motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
-manufacturing division of Italian company Ducati, headquartered in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
, Italy. The company is directly owned by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini, whose German parent company is
Audi
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
Th ...
, itself owned by the
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...
.
History
In 1926 Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his three sons, Adriano, Marcello, and Bruno, founded ''Società Scientifica Radiobrevetti Ducati'' (SSR Ducati) in Bologna to produce
vacuum tube
A vacuum tube, electron tube, valve (British usage), or tube (North America), is a device that controls electric current flow in a high vacuum between electrodes to which an electric potential difference has been applied.
The type known as ...
s,
condensers __NOTOC__
Condenser may refer to:
Heat transfer
* Condenser (heat transfer), a device or unit used to condense vapor into liquid. Specific types include:
** HVAC air coils
** Condenser (laboratory), a range of laboratory glassware used to remove ...
and other radio components. In 1935 they had become successful enough to enable construction of a new factory in the Borgo Panigale area of the city. Production was maintained during World War II, despite the Ducati factory being a repeated target of Allied bombing. It was finally destroyed by around 40 Consolidated B-24 Liberators on 12 October 1944 as part of the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
's Operation Pancake, which involved some 700 aircraft flying from airfields in the
Province of Foggia
The Province of Foggia ( it, Provincia di Foggia ; Foggiano: ) is a province in the Apulia (Puglia) region of southern Italy.
This province is also known as Daunia, after the Daunians, an Iapygian pre-Roman tribe living in Tavoliere plain, an ...
.
Meanwhile, at the small
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...
ese firm SIATA (''Società Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie''), Aldo Farinelli began developing a small
pushrod
A valvetrain or valve train is a mechanical system that controls the operation of the intake and exhaust valves in an internal combustion engine. The intake valves control the flow of air/fuel mixture (or air alone for direct-injected engines) ...
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," in reference to the distinctive exhaust sound) to the public. 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.
In 1950, after more than 200,000 Cucciolos had been sold, in collaboration with SIATA, the Ducati firm finally offered its own Cucciolo-based motorcycle. This first Ducati motorcycle was a 48 cc bike weighing , with a top speed of , and had a giving just under . Ducati soon dropped the Cucciolo name in favor of "55M" and "65TL".
When the market moved toward larger motorcycles, Ducati management decided to respond, making an impression at an early-1952 Milan show, introducing their 65TS cycle and Cruiser (a four-stroke motor scooter). Despite being described as the most interesting new machine at the 1952 show, the Cruiser was not a great success, and only a few thousand were made over a two-year period before the model ceased production.
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. Dr. Giuseppe Montano took over as head of Ducati Meccanica SpA and the Borgo Panigale factory was modernized with government assistance. By 1954, Ducati Meccanica SpA had increased production to 120 bikes a day.
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 motorcycles with large-displacement
V-twin engine
A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Although widely associated with motorcycles (installed either transversely or longi ...
s, which Ducati branded as "L-twin" for their 90° angle, and in 1973, introduced their trademarked
desmodromic valve
:''In general mechanical terms, the word ''desmodromic'' is used to refer to mechanisms that have different controls for their actuation in different directions.''
A desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine poppet valve that is positively clo ...
design. In 1985, Cagiva bought Ducati and planned to rebadge Ducati motorcycles with the "Cagiva" name. By the time the purchase was completed, Cagiva kept the "Ducati" name on its motorcycles. Eleven years later, in 1996, Cagiva accepted the offer from
Texas Pacific Group
TPG Inc., previously known as Texas Pacific Group and TPG Capital, is an American investment company based in Fort Worth, Texas. The private equity firm is focused on leveraged buyouts and growth capital. TPG manages investment funds in growth ...
and sold a 51% stake in the company for US$325 million; then, in 1998, Texas Pacific Group bought most of the remaining 49% to become the sole owner of Ducati. In 1999, TPG issued an
initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investme ...
of Ducati stock and renamed the company "Ducati Motor Holding SpA". TPG sold over 65% of its shares in Ducati, leaving TPG the majority shareholder. In December 2005, Ducati returned to Italian ownership with the sale of Texas Pacific's stake (minus one share) to
Investindustrial
Investindustrial is a global private equity firm focused on buyouts of mid-market companies in Europe and selectively in North America. It was founded in 1990 by Andrea Campanini Bonomi out of an industrial conglomerate.
History
Founded in 1 ...
Holdings, the investment fund of Carlo and Andrea Bonomi.
In April 2012,
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...
's
Audi
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
Th ...
subsidiary announced its intention to buy Ducati for € (US$). Volkswagen chairman
Ferdinand Piëch
Ferdinand Karl Piëch (; 17 April 1937 – 25 August 2019) was an Austrian business magnate, engineer and executive who was the chairman of the executive board (''Vorstandsvorsitzender'') of Volkswagen Group in 1993–2002 and the chairman of th ...
, a motorcycle enthusiast, had long coveted Ducati, and had regretted that he passed up an opportunity to buy the company from the Italian government in 1984. Analysts doubted a tiny motorcycle maker would have a meaningful effect on a company the size of Volkswagen, commenting that the acquisition has "a trophy feel to it," and, "is driven by VW's passion for nameplates rather than industrial or financial logic". Italian luxury car brand Lamborghini was strengthened under VW ownership. AUDI AG's Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. subsidiary acquired 100 percent of the shares of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. on 19 July 2012 for € (US$).
Ownership
Since 1926, Ducati has been owned by a number of groups and companies.
* 1926–1950 – Ducati family
* 1950–1967 – Government
Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale
The Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI; English: "Institute for Industrial Reconstruction") was an Italian public holding company established in 1933 by the Fascist regime to rescue, restructure and finance banks and private companies ...
