Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is a motorcycle manufacturer located in Bologna, Italy. Ducati has achieved prominence in the motorcycle industry, success in motorcycle racing, and is known for its marriage of style with performance.
The first Ducati motorcycle was a 60 cc bike weighing 98 lb (44 kg) with a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) had a 15 mm carburetor giving just under 200 mpg (85 km/L). Ducati soon dropped the Cucciolo name in favor of “55M” and “65TL”.
Ducati is best known for high performance motorcycles characterized by large capacity four-stroke, L-twin (90° twin-cylinder) engines featuring a desmodromic valve design. Modern Ducatis remain among the dominant performance motorcycles available today partly because of the desmodromic valve design, which 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.
For Ducati passionate fans there is the opportunity of a guided tour with a very expertise guide who will take you through the various production departments of the factory. You will also be introduced through the fascinating Museum Gallery. Here you will discover the micro-engine which created the Ducati motorcycle era – the “Cucciolo” – the Marianna motorcycles – the 100 and 125 Gran Sport – the first parallel V twins engine- the Pantah driven by Luchinelli in the ’80s- the latest world champion SBK of Troy Bayliss – and recent world champion MotoGP of Casey Stoner.
This amazing museum gallery, housing forty-five motorcycles, will make you live and relive all the glorious moments in the history of this legendary Ducati brand, located in the suburb of Bologna Borgo Panigale. For those interested, we can also take you to the Ducati official store.