From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IMS SHOW BRINGS OUT THE BEST MONSTER CHALLENGE ENTRANTS TO DATE

Each round of the Monster Challenge has increased the competitive level and the Long Beach show demonstrated some of the best Ducati Monsters yet.

Cupertino, CA – December 14th, 2004 – The search for the coolest Monster in North America continued with round three at Cycle World’s Southern California motorcycle show. The competition was the fiercest yet, with amazing Monsters from Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. Also on display at this show was the Desmo Chopper by MotoCreations. This bike drew huge crowds of Ducatisti, Harley, and other riders.

All the entrants at Long Beach had excellent Monsters, making judging a difficult challenge. So, Ducati recruited some professionals for the task. The celebrity panel of judges included Eric Bostrom from the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin AMA team, Doug Polen the 2-time World Superbike Champion, Brian Catterson of Cycle World, Jeff Buchanan of Robb Report Motorcycling, and Larry Williams of Moto-Euro Magazine.

The experts awarded 1st place to Bill Johnson from Mesa, Arizona for his turbocharged 1996 Monster 900. Bill’s bike makes 112 HP at the rear wheel with the forced induction system. Aside from the chrome appearance, the bike features a ceramic coated spaghetti pipe exhaust manifold which is a work of art itself. When asked what the favorite part of his Monster was, Bill said, “I’m torn between the turbocharger system or the chrome finish.” This is exactly what the judges concluded as well.



2nd place went to Las Vegas resident, Keith Myers and his 1999 Ducati Monster 900S. Keith’s bike was visually stunning and had the performance to back it up. With the Ferracci 12:1 pistons, 39mm flatside carbs, and a host of other goodies, Keith says he has no trouble keeping up with just about any other bike on the road. And he rides this beautiful machine regularly too; it is not a trailer queen.

Alvin Egerer’s “Terminator” 1995 Monster 900 placed third in the show. Alvin’s bike has already graced the pages of magazines with its unique tail section and paintwork. The 916 swingarm and forks are a nice touch too.

Ultimately, the fans loved the vintage look of John Pace’s Monster, awarding it the “People’s Choice” for Long Beach. John’s bike brought people back to the early days of Ducati with this historic paint scheme and custom under seat exhaust. But looks aren’t all that’s important, the bike also has a 944cc kit and 12:1 compression pistons.