(IRI) management
* 1967–1978 – Government EFIM management (control over day-to-day factory operations)
** 1967–1973 – Headed By Giuseppe Montano
** 1973–1978 – Headed by Cristiano de Eccher
* 1978–1985 – VM Group
* 1985–1996 – Cagiva Group
* 1996–2005 – Texas-Pacific Group (US-based) ownership and going public
** Headed by CEO Federico Minoli, 1996–2001; returning for 2003–2007
* 2005–2008 – Investindustrial Holdings S.p.A.
* 2008–2012 – Performance Motorcycles S.p.A.
::An investment vehicle formed by Investindustrial Holdings, BS Investimenti and Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan
* 19 July 2012 – present – Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.
::
AUDI AG
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
The o ...
acquired 100% of the voting rights of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. via Audi's Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. subsidiary
From the 1960s to the 1990s, the Spanish company
MotoTrans
MotoTrans is a Spanish company which produced motorcycles and scooters between 1957 and 1983 when it was bought by Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 188 ...
licensed Ducati engines and produced motorcycles that, although they incorporated subtle differences, were clearly Ducati-derived. MotoTrans's most notable machine was the 250 cc ''24 Horas'' (Spanish for "24 hours").
Motorcycle designs
Ducati is best known for high-performance motorcycles characterized by large-capacity four-stroke, 90°
V-twin engine
A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Although widely associated with motorcycles (installed either transversely or longi ...
s, with a
desmodromic valve
:''In general mechanical terms, the word ''desmodromic'' is used to refer to mechanisms that have different controls for their actuation in different directions.''
A desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine poppet valve that is positively clo ...
design. Ducati branded his configuration as L-twin because one cylinder is vertical while the other is horizontal, making it look like a letter "L". Ducati's desmodromic valve design is nearing its 50th year of use. Desmodromic valves are closed with a separate, dedicated cam lobe and lifter instead of the conventional valve springs used in most internal combustion engines in consumer vehicles. This allows the cams to have a more radical profile, thus opening and closing the valves more quickly without the risk of valve-float, which causes a loss of power that is likely when using a "passive" closing mechanism under the same conditions.
While most other manufacturers use
wet clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
es (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 a
trellis frame
A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the engine, provides a location for the steering and rear suspension, and supports the rider and any passenger or luggage. Also attached to the frame are the fuel tank and battery. A ...
, although Ducati's MotoGP project broke with this tradition by introducing a revolutionary carbon fibre frame for the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.
Product history
The chief designer of most Ducati motorcycles in the 1950s was
Fabio Taglioni
Fabio Taglioni (10 September 1920 – 18 July 2001) was an Italian engineer.
Born in Lugo di Romagna, he was chief designer and technical director of Ducati from 1954 until 1989. His desmodromic 90° V-twin engine design is still used in al ...
(1920–2001). His designs ranged from the small single-cylinder machines that were successful in the Italian 'street races' to the large-capacity twins of the 1980s. Ducati introduced the Pantah in 1979; its engine was updated in the 1990s in the Ducati SuperSport (SS) series. All modern Ducati engines are derivatives of the Pantah, which uses a toothed belt to actuate the engine's valves. Taglioni used the
Cavallino Rampante
The Prancing Horse ( it, Cavallino Rampante, lit=little prancing horse) is the symbol of Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari and its racing division Scuderia Ferrari. Originally, the symbol was used by World War I pilot Francesco Baracca on hi ...
(identified with the Ferrari brand) on his Ducati motorbikes. Taglioni chose this emblem of courage and daring as a sign of respect and admiration for
Francesco Baracca
Count Francesco Baracca (9 May 1888 – 19 June 1918) was Italy's top fighter ace of World War I. He was credited with 34 aerial victories. The emblem he wore side by side on his plane of a black horse prancing on its two rear hooves in ...
, a World War I fighter pilot who died during an air raid in 1918.
1950s
1960s
1970s
In 1973, Ducati commemorated its 1972 win at the
Imola
Imola (; rgn, Jômla or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical ...
200 with the production model green frame Ducati 750 SuperSport.
Ducati also targeted the offroad market with the two-stroke Regolarità 125, building 3,486 models from 1975 to 1979, but the bike was not successful.
In 1975, the company introduced the 860 GT, designed by noted car stylist
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont.
Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...
. Its angular lines were unique, but raised handlebars made for an uncomfortable seating position at high speeds and also caused steering issues. The 860GT's angular styling was a sales disaster, and it was hurriedly re-designed for the 1976 season with a more rounded fuel tank.
In 1975 Ducati offered hand-built production racers, the 'square case' 750SS and later 900SS models, built in limited numbers. Sales of the 900SS proved so strong, and sales of the 860GT/GTE/GTS so weak, that production of the 900SS was ramped up, and it became Ducati's #1 selling model.
1980s
Ducati's liquid-cooled, multi-valve 90° V-twins, made from 1985 on, are known as ''Desmoquattro'' ("
desmodromic valve
:''In general mechanical terms, the word ''desmodromic'' is used to refer to mechanisms that have different controls for their actuation in different directions.''
A desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine poppet valve that is positively clo ...
four"). These include the 851,
916
__NOTOC__
Year 916 ( CMXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Sicilian Berbers in Agrigento revolt and depose the independent Emir Ahmed ibn Kh ...
and
996
Year 996 ( CMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Japan
* February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Em ...
,
999 999 or triple nine most often refers to:
* 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries
* 999 (number), an integer
* AD 999, a year
* 999 BC, a year
Books
* ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...
and a few predecessors and derivatives.
