Is this the 2021 Ducati Monster 821?

Sketches purporting to be the new 2021 Ducati Monster 821 have popped up online looking very convincing as the Italian marque gets ready to usher in its 2021 model year range.

With the changing of the leaves comes the turn of Autumn and the steady churn of new motorcycle machinery that would normally coincide with the EICMA motorcycle show. Without the Italian extravaganza going ahead in 2020 though, the responsibility thus falls to manufacturers to showcase their new-for-2021 models on their own platforms.

This shouldn’t concern Ducati though who have traditionally eschewed doing the big reveal on the show floor in favour of a global online presentation of facelifts, new trims and the odd all-new model.

While we’re yet to find out exactly when (or if) the 2021 Ducati World Premiere will happen, if it does one can expect the all-new Ducati Monster 821 to be taking centre stage alongside the recently ‘papped’ Ducati Multistrada V4.

For now we only have this very convincing looking sketch to go on, one that has been doing the rounds recently, albeit not entirely verified. However, given we were wholly unconvinced by the ‘spy shots’ of the Multistrada V4 (they are just ‘too good’ to be taken by chance…), it’s very possible this sketch has been leaked for a reason.

Either way, it makes sense that the refreshed Ducati Monster 821 is coming to keep up with flurry of facelifts in the middleweight naked market from the BMW F900 R, Yamaha MT-09, KTM 890 Duke and Triumph Street Triple.

Specific details are thin on the ground for now, but if this sketch is to be taken as gospel then we can see the distinctive - for Ducati at least - tubular frame has been dropped in favour of a cleaner, more discreet profile design. One can assume the Ducati Monster 821 will thus be lighter, allowing engineers to focus more on ensuring it is still one of the most engaging motorcycles to ride in its segment.

More will be revealed in the coming days and weeks...