Ducati 1098s Motorcycles in Akron, page #40

Moto blog

Rossi Makes Progress but Hayden Suffers Shoulder Setback

Ducati continues to develop its Desmosedici GP12 MotoGP race bike, setting modest goals while trying to establish a good setup. Already trailing the other factory teams in development time for its race prototypes, Ducati continued to try to find good base settings for the GP12. Valentino Rossi achieved the team’s goal of lapping under two minutes and two seconds with a time of 2:01.886 while completing 44 laps on the second day of testing at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit.

Rossi and Hayden Debut Ducati Desmosedici GP12 at Sepang MotoGP Test

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden got their first taste of the new Ducati Desmosedici GP12 race bikes at the official MotoGP test at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit. It’s only the first day of the pre-season test, and Ducati spent much of its time trying to establish a base setup for the rest of the three-day test. Rossi logged 43 laps and his best time was 2:02.392, fifth fastest of the test and 0.735 seconds behind leader Jorge Lorenzo of Yamaha.

Rossi 'training' at his MotoRanch

Like Kenny Roberts, Valentino Rossi has got his own ranch where he has built his own private motocross track and dirt oval. The above YouTube video shows Rossi training on the flat-track circuit that makes up his 'MotoRanch' located near his home town of Tavullia. He's shown riding a Yamaha, but that's probably because Ducati don't have themselves a scrambler.

Rossi Reveals Ducati Desmosedici GP12

Valentino Rossi has released the first photograph of the factory Ducati Desmosedici GP12 ahead of the MotoGP pre-season test at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit. The Doctor and Ducati teammate Nicky Hayden will test the GP12 alongside the other MotoGP teams and their race bikes this week to prepare for the upcoming 2012 season. The GP12 is said to be made of 90% new components, including an aluminum frame, a conventional design for most MotoGP teams but new for Ducati coming off of the ultimately unsuccessful carbon monocoque design.

I'm after a Ducati 848 radiator, and...

If you're not crashing, you're not trying hard enough. When I crashed at Silverstone, I was trying but clearly my 848 wasn't hard enough. It took a beating..

2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale Enters Production

The much anticipated 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale has entered serial production, with the Italian manufacturer celebrating the first unit to roll off the assembly line. Staff gathered around to mark the beginning of production for Ducati‘s latest sportbike. Ducati President and Chief Excutive Officer Gabriele Del Torchio was joined by General Director Claudio Domenicali to watch as Plant Director Silvano Fini celebrated the first Panigale by showering it with sparkling wine.

Ducati 1199 Panigale On The Dyno

Italian magazine Motociclismo is one of the largest and most influential motorcycle publications in all of Europe, and they’ve captured this clip of a Ducati test rider running the new 1199 Panigale on the dyno. Rider wearing full gear aside (he even flips down his faceshield!), what sticks out to me is how quickly the new Superquadro engine accelerates through its rev range. I was also impressed at the length it took before the rev limiter was reached.

Satellite Ducati Team Reveals Desmosedici GP12 Specs

Ducati continues to be tight-lipped about the 2012 edition of its Desmosedici MotoGP race bike, but specifications have finally emerged, thanks to satellite rider Karel Abraham and the Cardion AB satellite team. As a satellite entry, Cardion AB and Abraham won’t have the latest updates to the Desmosedici the factory team has access to, but the Czech team’s announcement reveals some of the basis behind the final machine riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will ride. The Czech team revealed on its official webpage its Ducati Desmosedici GP12 will produce around 250 hp from its 999cc engine.

Ducati Reports 43% Growth in North America

Ducati North America announced growth of 43% in 2011 compared to 2010, resulting in the Bologna company’s largest ever market share in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The announcement reinforces claims made by Ducati Chief Executive Officer Gabriele Del Torchio last September: North America has replaced Italy as Ducati’s #1 market. Ducati attributes its growth to the popularity of the Diavel and Mulistrada in North America.

2012 New York International Motorcycle Shows Preview

The 2011-2012 International Motorcycle Shows tour hits the Big Apple this weekend with a number of debuts, Jan. 20-22 at the Jakob K. Javits Convention Center.