The Ducati Paso was introduced in 1986 with the Paso 750, followed in 1989 with the Paso 906. The final version came in 1991 with the 907IE (Iniezione Elettronica), now without the name "Paso". The design was from the hand of Massimo Tamburini, who also designed the
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently ...
and MV Agusta F4. The Paso was a typical "you love it, you hate it" bike. However, at that time it looked like that all-enclosed bodywork would be the future for all motorcycles. The Paso design was copied for the Moto Morini Dart 400 and Cagiva Freccia 125. Together with Tamburini's Bimota DB1, they were enormously influential in terms of styling.
Ducati Monster
The Ducati Monster (called in Italian) is a standard, or naked bike, motorcycle designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi and produced by Ducati in Bologna, Italy, since 1993. In 2005, Monster sales accounted for over half of Ducati's worldwide sales. L ...
, a naked bike with exposed trellis and engine. Today the Monster accounts for almost half of the company's worldwide sales. The Monster has undergone the most changes of any motorcycle that Ducati has ever produced.
In 1993,
Pierre Terblanche
Pierre Terblanche is a South African motorcycle designer born on 6 November 1956 in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape. He started his career in advertising but felt the need to move into the design world. After moving to Germany and working with ...
, Massimo Bordi and Claudio Domenicali designed the Ducati Supermono. A 550 cc single-cylinder lightweight "Catalog Racer". Only 67 were built between 1993 and 1997.
In 1994, the company introduced the
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently ...
model designed by Massimo Tamburini, a water-cooled version that allowed for higher output levels and a striking new bodywork that had aggressive lines, an underseat exhaust, and a single-sided swingarm. Ducati has since ceased production of the 916, supplanting it (and its progeny, the 748,
996
Year 996 ( CMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Japan
* February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Em ...
and
998
Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescenti ...
999 999 or triple nine most often refers to:
* 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries
* 999 (number), an integer
* AD 999, a year
* 999 BC, a year
Books
* ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...
.
2000s
In 2006, the retro-styled Ducati PaulSmart 1000 LE was released, which shared styling cues with the 1973 750 SuperSport (itself a production replica of Paul Smart's 1972 race winning 750 Imola Desmo), as one of a SportClassic series representing the 750 GT, 750 Sport, and 750 SuperSport Ducati motorcycles.
* Monster: 620, 695, 696, 750, 796, 900, S2R, S4R
*
Streetfighter
A streetfighter, muscle bike, or super naked is a motorcycle of high displacement and horsepower. It is typically a super bike with the fairings and windscreen removed. Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the street ...
996
Year 996 ( CMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Japan
* February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Em ...
,
998
Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescenti ...
,
999 999 or triple nine most often refers to:
* 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries
* 999 (number), an integer
* AD 999, a year
* 999 BC, a year
Books
* ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...
,
1098
Year 1098 ( MXCVIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
First Crusade
* February 9 – Battle of the Lake of Antioch: The Crusaders under Bohemond I ...
Desmosedici RR
The Ducati Desmosedici is a four-stroke V4 engine racing motorcycle made by Ducati for MotoGP racing. The series nomenclature is ''GP'' with the two-digit year appended, such as Desmosedici GP10 for 2010. In 2006 Ducati made a short production ...
Current lineup
; Monster
* Monster
* Monster+
* Monster 821
* Monster 821 Stealth
* Monster 1200
* Monster 1200 S
; Multistrada
* Multistrada 950
* Multistrada 950S
* Multistrada V4
* Multistrada V4 S
* Multistrada V4 S Sport
* Multistrada 1260 Enduro
; Diavel
* Diavel 1260
* Diavel 1260 S
* Diavel 1260 Lamborghini
* XDiavel
* XDiavel S
* XDiavel Black Star
; Panigale
* Panigale V2
* Panigale V4
* Panigale V4 S
* Panigale V4 SP
* Panigale V4 R
* Superleggera V4
;
Streetfighter
A streetfighter, muscle bike, or super naked is a motorcycle of high displacement and horsepower. It is typically a super bike with the fairings and windscreen removed. Beyond simply removing fairings, specific changes that exemplify the street ...
Scrambler
In telecommunications, a scrambler is a device that transposes or inverts signals or otherwise encodes a message at the sender's side to make the message unintelligible at a receiver not equipped with an appropriately set descrambling device. Wher ...
* Scrambler 1100 Pro
* Scrambler 1100 Sport Pro
* Scrambler 1100 Dark Pro
* Scrambler Nightshift
* Scrambler Full Throttle
* Scrambler Café Racer
* Scrambler Desert Sled
* Scrambler Icon
* Scrambler Icon Dark
* Scrambler Sixty2
Current engines
* Desmodue:
Desmodromic
:''In general mechanical terms, the word ''desmodromic'' is used to refer to mechanisms that have different controls for their actuation in different directions.''
A desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine poppet valve that is positively clo ...
dual ignition
Dual Ignition is a system for spark-ignition engines, whereby critical ignition components, such as spark plugs and magnetos, are duplicated. Dual ignition is most commonly employed on aero engines,Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
dual ignition
Dual Ignition is a system for spark-ignition engines, whereby critical ignition components, such as spark plugs and magnetos, are duplicated. Dual ignition is most commonly employed on aero engines,Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
(XDiavel, Diavel 1260 2019–Present, Multistrada1260 DVT)
* Superquadro: Desmo four-valve, liquid cooled, 90° V-twin, {{cvt, 157, -, 205, bhp (Panigale 959, 1299, V2 & Streetfighter V2)
*Desmosedici Stradale: Desmo four-valve, liquid cooled, 90° V4 with a displacement of 1,103 cm³ and counter-rotating crankshaft (214–226 hp) (Panigale V4/S/S Corse/Speciale)
*Desmosedici Stradale R: Desmo four-valve, liquid cooled, 90° V4 with a displacement of 998 cm³ and counter-rotating crankshaft (221–234 hp) (Panigale V4R)
*V4 Granturismo: Four-valve, liquid-cooled, 90° V4 with a displacement of 1,158 cm³ and counter-rotating crankshaft (170 hp) (Multistrada V4)
Past engines
* Desmodue DS: Desmo two-valve, air-cooled, 56° included valve angle,
dual ignition
Dual Ignition is a system for spark-ignition engines, whereby critical ignition components, such as spark plugs and magnetos, are duplicated. Dual ignition is most commonly employed on aero engines,Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
dual ignition
Dual Ignition is a system for spark-ignition engines, whereby critical ignition components, such as spark plugs and magnetos, are duplicated. Dual ignition is most commonly employed on aero engines,Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
dual ignition
Dual Ignition is a system for spark-ignition engines, whereby critical ignition components, such as spark plugs and magnetos, are duplicated. Dual ignition is most commonly employed on aero engines,Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
(Multistrada 1200 DVT)
Motorcycle design history
Ducati has produced several styles of motorcycle engines, including varying the number of cylinders, type of valve actuation and fuel delivery. Ducati is best known for its 90°
V-twin engine
A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Although widely associated with motorcycles (installed either transversely or longi ...
, used on nearly all Ducatis since the 1970s. Ducati brands its engine as "L-twin", emphasizing the 90° V angle, to create
product differentiation
In economics and marketing, product differentiation (or simply differentiation) is the process of distinguishing a product or service from others to make it more attractive to a particular target market. This involves differentiating it from co ...
from competing V-twin motorcycles. Ducati has also made other engine types, mostly before the 1970s, with one, two, three, or four cylinders; operated by pull rod valves and push rod valves; single, double and triple overhead camshafts;
two-stroke
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of ...
and even at one stage manufactured small diesel engines, many of which were used to power boats, generators, garden machinery and emergency pumps (for example, for fire fighting). The engines were the IS series from {{cvt, 7, to, 22, hp air-cooled and the larger twin DM series water- and air-cooled. The engines have been found in all parts of the globe. Wisconsin Diesel even assembled and "badge engineered" the engines in the USA. They have also produced outboard motors for marine use. Currently, Ducati makes no other engines except for its motorcycles.
On current Ducati motors, except for the Desmosedici and 1199 Panigale, the valves are actuated by a standard valve cam shaft which is rotated by a timing belt driven by the motor directly. The teeth on the belt keep the camshaft drive pulleys indexed. On older Ducati motors, prior to 1986, drive was by solid shaft that transferred to the camshaft through bevel-cut gears. This method of valve actuation was used on many of Ducati's older
single-cylinder
A single-cylinder engine, sometimes called a thumper, is a piston engine with one cylinder. This engine is often used for motorcycles, motor scooters, go-karts, all-terrain vehicles, radio-controlled vehicles, portable tools and garden machinery ( ...
motorcycles — the shaft tube is visible on the outside of the cylinder.
Ducati is also famous for using the desmodromic valve system championed by engineer and designer Fabio Taglioni, though the firm has also used engines that use valve springs to close their valves. In the early days, Ducati reserved the desmodromic valve heads for its higher performance bikes and its race bikes. These valves do not suffer from
valve float Valve float is an adverse condition which can occur at high engine speeds when the poppet valves in an internal combustion engine valvetrain do not properly follow the closure phase of the cam lobe profile. This reduces engine efficiency and perform ...
at high engine speeds, thus a desmodromic engine is capable of far higher revolutions than a similarly configured engine with traditional spring-valve heads.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Ducati produced a wide range of small two-stroke bikes, mainly sub-100 cc capacities. Large quantities of some models were exported to the United States.
Ducati has produced the following motorcycle engine types:
* Single-cylinder,
**pullrod actuated, 48 cc and 65 cc (Cucciolo)
**pushrod actuated, 98 and 125 cc
**two-stroke, 50, 80, 90, 100, 125 cc
**bevel actuated, spring valved: 98 cc, 100 cc, 125 cc, 160 cc, 175 cc, 200 cc, 239 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc, 450 cc
**bevel actuated, desmodromic valved: 125 cc, 239 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 450 cc
**belt actuated, desmodromic valved: 549/572 cc Supermono, only 65 made.
* Two-cylinder,
**bevel actuated, spring valved 90 ° V-twin: 750 cc, 860 cc
**bevel actuated, desmo valved 90 ° V-twin: 750 cc, 860 cc, 900 cc, 973 cc (Mille)
**bevel actuated, desmo valved
parallel twin
A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
Straight-twin engines are primarily used in motorcycles; ot ...
: 125 cc
**chain actuated, spring valved parallel twin: 350 cc, 500 cc (GTL)
**chain actuated, desmo valved parallel twin): 500 cc (500SD)
**belt actuated, desmo valved 90 ° V-twin: Almost all engines since 1986.
* Four-cylinder,
**gear actuated, desmo valved (V4): Prototype Desmosedici, and Low volume Production
Desmosedici RR
The Ducati Desmosedici is a four-stroke V4 engine racing motorcycle made by Ducati for MotoGP racing. The series nomenclature is ''GP'' with the two-digit year appended, such as Desmosedici GP10 for 2010. In 2006 Ducati made a short production ...
