Ductalk

Ducati can now add Academy Award 2013 nominee and all-round Hollywood heart-throb Bradley Cooper to their ever-growing list of celebrity fans and enthusiasts. The actor rcently had a brand-new Ducati 1199 Panigale delivered to his LA home, and was so elated when it arrived that he couldn’t wait to hop on it and take it for a short spin. 

The countdown to the start of the 2013 World Superbike championship continues… The season’s opening races are set to get underway this Friday at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia and Team SBK Ducati Alstare and its riders Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini are fully prepared for this exciting challenge.
Having completed a series of very useful tests in recent days, the team is busy making final preparations to the new 1199 Panigale bikes ahead of this weekend’s action. Both riders will take the opportunity to rest up over the next two days, with Carlos recuperating from an intestinal problem and Ayrton from a hematoma near the liver that resulted from last week’s crash.

Remember the old days when we used our sports bikes for everything? They brightened up our weekends, took us to work, and off on holiday, but now there's a b...

European Editor Bruno dePrato visits the Bologna factory to watch an 1199 Power Twin come to life!

Ducati allowed me to walk the production line of the 1199 Panigale, arguably the most advanced V-Twin in production today. The assembly line is that of the Desmosedici V-Four, completely refurbished and retooled. If it weren’t for the scent of special sealants and lubricants, the place would pass for a surgical operating theater. When I stepped into it, my mind went back to when I was working at Ducati....

Unbelievable performance and technological excellence proclaim this the new queen of the Superbike family. Born of the world of competitive racing, the 1199 Panigale R is an exclusive and treasured interpretation of man's passion for the racetrack: titanium piston rods, carbon fibre bodywork, Ducati Performance racing exhaust and livery inspired by the Ducati Corse. Perfection was never so close.

For the video click HERE

New Kick-Ass 2 photos surface online.

Hot on the heels of yesterday's "Kick-Ass 2" Red-Band Trailer come six more photos from Universal Pictures. The photos depict some "Kick-Ass" happenings that you may recognize from our 15 Must-See Moments piece, as well as a more detailed look at Hit-Girl's signature Ducati bike and Stars and Stripes' less than perfect teeth!

When we tested the Ducati 1199 Panigale in our October 2012 issue we were critical of the harshness of the suspension.
During the test we rode the bike on a variety of road surfaces, both good and bad, and we found the Panigale to be quite a chore to ride when the surface was rough and potholed, but glorious on the smooth stuff.
After the test was published we received letters from Panigale owners telling us we were off the mark.
With so much adjustability available on the Panigale’s riding modes and suspension we started to think maybe we didn’t have the bike set up as well as it could have been.

Beat the winter blues with this onboard video shot in Spain. MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves took a Ducati Panigale down the glorious Spanish mountain ...

I’d always dreamed of going on a long motorcycle trip without an end-date. Looking back I see I had more than a few opportunities to make it happen, but prudence and responsibility always interfered: college, work, a mortgage, the cable guy coming on the 16th. But everyone eventually hits a moment in their life when the reckless ambitions of their youth begin to turn into adulthood regrets. And when that moment finally came for me, I said, “fuck it”, bought a 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale S, threw some gear into a backpack, hit the starter button and roared out of Los Angeles. My only plan was to get to the Atlantic prior to turning around....

Total build cost $ 37,715 costed with Parts at HIGHLY REDUCED LABOR COST 
As pictured with all below listed parts installed : $29.000.
Price includes the following Carbon Fiber parts:
Front Fairing
Inner Fairing Panel Above Gauges
R& L Side Fairing
R&L Lower Fairings
Complete Tail Section Incl. Undertray & Passenger Seat Cover/Tail Vents/Sides Panels
Hugger
Front Fender
Swingarm Guard
Rear Chain Guard/ Rear Brake Line Guard
Lower Subframe Inserts
Airduct covers/Key Guard
Tank Guard
Quick Release Gas Cap
Right & Left Case Guards
Shock Guard
Front Sprocket Cover
Reservoir Brackets & Reservoir Caps
Mirror Block-Off Plates
Following parts have been Powder coated / Anodized in black:
Front Forks
Front & Rear Brake Caliper
Clip-ons/Clutch & Brake Master
Upper Triple Clamps
Full Rear Suspension incl. Rearset mounting brackets right & left.
Custom Black Ohlins Steering Damper
Additional Updated Parts:
Ohlins TTX Shock
Fully Adjustable Gilles Rear Sets with Carbon Fiber Heel Plates, GP or Standard Shift setup
CNC Rear Axle Nuts / Sprocket Nuts/Sprocket Hub
Bazzaz Fuel Injection Unit with Custom Dyno Tuned Map
Custom 2in1 Loop Free Exhaust with Akrapovic Titanium Silencer
Custom Finished Aluminum Gas Tank
Custom Finished S-Model Wheels
Sicom Carbon/Ceramic Front & Rear Rotors
Cox Racing Radiator Guards
HID Kit
Gilles Clutch & Brake Lever
CRG Mirrors
MWR Airfilter

As pictured less Carbon/Ceramic brakes :  $ 2200.00 price reduction, OEM brakes will be supplied. 
As pictures less custom exhaust : $ 1400.00 price reduction, OEM stock exhaust ceramic coated black will be supplied.

Almost 10 minutes of lovely California roads...

by torrential rain in LA, but armed with a Butler Motorcycle Map, Jamie heads south in search of good riding. The bike? A Ducati 1199 Panigale, it turned out to be the best road-going sportsbike Jamie's ever ridden....

To see the video click HERE