Source

Wikipedia,
Ducati
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is an Italian company that designs and manufactures
motorcycles. Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Ducati is owned by German automotive
manufacturer Audi through its Italian subsidiary Lamborghini, which is all owned by the
Volkswagen Group.[2]

Contents
[hide]

1 History
o 1.1 Ownership

2 Motorcycle designs

3 Product history
o 3.1 1950s
o 3.2 1960s
o 3.3 1970s
o 3.4 1980s
o 3.5 1990s

o 3.6 2000s
o 3.7 Current lineup
o 3.8 Current engines
o 3.9 Past engines

4 Motorcycle design history

5 Enthusiasts groups

6 Ducati products other than motorcycles

7 Merchandising

8 Racing history
o 8.1 MotoGP World Championship
o 8.2 Superbike World Championship (SBK)
o 8.3 Supersport World Championship
o 8.4 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup
o 8.5 British Superbike Championship
o 8.6 AMA Superbike Championship
o 8.7 Australian Superbike Championship
o 8.8 Formula TT

9 See also

10 Notes

11 External links

History[edit]

The first Ducati logo, 19261930s[3]

In 1926 Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his three sons, Adriano, Marcello, and Bruno Cavalieri
Ducati; founded Societ Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati in Bologna to produce vacuum
tubes, condensers 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.

Ducati Factory

Ducati "Cucciolo", 1950

Meanwhile, at the small Turinese firm SIATA (Societa Italiana per Applicazioni Tecniche
Auto-Aviatorie), Aldo Farinelli began developing a small pushrod 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 98 pounds (44 kg), with a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h), and had
a 15 mm carburetor (0.59-inch) giving just under 200 mpg (1.2 L/100 km; 240 mpg ).
Ducati soon dropped the Cucciolo name in favor of "55M" and "65TL".
-US

-imp

Ducati 175 Cruiser, 1952

Ducati Mach 1
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. Ducati Elettronica became Ducati Energia SpA in the eighties. 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.[4][5][6] In the 1970s Ducati began producing largedisplacement V-twin motorcycles and in 1973, released a V-twin with the trademarked
desmodromic valve 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 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 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 Holdings, the
investment fund of Carlo and Andrea Bonomi.
In April 2012, Volkswagen Group's Audi subsidiary announced its intention to buy Ducati for
860 million (US$1.2 billion). Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Pich, 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.[7][8] 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
747 million (US$909 million).[2]

Ownership[edit]
Since 1926, Ducati has been owned by a number of groups and companies.

19261950 Ducati family

19501967 Government Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI) management

o 1953 Split into Ducati Meccanica (now called Ducati Motor) and Ducati
Elettronica (now called Ducati Energia)

19671978 Government EFIM management (control over day-to-day factory

operations)
o 19671973 Headed By Giuseppe Montano[9]
o 19731978 Headed by Cristiano de Eccher[10]

19781985 VM Group

19851996 Cagiva Group ownership

19962005 Texas-Pacific Group (US-based) ownership and going public

o Headed by CEO Federico Minoli, 19962001; returning for 20032007

20052008 Investindustrial Holdings SpA

20082012 Performance Motorcycles SpA[11]

An investment vehicle formed by Investindustrial Holdings, BS Investimenti and
Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan

19 July 2012 present Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.[2]

AUDI AG acquired 100% of the voting rights of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. via
Audi's Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. subsidiary

Ducati logo 19972008[12]

From the 1960s to the 1990s, the Spanish company MotoTrans 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[edit]

2006 Ducati PaulSmart 1000 LE

Ducati is best known for high-performance motorcycles characterized by large-capacity fourstroke, 90 V-twin engines,[13] with a desmodromic valve design.[14] Ducati refers to this
configuration as L-twin because one cylinder is vertical while the other is horizontal, making
it look like a letter "L". 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.
While most other manufacturers use wet clutches (with the spinning parts bathed in oil)[15]
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, although Ducati's MotoGP project broke with this
tradition by introducing a revolutionary carbon fibre frame for the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.

Product history[edit]
See also: Ducati Museum
The chief designer of most Ducati motorcycles in the 1950s was Fabio Taglioni (19202001).
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 (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, a heroic World War I fighter pilot who died during an air
raid in 1918.[16]

1950s[edit]
Main article: Ducati singles

1960s[edit]
Main article: Ducati singles
See also: Ducati Apollo
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2009)

1970s[edit]
Main article: Ducati V-twin engine
In 1973, Ducati commemorated its 1972 win at the Imola 200 with the production model
green frame Ducati 750 SuperSport.
Ducati also targeted the offroad market with the two-stroke Regolarit 125, building 3,486
models from 1975 to 1979, but the bike was not successful.[17]
In 1975, the company introduced the 860 GT, designed by noted car stylist Giorgetto
Giugiaro. Its angular lines were unique, but raised handlebars made for an uncomfortable
seating position at high speeds and also caused steering issues.[18]

1980s[edit]
Main article: Ducati Desmoquattro engine
Ducati's liquid-cooled, multi-valve V-twins, made from 1985 on, are known as Desmoquattro
("desmodromic valve four"). These include the 851, 916 and 996, 999 and a few predecessors
and derivatives.
Main article: Ducati Paso

1993 Ducati 907 i.e.

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 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.

1990s[edit]
In 1993, Miguel Angel Galluzzi introduced the Ducati Monster,[19] 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, 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 model designed by Massimo Tamburini,[20] 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 and 998) with the
749 and 999.

2000s[edit]
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[21]

ST2, ST3, ST4[21]

Paul Smart 1000LE and SportClassic variants[21]

SuperSport 750, 900, 1000[21]

748, 749, 848[21]

996, 998, 999, 1098, 1098S, 1098R,[21] 1198

Desmosedici RR[21]

Current lineup[edit]

Ducati Hypermotard

Ducati Desmosedici RR

Ducati 1098 S Tricolore

Monster[22][23][24]

797

821

821 Stripe

1200

1200 S

1200 R

Multistrada[23][24][25]

950

1200

1200 S

1200 S Pikes Peak

1200 Enduro

Diavel[26]

Diavel

Diavel Carbon

XDiavel

XDiavel S

Superbike[23][24][27]

959 Panigale

1299 Panigale

1299 Panigale S

Panigale R

1299 Superleggera

Supersport

Supersport

Supersport S

Hypermotard[23][24][28]

Hypermotard 939

Hypermotard 939 SP

Scrambler

Sixty2

Icon

Classic

Full Throttle

Cafe Racer

Desert Sled

Current engines[edit]

Desmodue: Desmodromic two-valve, air-cooled, L-Twin, 60 included valve angle

(Scrambler)

Testastretta 11: Desmo four-valve, liquid-cooled, L-Twin, 11 valve overlap angle

(Hypermotard/Hyperstrada 939, Monster 821)

Testastretta 11 DS: Desmo four-valve, liquid-cooled, L-Twin, 11 valve overlap

angle, dual ignition (Monster 1200, Diavel MY'15)

Testastretta 11 DVT: Desmo four-valve, liquid-cooled, L-Twin, variable valve

timing, dual ignition (Multistrada 1200 MY'15, XDiavel)

Superquadro: Desmo four-valve, liquid cooled, L-Twin, 157205 bhp (117153 kW)
(Panigale)