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Legendary motorcycle rider and three-times World Superbike Champion, Troy Bayliss will make a special appearance at the opening of the new Ducati Abu Dhabi showroom and service centre this Saturday. For the rest click HERE
An abused pit bull rescued from California now lives in Portland, and has a specially designed wheelchair to help him get around."London” is named for the Olympic Games. He was abused and left with two fractured front legs. Treatment was delayed too long, so his legs had to be removed about a month ago. Mechanics from a Northwest company called MotoCorsa made him a Ducati-inspired custom dog wheelchair for free. Amanda Giese is London's new mom. She says people from all over the world have been following his story online.
For the rest, and the video, click HERE
Ductalk Editors note - Looks like Troy Bayliss is having a lovely Father's Day weekend.....
Chris Pine is in the process of rebooting his second high-profile character for Paramount Pictures, and 2013 is most likely the year he becomes a household name. We’ll see him reprise the role of Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek 2‘ in May, while next winter brings us Pine take on Jack Ryan in, well, ‘ Jack Ryan.’ If you were wondering what the latter character will look like, today’s your lucky day, as the first image of Pine-as-Ryan has been revealed. As you can see from said image (via ComingSoon.net), production has officially begun on ‘Jack Ryan,’ which will tell the origin story of the fictional CIA operative. Not a whole lot to take away from this picture, other than shooting is taking place in Manhattan (South Street Seaport, it appears) and Jack has expensive taste in motorcycles – that’s a Ducati, baby....
For the rest click HERE
MotoGP is 100 times more compelling and impressive than any type of four-wheeled racing, and it should be, if not a top-five sport, at least more popular than the goddamned NHL. Which it’s not.
The world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a policy, possibly related to how world famous it is, against releasing official attendance figures for the events it hosts. Nevertheless, conventional wisdom has it that on Indy 500 day there’s an ass in every one of the 250,000 or so grandstand seats on the premises, plus a small city’s worth of revelers going HAM in the infield. The Indy is basically Woodstock (with a demographic that’s the opposite of Woodstock’s), and it happens every year. Google Image it. It’s pretty amazing, especially when you consider that, at this point in the continuing saga of the United States zeitgeist, the race—which, in terms of socioeconomic-strata- and region-spanning popularity, used to be something like what the Kentucky Derby also no longer is—retains about as much cultural cachet as New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. On the other hand, at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP a couple weeks ago—part of MotoGP, the motorcycle equivalent of Formula One auto racing—unofficial attendance at the Brickyard was, according to media-center scuttlebutt, between 60,000 and 70,000. Not bad if you’re the promoter and you’ve designed your budget properly, but it’s impossible to overstate how wan and tumbleweed-strewn the facility—whose 1,025-acre immensity TV doesn’t even begin to capture—seems when occupied by that number of people. If you’ve been to Busch Gardens ten minutes after the passing of a named tropical storm, you have some frame of reference. For the rest of this article, click HERE
MotoGP rights holder Dorna is in negotiations with the Circuit of the Americas about a race in 2013, according to a Dorna spokesperson. In an email to the American-Statesman, Ignacio Sagnier, Dorna's communications manager, declined to provide any further details of talks but said MotoGP's first draft for next year's race calendar would likely be released in two weeks at the San Marino race.
For the rest of this story click HERE
Motovation Custom Ducati Multistrada 1200S Tricolore
Mix equal parts superbike with equal parts motard. Add a dash of touring and a whole lot of torque, and you find yourself with an Italian Adventure Weapon! Intended for "many roads", the Ducati Multistrada 1200 is an all around brawler ready for anything you can throw at it. Urban roads, potholes, dirt roads, gravel, even race tracks. Don't let the optional luggage fool you, this bike has got what it takes to put a smile on your face and the competition in your rearview. Motovation Accessories decided to take this amazing motorcycle, and turn it into a truly custom work of art. Ducati offers its famed "Tricolore" edition is several other applications. As of this moment, they have not released a factory edition of the Tricolore for the MTS1200 riders. We thought we might give them a nudge and offer the community a glimpse at what a true factory Tricolore Multistrada 1200 would look like. For the rest click HERE
If you were writing a script for a blockbuster movie based on MotoGP, you would be off to a great start with a premise centered on Tech 3′s current riders: Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso. This current season would be the backstory, perhaps told in flashbacks or in a montage behind the opening titles. Next season is where the drama would unfold in earnest, as each character pursues a World Championship on a different team.
But perhaps there’s too much backstory to fit into the opening credit sequence. In 2012, on nearly identical equipment, they battled for “Best of The Rest” over and over again. Silly season saw each one looking for a chance to move to a factory bike, as each felt a satellite machine was incapable of winning a world title. One rider is courted by Ducati, then abandoned in favor of the other. This leaves one right where he started, but ironically, on a satellite Yamaha that will likely have better results than his rival, who has landed the factory ride both sought. For the rest click HERE
Ducati is set to introduce a new frame and swingarm for the GP12 at next month's San Marino Grand Prix... The team first tried the update in the July Mugello test, but is now ready to race it after developing it further during two days of private running with Valentino Rossi at Misano - the venue for the next MotoGP round - this week.
