Latest Posts:
Asphalt & Rubber
Tag

Ducati

Browsing
Bikes

Ducati Monster Diesel

By 23 Comments

In case you hadn’t noticed, Ducati made a bunch of friends last year, and entered into partnership agreements with companies like AMG, Diesel, and Cigarette Racing. With the first two companies footing a larger bill and sponsoring Ducati Corse’s MotoGP effort, it stands to reason that AMG and Diesel’s involvement with the iconic motorcycle brand would be a bit more extensive than just some logos on a bike and team livery.

With Mercedes-Benz and Ducati intertwined in acquisition talks, it was not too surprising to see the Ducati Diavel AMG Special Edition break cover, though we have to admit we were a bit shocked to see today’s news about the Ducati Monster Diesel — we didn’t see this bike coming.

As the name implies, the special edition motorcycle is based off the Ducati Monster 1100 EVO, with styling cues that evoke the Diesel brand. The Italians are calling this “an ‘urban military chic’ interpretation of Ducati’s iconic naked motorcycle,” which is one way of saying it features olive green paint and matte black accents.

It’s an interesting effect to say the least, though it will probably only resonate with a select group of Ducatisti. Ducati says the Monster Diesel will be available in dealerships from late-July onwards, with pricing in the US set at $13,795. If you came here thinking Ducati had abandoned the gasoline engine, we apologize. We didn’t pick the name.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

WSBK: Effenbert Opts for McCormick Instead of Bayliss

By 11 Comments

Every few months a good rumor about the return of Troy Bayliss finds its way into the media, and this week is no different. The whole process started several months back when Bayliss left a message on his Facebook page about his inability to come to terms with Ducati about racing a few wild card rounds in World Superbike this season — a statement that was quickly rebutted by Ducati Corse’s WSBK Boss Ernesto Marinelli, who said that if the former-World Champion wanted to ride in WSBK this year, a Ducati would be made available to him.

Now in an announcement made today by the Effenbert Liberty Racing team, the Czech-speaking Ducati-riding squad confirmed that it will be moving-up Canadian Brett McCormick to the team’s fourth WSBK-spec Ducati Superbike 1198 for the rest of the season, instead of having Troy Bayliss ride for the team at several wild card races.

Surely linked to the discussions Bayliss was having with Ducati Corse, the move is a boon to McCormick, who was set to ride the new Ducati 1199 Panigale in the World Superstock 1000 series, despite the fact that World Superbike. fans surely would have welcomed the return of the three-time WSBK Champion Bayliss to the track.

Keep Reading
By
News

Stoner & Rossi’s Ducati MotoGP Bikes up for Auction

By 15 Comments

It is pretty rare that a mere mortal can buy an actual MotoGP race bike, since at best machines of this caliber end up under lock & key in a museum somewhere, or at worse, in various pieces in the race department’s dumpster. But available directly from Ducati Corse at RM Auction’s Monaco event, lucky bidders will have a chance at buyingCasey Stoner’s race-winning Ducati Desmosedici GP10 and Valentino Rossi’s ill-fated Ducati Desmosedici GP11.

Offered under reserve, any potential bidder will also have to agree to a non-disclose agreement before Ducati will sign off on the purchase, but that seems like a small formality to undertake considering what is being offered. While we wouldn’t mind either Desmosedici decorating the A&R office space, the real question is which bike will command the higher price? Full-credit to The Doctor, but we think that the Ducati Desmosedici GP10 “CS1” would be the better investment piece.

Keep Reading
By
News

Audi to Buy Ducati?

By 17 Comments

It has been almost a year now since we broke the news that Ducati Motor Holding was up for sale, and I still can’t tell if the appropriate metaphor for the ongoing acquisition is a game of musical chairs or Russian roulette. Vying for a seat or putting the chamber to its temple, our latest contestant in “Who Wants to Buy Ducati” is Audi, the four-ringed German car manufacturer. Reported to have a right of first refusal, Audi allegedly has until mid-April to finalize a deal with Investindustrial (Ducati’s main investor) to buy Ducati from the Italian investment group.

Though Ducati sold over 40,000 motorcycles in 2011, the Italian company has roughly €800 million in debt on its books. This means that any company interested in buying Ducati would have to assume the Italian company’s debt onto its own books, which changes the actual purchase price of Ducati dramatically. For its part, Audi is rumored to be making an offer in the €850 million range, which would put the actual purchase value of Ducati at over €50 million, and could put as much as €100 million on the table for Investindustrial to take.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

Why the MotoGP Weight Limit Was Changed

By 7 Comments

The weight increase in the MotoGP class introduced for 2012 – from 153kg, as originally agreed when the 2012 regulations were drawn up back in August 2010, to 157kg – has had many repercussions. The addition of 4kg to the 1000cc MotoGP machines has been blamed for causing the chatter that Honda’s RC213V suffers from, and for complicating the pursuit of the ideal weight distribution for both Honda and Yamaha, which the two Japanese factories had spent most of 2011 perfecting ahead of the 2012 MotoGP season.

