Source

Wikipedia,
Ducati
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is an Italian company that designs and manufactures
motorcycles. Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Ducati is owned by German automotive
manufacturer Audi through its Italian subsidiary Lamborghini, which is all owned by the
Volkswagen Group.[2]

Contents
[hide]

1 History
o 1.1 Ownership

2 Motorcycle designs

3 Product history
o 3.1 1950s
o 3.2 1960s
o 3.3 1970s
o 3.4 1980s
o 3.5 1990s

o 3.6 2000s
o 3.7 Current lineup
o 3.8 Current engines
o 3.9 Past engines

4 Motorcycle design history

5 Enthusiasts groups

6 Ducati products other than motorcycles

7 Merchandising

8 Racing history
o 8.1 MotoGP World Championship
o 8.2 Superbike World Championship (SBK)
o 8.3 Supersport World Championship
o 8.4 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup
o 8.5 British Superbike Championship
o 8.6 AMA Superbike Championship
o 8.7 Australian Superbike Championship
o 8.8 Formula TT

9 See also

10 Notes

11 External links

History[edit]
Ownership[edit]
Since 1926, Ducati has been owned by a number of groups and companies.

19261950 Ducati family

19501967 Government Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI) management

o 1953 Split into Ducati Meccanica (now called Ducati Motor) and Ducati
Elettronica (now called Ducati Energia)

19671978 Government EFIM management (control over day-to-day factory

operations)
o 19671973 Headed By Giuseppe Montano[9]
o 19731978 Headed by Cristiano de Eccher[10]

19781985 VM Group

19851996 Cagiva Group ownership

19962005 Texas-Pacific Group (US-based) ownership and going public

o Headed by CEO Federico Minoli, 19962001; returning for 20032007

20052008 Investindustrial Holdings SpA

20082012 Performance Motorcycles SpA[11]

An investment vehicle formed by Investindustrial Holdings, BS Investimenti and
Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan

19 July 2012 present Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.[2]

AUDI AG acquired 100% of the voting rights of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. via
Audi's Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. subsidiary

Ducati logo 19972008[12]

From the 1960s to the 1990s, the Spanish company MotoTrans licensed Ducati engines and
produced motorcycles that, although they incorporated subtle differences, were clearly
Ducati-derived. MotoTrans's most notable machine was the 250 cc 24 Horas (Spanish for "24
hours").

Motorcycle designs[edit]

2006 Ducati PaulSmart 1000 LE

Ducati is best known for high-performance motorcycles characterized by large-capacity fourstroke, 90 V-twin engines,[13] with a desmodromic valve design.[14] Ducati refers to this
configuration as L-twin because one cylinder is vertical while the other is horizontal, making
it look like a letter "L". Modern Ducatis remain among the dominant performance
motorcycles available today partly because of the desmodromic valve design, which is
nearing its 50th year of use. Desmodromic valves are closed with a separate, dedicated cam
lobe and lifter instead of the conventional valve springs used in most internal combustion
engines in consumer vehicles. This allows the cams to have a more radical profile, thus
opening and closing the valves more quickly without the risk of valve-float, which causes a
loss of power that is likely when using a "passive" closing mechanism under the same
conditions.
While most other manufacturers use wet clutches (with the spinning parts bathed in oil)[15]
Ducati previously used multiplate dry clutches in many of their motorcycles. The dry clutch
eliminates the power loss from oil viscosity drag on the engine, even though the engagement
may not be as smooth as the oil-bath versions, but the clutch plates can wear more rapidly.
Ducati has converted to wet clutches across their current product lines.
Ducati also extensively uses a trellis frame, although Ducati's MotoGP project broke with this
tradition by introducing a revolutionary carbon fibre frame for the Ducati Desmosedici GP9.

Product history[edit]
See also: Ducati Museum
The chief designer of most Ducati motorcycles in the 1950s was Fabio Taglioni (19202001).
His designs ranged from the small single-cylinder machines that were successful in the Italian
'street races' to the large-capacity twins of the 1980s. Ducati introduced the Pantah in 1979;
its engine was updated in the 1990s in the Ducati SuperSport (SS) series. All modern Ducati
engines are derivatives of the Pantah, which uses a toothed belt to actuate the engine's valves.
Taglioni used the Cavallino Rampante (identified with the Ferrari brand) on his Ducati
motorbikes, Taglioni chose this emblem of courage and daring as a sign of respect and
admiration for Francesco Baracca, a heroic World War I fighter pilot who died during an air
raid in 1918.[16]

1950s[edit]
Main article: Ducati singles

1960s[edit]
Main article: Ducati singles
See also: Ducati Apollo
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2009)

1970s[edit]
Main article: Ducati V-twin engine
In 1973, Ducati commemorated its 1972 win at the Imola 200 with the production model
green frame Ducati 750 SuperSport.
Ducati also targeted the offroad market with the two-stroke Regolarit 125, building 3,486
models from 1975 to 1979, but the bike was not successful.[17]
In 1975, the company introduced the 860 GT, designed by noted car stylist Giorgetto
Giugiaro. Its angular lines were unique, but raised handlebars made for an uncomfortable
seating position at high speeds and also caused steering issues.[18]

1980s[edit]
Main article: Ducati Desmoquattro engine
Ducati's liquid-cooled, multi-valve V-twins, made from 1985 on, are known as Desmoquattro
("desmodromic valve four"). These include the 851, 916 and 996, 999 and a few predecessors
and derivatives.
Main article: Ducati Paso

1993 Ducati 907 i.e.

The Ducati Paso was introduced in 1986 with the Paso 750, followed in 1989 with the Paso
906. The final version came in 1991 with the 907IE (Iniezione Elettronica), now without the
name "Paso". The design was from the hand of Massimo Tamburini, who also designed the
Ducati 916 and MV Agusta F4. The Paso was a typical "you love it, you hate it" bike.
However, at that time it looked like that all-enclosed bodywork would be the future for all
motorcycles. The Paso design was copied for the Moto Morini Dart 400 and Cagiva Freccia
125. Together with Tamburini's Bimota DB1, they were enormously influential in terms of
styling.