Moto blog
Ducati top brass check out Triumph's class
Wed, 03 Oct 2012Manufacturers checking out manufacturers is nothing new. At trade shows like Intermot rival manufacturers are as eager as the journalists to see the new models being unveiled. I happened across three of Ducati's top brass checking out the bikes on Triumph's stand, Left to right you have: Diego Sgorbati, Marketing Director, Gabriele del Torchio, CEO and Claudio Domenicali, the boss of Ducati Corse.
Intermot 2012: Ducati Monster Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Wed, 03 Oct 2012Ducati marked the 20th anniversary of its air-cooled naked Monster line at the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany, the exact site where the M900 was first unveiled back in 1992. For 2013, Ducati is offering an anniversary edition version with bronze-colored highlights reminiscent of the original M900. Available for the Monster 696, 796 and 1100 EVO, the 20th Anniversary Edition adds a steel trellis bronze frame, gold brake components, champagne front forks, gray swignarm, engine outer casings and lower triple clamp and chrome headlamp support.
Intermot 2012: 2013 Ducati 848 EVO Corse Special Edition Announced
Tue, 02 Oct 2012We expected more from Ducati at the 2012 Intermot show as the Italian manufacturer makes its first appearance at the Cologne show under its new German owners at Audi and the Volkswagen Group. Instead, Ducati chose to keep its juiciest reveals for its home market at EICMA in November while revealing a number of color updates to returning models at Intermot. Ordinarily, we’d call this disappointing but one look at the 2013 Ducati 848 EVO Corse changed our minds.
Magneti Marelli to Supply Electronics System to MotoGP Teams
Wed, 26 Sep 2012It’s no secret that promoter Dorna Motorsports has been trying to push a standardized electronics control unit for teams in the MotoGP World Championship. The lack of a top-tier electronics package has been one of the biggest challenges faced by MotoGP’s claiming rule teams, and a spec ECU would narrow the gap between the CRT bikes and the factory prototypes. The manufacturers competing in the series, Honda, Ducati and Yamaha, understandably are resistant to the idea considering the effort they’ve put in to develop their electronics systems.
How the 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200S’ Skyhook Suspension Works
Mon, 24 Sep 2012When Ducati announced the updates for its 2013 Multistrada 1200 lineup, the Italian manufacturer was surprisingly quiet about the line’s most notable upgrade, the Ducati Skyhook Suspension. All we were told was the system is a semi-active suspension using Sachs components that adjusts its damping settings to varying riding conditions. Ducati has now provided more information about the DSS technology which will be standard equipment on the three “S” versions of the Multistrada 1200, the Touring model, the sportier Pikes Peak model and the new flagship Granturismo model.
Report: Ducati to Introduce Three 820cc Models at EICMA
Fri, 21 Sep 2012Ducati will introduce three new models built around an 820cc platform at the 2012 EICMA show, reports French site Moto-Station. Moto-Station reports the three new models will be a Multistrada 820, a Hypermotard 820 and an as-yet unnamed roadster. Over the last couple of months, spy photos of a new mid-sized Ducati model has been making the rounds, with many people claiming it will be a new liquid-cooled Hypermotard while others, like our own Kevin Duke, believe the new model would be a Multistrada.
Misano Moto GP. Was it Divine Intervention?
Thu, 20 Sep 2012I’m still buzzing from an amazing weekend of Moto GP in Misano. It took until Saturday lunchtime for the sun to get his hat on but from there on in the atmosphere at both the circuit and the nearby beachfront was first class. As usual on race day we had epic Moto 3 and Moto 2 races with respective champions elect Cortese and Marquez once again taking victories by just fractions of a second.
2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 Specs Released
Thu, 20 Sep 2012When Ducati announced the updates for the 2013 Multistrada 1200 lineup this week, it was very vague on the details. We know the engine received some updates and the Ohlins suspension had been replaced with a new semi-active “Skyhook” suspension system, and of course, we learned about the new Multistrada 1200S Granturismo variant. It took a couple of days but Ducati has released full specifications for its Multistrada 1200 lineup, shedding some more light on the 2013 models.
2013 Ducati Multistrada Models
Tue, 18 Sep 2012Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 has attracted all types of riders to the Italian brand by creating a model that is not only powerful and playful, but also comfortable and versatile. For 2013, Multistrada models feature enhanced aesthetics, a second generation Testastretta 11° engine, the latest ABS and, on the “S” versions, the semi-active suspension system, Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS). The 2013 base model Multstrada boasts Riding Mode technologies, Ride-by-Wire (R-b-W) and Ducati Traction Control (DTC) in addition to the very latest in ABS, while the Multistrada 1200 S Touring is now equipped with Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS), additional side luggage, heated grips and a centerstand.
None of the gear, no idea?
Wed, 12 Sep 2012You know when you see the remains of a bike that's been in a big frontal impact and you think: 'My god, what kind of force was needed to rip the airbox out!?'. Well this is one of those crashes, caught on camera. I've seen a lot of crash videos, let's face it, we all have, but I've never seen anything like this.