Ducati Motorcycles

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

Ducati Desmosedici GP12 Officially Unveiled – Video

Ducati unveiled its Desmosedici GP12 race bikes in on online presentation streamed over Facebook. With the machine officially revealed, the pressure now turns to factory riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden who try to rebound in the 2012 MotoGP World Championship after a difficult 2011 season. The 2012 livery adds a touch of green striping resembling the tricolore version of the Ducati 1199 Panigale S and celebrating the company’s Italian heritage.

Effenbert-Liberty Withdraws from Superstock 1000 Cup – Two Less Ducati 1199 Panigales in Competition

Mere days after promoting racer Brett McCormick to its World Superbike team, Effenbert-Liberty Racing has announced its withdrawal from the Superstock 1000 Cup. Effenbert-Liberty was one of the higher-profile teams that were planning to compete in the Superstock 1000 Cup on the Ducati 1199 Panigale. Until this week, the team had planned to field McCormick and Federico Sandi in the Superstock series alongside its three-man WSBK team of Sylvain Guintoli, Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger on the Ducati 1198.

Ducati Announces Diesel Edition Monster 1100 EVO – Video

Ducati launched a special edition Monster as part of its partnership with fashion brand Diesel. The Ducati Monster Diesel is based on the Monster 1100 EVO and features a military-inspired theme developed by the Ducati Design Centre and Diesel Founder Renzo Rosso. The design uses a “Diesel Brave Green matte” livery set against a black trellis frame, wheels, engine covers, exhaust and forks.

Piaggio Opening New Design Center in US

Piaggio announced it is opening a new design center in Pasadena, Calif., to be headed by Aprilia RSV4 designer Miguel Galluzzi. Roberto Colaninno, chairman and chief executive officer of  the Piaggio Group, announced plans for the new Advanced Design Center at a dealer convention for the Piaggio Group Americas in Miami, Fla. At the moment, North American customers usually have to wait a little longer before they receive new Piaggio models, with most models arriving on these shores months after they are available in Europe.

Effenbert Liberty Promotes McCormick to WSBK Team After Talks With Bayliss Fall Through

Another Troy Bayliss comeback attempt has fallen through. The Effenbert Liberty Racing Team announced it was in discussions with Bayliss over entering a couple of World Superbike rounds this season as a wild card entry. Those discussions did not develop into a return for the three-time WSBK champion; instead the team will promote rider Brett McCormick to the now four-member Effenbert Liberty WSBK team.

For Sale by Owner: A Look at Potential Ducati Buyers

For Sale by Owner1 of 8Next Last Last month, news broke that Ducati is once again up for sale, with its owner, private equity firm Investindustrial is looking for a “world-class industrial partner” for the noted Italian manufacturer. Since then, a number of potential suitors have popped up as being interested in acquiring Ducati. Audi has reportedly cut to the front of the queue to negotiate with Investindustrial.

For Sale: Rossi’s and Stoner’s Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP Race Bikes

What do you get for someone who already has a Ducati Desmosedici RR replica? What about the real thing? Ducati is auctioning a pair of actual MotoGP racebikes, the Ducati Desmosedici GP10 raced by Casey Stoner and a GP11 raced by Valentino Rossi.

Audi Poised to Buy Ducati

German automaker Audi is reportedly in exclusive discussions with Investindustrial to acquire Ducati. British automotive publication CAR Magazine cites high-level sources within Audi in reporting the car maker has won first dibs to negotiate a deal. Audi reportedly has until mid-April to decide whether to buy out Ducati.

2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale Makes Racing Debut

The 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale made its worldwide racing debut this past weekend, winning a race in Spain and scoring a pole position and a pair of podium finishes in South Africa. Ducati‘s latest sportbike isn’t due to make its international racing debut until the Superstock 1000 Cup race, April 1 at Italy’s Imola circuit, but the 1199 has already found success in domestic racing. Ismael Bonilla (pictured above) of EMS Competicion scored the Panigale’s first win in the opening race of the Castellano-Manchego Championship in Spain at the Albacete circuit last weekend.

Vintage Bike Stash Found in Ohio

Brim’s Imports is a vintage motorcycle shop disguised as a used car dealership, and chances are you’ve never heard of the place or its proprietor, Tom Brim. If you’re in the market for a rare vintage motorcycle, however, it may behoove you to give Tom or his brother, Ralph, an old fashion phone call. A website does exist, brimsimport.com, but its for searching the inventory of late model car and truck parts — the cash flow supporting Tom’s motorcycle obsession.