Ducati just brought back the Dark badge, and the pitch is beautifully simple: the 2027 Monster Dark is the same fifth-generation Monster, minus the paint budget. Matte black, minimal paint, a single-material seat, all-black wheels, and exposed components up front. It revives the 1998 Dark idea of a Monster stripped to the essentials.
Nothing important got stripped with it. The 890cc V2 with intake valve timing still makes 111 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 67.2 pound-feet at 7,250 rpm, with cornering ABS and four ride modes intact. The quick shifter, cruise control, flyscreen, and passenger seat cover move to the accessories list, which is where the savings come from. I have not ridden it, so this is a specs story, not a ride report.
The price is the story: $12,995, the cheapest Monster in the range, undercutting the standard Monster at $13,295 and the Monster+ at $13,995. North American dealers get it in February 2027. It is the same budget-bike logic as the Harley-Davidson Sprint 440, just from the other end of the horsepower chart.
