A Ducati Museum Tour From Your Smartphone? Count Me In
Yesterday October 5th, 2020, marked day-one of the Ducati Museum re-opening to the public in Bologna, Italy, with new precautions in place to keep visitors safe during the pandemic.
The Ducati Museum is one of the most visited museums in Bologna and has seen over 650,000 visitors since opening in 1998. That’s around 30,000 people a year making this museum very important to the Ducati brand.
Since July 4th of this year, the museum has been only accessible to select individuals with very strict visitation hours to keep the COVID-19 issue at bay. Italy was one of the hardest-hit countries during the pandemic recording up to 900 deaths daily (per the BBC in March), so it was in Ducati’s best interest to proceed with great trepidation to ensure the safety of their die-hard fans seeking to visit the museum.
With the release of their new MyDucati app last month, Ducati is on a mission to provide smart options to engage with their brand so with this re-opening they have set up a virtual tour accessible by computer, smartphone, or tablet at the cost of $12 USD on the official Ducati Museum website.
These virtual tours will last approximately 45 minutes and will feature a Q&A chat for attendees to interact with their tour guides.
In addition to their virtual tour, they have opened the doors to physical attendees as previously mentioned. From 9:15 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Sunday (with the exception of Wednesdays) visitors will be able to book tours by appointment with standards in place to keep everybody safe (masks, distancing, etc).
Right now, Ducati is owned by the VW Group. There have been rumors before about the brand being sold, and in November of this year, the group’s board will meet to discuss Ducati’s fate.
There’s been a lot of discussion about VW Group’s assets. Lamborghini may go public, Bugatti could be sold to Rimac, and the group might consider selling off some of its brands to focus its efforts.
In a Reuter’s article, Herbert Deiss, VW Group’s chief executive, said the following:
“We are constantly looking at our brand portfolio, this is particularly true during the phase of fundamental change in our industry. In view of the market disruption, we must focus and ask ourselves what the transformation means for the individual parts of the group.”
The article notes that VW want’s to get away from piston-engined vehicles and instead work more on electric vehicles. Ducati could fit into that, but at the moment VW seems to be focused on cars, not on motorcycles.
The real question is: does VW Group want to keep Ducati around, and if so, for how long? A secondary question is who will buy Ducati once it goes up for sale. KTM was rumored to be interested, but there’s surely other companies out there from India and China that would love to have the Ducati brand to work with.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the Italian marque in the future. I’m hoping it stays European and possibly even becomes more Italian-based, but we live in a globalized world these days, and I don’t have high hopes that will happen.
When you’re in the market to drop $15,000+ on a liter bike there is pretty much a viable option from every major manufacturer. Liter bikes can be difficult to re-sell, and sometimes depreciate quite a bit due to the lack of buyers so making sure you take the time to research and compare is very important as this is typically the kind of investment you are going to want to hold onto for some time.
I felt like I outgrew my FJ09 within the first year of ownership and have been scouting for the perfect upgrade ever since. It’s been 2 years of searching and sitting on bikes at dealerships and I’m happy to say that I’m finally getting close to purchasing a bigger bike. Seeing as how $15,000 is an entire year worth of rent for me, there is quite a wall of anxiety behind the whole event and I’m sure many of you can relate.
If you’re split between the Ducati Panigale V2 and the Yamaha R1, this is the perfect video for you!Yammie Noob can be quite the polarizing figure as he has totaled more bikes than you can count due to irresponsible riding, but out of all the moto-YouTubers he still provides the first videos I click in my subscription feed when sitting down to watch some new content.
Yammie’s channel has really matured as of late, and the new content he is putting out is A+. The boys go into great detail regarding both bikes, and all the information is communicated in a clear and easily relatable fashion. Both bikes are tested, compared, and judged against one another and I’m sure there is some new information for everyone.
I was under the impression the Panigale was going to be far more uncomfortable than the R1, but obviously, I was wrong when Yammie began speaking so highly of the ergonomics of the bike.
Currently, ‘Papa Yam’ is holding an event for you to win this same Panigale when you join the community on his website.
With a name like Maurice Slaughter, you’d think he’s some kind of Harley riding, dealership owning badass; which he is just exactly that. Maurice celebrated 20 years with Bayside Harley- Davidson/Ducati in Portsmouth this year and has been wheeling n’ dealing expensive bikes for quite some time now.
