In this issue · legal sport bike. Mounting the Racing kit puts the bike in its track con -...

In this issue:PANIGALE V4SUPERLEGGERA V4FABIO TAGLIONINEW MONSTER

SUPERMOTO ITALIANE - APRIL 2020

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APRIL 2020

SUPERMOTO ITALIANERegistrata presso il tribunale di Firenze con il n° 5554 il 20/02/2007

Direttore Responsabile:Carlo Bartoli

Redazione:Franco Bartoli [email protected] Rainero [email protected]

Hanno collaborato:Stefano CordaraGiuliano MusiGiorgio Tedioli

Editore:FBA - Via U. Rattazzi, 2/E/1 50136 [email protected]

MONDODUCATIDOSSIER

In this issue:PANIGALE V4 04DUCATI SUPERLEGGERA V4 ��FABIO TAGLIONI �6DUCATI FINANCIAL REPORT 5�NEW DUCATI SCRAMBLER 56DANILO PETRUCCI 64ANDREA DOVIZIOSO 68

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DUCATI PANIGALE V4 MY 2020

by Stefano Cordara

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The new Panigale V4 has the exorbitant performance of the previous version, but it

is now easier. This is how the new Ducati aims to be the superbike benchmark.

The 2020 version of the Pani-gale V4 boosts performance even further and takes track riding to the next level for amateurs and pros alike. A

series of refinements make for an easier, more user-friendly, less fatiguing ride while simultaneously making the bike faster not just on individual laps but over entire timed sessions.

Ducati and Ducati Corse engineers have crunched the feedback/data numbers from customers all over the world and Superbike World Championship events. Their analysis has led to a series of aerodynamic, chassis, electronic control and Ride by Wire mapping changes: designed to increase stability and turn-in speed, these changes make it easier

to close corners and ensure riders enjoy more confident throttle control.

The Panigale V4 is now equipped with con-tent taken from the V4 R. For example, the aerodynamic package provides enhanced air-flow protection and improves overall vehicle stability, enhancing confidence.

The Front Frame, instead, modifies stiffness to give better front-end ‘feel’ at extreme lean angles. What’s more, the bike includes DTC and DQS up/down EVO 2 strategies.

Thanks to a new ‘predictive’ control strat-egy, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2 significantly improves out-of-the-corner power control; Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS) EVO 2, instead, shortens up-shift times, allowing sportier high-rev gear shifts (over 10,000 rpm) and boosting shift stability

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during aggressive accelera-tion and cornering.

To hone bike balance throughout the ride, chang-es to the suspension set-up have focused on redefining suspension stiffness, center of gravity height and chain force angle.

The outcome: a bike that’s easier to lay into corners,

gets to the apex faster, soaks up any pits or ripples more effectively and behaves more neutrally out of the bend.

For 2020, the bike features specially-developed Ride by Wire system mappings with several torque delivery con-trol logics.

Powering the Panigale V4 is the 1103 cc Desmosedici

Stradale: a MotoGP-derived 90° V4 with Desmodro-mic timing, a one-of-a-kind engine with a counter-rotat-ing crankshaft and Twin Pulse firing order.

The engine can deliver 214 hp at 13,000 rpm and a torque of 12.6 kgm at 10,000 rpm, making for extremely satisfying road riding.

The Panigale V4 MY2020 features new specially devel-oped Ride by Wire sys-tem mappings with several torque delivery control set-tings. Track-dedicated RbW mapping aligns rider demand with delivered torque more closely, resulting in smoother, more predictable throttle

response. The new torque delivery control strategy lets the rider stabilise more eas-ily on the desired throttle aperture through and out of the corners.

Additionally, linearization of torque curves in gears I, II and III varies according to the selected Power Mode to

minimise stability loss during acceleration.

The Panigale V4 has a lat-est-generation electronics package. Based on a 6-axis inertial platform, it features controls designed to handle every aspect of the ride.

The S version comes with Öhlins event-based elec-

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tronic control; this uses the second-generation Öhlins Smart EC (Electronic Con-trol) system that exploits the full potential of the inertial platform.

Co-developed by Ducati Corse and the Ducati Style Center, the Panigale V4 MY2020 aerodynamics pack-age now mirrors that of the Panigale V4 R.