The decision was taken in a Grand Prix Commission meeting held on December 14th of 2011 in Madrid, and though it drew little comment at the time, once the MotoGP paddock reassembled at Sepang for the first test of the year, some intriguing details started to appear. Crash.net’s Peter McLaren has an excellent reconstruction of the decision process, from which it is clear that the path to adoption the proposal faced was far more complex than usual. It also reveals some of the underlying tensions in both the Grand Prix Commission and the MSMA which will go on to play a major role in the rule-making process for 2013 and beyond.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

Photo of the Week: Fast By Any Other Name

By 21 Comments

While a handful of MotoGP riders get the lion’s share of media attention, other riders can only wonder what might have been if they had landed in the premier class on more competitive machinery. With five 250cc wins, Randy de Puniet joined the Kawasaki MotoGP team in 2006, and switched to the LCR Honda team after two seasons. In 2011 he managed a season best 6th on the Pramac Ducati, another victim of the bike only Stoner could tame.

Most folks in the MotoGP paddock acknowledge de Puniet’s abilities and raw speed, and he is also as tough as they come, riding around injuries with impressive courage and determination. De Puniet has reunited with the Aspar Team for 2012, and will explore the future of the CRT formula. If the first-year Aprilia-powered Aspar CRT bike is not competitive, it won’t be for de Puniet’s lack of trying.

Keep Reading
By
News

Hero MotoCorp Eyes Purchasing Ducati? Erik Buell Racing?

By 7 Comments

Two weeks and two separate rumors about Hero MotoCorp’s acquisition warpath. Last week the Indian motorcycle manufacturer was said to be eyeing a minority equity stake in Erik Buell Racing. Having already hired the American sport bike maker to help innovate on some of Hero’s upcoming small displacement machines, the two companies sweetened the deal with Hero becoming the title sponsor to EBR’s AMA Pro Superbike racing effort.

This week the spotlight shines on Ducati Motor Holding, which has quietly been for sale for almost a year now. Originally wooing an acquisition from Mercedes-Benz, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer has been linked to a variety of other companies, as well as a public offering on an Asian stock index. With our sources telling us that Ducati has been trimming the fat from its books in order to make its earnings more attractive, Hero MotoCorp is the latest potential buyer to enter the fray and to talk to bankers about a Ducati acquisition.

Keep Reading
By
Bikes

Ducati 1199 Panigale RS12 – For Superbike Teams Only

By 12 Comments

Our favorite Bologna-based sport bike manufacturer may not be racing the Ducati 1199 Panigale in World Superbike this year, but the Italian brand still has many other teams in other racing series who are keen to use the latest Bologna Bullet. On such outfit is the Ducati Coventry / JHP Racing squad that is campaigning the 1199 in the upcoming 2012 British Superbike Championship, which just today took delivery of their Ducati 1199 Panigale RS.

Essentially the bike we saw teased on the track before the Panigale’s official launch, the 1199 RS is an even more drool-worthy example of a track-ready Panigale than the Ducati 1199 S Supersport we showed you from the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. Aluminum tank, carbon fiber bodywork, full Termignoni exhaust, and Öhlins & Brembo pieces abound…yes this is the type of thing that makes grown men weak in the knees. More photos after the jump.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

MotoGP: Test Results & Photos from Day 3 at Sepang II

By 5 Comments

Finally getting a full day of sunshine, MotoGP took to the Sepang International Circuit for its third and final day of testing at the Malaysian track. MotoGP’s second test at Sepang this off-season, riders and teams will have one more opportunity to prepare for the 2012 season at the IRTA test in Jerez later this month. Sidelined yesterday with safety concerns over the RC213V’s engine, Honda’s four riders were back on the track, with the HRC factory riders once again taking the top honors on the results page.

Leading the pack was again Casey Stoner, followed by teammate Dani Pedrosa. Surprisingly leading the Yamaha contingency was Andrea Dovizioso, who was just under a tenth of a second quicker than Jorge Lorenzo. Also bucking the factory-dominance trend was Hector Barbera, who took the honors as the fastest Ducati of the day, while Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden languished down in 10th & 11th place respectively — over a second slower than Stoner’s best time.

Keep Reading
By
Racing

MotoGP: Test Results & Photos from Day 2 at Sepang II

By 2 Comments

At day two of round two at Sepang, MotoGP’s riders once again had to contend with the changing Malaysian climate, as rain continued to make an appearance the Sepang International Circuit. Sidelined for the day, HRC played it safe with its riders after one of Dani Pedrosa’s engines failed during the previous day’s testing, thus making the day strictly a Ducati and Yamaha affair. With Yamaha taking the top four spots on the timesheet (lead by Ben Spies), it is clear to see at this point in the game where Ducati is with its development of the GP12.

Keep Reading
By