Cast your eyes upon the motorcycle on this page. Is this not one of the most gorgeous two-wheelers on the planet? I’ve always had affection for Ducati Monsters, and this Valentino Rossi commemorative edition is as exotically Italian as Monica Bellucci.

Rossi, a seven-time world champion, signed with the Ducati Moto GP team after winning championships with Aprilia, Honda and Yamaha. It seemed like a match made in heaven — an Italian superhero competing against the world’s best aboard an Italian motorcycle.

Ducati was so thrilled with the arrangement that it built this special-edition Monster. Rossi was so thrilled that, after two lacklustre seasons with the hometown crew, he went back to Yamaha.

Ducatis aren’t mainstream motorcycles. They’re brimming with Italian personality — high-strung, perhaps a little on edge. But the engineering is first rate and Ducatis have an intangible “feel” that other mass-produced motorcycles just can’t match.

You want refined? Look elsewhere. The Monster’s 1,078 cc, air-cooled, two-valve engine is a three-ring circus of valve clatter, vibration and general macchina musica. It’s the most powerful air-cooled Ducati ever, with 100 horsepower and 76 lb.-ft. of torque. At low revs, it bucks, snorts and lurches like a top fuel dragster on Mexican gasoline. Hit 2,500 r.p.m. and it smoothes out (relatively speaking) and flexes its substantial muscles.

The stiff hydraulic clutch has a narrow engagement point; combine that with the temperamental engine and the Termignoni pipes that rattle windows at 100 paces, and it’s impossible to depart a stop sign or traffic light unobtrusively. It’s necessary to employ full throttle launches that draw the attention of the policia and the ire of the general populace.

Antisocial? Yes, but oh-so-much fun.

Contrary to current philosophy from the Far East, the M1100 features a trellis steel frame that looks spindly but isn’t. It’s incredibly strong and ties everything together in a tight, rigid package. The design and craftsmanship of the frame alone is almost worth the price.

The instrument panel is an LCD type, with a sweeping tachometer, a digital speedo and the usual info with volts, lap timer, trip meter, clock and total kilometers.

Upon starting, the dash resets itself to show total kilometres. If it’s on the trip meter when I shut it off, chances are I want the trip meter when I start again. The LCD icons look a bit cheesy and thin, and the entire cluster is mounted so low that you must take your eyes off the road ahead to read the dash.

And the speedometer is wildly optimistic, even for the Italians. A GPS-certified 100 km/h was indicating 113 on the Ducati.

But none of that matters when you’re booming through your favourite twisties, the Monster reacting almost telepathically to the inputs you’re giving the controls. The steering is light, sharp and precise and the suspension keeps both wheels firmly in contact with terra firma.

Ducatis are built for riders and the riding position is quite good. The bars are reasonably wide with a comfortable rise for good leverage around town. The pegs are nicely positioned and the seat is better than most hyper-sport bikes. It’s not something I’d want to ride to the East Coast but I did a few day trips and it was quite bearable.

With the way the bike rides and handles, it’s a shame that the fuel tank holds a paltry 13.5 litres. On one tank of very easy riding, the low fuel light came on at 146 km and the Monster swallowed almost 10 litres of 95-octane go-juice, for an abysmal 6.8 L/100 km. Hard riding will have the fuel light mocking you at just over 100 km.

Rossi’s nickname is Il Dottore or The Doctor (a European form of respect) and the commemorative Monster is festooned with Rossi’s No. 46 and “The Doctor” emblems in prominent places. But all the Rossi stuff is like putting lipstick and rouge on Cindy Crawford. Sure makes it pretty, but there’s a fairly decent platform to start with.

The Monster M1100 Evo is what’s known as a “character” motorcycle. It’s expensive, demanding and not for everyone, but for those who can put up with it, “que bella macchina.”

PRICE: Rossi Replica sold out, 2013 model, $14,245

ENGINE: 1,078 cc, V-twin, air-cooled, two valve, EFI, six-speed

POWER/TOURQUE: 100 hp, 76 lb.-ft.

FUEL CONSUMPTION L/100 km: 6.8 to 8.0

COMPETITION: MV Brutale, Triumph Speed Triple, Yamaha FZ1

WHAT’S BEST: Stunning looks, sensuous exhaust note, exclusivity.

WHAT’S WORST: Vibration, fussy clutch, poor fuel range.

WHAT’S INTERESTING: Most powerful air-cooled Ducati.