The Panigale V4 aerody-namics package includes:

Plexiglas screen, nose fair-ing and larger lateral fairings; More efficient lateral vents for radiator through-air; Aer-ofoils.

The new Plexiglas screen - higher and more angled - provides better airflow pro-tection for riders, especially in the helmet and upper shoulder areas.

The screen works in con-cert with a new nose fairing that is higher and wider (+15

mm per side) in the arm-shield zone to reduce arm and shoulder-induced drag on the straights.

The lateral fairings have been widened considerably (+38 mm per side) with the dual aim of reducing on-rider airflow impact and maximis-ing aerofoil efficiency.

On the sides, the stylish air vents of the Panigale V4 have been replaced by more efficient ones that increase

air through-speeds on water and oil radiators by 6% and 16% respectively.

The aerofoils take their cue from those on the GP16, designed before regulations led to restrictions on foil shapes. Consequently, Pani-

gale V4 aerofoils are even more efficient that those cur-rently employed in MotoGP.

These monoplane single-element foils have a trapezoi-dal layout and a profile that tapers from root to tip.

Foil performance has been

improved thanks to the insertion of the longitudi-nally arranged strake and the winglet which ‘insulates’ the airflow over its surfaces.

To ensure the required strength and stiffness, Pani-gale V4 aerofoils are made


of fibreglass-reinforced ther-moplastic.

Working in concert with the fairing design, the aero-foils increase overall down-force (+30 kg at 270 kph).

Greater downforce reduc-es both front wheel ‘floating’ at high speed and the ten-dency to wheel-up while giv-ing a boost to stability during braking at the turn-in point and through the corner.

This dynamic behaviour lets riders - against a small

increase in steering torque that stems from the height-ened stability - lower lap times as it reduces electronic control intervention, helping riders keep the throttle open longer and brake later, even when cornering has already begun.

Major changes on the Pani-gale V4 MY 2020 chassis have seen the introduction of the Front Frame.

Built according to Ducati Corse specifications, the

latter features a special suspension set-up with a higher center of gravity, an increased chain force angle and improved use of suspen-sion travel.

Thanks to these modifica-tions, the bike is easier to lay into the corner when you ease off the brakes, gets to the apex faster, soaks up any pits or ripples more effec-tively and behaves more neu-trally out of the corner.

So the new Panigale hasn’t

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changed its soul, but it’s undoubtedly softened up in the reactions it transmits to the rider.

Needless to say, it goes strong in an almost incon-siderate way and remains a specialist bike from which only a rider can get the most out of, but it’s a fact that with today’s bike the more you go down with the riding

skills the more comfortable you feel.

Because if a rider is used to riding “above the problems”, and can handle certain situ-ations, the amateur needs a bike that first of all reassures him. The arrival of the new Aeropackage and the inter-ventions received from the chassis go exactly in that direction.

The new V4 probably lost some speed when changing direction, but it was so much faster than the others that it could even afford to take a small step back.

Also because you then enjoy a precise bike that tackles the delicate braking and cornering phase with more harmony and that, lap after lap, always responds in

the same way, giving you the feeling of being able to put it where you want it; invit-ing you, in the end, to push harder and harder.

The Panigale V4 was and remains the most agile bike,

the best braking of all, char-acteristics that emerge in every comparison and that will probably emerge again this time.

With the difference that today the Ducati V4 has

blunted the edges because it is always agile, but less “imprecise”, always furious in acceleration, but better han-dled by a throttle that, if it has not yet reached the per-fection of response of some

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competitors, has however made enormous progress.

Everything is not yet per-fect, if you let go of the brakes early on the Ducati there is still a pinch of under-steer, the bike “runs”, but the progress is evident in my opinion and in general the

whole chassis is more in tune with the rider.

In a nutshell, you feel the bike more in your hands because, even when there is a disturbance (for example, climbing a kerb at full throt-tle), it used to almost amplify, now it dampens immediately.

The V4 also contributes to the improvement of the bike, thanks above all to new throttle opening logics that make the throttle manage-ment more homogeneous, especially when the bike is inclined. It’s a mix of engine mapping and controls that

makes throttle management softer and allows you to ride better.