Now I’m not entirely sure what the occasion is, but his wife of 37 years, Cynthia, just gifted him a present that he will be chasing to out-do for decades to come. We can only dream of waking up to an early Christmas present like this. I’ve heard many Ducati owners joke on the internet about how their new superbike purchase almost led them to divorce, but this takes it to a whole new level.
What’s in the box you might ask? Of course, it’s a 220 horsepower 2020 Ducati Superleggera V4 retailing at $100k. After a 2-year purchasing process and $20,000 deposit, Cynthia has secured and delivered on the epitome of a Ducati enthusiast’s dream bike. The most powerful, most expensive, most extreme Ducati the company has ever set out to manufacture to date.
A 1 of 500, handcrafted Italian superbike. I don’t think this one would have fit under the Christmas tree, so he got it on September 16th. Michael Jordan always gets bike #23 (his jersey number), and Maurice #130. The bike will be displayed at his dealership for the following few weeks before reportedly taking Ducati up on their offer of taking it for a ride on the Ferrari race track.
Que the suspense soundtrack… “I can’t wait to see my Christmas gift,” said Cynthia after the whole opening process was completed. This is a prime example of Newton’s third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Let’s cheers to Maurice’s new bike and pray he can figure out how he’s going to pull off gifts for his wife going forwards.
Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is check my phone for news and updates on things I’m passionate about. Do you know who is really passionate? Ducati enthusiasts; I would know, my dad’s one of them. We check our subreddits, forums, and favorite blogs to keep up-to-date and in the loop with the things that motivate us. Nothing motivates some individuals more than the prospect of having your hard work pay off with a new Italian superbike.
Ducati has just launched the MyDucati app on both Andriod and iOS for owners and enthusiasts alike. For the owners, MyDucati has some great features like access to the owners’ manuals for your bike and your Ducati Card right on your phone. If you bet me $20 to go find my dealership info for my personal bike in 20 minutes, it’s probably not going to happen. Life is easy when you have your dealership card right on your mobile device in the event you need to pop by the shop quickly for any kind of work. Not only that – the app has all the info you’ll need to get in touch with your favorite Ducati dealer on the fly.
The hopeless romantics can take some solace in knowing this app isn’t just geared towards owners; this is where Ducati plans on updating you on upcoming releases and more. You can even customize your own bike and option it out the way that you like it so you can add your dream bike to your vision board (oh come on… I can’t be the only one that has one.).
The Ducati Scrambler 1100 will be heading to India. This will be the first Scrambler from the Italian company to enter the Indian market.
For a time, only the Panigale V2 would meet the BS6 compliance for emissions. Ducati’s operations in India looked a little bleak. Now they appear to be getting back on track with the addition of the Scrambler 1100, according to India Today
The bike will be available in Sport and Sport Pro. Other markets outside of India have had these options available for a while now, but it’s good to see them become available to Indian riders.
The Scrambler 1100 features a 1,097cc air-cooled desmodromic L-twin engine that makes 86 hp. The Indian Scrambler 1100 will be a little different from its global counterparts. The motorcycle will get a new exhaust system. This exhaust will not be focused on performance but rather on emissions. With it, the bike passes BS6 requirements.
Ducati has yet to release the prices of these machines in India. The upgraded exhaust and any other changes they had to make for meeting emissions will likely add to the price. Ducati will announce pricing at a later date.
Ducati getting a little harder edged with soft-roaders
What comes next…?
Ducati have until recently never really played up the off-road chops of the Multistrada, they didn’t pretend that they were gunning for the sort of off-road ability BMW GS aficionados have come to expect. Instead Ducati concentrated on pushing the road performance and all-round touring ability and comfort provided by the Multistrada platform throughout much of the model’s history. Things do seem to be changing in this space though….
The original Multistrada was marketed as ‘a versatile, new-generation sport bike’
Ducati Multistrada History
That first 992 cc Multistrada in 2003 was a little half-baked in regards to its touring amenity (that seat!), and performance (84 hp), but the model started to hit the mark a little more accurately with the introduction of the S version complete with Ohlins suspension in 2005.
