The Red and the Seafront
Hello hello my Goodfellas!
All ok?
Have you seen last round of MotoGP in Montegi?
Honda home track, but... A Red bike had set a great achievement!
The dream could come true.. 10 years after Casey Stoner, or also called Son of the Wind.
By the way, this is the translation of a post written one month ago for the event connected to the Misano GP.
You have to know that before 1972 the MotoGP used to race in the public streets, along Rimini Riccione and Misano Seafront.
The risk, this bad passenger, was riding with the greatest riders of all the world.
Bergamonti Angelo paid a very high tribute in a terrible crash.
But with this sacrifice, the level of safety would grow up, till building the Santamonica Circuit to save riders' life.
No more road tracks in Romagna, but a brand new racetrack, built on an old military temporary airport during the WWII.
Why this kind of examination?
Because Ducati and Romagna, this country on the Adriatic sea, are really connected.
And this connection is rooted in the past.
From Rimini we can recognize a road called Via Emilia, that will bring you up to Piacenza, crossing Bologna.
Right.
Borgo Panigale, Bologna. And this great road that connects the Machine, the Motorcycle par excellence, Ducati, with the Men, brave riders who are always reaching their limits, and push them one step further.
Men like Pasolini, Bianchi, Lega, Gresini, Capirossi, Rossi, Dovizioso, Simoncelli and much more.
In an epic place, scene of countless battles, Santamonica.
So close to the sea, this amazing race track that every year hosts hundreds of thousands motorcycles fans!
La Rossa e il Lungomare, this amazing event, talks about all of these happenings. Talks about riders, about bikes, and about our history.
Italian History, a difficult story sometimes, but never boring.
Sometimes with a massive bust, sometimes with an epic triumph!
Economic crisis and recovery.
But always with a great piece of brilliance.
This is our Story, told with iconic bikes by Livio Lodi, a sort of new Monuments Man, who preserves and takes care of the Ducatis inside the Factory Museum, cherish memories of this amazing History.
For everyone who loves bikes speed risk defeat dust tears smile and GLORY,
Come on: Take a look inside!
Everything started from this.
A small engine applied to a bicycle.
If in bicycle a man was able to travel faster than a walker...
Well my friends, with this evil invention, this man spotted a nice way for his peace of mind.
2 hp and 60 km/h (37.28 mph) in 40's.
Designed by S.I.A.T.A. in 1945 and presented to the public in Torino in the same year, showed his full effectiveness: power and fuel efficient, 100Km with only 1lt of gasoline.
T1, T2 and T3, three steps of evolution for this small but big heart.
With the last, grown till 60cc, applied on a motorcycle frame, Ducati came into the "Motoleggere" category.
Alea iacta est, and the story begins.
But life is not peaches and cream.
Competitors were merciless.
Ducati hired a great engineer, called Fabio Taglioni, to improve the fate.
Checkmate friends.
The first bike that directly descended by a pure race motorcycle.
This point was reflected also in his weight, only 100kg (220lbs) and speed, 112km/h (69.59 mph).
Uncomfortable, but very impressive.
Also for her livery:
gold and sky blue.
Ready to light our fire and desires.
Before the 750 Super Sport V-twin and Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari’s amazing 1-2 at Imola in 1972, no Ducati bike could go as fast as the 450-cc Desmo Corsa.
All ok?
Have you seen last round of MotoGP in Montegi?
Honda home track, but... A Red bike had set a great achievement!
The dream could come true.. 10 years after Casey Stoner, or also called Son of the Wind.
By the way, this is the translation of a post written one month ago for the event connected to the Misano GP.
LA ROSSA E IL LUNGOMARE
You have to know that before 1972 the MotoGP used to race in the public streets, along Rimini Riccione and Misano Seafront.
The risk, this bad passenger, was riding with the greatest riders of all the world.
Bergamonti Angelo paid a very high tribute in a terrible crash.
But with this sacrifice, the level of safety would grow up, till building the Santamonica Circuit to save riders' life.
No more road tracks in Romagna, but a brand new racetrack, built on an old military temporary airport during the WWII.
Why this kind of examination?
Because Ducati and Romagna, this country on the Adriatic sea, are really connected.
And this connection is rooted in the past.
From Rimini we can recognize a road called Via Emilia, that will bring you up to Piacenza, crossing Bologna.
Right.
Borgo Panigale, Bologna. And this great road that connects the Machine, the Motorcycle par excellence, Ducati, with the Men, brave riders who are always reaching their limits, and push them one step further.
Men like Pasolini, Bianchi, Lega, Gresini, Capirossi, Rossi, Dovizioso, Simoncelli and much more.
In an epic place, scene of countless battles, Santamonica.
So close to the sea, this amazing race track that every year hosts hundreds of thousands motorcycles fans!
