Ducati Unleashes A Hardcore Monster In Frankfurt [93 Pics/Video]

Frankfurt is a good occasion to celebrate the things that make our heart beat faster, regardless if we’re talking about cars, girls, or bikes.

The now Volkswagen-owned Italian motorcycle manufacturer – Ducati – has made a big impression at the German auto salon, by unveiling their latest addition to the Monster family.

Called the Monster 1200 R, the bike is the most powerful, most sophisticated and the fastest naked Ducati ever made – or at least that’s what Ducati says. Packing 158 horses at 9,250 rpm and 131.4 Nm (97 lb-ft) of torque from the same Testastretta 11° DS, L-Twin cylinders, Desmodromic, liquid-cooled engine, the bike accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.2 seconds and reaches speeds beyond 250 km/h (155 mph).

These kind of performance figures take the Ducati naked sports bike concept to the extreme, transforming it into a full-blown supersport motorcycle. Moreover, Ducati says that the bike is able to show its true colors on the race track, while retaining its ability to make the rider feel perfectly comfortable during daily commutes.

What we have here then is the equivalent of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS on two wheels, especially as it comes equipped with new suspension, Öhlins steering damper, forged wheels and carbon fiber components to keep the weight down. In fact, the whole lightweight rig has a dry-weight of only 180 kg (397 lb) and features a higher stance to facilitate extreme lean angles to make the most of the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres.

Of course, in order to minimize the risk of taking off due to its sheer performance, the bike comes equipped with traction control – with three different riding modes – and a Bosh ABS system, which combined with the Brembo braking pack provides considerable stopping performance.