For the rest click HERE
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi wrapped up his two-day test at Misano today, the Italian turning in some 80 laps while continuing to work with a new frame and swingarm - updates he'd first sampled during the post-MotoGP test at Mugello on July 15 - with the new components slated to be on the Desmosedici at the next round. "We carried out a series of tests with the chassis, and the results were interesting, though they still have to be checked against the other riders," Rossi said in a team release. "We also worked on the bike's setup, with the goal of trying to limit the drop in performance that we usually suffer after some laps, as the tires wear. We had some promising signs there as well, and we'll check them again in a race context." For the rest click HERE
In a couple of weeks, right after his degree ceremony, motorcycle racer Karel Abraham will be able to start prefixing his name with the academic title ‘Bc’.
For the rest of this story click HERE
Octane Press will soon be publishing the revised Ducati Belt-Drive Two-Valve Twins Motorcycle Restoration Guide to help enthusiasts while buying restoring or modifying post 79 Ducatis.
Ducati Belt-Drive Two-Valve Twins Motorcycle Restoration Guide is a hands-on guide designed to help enthusiasts ensure authenticity when buying, restoring or simply living with this special breed of Ducati motorcycles introduced in 1979. This guide specifically covers the 500/600/650SL, 750 F1, 750 Sport, 750SS, 900SS, Monster, along with other post '79 two-valve belt-drive Ducatis. The book includes key components and model specifications useful for ensuring originality and authenticity. Ian Falloon imparts rich historical context, practical details, and cautionary advice on specific Ducati models. The book also includes hundreds of photos illustrating mechanical detail and numerous sidebars suggesting model-specific modifications. Appendices identify valuable sources for the restorer as well as detailed model specifications. First published in 2000, this revised edition has been updated with new information for its 2012 release. For more info click HERE
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At $12,995, the Ducati Streetfighter 848 undercuts the Fiat 500 Abarth by $9005. Read on to learn more about The Tempest and the Teapot in this news article brought to you by the automotive experts at Automobile Magazine. Elon Musk merely dreamed of building rockets and electric cars, the front-passenger air bag wasn't yet mandatory, and the euro currency didn't exist when Americans last had Italian speed on the cheap. Long past its Graduate-fueled prime, the Alfa Romeo Spider bowed out in 1994, and that was it for reasonably accessible Italian driving pleasure. Fiat had made an ambivalent effort to vend its wares before abandoning these shores a decade earlier, and the truth was that its cars hardly kept up with the Alfas even when modified by exhaust systems and other speed parts from the Abarth performance division.
So from the land of extra-virgin olive oil and some of the most outrageous racing boats, airplanes, and automobiles ever conceived, only Ducati and Moto Guzzi, small manufacturers of motorcycles, consistently kept the spark going. Although Ducati sometimes flickered along the way, it ultimately produced a series of ever-more-sensational bikes that cost roughly the same as routine service on exotic Italian cars. Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1210_ducati_streetfighter_848_fiat_500_abarth/viewall.html#ixzz25VWHgvTQ
The day I picked up the 848 EVO from Motorcycles of Charlotte it was not a bright, sunny start to the long-term relationship we were about to embark on.
The day I picked up the 848 EVO from Motorcycles of Charlotte it was not a bright, sunny start to the long-term relationship we were about to embark on. Sure, from ten paces the Dark Stealth bodywork looked wicked, and the huge inverted fork with the massive Brembo mono-block radial calipers had my mouth watering. But once up close, the bike looked pretty badly neglected. The wheels, swing arm, and forks were encrusted in road grime, and the chain was dry, rusty, and filthy. The Pirelli tires had certainly seen better days, and the rubber on the badly tarnished exhaust pipes said either burnouts or hard track miles. A deeply gouged engine cover that someone had hand-painted the scratches black made it clear it had been dropped at speed, and a few other areas from the bar ends to peg tips confirmed this. In contrast, the tank and bodywork were all brand new, which meant it had been crashed badly enough for them to need replacement. As I flipped on the ignition, pressed the starter button, and fired the engine to life, the healthy roar of the 140-horsepower, 848cc Testastretta V-twin told me all was well with the heart and soul of the beast, though, and got me eager to jump in the saddle. The oil level was fine and everything appeared to be straight and tight. As delivered, the Ducati had no license plate or paperwork, so with a road test out of the question, I loaded up and headed for home to prepare the 848 for its first track outing.