La Rossa e il Lungomare, this amazing event, talks about all of these happenings. Talks about riders, about bikes, and about our history.
Italian History, a difficult story sometimes, but never boring.
Sometimes with a massive bust, sometimes with an epic triumph!
Economic crisis and recovery.
But always with a great piece of brilliance.
This is our Story, told with iconic bikes by Livio Lodi, a sort of new Monuments Man, who preserves and takes care of the Ducatis inside the Factory Museum, cherish memories of this amazing History.
For everyone who loves bikes speed risk defeat dust tears smile and GLORY,
Come on: Take a look inside!
Everything started from this.
Cucciolo 1946
A small engine applied to a bicycle.
If in bicycle a man was able to travel faster than a walker...
Well my friends, with this evil invention, this man spotted a nice way for his peace of mind.
2 hp and 60 km/h (37.28 mph) in 40's.
Designed by S.I.A.T.A. in 1945 and presented to the public in Torino in the same year, showed his full effectiveness: power and fuel efficient, 100Km with only 1lt of gasoline.
T1, T2 and T3, three steps of evolution for this small but big heart.
With the last, grown till 60cc, applied on a motorcycle frame, Ducati came into the "Motoleggere" category.
Alea iacta est, and the story begins.
But life is not peaches and cream.
Competitors were merciless.
Ducati hired a great engineer, called Fabio Taglioni, to improve the fate.
Checkmate friends.
Sport 125 1957
The first bike that directly descended by a pure race motorcycle.
This point was reflected also in his weight, only 100kg (220lbs) and speed, 112km/h (69.59 mph).
Uncomfortable, but very impressive.
Also for her livery:
gold and sky blue.
Ready to light our fire and desires.
450 Desmo Corsa 1969
Before the 750 Super Sport V-twin and Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari’s amazing 1-2 at Imola in 1972, no Ducati bike could go as fast as the 450-cc Desmo Corsa.
The 450 Desmo Corsa first appeared at Rimini in 1968, where it amazingly pulled 50 horsepower at 9,000 rpm.
The 450 had twin plug ignition, larger valves, a 42-mm Dell’Orto carburetor.
The rich racing history of the 450 Desmo Corsa is a true testament to its reputation as one of the fastest era bikes in the Italian bike maker’s history.
Change the room.
Scrambler 1970
Something like 50000 bikes were made between 1968-1976.
Only for the second series. For the first Scrambler production, we got not so much info about.
A real massive business for those years.
The Scrambler, as beautiful as reliable, in 450cc version, charmed a lot of bikers, half on road half offroad bike, who could resist?
The Scrambler phenomenon explodes in 70's and reborn in early 2000.
Today we got this new category called crossover, now as it was then.
Not a specialistic in offroad but able to let you ride with no thoughts on trails and paths.
Freedom, the essential.
500 GP Prototipo 1971
For me, this was a real discovery!
Never heard about before this temporary event.
Hard to talk about.
Hard years the 70's.
The willingness to get back in the competitions, the Italian Challenge, to beat Giacomo AGO Agostini and his MV brings Ducati to build this piece of History.
How?
With an L twin in two kinds of configuration: two-valves with 63 hp at over 11000 rpm and a four-valve with 65 hp at 12000 rpm.
The last evolution on the two-valves will bring more power: 75hp!
But, sometimes, like I told you in the foreword, there is no happy ending.
Real and actual testament this GP won only one time in Skofja with Parlotti in 1971.
Testament, right.
Because, you have to know that there is also a third version of this GP, called Armaroli, the name of her father.
Engineer in Mondial and after in Ducati he was a pioneer of DOHC four-valve and the toothed belt, Armaroli applied this ploy and changed the exhaust location.
Last but least, the ignition!
A never born engine, unluckily, cause some tests revealed a lack of power, 1 hp instead of the standard engine.
Ducati tested these solutions for years and will bring them to a standard for the Pantha series (toothed belt), ignition and exhaust for the four-valve superbike.
Interesting story? I could only recommend to visit Ducati Museum, and ask!
900 NCR 1979
70's. Tragic years in Italy, in politics, but also in sport.
The death of Bergamonti, Pasolini, Saarinen, Parlotti and much more.
MV has taken a decision to retire from competition.
The march of the Japanise motorcycles.
And it's in these years that the legend takes shape.
TT F1, F2, ENDURANCE, SUPERBIKE and MOTOGP.
Not bad like business card!?
And Ducati won in each class.
Here the magnificent 900 tuned by the old Ducati racing department, NCR, based in Bologna.
Fast as a Red Devil.
Some say something like 85/87 hp.
But I know nothing, so if you have questions about NCR and Ducati partnership, or the base of the bike, or anything else, please, send me an email, or leave a post here.