, 1,500 made
**pushrod actuated, spring valved (V4): Prototype
A key part of Ducati's marketing strategy since the 1990s has been fostering a distinct community identity in connection with branding efforts including online communities and local, regional and national Ducati enthusiast clubs. There are more than 400 Ducati clubs worldwide and 20,000 registered users of the Ducati Owners Club web site and 17,000 subscribers to the racing web site. Enthusiasts and riders are informally referred to in the motorcycling community as Ducatista (singular) or Ducatisti (plural).
In North America there are several Ducati enthusiasts organizations with varying degrees of factory sponsorship, such as the Bay Area Desmo Owners Club (BADOC) located in and around the city of San Francisco, CA. Ducati Riders of Illinois (DRILL) located in Chicago, IL. DESMO, the Ducati Enthusiast Sport Motorcycle Organization, is a North American group affiliated with the factory Desmo Owners Club. Some groups are focused on vintage Ducatis while several are based primarily or entirely on email discussion lists or web forums.
Merchandising
Ducati has a wide range of accessories, lifestyle products and co-branded merchandise bearing their logos and designs. The company has a licensing agreement with
Tumi Inc.
Tumi Holdings, Inc., is a manufacturer of high-end suitcases and bags for travel based in Edison, New Jersey. Founded in 1975 by Charlie Clifford after a stint in the Peace Corps in Peru, the company is named after a Peruvian tumi ceremonial kni ...
, launching a collection of eight co-branded
luggage
Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip ...
pieces in 2006, sold through both of the brands' retail outlets.
Racing history
{{Main, Ducati Corse
Ducati's history with motorsport began with speed records on Cucciolo motorized bicycle factory racers in 1951, followed in 1954 with bringing in Fabio Taglioni to found a road-racing program with the 100 Gran Sport.{{Citation , title=Ducati , first1=Jon F. , last1=Thompson , first2=Joe , last2=Bonnello , publisher=MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company , year=1998 , isbn=978-0-7603-0389-4 , page=12 {{As of, 2009, Ducati was still pursuing the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" business model and spending 10% of company revenues, €{{Format price, 40000000, on its racing business.{{Citation , title=Auto Manufacturers Keep One Eye on the Track and the Other on Consumer , newspaper=
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
, first=John S. , last=Radosta , date=5 April 1970 , page=414 , quote=There's an old saying in the auto world: Win on Sunday, sell on Monday , type=
ProQuest
ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...
Casey Stoner
Casey Joel Stoner (born 16 October 1985) is an Australian retired professional motorcycle racer, and a two-time MotoGP World Champion, in and . During his MotoGP career, Stoner raced for the factory teams of Ducati and Honda, winning a tit ...
clinched his and Ducati's first Grand Prix World Championship.
When Ducati re-joined MotoGP in {{MGP, 2003, MotoGP had changed its rules to allow four-stroke 990 cc engines to race. At the time Ducati was the fastest bike. In {{MGP, 2007, MotoGP reduced the engine size to ''{{cvt, 800, cc'', and Ducati continued to be the fastest with a bike that was markedly quicker than its rivals as was displayed by Casey Stoner on tracks with long straights.
For {{MGP, 2009, Ducati Marlboro Team campaigned their Desmosedici GP9 with former World Champions
Casey Stoner
Casey Joel Stoner (born 16 October 1985) is an Australian retired professional motorcycle racer, and a two-time MotoGP World Champion, in and . During his MotoGP career, Stoner raced for the factory teams of Ducati and Honda, winning a tit ...
and
Nicky Hayden
Nicholas Patrick Hayden (July 30, 1981 May 22, 2017), nicknamed "The Kentucky Kid", was an American professional motorcycle racer who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006. Hayden began racing motorcycles at a young age. He began his roa ...
Pramac Racing
Pramac Racing is a motorcycle racing team competing in the MotoGP and MotoE World Championships. The team was created in 2002 by Italian company Pramac. In 2005 Pramac Racing joined forces with Spanish d'Antin MotoGP to form "Pramac d'Antin" and ...
, with
Mika Kallio
Mika Kallio (born 8 November 1982) is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer, currently serving as the lead test and development rider for the Red Bull KTM team in MotoGP. He debuted in the 125cc World Championship with the Finnish rookie team ...
and
Niccolò Canepa
Niccolò Canepa (born 14 May 1988 in Genoa) is an Italian professional motorcycle road racer contracted from 2022 to RNF Racing in the MotoE World Cup aboard an Energica Ego Corsa. Canepa won the 2007 European Superstock 1000 Championship on a ...
riding for the team in 2009.
Nine-time world champion
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi (; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed ''The Doctor'', he is widely considered to be one of the greatest motorcyc ...
rode for Ducati Corse for the {{MGP, 2011 and {{MGP, 2012 seasons.{{cite web , url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Ducati+announce+Rossi+deal+for+2011 , access-date=18 August 2010 , date=15 August 2010 , title=Rossi to ride for Ducati in 2011 (press release) , author=Ducati , publisher=MotoGP.com Official Website , archive-date=21 September 2012 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921110230/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Ducati+announce+Rossi+deal+for+2011 , url-status=live {{cite web , url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Fiat+Yamaha+announcement , access-date=18 August 2010 , date=15 August 2010 , title=Yamaha and Valentino Rossi to part company at end of 2010 (press release) , author=Fiat Yamaha , publisher=MotoGP.com Official Website , author-link=Fiat Yamaha , archive-date=21 September 2012 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921110532/http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Fiat+Yamaha+announcement , url-status=live
Rossi returned to the Yamaha team for the 2013 season.