A 620cc version was also introduced at a much lower price point in 2005 and used an improved version of the 618 cc Monster engine and the by now discontinued 600 SS model. That year (2005), the Multistrada 1000 DS retailed for $18,995 while the 620 Multistrada was a much more affordable $14,495. The smaller bike had a 20 mm lower seat and weighed more than 13 kg less than big brother. A 15-litre fuel tank held five-litres less than big brother but both models sported improved seats (hallelujah) and taller screens. The 620 also had a conventional swing-arm while the larger capacity machines had always sported single-sided swing-arms.
A 620cc version was also introduced at a much lower price point in 2005.
2007 saw the engine grow to 1078 cc and longer service intervals start to be adopted by Ducati via engineering improvements that were aimed at changing Ducati’s reputation for high servicing costs. This factor was obviously very important for machines that would be expected to clock up plenty of touring kilometres.
2007 saw the engine grow to 1100 cc
These improvements signalled Ducati’s intention to evolve the Multistrada into a more up-market offering and the model continued to make leaps forward in all round performance and road manners. The model also took on more importance in the Ducati line-up with the discontinuation of the ST range of sports-tourers in 2007.
In 2010 the Multistrada grew to 1200 cc
With the arrival of a new decade the Multistrada grew to 1200 cc in 2010 and the option of electronically controlled suspension was adopted. This was the first time that Ducati even mentioned any semblance of ability away from sealed roads in regards to the Multistrada.
2013 saw the Gran Turismo model introduced.
2014 saw the arrival of the second generation Testastretta 11° DS engine which then also gained variable valve timing. The Superbike derived engine was modified to be more malleable in its touring role but could still be a little recalcitrant in stop-start riding, it still begged to be flogged. Variable valve timing was the introduced to further tame the beast and make the engine much more flexible and more suitable for touring. It was now starting to become a much more polished performer.
Ducati Multistrada 1200S (2016)
In the most recent decade Ducati really started to put more significant resources and efforts into the robustness of the model and at 15,000 kilometres the service intervals are now equal to best in industry. Valve clearances are still a little more involved than required on conventional engines but are now required only every 30,000 kilometres.
Ducati Multistrada 1200 Testrastretta DVT (2016)
2016 saw Ducati start to put a little more of an off-road slant with the introduction of the ‘Multistrada 1200 Enduro’ variant that was much taller, offered much more ground clearance and sported a huge 30-litre fuel tank.
In 2016 the Ducati Multistrada Enduro was introduced and the marketing started to get a little more dirty
The rims were spoked and the front increased to 19-inches in diameter for more off-road stability. This was the first time Ducati really started to use more seriously off-road specific shots in their marketing for the Multistrada.
Ducati Multistrada Enduro (2016)
Marketing shots of the earlier models were pretty much all strictly on bitumen but the introduction of the Enduro model saw Ducati actually start to market the bike as being off-road capable.
Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro
In recent years the sporting potential of the Multistrada has been pushed by Ducati through their involvement at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which they won in 2018 with Carlin Dunne victorious on a Multistrada 1260. Sadly, Dunne was killed the following year while trying to repeat that feat on the new Streetfighter V4.
2018 Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak
The latest off-road oriented version is dubbed the Multistrada 1260 Enduro and is powered by the full-monty 1262 cc Tesastretta DVT engine that puts down 158 horsepower and 128 Nm of torque. The semi-active Sachs suspension gains more travel compared to its road going siblings with 185 mm of stroke at both ends but in the market it is still not largely seen as a genuine off-road option in the adventure-touring segment.
Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro
This year Ducati entered the 2850-kilometre Transanatolia Rally with factory test rider Andrea Rossi on a Multistrada 1260 Enduro. While the top places were predictably all taken by pure competition based 450 enduro bikes, with rally legends Xavier De Soultrait (Husqvarna FE450) and Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha WR450F) finishing first and second respectively, at the end of the seven-day competition the first larger capacity machine home was Rossi on the Multistrada 1260.
Transanatolia Rally with factory test rider Andrea Rossi on a Multistrada 1260 Enduro
The Italian was ninth outright in what was a 25-rider field, somewhat lower in numbers than normal due to travel restrictions caused by the current global health crisis. Still, an impressive achievement, and the first twin-cylinder machine home after a serious week-long competition that is a true test of man and machine.
