One of the most successful and popular bikes that have ever been produced by Ducati is the Ducati Monster. They first began producing the Monster in It was designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi and it is described as a muscle bike. There are eight variations of this model available; , , , , , , S2R, and S4R. This bike is characterized by its exposed engine and frame. Since production of the Ducati Monster began, they have sold over , of this model.
One of the most popular attractions in Bologna is tours of the Ducati factory. SO much so that they also built a museum on the same site that is dedicated to the history of the company and is filled with many artifacts relating to the production process and some of the best examples of their bikes from throughout history. The attraction is so popular that it is estimated that over , people have enjoyed a tour of the factory and the museum since One of the reasons that Ducati owners have chosen a motorbike from this brand is that they want a powerful bike and they love the roar that this brand produces when they accelerate and the power kicks in while they are riding.
However, this is an element of the riding experience that is missing in the bikes that are sold in Japan as these are significantly quieter. This is because the cars that are manufactured for the Japanese market are fitted with a different exhaust system than the motorcycles produced for the rest of the world so that the bikes comply with Japanese rules and regulations relating to the manufacture of motor vehicles.
Ducati has a long history of involvement in the biggest motorsport events in the world and they first became involved in racing in Since then, their motorcycles have been ridden by some of the greatest professional riders of all time.
Ducati is a serious competitor at these events and they have topped the leaderboard in many championship events. Ducati has also won this championship twice as the manufacturer. The total number of victories achieved by Ducati is over twice the number of victories achieved by the next best competitor at these events. At sporting events, some of the most talented riders in the world have ridden Ducati bikes as part of their team.
One of these is American rider Casey Stoner. Prior to this, 33 years had passed since the championship had last been won by an Italian manufacturer. The ownership of Ducati has changed many times throughout its history. Its current owner is Audi as they acquired the company in Audi is part of the Volkswagen Group and their chairman, Ferdinand Piech, is a motorcycle enthusiast who had a great desire to get involved with Ducati.
The Ducati company logo has changed many times over the years and one reason for this is that the products manufactured by this company have changed so significantly. This changed again in when the logo was simplified, and the famous scrambler wing was introduced. The current logo has been in use since This is a red shield outlined in white with the word Ducati above a symbol of a white winding road. As Ducati is such a high-quality brand of motorcycle, it has many fans around the world.
Since the s, Ducati has utilized this fact as part of their marketing and branding campaign and support the various Ducati fan clubs from around the world.
There are now more than Ducati clubs across the globe and there are in excess of 20, registered members of the Ducati Owners Club. Riders and enthusiasts of Ducati are known as Ducatisti.
Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. However he does like to take on other topics involving some of his personal interests like automobiles, future technologies, and anything else that could change the world.
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It wasn't until the s when Ducati truly made a name for themselves as a motorcycle company. The first motorcycle Ducati produced was a 48 cc bike that had a top speed of 40 miles per hour and weighed 98 pounds. It had a 15 mm carburetor and could deliver miles per gallon. As time went on and the needs of society changed, the mass production of cars diminished the social role of the motorcycle as a means of mobility. Following the lead of American bikers, motorcycles became a means of expression for younger generations, a tradition which continues today.
When the Ducati company was founded the first factory was in Bologna and despite the changes to what the company manufactures, there is still a factory and company headquarters there today. One of the most popular attractions in Bologna is touring the Ducati factory, so much so that they also built a museum that is dedicated to the history of the company and is filled with artifacts relating to the production process and some of the best examples of their bikes throughout history.
Hundreds of thousands of people have visited the museum since it opened in National identities are closely tied to both the imagery used by motorcycle brands and the feelings they evoke. If you want to conjure a vision of America, a Harley-Davidson might come to mind; Triumphs are as British as a cream tea, and Ducatis are the epitome of Italian passion.