For {{MGP, 2013, Ducati Team raced with
Nicky Hayden
Nicholas Patrick Hayden (July 30, 1981 May 22, 2017), nicknamed "The Kentucky Kid", was an American professional motorcycle racer who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006. Hayden began racing motorcycles at a young age. He began his roa ...
Cal Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow (born 29 October 1985) is an English professional motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the 2020 season. He is contracted as a test rider for Yamaha Motor Racing, which he is expected to continue in 2022 and ...
teamed up with Dovizioso for the season, and he left at the end of the year.
In {{MGP, 2015, Ducati Team, under the control of the new race team director Gigi Dall'Igna and the new Desmosedici GP15, raced with two Italian riders: Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone. Dovizioso and Iannone returned for another season in {{MGP, 2016 with
Michele Pirro
Michele Pio Pirro (born 5 July 1986) is a motorcycle road racer from Italy, He was 2007 and 2008 the ''Italian CIV National Champion in the Superstock class'' and a test rider for Ducati factory racing in MotoGP and rides occasionally as a wil ...
as official tester. As well as this,
Casey Stoner
Casey Joel Stoner (born 16 October 1985) is an Australian retired professional motorcycle racer, and a two-time MotoGP World Champion, in and . During his MotoGP career, Stoner raced for the factory teams of Ducati and Honda, winning a tit ...
also tested Ducati machinery during the season.
In {{MGP, 2017 and {{MGP, 2018, Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso raced with his new teammate
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (, and ) and two 250cc World Championships ( and ).
After winning the 2006 a ...
, who joined the Ducati team from Yamaha Factory Racing with a two seasons contract. In 2019, Danilo Petrucci joined Dovizioso at the factory team.
In {{MGP, 2022, MotoGP, Despite suffering five DNF's, four of which were individual errors throughout the 2022 season, Bagnaia became the newest MotoGP world champion today in Valencia. The Ducati rider also became the Italian manufacturer's second-ever MotoGP champion after Casey Stoner, and first in 15 years.
{, class="wikitable"
, -
!Year
! Champion
! Motorcycle
, -
, {{MGP, 2007
, {{flagicon, AUS
Casey Stoner
Casey Joel Stoner (born 16 October 1985) is an Australian retired professional motorcycle racer, and a two-time MotoGP World Champion, in and . During his MotoGP career, Stoner raced for the factory teams of Ducati and Honda, winning a tit ...
Francesco Bagnaia
Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (born 14 January 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing in MotoGP for the Ducati Lenovo Team. He is the current MotoGP World Champion and a previous Moto2 World Champion. He is the first rider fro ...
The company has won 15 riders world championships and 18 manufacturers world championships, competing since the series' inception in 1988. At the end of 2015, Ducati has amassed 318 wins, more than any other manufacturer involved in the championship.
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Year
! Champion
! Motorcycle
, -
, {{SBK, 1990
, {{flagicon, FRA
Raymond Roche
Raymond Roche (born 21 February 1957 in Ollioules) is a French former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.
Motorcycle racing career
In 1981, he teamed up with Jean Lafond to win the FIM Endurance World Championship. His best year in ...
,
Ducati 851
The Ducati 851 is a 90° V-twin fully faired sport bike with liquid cooling and four valve heads. It was produced by Ducati between 1987 and 1992, when it was succeeded by the Ducati 888.
Development
The Ducati 851 was the successor to the air- ...
, -
, {{SBK, 1991
, {{flagicon, USA
Doug Polen
Doug Polen (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. Polen was a dominant national and world champion road racer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, culminating with his Superbike world championships in ...
Doug Polen
Doug Polen (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. Polen was a dominant national and world champion road racer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, culminating with his Superbike world championships in ...
Carl Fogarty
Carl George Fogarty, (born 1 July 1965), often known as Foggy, is an English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time. He also holds the second highest number of race wins at 59. He is the son ...
,
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently ...
, -
, {{SBK, 1995
, {{flagicon, UK
Carl Fogarty
Carl George Fogarty, (born 1 July 1965), often known as Foggy, is an English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time. He also holds the second highest number of race wins at 59. He is the son ...
,
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently ...
, -
, {{SBK, 1996
, {{flagicon, AUS
Troy Corser
Troy Gordon Corser (born 27 November 1971) is an Australian former professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Superbike World Championship from 1992 to 2011 except for the 1997 season when he competed in Grand Prix motorcycle raci ...
,
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently ...
, -
, {{SBK, 1998
, {{flagicon, UK
Carl Fogarty
Carl George Fogarty, (born 1 July 1965), often known as Foggy, is an English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time. He also holds the second highest number of race wins at 59. He is the son ...
,
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently ...
, -
, {{SBK, 1999
, {{flagicon, UK
Carl Fogarty
Carl George Fogarty, (born 1 July 1965), often known as Foggy, is an English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time. He also holds the second highest number of race wins at 59. He is the son ...
,
Ducati 996
The Ducati 996 is a Ducati sport bike motorcycle made from 1999 to 2002, based upon the earlier 916.
Model history
From 1999, there were three different models of the 996: a base, or Biposto; the 996S with Öhlins suspen ...
, -
, {{SBK, 2001
, {{flagicon, AUS
Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss (born 30 March 1969 in Taree, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian motorcycle racer. During his career Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship three times and a MotoGP race, all with Ducati. He finished his career aft ...
,
Ducati 996R
The Ducati 996 is a Ducati sport bike motorcycle made from 1999 to 2002, based upon the earlier 916.
Model history
From 1999, there were three different models of the 996: a base, or Biposto; the 996S with Öhlins suspen ...