750 F1 Corsa
This is the last evolution of the FORMULA TT motorcycle made by Ducati.
748cc aircooled for 94hp and 180kg.
After years of competitions in Ducati decided to produce a replica of the racing 750 TT1, called Ducati F1 in 1985.
After years of competitions in Ducati decided to produce a replica of the racing 750 TT1, called Ducati F1 in 1985.
Similar but not equal to the racing version, the street legal was heavier but at the same time very handy.
Race by race, year after year, the problems were solved.
And after three legendary victories Ducati will decide to tribute her amazing bike with special editions called:
Montjuich (Grau at 24H Montjuich 1983): a sort of race replica (extreme bike only for race)
Laguna Seca (Lucchinelli at Battle of the Twin 1986): halfway from the street legal and the race bike
Santamonica (Lucchinelli at Santamonica TT F1 1986): street legal.
MARCOLUCCHINELLI 750 F1CORSA
Change the room.
750 PASO 1987
Our past has a great future.
This is the slogan that accompanies the brand new Ducati.
Cagiva, the new Ducati owner, used this innovative bike, designed by Massimo Tamburini, to turn the fate after the continue Japanese assault, in the racing and street legal models.
The engine?
Pantha Desmo L twin: unbreakable partnership.
New lines and different shapes came from Massimo's pencil, forms and lines that you could reach in Bimota DB1, a sort of extremism of that concept.
But there is no Tamburini imprinting in the birth of DB1, cause she will be the first Bimota after Massimo goodbye. There is a sort of pre-prototype that enshrines this sort of brotherhood, and it's called Bimota Cagiva 650, half fairing, Desmo engine, Bimota frame.
The irony, the first Ducati designed by Massimo Tamburini had the same roots of the first Bimota without his historical founder.
PASO 750 : 748cc, 74 hp and 195kg dry weight.
916 1994
We could talk for years about the best motorcycle design award, but, trust me, the 916 could be easily on the podium, or the Queen.
Considered by many as the best bike ever made, or Massimo Tamburini masterpiece, the 916 taken 7 years of development.
You know, also Rome wasn't built in a day.
A sort of postcard "From Rimini with love", this bike was a pure race bike, born to win, and seems that only at the end in Ducati decided to apply the light and license plate.
A monolithic swing arm shows sensual form, like a sexy woman in red dress.
And like all beautiful women, she shows you only what she decides to.
Under the dress, beats a desmo four-valve liquid cooled engine. The natural evolution of 851-888.
916cc, 114 hp at 9400rpm for 198kg (436lbs), not a real lightweight, allows to clear 0-400mt (quarter mile) in only 10.7 sec.
Three championship won: 1994/1995/1996.
Simply, one of, the best.
One of.
Yes.
Because I had to wait few years to see another instant classic bike.
I'm talking about..
999 F06 2006
Yes, I'm talking about the 916's heir.
A very hard work to improve a bike like the 916.
Called to take up this mission impossible was Mr.Terblanche.
I wrote about this authority in some posts, so I won't talk about his class and genius.
But damn, with the 999 he really made the grade.
Strange lines and forms turned from a soft and curvy design into the minimalism kingdom.
A very sharp design as to cut the air.
Everything changed, also the swingarm.
Changed also the engine: goodbye desmoquattro, arrived at his own limit of development, Ducati decided to work on the new "testastretta", that equipped the 998 and 996r.
And, unlike the other Ducatis, this bike was created to win immediately, and the 999R was born before the street legal bike.
Presented in 2002, this masterpiece represents the bone of contention.
Ducati people was divided: who loved this superbike at first sight, and who hated this design, too futuristic.
A sort of betrayal of their own roots.
No matter, they were wrong.
Cause won.
And won a lot!
In WSBK the 999 took part in 120 races and won 63 times, the half.
In 5 years won 3 Riders World Championships and 3 Constructor World Championships.
PS, talked with Troy, and this is the bike he likes the most.
999cc, 150hp 9750 rpm, over 117 Nm at 8000rpm for only 185kg (407lb).
Trust me or not, it's a bomb, better, it's a Superbomb.
Our virtual tour it's ended.
Damn no.
Not now!
Ok, no worry.
I will leave you with this little present.
Unexpected present.
Aussie present.
Crabby present.
But always a PRESENT.
A RED PRESENT:
DESMOSEDICI GP 07
Now, for sure, it's the end.
But Ducati Museum it's always glad to greet you.
And it's also open for the special Sundays with its lab called "FISICA IN MOTO", check the link and if you will plan a holiday trip in Italy, don't miss these amazing happenings!
Very soon new post on "MISANOCLASSIC BEST BIKES" and the translation of "MISANOCLASSIC2017"
