One of the least known aspects of Ayrton Senna is his passion for motorcycling in general and Ducati racing in particular. Therefore, coinciding with the anniversary of his death during the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola circuit, the Borgo Panigale brand has presented the beautiful motorcycle with which it pays tribute to what many consider the best F1 driver in the world. modern era.
This is the Monster 341, a collector’s edition limited to this number of units and with this number it honors the 3 world titles won by Senna in Formula 1 and 41 is the number of Grand Prix that Ayrton ended up celebrating at the highest level. from the podium.
The motorcycle has been designed in close collaboration between Ayrton’s family, Senna Brands – the company that manages the rider’s legacy – and the Ducati Stile Center in Bologna.
The Monster Senna pays tribute to the talent of the three-time world champion with special colors that are inspired by the color of the helmet that the driver wore in the grand prix throughout his career with parts in yellow, green and blue; clear tributes to the Brazilian flag.
Ayrton Senna – as we have mentioned, a passionate Ducatista – was one of the first owners of the Monster 900, which he used to travel around Monte Carlo and on the handlebars of which he was presented at the gala evening of the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix. Ayrton liked the concept of the Monster that put riding fun at the center of the motorcycling experience simply thanks to three elements: a sports engine, a Superbike chassis and a wide handlebar.
The paths of Ducati and Ayrton Senna crossed for the first time in 1990 when Claudio Castiglioni, then owner of Ducati and a fervent admirer of Senna, gave the three-time world champion an 851 SP, a direct heir to the Italian company’s Superbike machine.
A few years later, when the Brazilian saw the prototype of the new Ducati 916 live, he was absolutely fascinated by it, immediately arising the idea of ??a more official collaboration in a project capable of uniting the Ducati brand and the Senna brand. beyond friendship.
Thus was born the Ducati 916 Senna, a special series limited to only 300 units, announced by Ducati in March 1994 and whose iconic design based on anthracite grey, matte black and red was chosen personally by the Brazilian rider.
The tragic accident in which Ayrton Senna lost his life took place a few months before the start of serial production of the Ducati 916 Senna and paralyzed all operations related to the Brazilian driver, but subsequent conversations between Ducati and Senna’s family convinced to both parties to continue with the project in memory of Ayrton, whose official presentation took place at the 1994 Motor Show. The first series sold out in a very short time, followed by two others in 1997 and 1998 with chosen colors by Ayrton’s brother, Leonardo Senna.
The collaboration with Senna Brands resumed in 2014 with the 1199 Panigale, on the basis of which a limited series of 161 units was created – the same number of Grand Prix contested by Ayrton – reserved for the Brazilian market. All Ducati Senna are highly valued units by motorcycle collectors around the world.
The presentation of the motorcycle dedicated to Senna took place in the paddock of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola on the occasion of the recent Emilia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The memory of the link between Senna and Ducati was transmitted through the words of Claudio Domenicali -CEO of Ducati-, Bianca Senna -CEO of Senna Brands- and Stefano Domenicali -President and CEO of Formula – and linked to Ducati in a previous stage professional.
The Monster 341 Senna is equipped with components directly inherited from the circuit that, in addition to beautifying its appearance, also improve the dynamic qualities of the motorcycle and allow it to reach a curb weight of 175 kg, that is, 4 kg less than the standard model , which is already a reference for the category in terms of lightness.
It is powered by the Testastretta 11° engine, a 4-valve twin-cylinder with liquid cooling and desmodromic distribution that produces 111 HP, reliable and fun thanks to a complete delivery curve at any speed. It has an extremely functional and efficient chassis inspired by the official Ducati World Superbikes, fully adjustable and sport-tuned Öhlins suspensions, forged wheels, a sophisticated braking system with Brembo Stylema front calipers and aluminum flanges for the brake discs. of latest generation management electronics.
The aesthetics of the Monster Senna, in addition to the special coloring, are embellished by the yellow/green/blue label on the black rims, manufactured especially for this model, and by the yellow on the brake calipers and fiber silencers. Termignoni approved carbon. Other distinctive elements of this model are the special seat, the matching engine guard and the specific panel animation, which starts when the ignition is switched on.
Finally, each motorcycle is unique thanks to a plate on the seatpost with the model name and the motorcycle number, as well as a certificate of authenticity and a specific cover for the motorcycle.