This past weekend at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Monterey, California, Ducati celebrated the 25th anniversary of its iconic Monster motorcycle. The bike has been in production since March 5, 1993, and has retained its original philosophy — “all you need is a saddle, tank, engine, two wheels, and handlebars” — ever since then.
Miguel Galluzzi designed a Monster 900 prototype that debuted at the 1992 Cologne International Motorcycle Show with a Trellis frame from the 851/888 series and the 904-cc air/oil cooled “Pompone” engine from the Supersport range. The production version that followed effectively created the “naked” category of street bikes, giving rise to competitors like the Suzuki SV650, Triumph Speed Triple, Yamaha FZ-series, and many more modern interpretations.
You can see how the Ducati Monster has evolved over 25 years in the photo gallery below:
Ducati has been celebrating its Monster birthday for several months — and for good reason. The bike is the most successful Ducati nameplate in history, with more than 250,000 units sold since 1993. Every model has rolled off the same assembly line in Borgo Panigale, Italy, and many of those bikes headed to the United States.
“It’s an important anniversary for Ducati, a moment full of activities and initiatives to celebrate this significant landmark,” said Ducati.
The Italian manufacturer’s other Monster-related festivities included a parade of Monster motos during France’s Sunday Ride Classic, a 1993 Monster 900 on display at the museum in Borgo Panigale, and an international event dedicated to collectors’ bikes held at the “Paul Ricard” Circuit in Le Castellet.
For those who missed out on these events and want to get in on the action, World Ducati Week 2018, the world’s largest Ducati rally, takes place on July 20, 21, and 22 at the Marco Simoncelli Misano World Circuit in Misano Adriatico.
Ducati wasn’t the only bike builder celebrating at the Quail. Entering its 10th year, the event gathered more bike marques and classes than ever before – including more than 300 classic motorcycles. Everything from cutting-edge electric bikes to pre-war restorations shared a field, uniting enthusiasts young and old. For 2018, The Quail honored Arlen Ness, who is credited with building the chopper and show bike industry. Arlen, his son, and his grandson displayed the Ness Museum’s most unique motorcycles.
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