Transanatolia Rally with factory test rider Andrea Rossi on a Multistrada 1260 Enduro
It would be interesting to know just how modified the machine was for the trek but Ducati did note that the bike sported options from their Performance Accessories range that included protection bars, radiator guards and higher muffler. Ducati also stated that ‘the configuration was standard with the exception of a high saddle more suitable for extreme off-road, suspensions adjusted according to the type of route and side number plates required by race regulations.‘ Thus it seems they are claiming that very limited modifications were made for the competition.
Transanatolia Rally with factory test rider Andrea Rossi on a Multistrada 1260 Enduro
“Since 2016 I started working with Ducati on the development of the Multistrada Enduro project, so I know very well its potential, its robustness and its countless qualities, which is why it was decided to participate in a demanding rally like the Transanatolia with a practically standard bike,” explained Andrea Rossi.
Transanatolia Rally with factory test rider Andrea Rossi on a Multistrada 1260 Enduro
“The rally proved to be even more challenging and complete than I thought. We had to tackle exhausting stages of slow, stony and technically punishing mountain, very fast stages on the Anatolian dirt tracks and stages on the sand of the Black Sea beaches. The Multistrada 1260 Enduro overcame all adversities in an excellent way. For me it was a great joy to take it to victory in the Twin-cylinder category and in the top 10 of the overall classification“.
Transanatolia Rally with factory test rider Andrea Rossi on a Multistrada 1260 Enduro
Ducati now also run a DRE Enduro Academy in Europe, a riding course that helps riders refine their off-road riding technique on Multistrada models.
This more recent focus towards off-road performance and exhibiting that potential publicly could mean Ducati will take even more steps towards being more competitive in the harder side of the adventure segment.
Transanatolia Rally with factory test rider Andrea Rossi on a Multistrada 1260 Enduro
There are spoked rim versions of the Scrambler 800, including the retro styled Desert Sled that sports a 19-inch front and 200 mm of suspension travel. We are yet to see any real off-road styled or suspended variant of the new 1100 Scramber range though…
2018 Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled
Could we see Ducati do a more hard-core version of the lighter 178-kilogram 950 Hypermotard complete long travel suspension and a 21-inch front…?
2020 Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE – Could we see a hard-core off-road adventure bike made from this?
The Hypermotard lay-out doesn’t exactly cosset the rider, but it does highlight how Ducati can do light. The current 950 version of the Multistrada is only a few kilograms lighter than the 1260, thus it would seem that if they wanted to offer a more hard-core model in the adventure market then the chassis would have to be derived from something more minimalist.
Of course this recent focus towards the more off-road persona of the Multistrada, and Ducati pushing some Multistrada marketing along those lines could be, and probably is, simply an effort to promote the Multistrada brand as a whole. Still, the shift in marketing towards these aspects does fill me with hope that Ducati might indeed surprise us with something very dirty in due course.
Ducati Scrambler DesertX concept
And at EICMA last year they did show off this Scrambler DesertX concept bikes….
Ducati Australia has announced pricing and delivery for the updated Scrambler 1100 PRO and Sport PRO models.
They arrive in September at $A18,400 ride away for the PRO and $A21,100 for the Sport PRO.
That compares with current 1100 Scrambler prices ranging from $19,790 to $22,990 for the Sport edition with Öhlins suspension.
When they were unveiled in January there was a lot of hoopla for what amounted to only a few cosmetic changes.
For example, the engine is the same.
2020 Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro
The only mechanical change is that both now come with Öhlins suspension like the current 1100 Sport.
Most changes are cosmetic, although they do represent a sizeable shift in styling.
The most significant is that the two new Scrambler 1100 Pros dispense with the ugly looping brake cable.
That looping cable was originally designed to be reminiscent of their original 1970s Scrambler 450 with high and wide off-road bars. But many riders hate it and have shortened or rerouted it.
The neater cabling is a welcome addition as is the Icon-style short rear fender and remote mudguard/plate holder.
The bars on the current 1100 are exceptionally wide. These are now black, narrower and shorter, with the Sport edition getting low-slung flat bars and Café Racer-style bar-end mirrors.
However, turning circle hasn’t been changed from a low 33 degrees.
The other major change is the twin-stacked right-side mufflers. The Sport edition gets a brushed titanium-look finish.
Scrambler 1100 Pro comes in two-tone “Ocean Drive” (silver with an orange pinstripe) and black steel trellis frame and rear aluminium subframe.
Scrambler 1100 Sport Pro features matt black paint with black gloss “1100” on the tank.
