About ducati
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is an Italian company that designs and manufactures motorcycles. Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Ducati is owned by Audi through its Italian subsidiary Lamborghini.
In 1926 Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his three sons, Adriano, Marcello, and Bruno Cavalieri Ducati; founded Societa Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati in Bologna to produce vacuum tubes, condensers and other radio components.
At the small Turinese firm SIATA (Societa Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie), Aldo Farinelli began developing a small pushrod engine for mounting on bicycles. Barely a month after the official liberation of Italy in 1944, SIATA announced its intention to sell this engine, called the "Cucciolo" (Italian for "puppy"). The first Cucciolos were available alone, to be mounted on standard bicycles, by the buyer; however, businessmen soon bought the little engines in quantity, and offered complete motorized-bicycle units for sale.
So in 1950, in collaboration with SIATA, the Ducati firm finally offered its own Cucciolo-based motorcycle. This first Ducati motorcycle was a 48 cc bike weighing 98 lb (44 kg) with a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) had a 15 mm carburetor giving just under 200 mpg-US (1.2 L/100 km; 240 mpg-imp). Ducati soon dropped the Cucciolo name in favor of "55M" and "65TL". The chief designer of most Ducati motorcycles in the 1950s was Fabio Taglioni
In 1952 Ducati introduced 65TS cycle and Cruiser (a four-stroke motor scooter).
In 1953, management split the company into two separate entities, Ducati Meccanica SpA and Ducati Elettronica, in acknowledgment of its diverging motorcycle and electronics product lines.
In the 1960s, Ducati earned its place in motorcycling history by producing the fastest 250 cc road bike then available, the Mach 1.
In the 1970s Ducati began producing large-displacement V-twin motorcycles and in 1973, released a V-twin with the trademarked desmodromic valve design.
In 1973, Ducati commemorated its 1972 win at the Imola 200 with the production model green frame Ducati 750 SuperSport.
In 1993 Monster model appeared, a bike with exposed trellis and engine. It makes about half of all sales.
Ducati is best known for high performance motorcycles characterized by large capacity four-stroke, 90° V-twin engines, featuring a desmodromic valve design. Ducati refers to this configuration as L-twin because one cylinder is vertical while the other is horizontal, making it look like a letter "L". Modern Ducatis remain among the dominant performance motorcycles available today partly because of the desmodromic valve design, which is nearing its 50th year of use.
While most other manufacturers utilize wet clutches (with the spinning parts bathed in oil) Ducati previously used multiplate dry clutches in many of their motorcycles. The dry clutch eliminates the power loss from oil viscosity drag on the engine even though the engagement may not be as smooth as the oil bath versions but the clutch plates can wear more rapidly. Ducati has converted to wet clutches across their current product lines.
Ducati also extensively uses the Trellis Steel Frame configuration, although Ducati's MotoGP project broke with this tradition by introducing a revolutionary carbon fibre frame for the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.
Moto blog
Wed, 05 Mar 2025
Changing the Supersport game
Photos by Alex Photo. Retro gaming consoles had it made. If a player sends world-renowned Italian plumber Mario to an untimely demise a few too many times, we hit the reset button.
Tue, 04 Mar 2025
2025 Ducati Panigale V2 S Review Gallery | Motorcycle.com
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2025 Ducati Panigale V2 S Review Gallery
The 2025 Ducati Panigale V2 S is part of an emerging Supersport contingent that will reset the class, favoring light weight and agile handling over eye-popping horsepower figures. Check back soon for the full review. Photos by Alex Photo.
Fri, 07 Feb 2025
Easy like a Spanish morning
Photos by Ducati and Alex Photos. It would appear size isn’t everything, and perhaps, there is a replacement for displacement. Ducati downsizing its middleweight Multistrada has us questioning everything we thought we knew in addition to the very phrases we’re all guilty of overusing here on these digital pages.
Fri, 07 Feb 2025
2025 Ducati Multistrada V2 First Ride Gallery | Motorcycle.com
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2025 Ducati Multistrada V2 First Ride Gallery
Light makes right and the new Multistrada V2 is all about it. A lighter engine, lither handling, and comfy ergos make the V2 a scintillating dance partner. Read the full story here.
Mon, 16 Sep 2024
2025 Ducati Panigale V4S Review Gallery | Motorcycle.com
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2025 Ducati Panigale V4S Review Gallery
Coming in at $33,895 for the S model ($25,995 for standard versions), the 2025 Ducati Panigale V4 S ain’t cheap. But that’s the price you pay for leading edge superbike tech. Should you have the cash (and the proper skillset), you’ll be rewarded with supercar-levels of performance that will give you everything you need to become a better rider.
Mon, 16 Sep 2024
Ducati’s flagship is the beneficiary of MotoGP input
Photos by Alex Photo
MotoGP has been called the Ducati Cup in recent years because the brand takes up a third of the grid – and they’re all usually at the front. Granted, I suppose the kind of criticism is warranted if you like a little variety with your racing, but the reason behind all those bikes is more nuanced than just wanting to steal the show. Ostensibly, team boss Gigi D’alligna’s job was to bring Ducati back to the top.
Wed, 13 Mar 2024
Rallying the troops for a rip through Morocco
Photos by Alex Photo. Not having children of my own, nor many in my close circle for that matter, I forget how seeing the unadulterated enthusiasm and joy from a child can brighten up one’s entire day. Of course, when it’s due to a group of motorcycles roaring through their small town in the desert outside Marrakech, that joy makes an incredible experience that much more memorable.
Wed, 14 Feb 2024
Watch out KTM – Ducati’s coming for you
Photo: Alex Photo
KTM, consider yourself on watch because Ducati is coming for you, and it’s coming for you with this: the 2024 Hypermotard 698 Mono. One look and you can tell the Hyper Mono is aimed squarely at the KTM 690 SMC R, the supermoto inspiration is obvious to all, and now there’s suddenly an arms race in a category that’s been one-sided for years. Sure, the street-legal supermoto scene may be a small niche, but we all know it’s a recipe for getting your license taken away in no time – all with a giant smile on your face.
Thu, 14 Dec 2023
Don’t sleep on the baby Streetfighter – here are 5 important details about it
When Ducati first introduced its original Streetfighter with the 1098 engine in 2009… I hated it. Other than being nice to look at, the riding characteristics were horrible. Oddly enough, when the 848 version was introduced, somehow it was a little more enjoyable to ride.
Sun, 22 Oct 2023
A Panigale wrapped in Multistrada clothing – and we're one of only three in the world to ride it. Photo/Video: Alex Photo
The arc of the aging sportbike rider goes a little something like this: In their youth, going fast and taking chances is the name of the game. Sportbikes are the status symbol that fulfills this desire and is the closest thing to a two-wheeled land missile they can get their hands on.