For the rest click HERE
“Labor Day is a holiday observed that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers, who sometimes use that power to give a good guy what he deserves” (loosely borrowed from Wikipedia)
Things weren’t working out the way he had planned. With a baby on the way, the due date looming, and no steady job in sight, Darin Fowler was facing some tough choices and it was pretty clear the only way out was to sell his Ducati Monster. He’d tried everything but when the local Ducati dealer offered to buy it outright he saw it was a favor he couldn’t pass up. The worst part was, like so many Ducati owners, the bike was a big part of his social life. He really loved being part of the Ducati family. Most of his friends were active in the local Ducati club, DesmOhio, and while it just wasn’t going to be the same without it, life was moving forward and maybe it was time to leave that part behind. So Darin man’d up, took the bike to Northern Ohio Ducati and tried hard not to look back. His friends weren’t helping much either, kept asking when he was getting another bike. Ninety days after he sold the Monster, now the proud father of a new baby daughter, the DesmOhio club President (and CycleCat owner), Chris Calovini, called him and said he’d found a cheap crashed 900 Supersport that had Darin’s name all over it and he had made a deal with the owner, who just wanted it out of his garage. Darin could pay him when he got the money. Darin couldn’t believe it. His reply? “Chris, I got laid off today”. For the rest of this story, click HERE
Valentino Rossi became the first MotoGP rider to exceed the six-engine maximum last season, as he started from the pit lane at Aragon when Ducati mechanics bolted the seventh engine of the season into his GP11. What a difference a year makes. Rossi and Nicky Hayden's GP12 machines may be slow, with finicky front and rear grip in the dry. But their Desmosedici engines are the most durable in MotoGP. For the rest click HERE
When Casey Stoner hangs up his helmet for the last time after the Grand Prix of Valencia on Nov. 11, his crew may have their tool boxes labeled with Italian shipping labels, heading to Bologna. British media reported that Stoner's crew, led by Italian Cristian Gabbarini, may return to Ducati next season to turn wrenches for Italian Andrea Dovizioso. Gabbarini and Co. worked with Stoner during his Ducati tenure and then moved with him to Repsol Honda in 2011. For the rest click HERE
The 'Nine Million Bicycles' singer will tie the knot with two-time World Superbike Champion James Toseland this weekend sources have confirmed to Smooth Radio, and the brunette beauty was spotted looking very happy when she came out of a bridal shop in south east London earlier this week. For the rest of this story, click HERE
For more on James and Katie, click HERE
Ducati have thrown the parts catalogue at their Diavel Cromo.
£15000 new its had over £7000 of Ducati Performance Parts and £3000 worth of suspension.
MCN Road Tester Micahel Neeves take it for a spin to see if its worth your hard earned cash.
To see the video click HERE
Ten Best Motorcycles of 2012 as chosen by Cycle World. Winner of the Best Middleweight Streetbike: Ducati 848 Streetfighter. Find more Ten Best Bikes at CycleWorld.com. In keeping up with the evolving motorcycle market, the time had come for us to reassess the definition of a middleweight motorcycle. The field has recently grown much larger, not only in displacement but in the vast number of worthy candidates. This required us to consider all sorts of supersport, standard, adventure and cruiser models before we ultimately decided on the Ducati 848 Streetfighter. Essentially an 848 EVO with streetwise ergonomics and no fairing, the Streetfighter pulls no performance punches in either its chassis or engine, and it includes traction control, to boot. This deliciously fun sport naked V-Twin stimulates the senses and ignites one’s playful spirit better than any middleweight we’ve tested this year.
Click HERE for the video
Prototype from Ducati Monster 750 cromo
Lots more photos HERE
Fly to Malaysia for a date with Ducati and experience the spirit of Asia Ducati Week 2012... Two lucky readers can win an all-expense paid trip to Malaysia as VIP guests of Ducati India. Over there, you get the opportunity to experience what the Ducati brand stands for at the second biggest gathering of Ducatis in the world – Asia Ducati Week 2012. Need we say more? For how to enter click HERE
Desmo-why's…. I have always tried to follow the evolution of Ducati motoGP with focus on news not of public domain on the web or in the press, most often predicting successive development steps based on problems encountered. I am not saying that what Filippo Preziosi said during testing in Jerez, “Manziana, you're the only one to have understood us”, authorises me to claim expertise, but rather that I am a passionate and keen observer. I am not in a position to judge the work created by an engineer considered by many to be the genius of motoGP a few years ago, a reputation earned himself by his original concept of motorcycle different to the general standards of the time, and who, after the interview with Furusawa, is now considered in the collective imagination of many to be like a child in kindergarten that hangs from the lips of the teacher.
For the rest of this article click HERE
NAME: Steven Panofsky
AGE: 59
HOME: Ukiah, CA
OCCUPATION: Maintenance Technician"I bought my first 1969 Ducati 450 Scrambler, a.k.a. Jupiter, for $600 in ’71. It was my junior year at Los Altos High, and I was ready to upgrade from my 250 Monza. It took many hours in the apricot orchards to come up with the money. “Riding has been my love ever since. That Jupiter did it for me. I could go on dirt roads and trails, twisties and longer adventures. With typical Ducati handling, light weight, plenty of midrange torque and a smoothshifting, five-speed gearbox, it was really fun to ride. I also learned the mechanical intricacies of a bevel-drive Ducati, since it always needed fettling. Read more: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/features/me_and_my_bike/122_1208_1969_ducati_450_jupiter/#ixzz24uBIxMXf
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