The new Panigale V4 finally does just that: it makes you ride better.

Its monstrous power is impressive, but not scary, the chassis and suspension reactions are more precise,

predictable, while the effect of the aerofoils is sensitive not only at high speed, but stabilizes the bike in many situations.

The result is that, if you used to fight a little bit with the bike, it’s now more spon-taneous to look for your limit and you can maintain a

consistent performance lap after lap. All this has been achieved thanks to a better collaboration between the various technical elements of the bike: chassis, engine, electronics that work in close correlation to give a riding efficiency that finally convinces

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DUCATI SUPERLEGGERA V4


For Ducati, the Superleggera V4 - a limited edition of just 500 individually numbered bikes - represents the pinnacle of engi-neering, innovation, attention

to detail and customer care. The Superlegge-ra V4 is extreme, designed and developed to achieve maximum on-track performance and ensure all the reliability and rider-friendliness of a road-legal sport bike.

Many of the components are in carbon fibre. These include the streamlined fair-ing, which offers an aerodynamic efficiency that matches and exceeds that of current MotoGP bikes. Desmosedici GP16-derived ‘biplane’ wings guarantee a downforce of 50 kg at 270 kph, 20 kg more than that gener-ated by the wings on the Panigale V4 MY20

and V4 R. Thanks to biplane-configured air-foils that work in concert with a fairing that shields the rider’s body at high speeds, the Superleggera V4 Aero Package is actu-ally more effective than the one currently employed on MotoGP bikes.

This design ensures 50 kg of downforce at 270 kph, 20 kg more than that generated by the airfoils on the Panigale V4 MY20 and V4 R.

Beneath the carbon skin lies the Desmo-sedici Stradale R engine, lighter and more powerful than ever. The 998 cc 90° V4 that powers the Superleggera V4 weighs, in fact, 2.8 kg less than the 1103 cc V4.

The Desmosedici Stradale R that pow-ers the Superleggera V4 delivers, in the bike’s road-legal configuration, 224 hp at

For Ducati, the Superleggera V4 represents the pinnacle of engineering, innovation, attention to detail and customer care.

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15,250 rpm and a torque of 11.8 kgm at 11,750 rpm (EU homologation figures).

That figure rises to 234 hp when the non-homologated titanium Akrapovic exhaust, included in the Racing Kit supplied with the bike, is fitted.

At the heart of the Super-leggera V4 lies a V4 engine, lightened thanks to the use of titanium and aluminium

bolts. The engine, featuring cylinders banked 42° back from the horizontal, has been designed to act as a fully stressed member of the vehi-cle.

Cylinder bore is 81 mm, with the pistons performing a 48.4 mm stroke thanks to a forged steel counter-rotat-ing crankshaft driven by four titanium con rods with a cen-tre-to-centre of 104.3 mm.

On the Superleggera V4 the Desmosedici Stradale R is equipped with an STM EVO-SBK dry clutch made of machined-from-solid alumin-ium with a 48-tooth clutch basket and plate set; there are 8 take-up plates and 8 drive plates with a diameter of 138 mm.

The dry clutch gives greatly improved ‘feel’ during brak-ing and through the corners.


It also allows personalisation of the degree of ‘mechani-cal’ engine braking and, with the as-standard open car-bon fibre clutch cover, is characterised by that iconic mechanical rumble which Ducati fans find irresistible.

Thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre, titanium and machined-from-solid aluminium components, the Superleggera V4 has a dry

weight of just 159 kg (16 kg less than the Panigale V4), resulting in a power/weight ratio of 1.41 hp/kg: a record-breaking figure for a road-legal sport bike.

Mounting the Racing kit puts the bike in its track con-figuration, boosting power to 234 hp, dropping the weight to 152.2 kg and raising the power/weight ratio to 1.54 hp/kg.

The carbon fibre frame and swingarm were 100% internally designed by Ducati, making full use of Ducati Corse experience in terms of calculation procedures, material selection and test methods.

During development, com-ponents underwent stringent final tests to ensure integrity under all possible conditions and each item underwent a

quality control process simi-lar to that used in MotoGP.