F01
, -
, {{SBK, 2003
, {{flagicon, UK
Neil Hodgson
Neil Stuart Hodgson (born 20 November 1973) is a British former motorcycle racer, who won the 2000 British Superbike Championship, and the 2003 Superbike World Championship titles. He then went on to have a moderately successful four years in t ...
James Toseland
James Michael Toseland (born 5 October 1980) is an English former motorcycle racer and vocalist of his own rock band named Toseland. For 2020, he is team-manager of Wepol Racing with riders in World Supersport and Supersport 300.Ducati 999 F04
, -
, {{SBK, 2006
, {{flagicon, AUS
Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss (born 30 March 1969 in Taree, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian motorcycle racer. During his career Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship three times and a MotoGP race, all with Ducati. He finished his career aft ...
Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss (born 30 March 1969 in Taree, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian motorcycle racer. During his career Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship three times and a MotoGP race, all with Ducati. He finished his career aft ...
,
Ducati 1098
The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.
The 1098 shares more design element ...
F08
, -
, {{SBK, 2011
, {{flagicon, ESP
Carlos Checa
Carlos Checa Carrera (born 15 October 1972) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle road racer and winner of the 2011 Superbike World Championship. After racing in 500 cc and MotoGP for over a decade, mostly on Honda and Yamaha machiner ...
,
Ducati 1098
The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.
The 1098 shares more design element ...
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
Ducati 748
The Ducati 748 was a Ducati sport bike made from 1994 to 2002. The 748 was the smaller displacement version of the 916, and was succeeded in 2003 by the 749.
Design
The Ducati Desmoquattro engine began as displacement engine, with cylind ...
, -
FIM Superstock 1000 Cup
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Year
! Champion
! Motorcycle
, -
, 2007
, {{flagicon, ITA
Niccolò Canepa
Niccolò Canepa (born 14 May 1988 in Genoa) is an Italian professional motorcycle road racer contracted from 2022 to RNF Racing in the MotoE World Cup aboard an Energica Ego Corsa. Canepa won the 2007 European Superstock 1000 Championship on a ...
,
Ducati 1098S
The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.
The 1098 shares more design element ...
, -
,
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, {{flagicon, Australia
Brendan Roberts Brendan may refer to:
People
* Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – c. 577) was an Irish monastic saint.
* Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above
* Brendan (given name), a masculine given na ...
,
Ducati 1098R
The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.
The 1098 shares more design element ...
Xavier Siméon
Xavier Siméon (born 31 August 1989) is a Grand Prix motorcycle racer from Belgium, competing in the MotoE World Cup. He is the winner of the 2009 FIM Superstock 1000 Championship and the 2006 European Superstock 600 Championship and the winne ...
,
Ducati 1098R
The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.
The 1098 shares more design element ...
Davide Giugliano
Davide Giugliano (born 28 October 1989) is a motorcycle racer from Italy, winner of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup in 2011.
Career
In 2005 he made his debut in Superstock 600 and in 2007 he moved to Supersport riding a Kawasaki ZX-6R. From 200 ...
,
Ducati 1098R
The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.
The 1098 shares more design element ...
, -
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
British Superbike Championship
The British Superbike Championship (BSB), currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, is the leading road racing superbike championship in the United Kingdom, and was once widely acknowledged as the p ...
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
, {{flag icon, SCO
Steve Hislop
Robert Steven Hislop (11 January 1962 – 30 July 2003) was a Scottish motorcycle racer. Hislop won at the Isle of Man TT eleven times, won the British 250cc Championship (1990) and British Superbike championship (1995 and 2002).
Hislop die ...
,
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is a fully faired sport bike made by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. Featuring a fuel injected, 4-valve, desmo, liquid-cooled, 90° V-twin engine in a trellis frame with a single-sided swingarm and USD forks, the 916 is frequently ...
, -
,
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
, {{flag icon, AUS
Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss (born 30 March 1969 in Taree, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian motorcycle racer. During his career Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship three times and a MotoGP race, all with Ducati. He finished his career aft ...
,
Ducati 996
The Ducati 996 is a Ducati sport bike motorcycle made from 1999 to 2002, based upon the earlier 916.
Model history
From 1999, there were three different models of the 996: a base, or Biposto; the 996S with Öhlins suspen ...
, -
,
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
, {{flag icon, ENG
Neil Hodgson
Neil Stuart Hodgson (born 20 November 1973) is a British former motorcycle racer, who won the 2000 British Superbike Championship, and the 2003 Superbike World Championship titles. He then went on to have a moderately successful four years in t ...
Steve Hislop
Robert Steven Hislop (11 January 1962 – 30 July 2003) was a Scottish motorcycle racer. Hislop won at the Isle of Man TT eleven times, won the British 250cc Championship (1990) and British Superbike championship (1995 and 2002).
Hislop die ...
,
Ducati 998
The Ducati 998 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2002 to 2004. It was the successor to the Ducati 996 and the final variation on the Ducati 916. The new Testastretta engine shared many similarities with the previous Desmoquattro engine in the ...
Gregorio Lavilla
Gregorio Lavilla (born 29 September 1973) is a Spanish people, Spanish former professional motorcycle road racing, road racer. He has raced in MotoGP (full-time in 250s, and part-time in 500s and MotoGP itself), the Superbike World Championship, ...
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Ducati 1098
The Ducati 1098 is a sport bike made by Ducati from 2007 to 2009, in three versions, the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R. The 1098 was succeeded by the 1198 in 2009, though the 1098R remained in production that year.
The 1098 shares more design element ...
