Ducati Monster Senna
Ducati and Ayrton Senna: two true icons for motorsport enthusiasts. On one side, the iconic Borgo Panigale manufacturer, which has always made its fans dream thanks to historic achievements and legendary riders. On the other, the Brazilian champion, who became a legend not only for his results but also for the way he left this world, taking on an almost divine aura. What would happen if these two entities somehow came together? Ducati itself provided the answer by presenting the Ducati Monster Senna: a special collectible Monster that pays tribute to the career of the Brazilian champion.
The special Monster Senna series is intended as a celebration of the unbreakable bond that developed between Ducati and the three-time Formula 1 World Champion. A mutual passion between two motorsport legends that has never faded and that continues today thanks to the collaboration with the Senna family and Senna Brands. This partnership led to the definition of the bike’s special livery, designed by the Ducati Style Centre.
The choice of the Monster as the base for this limited edition is also linked to Ayrton Senna’s personal history: he was in fact one of the very first owners of the Monster 900, which he used for his daily rides around Monte Carlo and even rode to the gala evening for the presentation of the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix. What Senna loved about the Monster was its simple philosophy of placing riding enjoyment at the center of the experience: a sporty engine perfectly suited for road use, Superbike-derived chassis, wide handlebars and no fairing.
The Monster Senna pays tribute to the talent of the three-time world champion with a special livery inspired by the helmet colors Senna wore throughout his racing career, featuring yellow, green and blue elements that clearly recall the Brazilian flag.
The story between Senna and Ducati
The paths of Ducati and Ayrton Senna crossed for the first time in 1990, when Claudio Castiglioni, then owner of Ducati and a passionate admirer of Senna’s natural talent, gifted the three-time world champion a Ducati 851 SP. In the following years, Senna and Ducati realized they shared many common values. When the World Champion saw the new Ducati 916 in person, he was completely fascinated, sparking the idea of a special collaboration capable of uniting two brands: Ducati and Senna.
This led to the birth of the Ducati 916 Senna, a motorcycle whose livery was personally chosen by the Brazilian driver. He opted for a contrasting color scheme featuring anthracite gray, matte black and red, which later became iconic. The special series, limited to just 300 units, was announced by Ducati in March 1994.
The tragic accident in which Ayrton Senna lost his life occurred just a few months before production of the Ducati 916 Senna was due to begin and temporarily halted all operations related to the project. Following discussions between Ducati and the Senna family, the decision was made to proceed with the project in Ayrton’s memory, with the official presentation taking place at the 1994 Motor Show. After the first series—whose 300 units sold out in a very short time—two further editions followed in 1997 and 1998, with liveries chosen by Ayrton’s brother, Leonardo Senna.
The collaboration with Senna Brands resumed in 2014 with the 1199 Panigale, on which a limited series of 161 units was based—one for each Grand Prix contested by Ayrton—reserved for the Brazilian market. Today, all Ducati Senna models are highly sought after by collectors worldwide.
Motorcycle components
The Monster Senna is equipped with components that not only enhance its aesthetics but also improve the bike’s dynamic performance. These elements allow the motorcycle to reach a dry weight of 175 kg, which is 4 kg less than the standard model, already a benchmark in its category for lightness.
The Monster, a modern reinterpretation of the original recipe, is a light, easy, agile and fast motorcycle. It is powered by the Testastretta 11° engine, a liquid-cooled desmodromic 4-valve twin delivering 111 horsepower, reliable and fun thanks to a full power delivery across the entire rev range. It features an extremely rational and effective chassis inspired by Ducati Superbikes, fully adjustable sporty Öhlins suspension, forged wheels, a braking system with front Brembo Stylema calipers and aluminum flanges for the brake discs, as well as state-of-the-art electronics.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the Monster Senna, in addition to its special color scheme, is enhanced by yellow, green and blue tags on the black wheels and yellow details on the brake calipers and on the homologated carbon-fiber Termignoni silencers. Other distinctive elements of this model include the special seat, color-matched engine spoiler and the dedicated dashboard animation visible at every key-on.
Each motorcycle is finally made unique by a plaque on the top triple clamp displaying the model name and unit number, as well as by the delivery of a certificate of authenticity and a dedicated bike cover.