The refined Superleggera V4 suspension chassis set-up is completed by race-grade suspension and braking com-ponents.

For example, the Superleg-gera V4 mounts an Öhlins suspension system that, over-all, weighs 0.6 kg less than the

one on the Panigale V4. Up front there’s an Öhlins

NPX25/30 pressurised upside-down 43 mm fork with machined-from-solid aluminium fork bottoms. At the rear, instead, an Öhlins TTX36 shock absorber equipped with titanium spring and MotoGP-

At the front end, the brak-

ing system consists of two 330 mm Brembo discs work-ing in concert with Brembo Stylema R monobloc calipers, a Ducati exclusive for this bike only: the racing-derived pistons feature cooling holes that improve brake lever travel stability, even after numerous laps, and reduce residual torque.

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The front brakes are oper-ated by a Brembo MCS 19.21 radial pump with remote adjuster and CNC-machined lever to reduce drag. At the rear, instead, is a single 245 mm disc.

The Superleggera V4 fea-tures a latest-generation electronics package based on a 6-axis inertial platform that instantaneously detects the bike’s roll, yaw and pitch

angles. Operational param-eters for each control are associated by default with three reprogrammed Riding Modes (Race A, Race B and Sport).

There are also - for the very first time - five addi-tional Riding Modes that can be personalised with the rid-er’s preferred settings. Riders can monitor lap times via the upgraded Lap Timer which

can record finish line coordi-nates and intermediate times for five different circuits.

High aerodynamic efficien-cy, a specifically tuned sus-pension set-up and a record-breaking power/weight ratio ensure outstanding stability in acceleration and unmatched cornering agility, giving riders confident control and letting them perform to the highest level.


FABIO TAGLIONI

by Giuliano Musi


One hundred years have passed since the birth in Lugo of the engineer Fabio Taglioni, considered one of the greatest post-

war designers in the field of racing motor-cycles and of common use, author of many projects, including the trellis frame, the “L” engine and the application of the desmodro-mic system to Ducati engines.

Perhaps by chance, but Romagna has always been passionate about “e mutor” and it was almost obvious that young Fabio, who grew up in this environment and with his father who owns a workshop, would end up dedi-cating his life to it.

Engineer Fabio Taglioni was born in Lugo on September 10, 1920, the city that also

gave birth to the aeronautical ace Francesco Baracca.

In homage to his famous fellow citizen, Taglioni had the famous prancing horse put on some Ducati racing vehicles (such as the 100 cc that won many races), which later became the symbol of Ferrari.

His passion for engines was born while attending his father Biagio’s workshop and for this reason he decided to enrol in scien-tific high school and later in engineering.

After graduating in mechanical engineering in Bologna in 1948, late because of the war events, and having participated in the Sec-ond World War, he started teaching at the Technical Institute for Industrial Engineers in Imola.

His passion for engines led him to make

The man who saved Ducati


continuous experiments and projects and it was from one of these, made together with his students, that his first rac-ing engine came to life, which was then materially made by Ceccato.

It was with this engine that engineer Taglioni made himself known, having then

the great chance with the Mondial. His first industrial experiences were in Cec-cato and Mondial, but he achieved the highest techni-cal results in Ducati, thanks to his particular concept of the desmodromic system, which remains very valid and still used today on the

engines of the Borgo Panigale motorcycles.

His initial fame, however, came from the Mondial 175, drived by Tarquinio Provini, who scored victories in the “Giro d’Italia” and the World Championship.

For this series of victories, Dr. Montano, general man-

ager of Ducati, immediately came up with the idea of hir-ing Taglioni and offered him very advantageous economic conditions and complete freedom of design.

Taglioni decided to take the

big step, went to Ducati and it seems that already on the first day in the new factory, on May 1, 1954, he sat down at the drawing board and started to produce the rac-ing engines which later made

the Borgo Panigale brand’s fortune.

It is obvious that Taglioni intimately wanted to show to Mondial what design skills he had and how it was wrong to let a world-class designer

Ducati 250 Mach1 engine (1961).

Ducati 250 Mach1 engine (1961).


slip through his fingers. His creative vein immediately gave life to Ducati’s first real racing bike, the Gran Sport Marianna.