But these days companies are setting up manufacturing or assembly plants all over the world. Because you know motorcycle riders are dreamers. They wish to be like their favorite hero. We then move through to the main assembly line, where bikes are fitted with basically everything else but their fairings. We have boxes that contain in this case just the smallest parts of the motorcycle. The other sized parts like the wheels or the handlebars or the swingarm are located inside the line so the workers have nothing to do but pick up all the parts to complete one bike.
Is average. For a Monster it could be less than 90 minutes, for the Panigale could be a little bit more. You know how you can recognize them? From the extra mudguard on the back. I know that several Australian customers used to remove it, but this is illegal. Ducati will stay here in Bologna. We are not pretending to change your way that you produce motorcycles. It is us that must learn, how can you be so accurate and perfect in fixing so many things in such a small space as a motorcycle is, compared with a car.
I think some people like books, they buy a motorcycle because it has a nice cover. Sometimes the makeup is not enough to make something enjoyable. I'd rather see a Panigale without the fairing. It looks like an X-Ray model. Try to imagine how is made the human body from inside. Remove the skin, remove the muscle. That means it's something alive, not just a piece of metal.
Once the bikes are assembled fully without their fairings, it's time for the dyno test. First, the rear wheel is fixed, and the front wheel is manipulated to test the inbuilt speed sensor and ABS components. Then the bike is moved forward and the front wheel is fixed, so the rear wheel speed sensor and traction control electronics can be verified. And then, the engine is fired up — a bike that was just pieces in a box a couple of hours ago now springs to life and its full horsepower are unleashed on the dyno in repeated power tests.
You might choose to run your engine in gently, babying it like the book says, but I can verify that this man has given it an absolute gumboot full and taken it to redline several times before it even went in the crate. Next, dyno complete, it's off to in-house emissions testing. These controls must be done in all the bikes because there is different rules for different countries.
Rules are more strict in the US than in other countries. Also like in Australia the famous mudguard you must put on the back. Because if you don't put on these things, you are not allowed to sell the bikes in these countries.
In that place we complete the bike with the fairings, with maintenance books, with toolbox, with the battery. If the order comes from far Europe, Australia or the United States, from days because bikes are traveling by sea. This is still a big achievement, because I remember when we produced the first Monster and the first in and , the average time of delivery was around 9 months to one year.
When you received the bike, we had already started producing the new model for the next year. People were very disappointed by this. But perfection is not of this world, thank God. Even Japanese bikes might have defects. But we could not afford to have a bike that costs more than a Japanese bike that could be full of defects. Now people can perhaps understand why Ducatis cost so much, because the cost of production in Italy is higher than in other countries.
But for our customers, who have loved Ducati motorcycles since the 50s, 60s, 70s, they could not imagine a Ducati that is not made here in Italy. We don't care which kind of motorcycle you have.
If you ride a Ducati here, you can leave your bike inside the gates with the parking. If you don't ride a Ducati, you can leave outside the entrance. This is the logical thing. But we don't make motorcycle racism. We show respect to Japanese, like Japanese show respect for us. Because we share the same passion. We know that riding a motorcycle could be enjoyable fun, but also dangerous. The respect that motorcycle riders have between themselves is also made of this thing.
And with that it's out the front gate, where a lonely Suzuki SV is parked, and where a defiant neighbor flies a 46 flag as a constant reminder that for all Ducati's racing success, it still hasn't managed to put together a championship with Italy's greatest rider, Valentino Rossi.
There are many more photos in the gallery to check out, get in and have a much more detailed look. LOG IN. Menu HOME. Search Query Submit Search. By Loz Blain. Facebook Twitter Flipboard LinkedIn. Panigale batch hits the chassis assembly area.
View 45 Images. Livio Lodi, official Ducati historian and curator of the Ducati Museum. Engine assembly line for the Panigale.
This guy was not too enthusiastic about having his photo taken. Ducati's 'just in time' manufacturing ethos at work - trays containing every necessary component and nothing extra for each job. Screens make sure the engine technicians know exactly what steps to follow at all times.
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