10 Things you didn’t know about Ducati

Europe and Asia are home to the best motorcycle brands in the world. They have established a name for themselves since they were first established, each in their unique way.

Suppose Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki are considered the most important motorcycle manufacturers on the Asian continent.

In that case, Ducati and KTM have been deemed the most critical motorcycle manufacturers on the Old Continent.

In the same way that it has been done previously in this lowly portal, for this special occasion, we are going to tell you n things about Ducati that you did not know before.

And that is that the Italian house has become well-known in recent years due to its strong commitment to the world of racing, and more specifically, MotoGP.

However, it also has a strong presence in the World Superbike Championship.

Borgo Panigale has a great deal to impart: 10 things about Ducati that you probably did not know.

After putting Ducati and what it stands for today into context, it is time to tell those curiosities that will surprise friends and strangers along the following few lines.

These facts can be found in the following paragraphs. Here we go.

1. At first, they were not involved with the vehicle’s engine.

When it was first established in 1926 by the brothers Adriano, Bruno, and Marcelo, who are responsible for giving it its name, the company’s primary line of business had nothing to do with motorcycles or anything related to the industry.

In their hometown of Bologna, the trio above prioritized the establishment of an organization known as the Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati.

This company’s primary focus was manufacturing various components that could be utilized with a radio.

In addition to these components, the company also manufactured vacuum cleaners and capacitors.

The company was so successful that the owners decided to establish a new headquarters in the industrial district of Borgo Panigale.

This name is now commonly used to refer to the brand. What was going to happen next was going to transform their lives completely.

2. The Second World War was the defining moment of this era

World War II affected the brand’s development, just as it did with the other brands discussed in the articles dedicated to them.

In the case of Ducati, the company’s headquarters were targeted by enemy aircraft during the war and were subsequently demolished.

Despite this, the company recovered from the devastating blow that the war dealt them and rebuilt the factory.

As soon as it was finished (between 1939 and 1945), the company shifted its primary focus to producing engines that would later be installed in motorcycles.

This marked a significant shift in the company’s activities. After some time, he manufactured his first motorcycle, which was known as the Ducati Cucciolo.

During the 1950s, this model was a huge commercial success, with more than 200,000 units sold during that decade alone.

As a direct result, it was decided to keep the production of motorcycles entirely separate from the production of electronic components.

3. The Vatican had a stake in the automobile manufacturer Ducati.

Can you picture a Ducati in the Vatican or one of the Pope’s aides or cardinals cruising around on one of the house’s motorcycles?

It may be hard to believe, but the Vatican owned more than half of the shares in the Italian company for several decades.

More specifically, from the company’s early years up until the end of the 1960s, the Vatican was the sole shareholder in the business.

Nevertheless, up until not too long ago, the connection was kept up to a certain extent in some form.

In 2010, Benedict XVI was the recipient of a Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring that had been given to him by the company itself.

On the other hand, he never rode it, and in the end, they were turned over to the Vatican police, who was eventually in a position to give it the appropriate use that a machine of this nature deserves.

4. Mike Hailwood competed for Ducati in the MotoGP.

In 1959, the legendary nine-time British world champion rider competed in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race on a Ducati 900 SS.

He was able to dominate the event from beginning to end by qualifying in the first place and utilizing his pole position to emerge victorious from the race.

At that time, motorcycling riders were expanding their horizons by participating in competitions that were, to some degree, different from their area of expertise.

It was around the middle of the previous century when the Italian factory started to make its first steps in the world of competition.

This coincided with its previously mentioned restructuring and the emergence of Ducati Meccanica, a division for which the engineer Fabio Taglioni was responsible and the thinking mind behind some of the most successful models the company has ever produced.

5. The contrasting roles of light and shadow in the decade of the 1960s

After the first half of the century had already passed, Ducati was still competing in various races at a reasonable level; however, financial difficulties began to arise within the company.

Because of the situation, the Italian government had to lend a hand to the company to ensure that it would not go bankrupt and that production would go on as usual.

During this period, they increased the displacement of the motorcycles they brought to market and produced Mach 1, a masterpiece that cemented their place in motorcycle history.

And that model became the fastest 250 cubic centimeter road bike on the market.

Its top speed was 161 kilometers per hour, which was a record figure considering the limited technological advancements available compared to our current day and age.

6. Each one of their motorcycles is built by hand

Their models, in contrast to what is customary in the automotive industry in general and the motorcycle industry in particular, are handcrafted by skilled professionals; as a result, they are typically more expensive financially.

It has nothing to do with the vast array of technologies and automated production lines that any of you can imagine existing in other brands that are standard in those brands.

There is a person responsible for each stage of the production process, and that person is the one who checks and verifies that the location has completed its work and can move on to the next step.

As a consequence of this, there is documentation associated with the manufacturing of each of the bicycles that are shipped out of the factory.

7. It has a production line solely devoted to the American market.

Italy, Brazil, and Thailand are the countries home to Ducati’s various production facilities located around the world.

The assembly work is the primary focus of the establishments mentioned in the last two.

At the same time, the company’s headquarters in its home territory features two assembly lines, one producing motorcycles for the United States and the other assembling motorcycles for distribution throughout the rest of the world.

8. He is responsible for several innovations and patents.

During the 1970s, when Ducati was reorganizing its management, Taglioni was tasked with manufacturing a twin-cylinder engine with 750 cubic centimeters of displacement.

Before this time, no motorcycle had ever been equipped with such a component. 1971 saw the introduction of the Ducati GT, the company’s first model to feature the system.

Once the brand decided that the motorcycle would be entered into competitions, the truth is that it was a success because it won the 200 Miles of Imola race in 1972 with Paul Smart.

This race was an endurance race whose idea was imported explicitly from those typically held in the United States.

In recent times, they developed and patented a system now known as Ducati Wheelie Control.

This is an electronic device that stops unnecessary wheelies from occurring. While the user is getting ready to accelerate, it will keep the front end from rising too high.

This will help the user gain stability and precision while they are driving.

9. They did not start competing in MotoGP until the year 2003.

Even though Ducati has a long history in the world of racing, the company didn’t make its debut in the MotoGP World Championship until the year 2003.

Since then, they have established themselves as one of the most prominent brands competing in the most important championship in the world, and their success in the Superbikes category served as a precursor to their subsequent breakthrough in the world of competition.

The Grand Prix of Catalonia run on the Montmeló track was where Loris Capirossi led them to their first victory in the same year they made their competitive debut.

Four years later, they reached the pinnacle of success by having Casey Stoner win the world championships of the riders and teams.

More recently, they have won again as a team, but they have not had a rider in red come out on top of the competition.

10. It has been handled by an innumerable number of people.

The management of Ducati has recently been taken over by Cagiva, Texas Pacific Group, and Audi since 2012.

These three companies are the most recent owners to do so.

And is that despite the commercial success of the Ducati Monster back in the 90′, as well as those of the 851 in the world of competition with the first engine to have four valves per cylinder, the company had a difficult time balancing its finances.

This was even though both of these models were released simultaneously.

The participation of the German company has provided it with a much-needed financial boost, and one can only hope that it will continue to do so for the sake of those passionate about the company’s bikes and its employees.

Additional track: in Japan, people do not make any noise.

To put the icing on the cake and put a capstone on everything that has been discussed, it should be mentioned that the motorcycles that are driven in the land of the rising sun are exceptionally quiet because they are outfitted with a different exhaust system than, for instance, the noisiest European ones.

This is because Japan has strict regulations regarding the production of motor vehicles, which is why this has come to pass.

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