If the Ducati Diavel can dress up with chrome (yet still not-a-cruiser):
And cavort with AMG:
If the Triumph Bonneville can parade in Steve McQueen's King of Cool glory:
If Valentino Rossi has a Drudi Performance Ferrari:
Then why shouldn't the utilitarian Ducati, the Monster, be able to spruce its Italian urban hipster self in Diesel? (No, not diesel fuel. Diesel clothing: Diesel's Website)
Diesel is Italian. And the Monster is an excellent commuter motorcycle, something that it far more common in Europe than in the U.S. In fact, I'm looking for a Monster to make the Washington D.C. traffic more of a fun obstacle course than immoveable mass.
It makes sense that Ducati would target young, urban dwellers looking for a better way to get around. And what more time-honored method of selling a motorized vehicle is there than packaging it up as a lifestyle?
Buy this motorbike and you will be this cool:
And have your pick of hot girls:
Um, yeah. Sure. But you do get a great motorcycle that doesn't look half-bad in its new hipster livery:
Yep. Its different. And not surprisingly, Diesel Monster is sending the purist Ducatisti straight from irate to fully apocalyptic.
As for me, the more people buying motorcycles, riding motorcycles, and commuting on motorcycles, is always a good thing. No matter the means to achieving this.
Although I think I'll stick with Ducati as Italian-Art-and-Sex-on-Two-Wheels and leave the hip to others. (That future commuter Monster or Supersport notwithstanding.)
Thanks to Ducati News Today for the original photos and article!
Cheers!