In those years, the races that attracted incredible crowds were those on the road, such as the “Milano-Taranto” and the “Motogiro” organised by

the sports newspaper “Sta-dio” di Bologna.

Ducati’s general man-ager, Montano, immediately understood that every vic-tory ensured a high jump in sales.

Thanks to his experience, Taglioni designed models such as the 100 cc and 125

cc Marianna, which made his-tory in the World Cham-pionship, and even touched the overall title, as well as making a breakthrough in the national “Motogiro” and in all the Italian rankings.

The 100 cc “Gran Sport Marianna” was therefore the starting point from which

to increase the displacement, which materialized in 125 and 125 “Bialbero”.

Just two years after entering Ducati, the 125 GP Desmo made its debut, a model that represents the future of the Borgo Panigale company.

The 125 Desmo took to the track at Cesena, driven by Degli Antoni, and finished

in sixth place, but shortly afterwards it won in Swe-den at Hedemora, a test not valid for the World Champi-onship.

Gandossi took his first win at Spa the following year.

Taglioni also designed an experimental 50 and the 175 which raced in the “Motogi-ro” and “Milan-Taranto”, but

these races were cancelled. For this reason, the 175

was hijacked on the World Tour with Tartarini and Mon-etti.

Taglioni then had the great idea of developing the desmodromic system in an original way, which is still the basis of Ducati’s engines, a solution with which the

The Mark 3D model is the first production motorcycle with desmodromic head. The crankcase is the new wide one, suitable for engines from 250 cc to 450 cc.


Bolognese company won and obtained excellent placings in the MotoGP championship, as well as dominating the Superbike World Champion-ship for many years.

The idea came to him as he watched the machine sewing of his wife: he noticed that the arm that controlled the up and down of the needle

was integral to the entire sewing system and that there were no dead stitches or unnecessary friction.

This gave him the cue to design the desmodromic system that made the valve return control spring unnec-essary.

Taglioni was sensitive to novelties and open to any

adventure, especially if it implied the use of some mechanical means; for this reason he always tried to put in all his creations, from com-petition to commercial prod-ucts, a pinch of originality that could make it remember beyond the perfect mechani-cal functionality and optimal performance.

This also explains the great interest he nurtured in the travel industry, such as the one carried out between 1957 and 1958 by Tartarini and Monetti on a Ducati 175 designed by Taglioni himself: the two of them travelled

around the world, covering 60,000 thousand kilometres on all continents.

The 175 cc was one of his creatures, designed to win the “Giro d’Italia Moto-ciclistico” and the “Milano-Taranto”, so he had personal

reasons, in addition to cor-porate reasons, to hope that the “Giro del Mondo” would be a great success.

He followed daily the move-ments, the progress of the journey and also at home he told his wife and children the

Ducati Pantah engine.Ducati Pantah engine.


most interesting aspects. Taglioni soon understood

that more powerful engines could be made by coupling those already available, i.e. combining 100, 125 and 175 already well equipped in terms of horsepower so as

to have 200, 250 and 350 unbeatable.

He accepted the challenge and won it also thanks to the request of Sir Stanley Hailwood, for whom he built, for his son Mike, a 250 cc desmodromic twins engine

that was unrivalled and he wiped out titles in Great Britain.

The next step was a 350 cc, obtained by coupling two 175, designed for Surtees and which, after an initial use by Hailwood, was sold to Ken

Kavanagh, an excellent Aus-tralian rider, ex Norton, who, thanks to the 350, dominated the Australian championship.

The decisive leap in quality in the pairings took place thanks to the Desmo, because it allowed a higher rotation

speed than that achieved by the competititor.

The small loss of power that arises from any coupling between engines of lower displacements was thus eas-ily overcome.

If the program had been

continued to its maximum development, Ducati would have won many world cham-pioniship in various displace-ments for many seasons.

At this point, it is easy to understand how Mr. Tagli-oni was one of the most

Fabio Taglioni, at the 1972 200 Miglia di Imola, with Smart, Spairani (Commercial Director of Ducati at the time) and Spaggiari.


important and representa-tive men of Ducati, both for the importance of his tech-nical inventions (he carried out about 1000 engine and motorcycle projects) and for the charge he was able to instill in his team.

