HERES a little backgrounder. like most other big bike makers, Ducati too feels asia is the future. it also realises that we asians love a great bargain. So, to get in the numbers, the italian bike maker needed an affordable motorcycle; affordable, compared to its existing range that is.

yes, it has the Monster 696(M696), which is affordable. But then most Monster customers gravitated towards the M796 where the two were sold side by side. in order to get the demand up, Ducati thought itd be best to have 796 like performance at the 696s price point. and with the new 795 thats exactly what Ducati has achieved.

and its clear from the word go that this is a seriously good motorcycle. With the 796s engine, the M795 has the same brawny thrum at idle. and like the former, one needs to work the clutch to get going as well. But, once the wheels started rolling on the 795, i was pleasantly reminded of why i loved the Monster the first time i rode one. it feels light, well balanced and the seating is forward-biased and sporty. in fact, the seating is more comfortable on the 795 than on the 796. The real fun though begins when the throttle is wrung open. in first, it will wheelie. and if you keep at it, speeds of over 150kmph blow past you in a jiffy. The engine is free revving, reasonably smooth and so unstressed, even close to the redline, i was unintentionally hitting the rev limiter time and again. and even then, it felt as if it could rev more. The 803cc l-twin is also extremely torquey.

The Ducati has its negatives too. For one, the knee recesses arent comfortable to use. also, the braking could do with a bit more progression. Theres no dearth of bite, mind you; it just comes in a little late. The clocks arent easy to read on the move either. Currently, the gearing is quite tall, for example it is impossible to cruise at 100-110kmph in top gear. nonetheless, the M795s light handling is a big plus. it tips into corners like a smaller motorcycle needing light steering inputs to change directions even at speed. Price: 6 lakh (estimated)