Ducati is teasing the arrival of something special, with the number “21” on it, with an online event scheduled for Thursday, July 22nd. That is all the official information that we have…
Big sales growth numbers are going to be all the rage this year, as the motorcycle industry recoups lost sales during the pandemic, and we see a resurgence of people getting outside on two wheels.
So while the headline that Ducati is boasting a 43% increase in sales for the first six months of 2021, compared to the same time period as last year, sounds pretty impressive, the bar is pretty low.
If a motorcycle company doesn’t post double-digit sales figures for Q1 or Q2, now that is something worth talking about.
Editor’s note: Breaking my collarbone just a couple weeks before the press launch of the new Ducati Monster in San Francisco, I asked the most discerning Ducatisti I knew to take my place and test this new street bike fro Asphalt & Rubber.
Colin has seen more than a few Ducati’s in his garage over his many, many years, so he knows the history of this iconic motorcycle name, and yet he has enough “other” bikes in his garage so as not to be a complete Italian snob. Enjoy his words, and the properly English accent they were written in. -JB
First a confession: I feel like an imposter. I am neither a moto-journalist nor a professional rider. But, I do have some qualifications.
I own an eclectic collection of Ducati icons from the 80s and 90s, and many other newer Ducatis have passed through my hands over the last 30 years including a beautiful, raucous, guttural, black Monster S4RS in the late aughts.
Now a second confession: that Monster was the only bike that ever really scared the crap out of me.
The ferocious power and torque and no electronics meant the front wheel needed no excuse to leave the pavement; usually when I least expected it and was not paying attention. This was a design feature not a fault.
It was…is…the reason people wanted that Monster. For me, it was exciting but exhausting. It had to go.
I am not sure why Ducati is calling this Diavel 1260 S the “Black and Steel” model – since all of the Diavel’s tend to be black in color and made from steel frames… But hey, sure. Why not?
Accented with a yellow frame, yellow undertail, and yellow racing stripes, the Ducati Diavel 1260 S Black and Steel makes for a visually fetching addition to the Diavel lineup, and it is inspired by the Diavel “Materico” concept.
The Multistrada V4 is set to get another installment, this time one with a sportier focus, so say the spy photos.
Shod with 17″ wheels, a single-sided swingarm, the supposed “Pikes Peak” version of the Multistrada V4 has been hinted at before, and now spotted on the road.
If you bought a Ducati Scrambler Nightshift this year, then your bike is up for a recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for front and rear turn signals that don’t flash brightly enough.
Because the issue runs afoul of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment”, a recall is required. In total, 228 motorcycles are affected by this recall.
Winning two MotoGP races back-to-back has proved to good fortune for Jack Miller, as the Australian racer has just inked a deal with Ducati Corse that sees him staying on the factory team through the 2022 season.
While Miller was likely to see his contract renewed for the next season, his previous one-year contract was certainly some matter of concern for the 26-year-old.
It was just last week that we saw Ducati North America recalling nearly 6,000 motorcycles from several of its lines, including the Monster lineup, for issues with their rear brake hoses.
And now today, we see another 1,312 Monsters getting recalled for a similar issue (though there is likely overlap on the bike’s affected between the two recalls).
Specifically, this recall concerns the fact that the rear brake hose may be susceptible to heat damage, for a variety of different reasons.
One of our favorite bikes is getting a modest update for the 2022 model year, as the Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP is getting some bold new graphics to match its new Euro5 compliant v-twin engine.
For those models that will be landing in Europe, the entire Hypermotard 950 range will be Euro5 compliant, but the Italians say that the peak power and torque figures for the Ducati Hypermotard family will remain at 113hp (84 kW) and 71 lbs•ft (98 Nm).
WorldSBK legend Troy Bayliss has fractured his neck in an accident on a bicycle. The Australian, always a keen cyclist, fractured his C4 vertebra when he crashed into another bicycle while out riding.
In a press release issued by Ducati, with whom Bayliss retains a close relationship, Bayliss announced he had suffered some nerve damage as well as fracturing the bone(link is external), that has left him with limited motion.
Episode 177 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is a WorldSBK show, which means that this one sees Steve English and Gordon Ritchie on the mics.
Joining our dynamic WorldSBK duo is Ducati Corse rider Scott Redding, who sat down with Steve for a one-on-one about his time in the World Superbike paddock, and what he’s looking for from the 2021 season.