Thanks to the commercial

successes achieved, Taglioni was then able to expand the Ducati range, following above all the requests from the USA, thanks to the importer Berliner: thus, at the end of 1967, the 350 Mark 3D, the first road Desmo, was born.

Taglioni was also respon-

sible for the introduction of the L-twin engine: in 1969, in an attempt to return to every track in the world, he designed a 500 cc L engine that would equip a racing bike that would not, howev-er, achieve great results, also due to the limited financial

resources available. That engine, however, was

the basis of the 750 cc: the first version will equip the 750 GT model with valve springs and bevel gear dis-tribution, a real jewel of mechanics; Then a 750 Sport will be released, at last the famous 750 SS Desmo now disputed at stratospheric prices.

In the same way, Taglioni was the author of the Pantah engine: in fact, in the mid 1970s, a questionable choice was made to remove the Mark and Scrambler single-cylinder engines from Duca-ti production, which were replaced by parallel-twin engines strongly opposed by the Engineer.

The commercial flop was

great and Taglioni was asked to find a solution to the problem. At the end of 1978 was presented the 500 Pan-tah, an L-twin cylinder engine with 90° inclined of 15°.

The novelty was the adop-tion of a belt driven for dis-tribution instead of expen-sive bevel ones.

This engine, revised and updated to the techniques

Ducati 750 F1 engine.

Ducati 750 F1 engine.


of the various periods in its many versions, is the longest in Ducati’s motor history and still equips current vehicles.

Its position of great impor-tance for almost 40 years in Ducati (after his retirement he collaborated until 1995)

is also testified by an event: when the Texas fund TPG decided to buy the Bolog-nese brand, the top manag-ers of the fund left Texas and went to Taglioni’s house to question him about Ducati’s technical prospects and to

give him the chance to design a new engine; the Engineer thanked them, but as he was now retired and he refused the job.

Indeed, all his energy was focused on the great love of his life, the orchids, of

which he had also made very interesting and innovative hybrids.

If Ducati exists today and has become a worldwide reality, much of it is due to Taglioni, because when he joined Ducati things were going very badly: His financial resources were in fact zero, and if jewels like the 100 and 125 Marianna, which had maximum success in racing and sales, hadn’t come out of his mind, Ducati Meccanica

would almost certainly have failed.

Same for the L-cylinder in its various versions, from the bevel gears to the Pantah.

It should be noted, then, that Taglioni always remained faithful to Ducati, rejecting all the numerous offers that came to him, such as that of moving to MV: despite a stratospheric offer from “Cascina Costa”, he refused for the love he had for “his Ducati”.

Taglioni was so far ahead and appreciated in the world of racing mechanics that even Ferrari asked him for advice on the “Testa Rossa 2000 Sport”. He went to Maranel-lo, spoke at length with the Drake who gave him a copy of the plans for the new model, but then there were no interesting developments.

Engineer Taglioni died at his home in Bologna on 18 July 2001 and rests in his family’s grave in the Imola cemetery.

Massimo Bordi andFabio Taglioni.


GROwTh IN TURNOVER

Ducati closes 2019 positively, consolidating the growth that has characterized the last years of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer.

53,183 (2018: 53,004) bikes were delivered to customers all over the world, a result that allowed sales to remain above 50,000 units for the fifth consecutive year, confirming the positive signs of the market which, in the above 500 cc segment, recorded a global growth of 1.4%.

The turnover, at the end of 2019, reached

Euro 716 million (2018: Euro 699 million) with growth of 2.4%, an operating profit of Euro 52 million (2018: Euro 49 million) and an operating margin of 7.2%, against 7%reached by the Borgo Panigale manufac-turer last year.

Particularly significant is the turnover per bike figure, which with about Euro 13,500 / motorcycle represents the highest value in the history of the company, clearly indicat-ing the evolutionary trend of the range of products offered towards the highest and premium part of the market, fully consistent


with the founding values of the brand “Style, Sophistica-tion, Performance. Trust”.

The Panigale and Multist-rada have been instrumental in achieving this result.

