Monstrous Madness

With great power comes great irresponsibility, or something like that, and riding the Monster 1200 S is all about both.

- Nigel Crowley

I’d headed out for an early run around my favourite road loop and annoyingly, as I approached the start of the properly fun bits, the fuel gauge went orange and the trip display flipped over to range-to-empty. It showed there were about 60km to play with and even though I knew the only opportunity to refill was some way back, I decided that, probably, all would be fine and with a buzz of anticipation dumped the clutch and let slip the twin dogs of war residing in those kennel-sized cylinders.

Using all the performance this bike offers is a particularly involving and mesmerising experience. Slamming up and down the box without ever bothering the clutch lever, thanks to the up-and-down quick shifter and slipper clutch, while punching out of corners carrying some cool opposite lock as the front wheel paws the air, is pretty much standard. The adjustable anti-wheelie does a faultless job of depositing the front hoop smoothly back to earth without having to either back off or dab the brake, usually just in time to grab the next gear and have it happen all over again.

With braking components lifted straight off the Panigale, the achingly beautiful Brembo M50 monoblocs up front biting on huge 330mm discs (so big they barely fit inside the wheel-rim) offer everything from a delicate one-finger scrub to spitting-you-out-through the-visor-hole levels of stoppage, backed up with masses of feel and the security of lean angle sensitive ABS. Bear in mind the rear ABS is disabled in Sports mode. While you’re busy having a bonkers time up top, the gorgeous and fully adjustable Öhlins below do an utterly superb job of controlling the whole plot and make the road surface feel like it’s recently been steamrolled free of all imperfections: real quality stuff and with superb feedback.