damping is too harsh unless you’re really hauling the mail. We dialed down compression and rebound to yield a more comfortable ride.

These two naked bikes are so closely matched that this comparison could easily be considered a tie. Both bikes are fun to ride, have plenty of character, and, more to our point, are sexy as hell. Thing is, everyone who climbed off the Ducati looked euphoric. It’s true what they say about fiery Italians!