LCD instruments and other details, dimensions and tech secs seem to be the same as the current 1100 models.
Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro and Sport Pro
Engine:
Engine: 1079cc, L-Twin, Desmodromic distribution, 2 valves per cylinder, air cooled
Riding Modes, Power Mode, Ducati Safety Pack (Cornering ABS + DTC), RbW, LED light-guide, LED rear light with diffusion-light, LCD instruments with gear and fuel level indications, Steel tank with interchangeable aluminium side panels, Machine-finished aluminium belt covers, Under-seat storage compartment with USB socket
Following on the the previous column that featured Ducati’s first multi-cylinder motorcycle (Link), I thought it would be good to look at Ducati’s next attempt at a parallel twin – the 1958 125 GP bike.
It first raced at that year’s Italian GP at Monza and was part of one of the company’s most notable racing achievements, taking the top five places in the 125cc race, throughly eclipsing the MV Agusta team.
The Twin was ridden by Francesco Villa and finished in third place behind winner Bruno Spaggiari and Alberto Gandossi and in front of Dave Chadwick and Luigi Taveri – both on better handling Ducati singles.
The 125 twin had a bore of 42.5 mm and a stroke of 45 mm
The 125 Twin made 22.5 hp at 13,800 rpm but the three camshaft Desmo valve gear allowed a maximum of 17,000 rpm to be touched on over-run if required. A six-speed gearbox was used to try and keep the revs within the narrow power band.
Frame was a double-cradle and it rolled on 17-inch rims
It was the combination of the peaky power characteristics, the relatively high weight of 92 kg and an output that was barely more than the 125 Desmo single which saw development of the Twin basically cease with only three being built.
The Twin again finished third in the following year’s Monza GP, this time with Taveri riding. After that it was campaigned by Ducati’s partner company Mototrans in Spain beginning in 1962, where Bruno Spaggiari won numerous events.
Fuel was supplied by a pair of 23 mm Dell’Orto carburettors – Compression ratio was 10.2:1
Mototrans did continue to develop the bike which saw maximum power increase to 24 hp at 15,000 rpm, together with a wider power band. The Twin was raced in Spain (and also in Italy) right through into the 1966 season. Ducati’s 125/4 (to read more about it click here) was designed to be the replacement for the Twin in Spanish competition. The bike seen here is Villa’s third placing Monza machine.
The 1956 175 Twin has the honour of being Ducati’s first multi-cylinder model and was first seen at that year’s Milan Show (where it was christened with the nickname “Il Testone – Bighead”.
A 1956 Ducati 175 Twin restored by Alan Cathcart
The 180º DOHC design was not a Desmo but was a twin over-head cam driven by spur gears from a jack-shaft between the cylinders. Both the fly-wheels and big-end were machined from steel billet and all gears were drilled to reduce weight.
The 175 Twin had a single competitive outing – in the 1957 Giro Motogiro d’Italia resulting in a DNF for rider Leopoldo Tartarini.
Ing. Fabio Taglioni used the basic design (although now with Desmo heads), in his later 125, 250 and 350 GP parallel twins.
The 175’s dry clutch was replaced by a wet clutch on the later bikes. A design feature that did carry over was the use of expensive Hirth couplings to join the separate flywheel assemblies.
1956 Ducati 175 Twin ran a DOHC design, with dry clutch
With development resources being concentrated on the Grand Prix singles and twins the 175 was sent to the US to race and hopefully generate some publicity for Berliners, the American Ducati importers. After some time (and no great success) the bike was returned to Italy where it was eventually obtained by Francesco Villa.
Villa then bored and stroked the 49 x 46.6 mm 175 into a 55.2 x 52 mm 250. The frame was replaced by a scaled up version of the 125 Twin’s while the Ceriani forks and Oldani brakes were replaced by Marzocchi and Amadoro units. It is this form that it appears here.
This machine was bored from a 49 x 46.6 mm 175 into a 55.2 x 52 mm 250 cc
In original 175 cc form the bike produced 22 hp at 11,000 rpm and weighed 112 kg, while top speed was around 175 km/h. As a 250 cc the claimed power was 39 hp at 12,000 rpm (actual 30 at the gearbox) with a dry weight of 118 kg.
Only one other 175 Twin is known to exist, in the US. This bike went through many hands before finally being restored by well known journalist Alan Cathcart.
