Renzo Rosso is something of a powerhouse in the fashion world as the current president of the OTB Group, which is the parent company of labels like Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, and Paula Cademartori, just to name a few. Renzo grew up in Italy immersed in a culture that embraced all things two-wheeled, so despite him having a ridiculously busy schedule making power-moves in the fashion industry, the multi-billionaire still finds time to stop and enjoy his passion for these machines, a trait that was undoubtedly passed onto Renzo’s sons: Andrea and Stephano Rosso.
Over the years, Ducati has partnered with a dozen or so other companies to collaborate on special edition versions of existing production Ducatis. These efforts have resulted in offerings such as the Matrix 998, the Neiman Marcus edition 748, the Italia Independent Scrambler, the 916 Senna (as well as two other Senna models), and more. Two of the coolest results from these partnerships are the Diesel Ducati’s which differ from the base model in more than just the way of a paint job and an engraved plaque like the rest of the limited edition collaborations.
The Monster Diesel
The first of the two Ducati X Diesel collaborations was the Monster Diesel. This was an effort taken on by Diesel founder Renzo Rosso (who technically led the Diesel design team behind the bike) and after seeing the results it’s pretty obvious why Ducati later opted to repeat the process with Renzo’s son. In addition to the actual motorcycle itself, an entire line of Ducati X Diesel products that included helmets (made by AGV), shirts, jackets, and more was introduced alongside this sexy Monster. There was a cool minute-and-a-half video of Diesel CEO Stephano Rosso and Nicky Hayden (ride in peace) sporting the product line and romping around Italy on Monster Diesels. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first limited edition of an existing Ducati model that was this transformative:
The Monster Diesel, which is based on the Monster 1100 Evo, is far more stylish than the standard Monster. Starting with a matte green paint job (and yellow caliper for good measure), Renzo added a Diesel logo to the tank alongside a raised black Ducati logo. Special black silencers were drawn up by the Italian fashion mogul and billionaire that feature a cool looking slitted cover of sorts. New sportier passenger pegs were added and a new custom seat with horizontal stitching wraps around the seat, extending further up than the normal stock saddle.
The “military-chic” Monster was also equipped with lightweight rims from the street fighter 1198 and weighs in at 372 pounds which is slightly less than the stock 1100 Evo. The engine still makes 100hp at 7500rpm and 76 lb.ft at 6000rpm. The Monster Diesel also retains its Ducati Safety Package which is made up of its ABS and (D)TC. This genuinely is one of the coolest – albeit limited – production bikes out there and would make for an incredible (and sexy) daily commuter. While these bikes can at times be hard to find, right now there happen to be a few of them available for sale so pounce while you can or regret it later. Sadly buying one of these used instead of new from Ducati means you can’t take advantage of the fun “made for you” plaques that customers could customize that came on the Monster Diesel along with Renzo Rosso’s name and the bike’s limited production number on a separate plaque.
The Diesel Diavel
The Diesel Diavel – contrary to what many people assumed when first seeing the name – is not a diesel-powered version of Ducati’s cruiser, but instead a limited edition version of the Italian manufacturer’s successful first attempt at grabbing a piece of the profitable cruiser market. Only 666 (see what they did there?) Diesel Diavels were produced and like the Monster Diesel, this collaborative effort between the two stylish Italian companies is pretty damn different from the stock model the bike is based on with the base model still being easily identifiable under its new sexy digs.
Originally unveiled at Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, the Diesel Diavel sports a Mad Max-esque look that’s equal parts industrial and post apocalyptic with its brushed steel bodywork that boasts protruding rivets (that are just for show). The exposed welds and faux rivets go perfectly with the limited edition model’s stitched leather seat which shares the bike’s tail section with a new custom-looking LED taillight. The standard exhaust found on the Diavel has been covered in a black Zircotec coating which furthers the difference between the standard and LE versions of the Italian cruiser.
Like all limited edition Ducati offerings, the Diesel Diavel comes with a numbered and engraved plaque displaying the machine’s limited production number. This effort – which was designed by Andrea Rosso, Renzo’s son – was announced a little while back but has just recently made its way to North America, an event that was celebrated by Ducati and Diesel by throwing a private event at the Classic Car Club Manhattan in New York last month. While we have yet to see how this LE model does in terms of sales, based on the hype it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ducati and Diesel team up once more to bring us yet another stylish all-Italian machine.
There are currently a whopping nine Monster Diesels on Cycle Trader alone, with prices ranging from $8,999 up to $13,999 with most examples being bone stock or extremely close to it.
You can find this example of a Monster Diesel in 100% original stock form with a hair over 6k miles on the digital odo, being sold at Erico Motorsports – a Triumph and Ducati dealer in Denver, Colorado here on Cycle Trader with a price of $13,999
You can find this brand spankin’ new Diavel Diesel example for sale here on Craigslist in San Diego, California at GP Motorcycles with a price of $25,795.