Ducati create special edition ‘Monster Senna’
Ducati have created a special edition of their Monster naked in tribute to Ayrton Senna; the Formula 1 World Champion who had a strong connection to Ducati during his F1 career. Based on the Monster SP, the limited edition is identified by a special livery that’s inspired by the flag of Senna’s native Brazil and gains a handful of new features.
The Monster Senna was officially unveiled on the weekend of the Emilia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix at Misano, San Marino, in late May. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and Senna Brands CEO Bianca Senna joined F1 President and CEO, Stefano Domencali, in revealing the special edition.
"Ayrton Senna was and will forever stand as an icon,” Claudio Domenicali said. “Senna was one of the very first owners of the Monster 900 and perfectly represented the values of this bike: style, boldness and fun.
“The Monster Senna is a demonstration of how honoured we are to define a champion of this incredible level - a true Ducatista.”
Bianca Senna added: “The Monster is a perfect motorcycle to recall Ayrton's lifestyle, focused on high performance but with the ability to enjoy moments of leisure. Fans around the world who admire Ayrton will find this partnership a genuine tribute to his legacy.”
The Senna Connection
The paths of Ducati and Senna first crossed in 1990, when Claudio Castiglioni, then owner of Ducati and a fan of Senna, gave the three-time world champion an 851 SP. In 1993, he received one of the first Monster nakeds and reportedly liked its performance and simplicity, using it to commute around Monaco and even riding it to a gala evening ahead of the 1993 Monaco F1 Grand Prix.
When the F1 Champion saw the new Ducati 916, he was said to be absolutely fascinated by it, giving rise to the idea of a special project uniting the Ducati brand and the Senna brand. The result was the ‘916 Senna’. With a grey, black and red livery personally chosen by Senna, the special 916 was limited to just 300 units.
The 916 Senna was announced in March, 1994, less than two months before Senna was killed in the now infamous accident during the San Marino Formula 1 Grand Prix at Imola. His passing could have sunk the 916 Senna there and then, as production had yet to begin, but consultation between Ducati and the Senna family saw the 916 Senna released later that year. The first series sold out quickly, leading to two further 916 Senna releases in 1997 and 1998, this time with a livery chosen by Ayrton's brother, Leonardo Senna.
Ducati’s next collaboration with Senna Brands came in 2014 with an 1199 Panigale that was limited to 161 units – the total number of Grands Prix raced by Senna – and only available in the Brazilian market.
Today, all the Ducati Sennas are highly sought after by collectors worldwide, so the Monster Senna should be no exception.
Special Look, Special Features
The Monster Senna livery is inspired by the design on Senna’s helmet that was in turn inspired by the flag of Senna’s Brazilian homeland. Yellow on the fuel tank, tail, flyscreen and chin spoiler is complemented with yellow front brake calipers and yellow trim rings on the dual Termignoni mufflers.
The blue and green of the Brazilian flag is added to the flyscreen, tank and tail in the form or white-edged fadeaway stripes. There are subtle blue/yellow/green tags on the black wheels, too. A blue seat, with with an embossed ‘S’ of the type seen on the 916 Senna, completes the aesthetic touches.
The aforementioned chin spoiler is exclusive to the Monster Senna, as are milled aluminium footpegs and forged aluminium wheels. The latter are almost 2kg lighter than the cast alloy wheels used on the Monster SP, dropping the Monster Senna’s weight down to 175kg. Along with a Li-Ion battery and several carbon fibre parts, this makes the Monster Senna 4kg lighter than the standard Monster.
Testastretta Power
Running gear for the Monster Senna is unchanged from the regular Monster, consisting of Ducati’s established 937cc Testastretta 90-degree L-twin. Producing 82kW at 9250rpm and 93Nm at 6500rpm, this liquid-cooled desmo twin is matched to a six-speed transmission with the Ducati Quick Shift up/down quickshifter and chain final drive.
The frame is unchanged, with an aluminium front section, fibreglass subframe and an aluminium swingarm.
Using the Monster SP as the base means the Monster Senna gets all the good gear from that premium model, including Öhlins NIX 30 forks and a progressive linkage Öhlins monoshock, both of which are fully adjustable. There’s also an adjustable Öhlins steering damper.
Dual, semi-floating 320mm front brake discs are fitted with Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers, with a Brembo two-piston caliper on the 245mm rear disc. Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres are standard.
Tech includes Cornering ABS, Launch Control, Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Wheelie Control (all of which are adjustable), plus selectable riding modes (Sport, Road and Wet) and power modes, a USB socket and 4.3-inch TFT instrument display, which on the Monster Senna features a unique start-up animation.
Race Numbers
Production of the Monster Senna will be strictly limited to 341 units globally. The total is a combination of Senna’s Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championships – 3 – and the number of GPs he won across his career – 41.
Each bike will be individually numbered, with a plaque on the steering head. A Certificate of Authenticity and model-specific bike cover are included.
Australian allocation of the 341 total is unknown, but likely to be small. Pricing is listed at $42,500 (subject to change), which is more than double the price of the standard Monster and almost $20,000 more than the Monster SP.
Despite the high price, this special edition is sure to sell out, so potential customers should see their Ducati dealer soon.