RS
, -
,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, {{flag icon, ENG
Scott Redding
Scott Christopher Redding (born 4 January 1993) is a British motorcycle racer. For 2022 he is contracted to ride in Superbike World Championship with BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team after the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Ducati factory WSBK team ridi ...
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, {{flag icon, AUS
Josh Brookes
Joshua Brookes (born 28 April 1983 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is a professional motorcycle road racing, road racer with experience of Superbike and Supersport racing, both domestically and internationally. In 2020, he raced in the ...
AMA Superbike Championship
AMA Superbike Championship is an American motorcycle racing series that has been run every year beginning in 1976. For most of its existence it has been considered the premier motorcycle road racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned ...
, Ducati has had its share of success, with
Doug Polen
Doug Polen (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. Polen was a dominant national and world champion road racer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, culminating with his Superbike world championships in ...
winning the title in 1993 and
Troy Corser
Troy Gordon Corser (born 27 November 1971) is an Australian former professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Superbike World Championship from 1992 to 2011 except for the 1997 season when he competed in Grand Prix motorcycle raci ...
the following year in 1994. Ducati has entered a bike in every AMA Superbike season since 1986, but withdrew from the series after the 2006 season.
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Year
! Champion
! Motorcycle
, -
, 1993
, {{flagicon, United States
Doug Polen
Doug Polen (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. Polen was a dominant national and world champion road racer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, culminating with his Superbike world championships in ...
Troy Corser
Troy Gordon Corser (born 27 November 1971) is an Australian former professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Superbike World Championship from 1992 to 2011 except for the 1997 season when he competed in Grand Prix motorcycle raci ...
, Ducati 888
Ducati had an important place in early Superbike racing history in the United States and vice versa: In 1977, ''Cycle'' magazine editors
Cook Neilson
Cook Neilson (born August 24, 1943) is an American former journalist and motorcycle racer made famous for his win on a Ducati 750SS at Daytona in 1977. He graduated from Princeton in the mid 1960s, was hired as associate editor of '' Cycle'' i ...
and
Phil Schilling Phil Schilling was an editor at ''Cycle'' magazine from 1970 until approximately 1988, including nine years as editor-in-chief. For his contributions to journalism and motorcycle racing, he was inducted to AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2011.
Rac ...
took a Ducati 750SS to first place at Daytona in the second-ever season of AMA Superbike racing. "Neilson retired from racing at the end of the year, but the bike he and Schilling built — nicknamed Old Blue for its blue livery — became a legend," says Richard Backus from Motorcycle Classics: "How big a legend? Big enough for Ducati to team with Italian specialty builder NCR to craft a limited-edition update, New Blue, based on the 2007 Sport 1000S, and big enough to inspire the crew at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum (see
Barber Motorsports Park
Barber Motorsports Park is an multi-purpose racing facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. It was built by George W. Barber, and includes the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. It has been the site of the IndyCar Series' Grand Prix of Alab ...
), arguably one of the most important motorcycle museums in the world, to commission Ducati specialist Rich Lambrechts to craft a bolt-by-bolt replica for its collection. The finished bike's name? Deja Blue."{{cite web , date=January–February 2009 , first=Richard , last=Backus , url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/Motorcycle-reviews/One-famous-Ducati-750SS.aspx , title=One famous Ducati 750SS , publisher=Motorcycleclassics.com , access-date=27 July 2009 , archive-date=3 October 2011 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003223607/http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/Motorcycle-reviews/One-famous-Ducati-750SS.aspx , url-status=dead
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
, {{flagicon, Australia
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
Mike Hailwood
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British professional motorcycle racer and racing driver. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycl ...
's victory at the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
. Between 1981 and 1984
Tony Rutter
Tony Rutter (24 September 1941 – 24 March 2020) was a British professional motorcycle road racer. He was a street circuit specialist, who won seven Isle of Man TT Races between 1973 and 1985.
Racing career
Rutter competed in the Grand Prix ...
won four TT Formula 2 World Championships riding Ducati bikes.
{, class="wikitable"
, -
! Year
! Class
! Champion
! Motorcycle
, -
, 1978
, F1
, {{flagicon, GBR
Mike Hailwood
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British professional motorcycle racer and racing driver. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycl ...
Tony Rutter
Tony Rutter (24 September 1941 – 24 March 2020) was a British professional motorcycle road racer. He was a street circuit specialist, who won seven Isle of Man TT Races between 1973 and 1985.
Racing career
Rutter competed in the Grand Prix ...
Tony Rutter
Tony Rutter (24 September 1941 – 24 March 2020) was a British professional motorcycle road racer. He was a street circuit specialist, who won seven Isle of Man TT Races between 1973 and 1985.
Racing career
Rutter competed in the Grand Prix ...
Tony Rutter
Tony Rutter (24 September 1941 – 24 March 2020) was a British professional motorcycle road racer. He was a street circuit specialist, who won seven Isle of Man TT Races between 1973 and 1985.
Racing career
Rutter competed in the Grand Prix ...
Tony Rutter
Tony Rutter (24 September 1941 – 24 March 2020) was a British professional motorcycle road racer. He was a street circuit specialist, who won seven Isle of Man TT Races between 1973 and 1985.
Racing career
Rutter competed in the Grand Prix ...
List of Italian companies
Italy is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe with the third largest nominal GDP in the Eurozone and the eighth largest in the world. As an advanced economy the country also has the sixth worldwide national wealth and it is ranked third ...
*
List of motorcycle manufacturers
The following is a list of motorcycle manufacturers worldwide, sorted by extant/extinct status and by country. These are producers whose motorcycles are available to the public, including both street legal as well as racetrack-only or off-road-o ...