Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

Ducati

Browsing
MotoGP

Where It All Went Wrong for Ducati Corse in Qatar

By 8 Comments

Fortunes in MotoGP can change fast. Before the opening weekend of the 2022 MotoGP season, Pecco Bagnaia was the most tipped rider to take the title, the Ducati GP22 was the hot bike to have.

The question was not whether a Ducati would win one of the early races, but rather which one, and how many Ducatis would end up on the podium at them.

That prediction turned out to be accurate, but not in the way those making it expected. Enea Bastianini rode an outstanding race in Qatar to win the first race of 2022, and the first for the Gresini squad since Toni Elias back at Estoril in 2006.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Über-Spec Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 Debuts for 2023

By 25 Comments

The final bike of Ducati’s 2022 model year releases has finally dropped, but technically it is a 2023 machine. That’s okay, because the 2023 Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 is set to be a killer Italian superbike.

As we mentioned in our rumors coverage, there isn’t anything too surprising in the design and concept with this new SP2 model, as the Italian brand has taken the potent improvements brought to the 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S, given them the “SP” treatment, and added an extra number for good measure.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

MotoGP Testing Review: Ducati – The Threat We Think They Are?

By 5 Comments

Leaving the Sepang MotoGP test, all eyes were on Ducati. In part, perhaps, because they had brought yet another technical innovation that is set to upset rival manufacturers, and captured the imagination of fans and media. We were all talking about Ducati’s front ride-height device.

That enthusiasm was supported by the fact that there were two Ducatis in the top three after Sepang, and three Ducatis in the top six.

Take away the Aprilias (who had had the benefit of extra days riding and testing during the shakedown test), and there were three Ducatis in the top four. Things were looking ominous.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Ducati Multistrada V4 Gets Automatic Lowering Suspension

By 17 Comments

After just a year of sales, the Ducati Multistrada V4 is getting a modest update for the 2022 model year, with the headline feature being an semi-automatic suspension lowering system.

The concept mimics the one first seen on the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 adventure bike, where the preload on the forks and rear shock is reduced at stops and low-speeds in order to help the rider have a firm contact with the ground.

This “Minimum Preload” feature is coming on all 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 S models, and those with a 2021 bike in their garage can get a software update for free from Ducati.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Limited Edition Ducati XDiavel Nero Debuts, With a Fancy New Seat

By 24 Comments

The first of Ducati’s second unveiling of 2022 motorcycles was today, and to kick things off, the Italian brand has a special XDiavel for us.

The Ducati XDiavel Nero is a limited and numbered edition of the performance cruiser, and its biggest feature is a custom seat, developed by the renowned leatherworkers at Poltrona Frau.

Only 500 units of this unique Ducati XDiavel will be made available for the public, with five different leather seat color options, which bring with them a $4,200 price increase over the regular XDiavel S model.

Keep Reading
By
Rumors

A New Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 / V4 R Coming Soon?

By 38 Comments

Ducati isn’t done showing its 2022 model lineup, with the Italian manufacturer suggesting that we will see three more model announcements in the next few weeks.

Teasing three release dates (and thus presumably three new models), Ducati has virtual launches set for February 17th, March 3rd, and March 10th, which will stream on the company’s YouTube channel.

What models could Ducati be getting ready to launch? According to the sleuthing done by Motorcycle.com, we have a good idea what two of those three bikes might be.

Keep Reading
By
MotoGP

Ducati Debuts the Desmosedici GP22 to Dominate MotoGP

By 19 Comments

Another day, another MotoGP team launch presentation. This time, our eye candy comes from the Ducati Corse factory team, which hopes to find grand prix greatness in the 2022 season.

Though a third of the bikes on the 2022 grid will come from the factory workshop in Bologna, not all of those machines will be 2022-spec Ducati Desmosedici GP22 race bikes.

Additionally, the photos here are almost certainly not the machines we will see on the grid in Qatar at the start of the season, but the high-resolution photos do give an indication of how hard Ducati is pushing the rules and the progress in the MotoGP paddock.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

Officially Official: Danilo Petrucci Is Headed to MotoAmerica for 2022

By 17 Comments

A move that has been rumored and tipped for some time now, Danilo Petrucci is headed to the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship for the 2022 season, on a Warhorse HSBK Ducati racing a Panigale V4.

The Italian rider all but confirmed the news when he was on our Paddock Pass Podcast, and even then the news was widely expected to come to reality soon, with Petrucci simply saying that the paperwork needed to be completed before he could make an announcement.

That day is here now though, and the Italian’s arrival in the MotoAmerica paddock is certainly going to help elevate the status of the series, not only with American fans, but also with international racing enthusiasts.

Keep Reading
By
News

Ducati Set an All-Time Sales Record in 2021, And More

By 23 Comments

Ducati is the first OEM to brag about its 2021 sales results, and it is quite the brag from the Italian brand – with 59,447 units sold last year.

That sum is an all-time record for Ducati Motor Holding, and marks a 12% gain over the total sales from 2019, and a 24% gain over 2020’s results.

Helping take Ducati to that level was double-digit growth in all of the motorcycle-maker’s key markets, including the United States, where sales were up a staggering 33.5%.

That growth was surely fueled by the Ducati Multistrada V4 adventure bike, which accounted for nearly 1 in 5 Ducati’s sold in 2021.

Keep Reading
By