Sex appeal, the dictionary says, is the "physical attractiveness or personal qualities that arouse others sexually." It means,
attractiveness to the opposite sex, increasing desirability and oomph.
If someone produced a tablet that did all of those things, I'd be popping them all day. Well, forget the tablet. All of that
comes in a much more exciting package — a package that's oozing powerful and explosive sex appeal all of its own.
With a one-time purchase, you can instantly heighten your lovemaking chances, improve your sex appeal and possibly date a
supermodel. All this when you own a Christian Audigier Ducati Monster built by Rever Corsa.
The first time I clocked eyes on the Christian Audigier Ducati Monster 1100, it was at a glitzy press launch in Hollywood.
It had the attention of the world's press. As impressive as this was to see, from where I was standing none of them represented
motorcycle publications – so what did they know? Christian Audigier himself pulled the cover off, and I have to say the Ducati Monster stood strong and looked expensive; probably
because it was. The once-production machine now looked like a factory bike and as it dripped in aftermarket products, it looked
like the ultimate monster.
Hot models handed out Champagne and everyone toasted the success of the unveiling. It seemed all were impressed visually,
as it stood there like it belonged in the glamorous and sexy Hollywood lifestyle it was now basking in. The Ducati Red was
prominent, gold-leaf sparkled and the carbon fiber gave it a powerful edge. It was a high-end Ducati, all right.
I stood there looking at the Monster. With race components hanging off of every part of the motorcycle, it held my attention
even more than the models and alcohol. It made you daydream about riding it.
Well, I'm a rider, so I'll let the ride do the talking, not just the looking. There is only one way to find out just how good
this Christian Audigier Ducati Monster 1100 S really is, and that's to fire her up and give her a good thrashing.
To tell you whether the hardly inexpensive $55,000 price tag was worth it, I had to hear the heart of the Ducati 1,100 V-Twin
through that sexy carbon fiber Termignoni full exhaust system. I wanted to run my fingers over those Brembo race levers and
get those super-trick, super lightweight carbon fiber BST wheels turning in anger.
Thanks to the awesome guys at Ed Hardy, I got first go. I took the most stylish Ducati Monster out for a blast on PCH (Pacific
Coast Highway) and then carved the canyon on Mulholland Highway near Malibu in Southern California. What I can tell you is
that from the minute I threw my leg over the Italian stallion, it was top-notch motorcycling — and my oomph rating was going
off the scale!
This wasn't a Ducati Monster, like the one I remembered. This was nothing like the production model that I'd previously ridden.
It was a hand-built factory model, and boy, did she feel and sound explosive.
The punch from a torquey V-Twin motor can sometimes catch you out as the bite can be as fierce as the beat. But as soon as
I threw my leg over the bling machine and dropped the clutch, I discovered that this Ducati motor was different. This 1,110
engine is extra-smooth, powerful from the off yes, but with good mid-range. Instead of it being all over in a flash of power,
it is spread over the higher RPM and gave you more top-end. I liked it.
Popping wheelies in the lower gears comes as part of the package. The lightweight machine grabs air for fun and as I took
it through the gears and gathered speed, the Ducati stayed firm and planted. Sometimes bikes with this kind of riding position
can start to weave at higher speeds, but not this beauty. This bike just enjoyed having its legs stretched, easily gathering
speed and staying stable at high speeds.
The front Brembo brakes are designed originally for the 748, the mini Ducati Superbike race replica machine. They're easily
good enough for the underweight Monster, as stopping was a pleasure and never an issue. The rear had good feel and the levers
were just a joy to have at your fingertips. The feel of a lever is very important to me; it's what I hold on to, it's what
I trust. Brembo makes Moto GP spec products throughout its range and the feel of them is second to none.
Aggressive down-shifts and swift getaways are easily handled by the STM 48 tooth Superbike slipper clutch as the dry plates
spin on the outside of the engine creating a distinctive and musical rattle all of its own, all while being very Ducati.
I've not really had a good go on a motorcycle with carbon wheels before, but the BST's made the Rever Corsa machine super
flickable. You could carve the tightest of turns with ease and confidence. It made you feel like you were on a smaller and
lighter motorcycle, but the 110HP on tap quickly reminded you that you weren't. The Ohlins front and rear worked perfectly,
giving great feedback, the super sticky Pirelli Diablo Corsas gripped the coastal highway like glue. Oh my God, I'm in heaven;
the Ed Hardy daydream was coming true.
The collaboration between Christian Audigier and Rever Corsa is a good one. One knows about style, the other about how to
build bad-ass Ducatis with lots of top-spec parts that work together. Trust me, just because you have all the best parts in
the business on your motorcycle, it doesn't necessary mean it is going to make the best motorcycle. Oh no. Motorcycles are
a lot more complex than that. This is not paint by numbers.
Parts need to complement one another; they need to sing from the same hymn sheet, be a part of the team. What you will find
on the Christian Audigier Ducati Monster is a whole heap of gorgeous high-end machined parts that all work together and form
a quite formidable and strong team, making it warrant a high price tag.
Believe it or not, Rever Corsa can also take this sexy machine a couple of steps further if you've even deeper pockets and
want to make people jealous by offering builds with full carbon bodywork and a titanium frame as additional extras.
This Ducati is nothing short of stimulating and leaves you lightheaded and with a smile from ear to ear. Is it the Monster
red, carbon parts, sparkling gold-leaf or the simple fact that wherever the Christian Audigier Ducati seems to go, hot chicks
suddenly appear...?