The Panigale was the best-selling super sports bike in the world for the second

consecutive year, with a mar-ket share of 25%, while with the addition of the 950 S and the renewed 1260 Enduro to the range, the

Multistrada family recorded the highest value of motor-cycles sold since entering the market in 2003.

Today Ducati Motor Holding has a total of 1,655 employ-ees. The sales network of the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer includes 720 dealers and service points in over 90 countries


NEw DUCATI SCRAMBLER

The first public appearance for the new Ducati Scram-bler 1100 PRO was featured in a special lecture held at ArtCenter College of Desi-

gn in Pasadena, California. In attendance were students, journalists, influencers and fans who discussed and analyzed the bikes’ design under the guidance of Jeremy Faraud,

Ducati Design Centre Designer and “father” to the Ducati Scrambler 1100. Among the guests was also Alessandro Del Piero, inter-national soccer icon and passionate motor-

cyclist. The collaboration with ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena confirms the great attention that the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer dedicates to the design world. This college is in fact one of the most renowned design institutes in the world, an undisputed reference for indus-trial design, visual disciplines and applied arts, since 1930.

Jeremy Faraud’s testimony allowed a direct comparison with the students involved, who have been asked to design the Ducati Scrambler of the future. Ducati’s designers


will evaluate all submissions and recruit one student for an internship at the Ducati Design Centre.

The Pasadena event will also be followed in Bologna, where a second training and meeting event, involving the most important Italian design institutes.

A fun experience is guar-anteed on the new Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO and Sport PRO, thanks to their

iconic style and sense of free-dom, along with their agility and safety features. Created for those who love to ride motorcycles even outside the city with the option of having a passenger, these new models are a further tribute to the bike that identifies the Ducati Scrambler Land Of Joy.

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO stands out for its new two-tone “Ocean Drive”

color scheme, combined with a black steel trellis frame, rear aluminum subframe and aluminum covers.

A new right-side dual tail-pipe and low-slung plate hold-er ensure distinctive rear-end styling and, with the new livery, gives the bike a coiled, compact look. Another hall-mark is the framed headlight; inspired by the protective adhesive tape used back in the 1970s, a black metal “X”


has been incorporated inside the headlight.

This is a detail that makes the bike instantly identifiable, even with the lights off.

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO is the most-mus-cular version in the Scram-bler family. It features all the styling details of the PRO, but with Öhlins suspension, low-slung handlebars and Café

Racer rear-view mirrors. The 1100 Sport PRO also

features a matte black color scheme, complemented by side panels sporting a paint-ed 1100 logo.

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 PROs are also at the forefront of electronics and safety. They are equipped with Ducati Traction Control (DTC) calibrated specifically

for these models, and ABSCornering, which ensures

safety on every bend. The three standard Riding Modes (Active, Journey and City) help even less-experienced riders find the right balance in the use of electronic fea-tures by choosing their riding style.


DANILOPETRUCCI

The 2020 MotoGP Season was supposed to begin near-ly one month ago in Qatar for the Ducati Team, where just a few weeks earlier they

had completed the last MotoGP pre-season test. Unfortunately, at the same time in Euro-pe, the Covid-19 started to spread, stopping not just the sporting world but also whole countries, like Italy, which was one of the worst-affected nations by the virus.

A mandatory isolation period has been introduced by the Italian Government to stop the spread of the virus, and of course, also Danilo Petrucci is respecting the meas-ure in his house in Terni. “For sure spending so much time at home, staying away from our friends is not the ideal situation. But at this time it is the only way that we have to solve this problem together. By staying at home following the instructions that are given us by the Govern-

ment, we can help each other. The situation is difficult, but it can only improve if we endure it a little bit more”.

The Ducati rider also explained how he is spending these days at home: “I am trying to use this time to solve some physical issues, like the problem I had at my shoulder last year in Valencia and some that I have in a leg. I am doing some physiotherapy at home, some light training and I am also focusing on my diet”.

Of course, during these days of lockdown, Petrucci doesn’t have the chance to train on a bike, and he declared that what he is miss-ing the most is doing motocross with his teammate Andrea Dovizioso. “I hear Andrea nearly every day, and we text each other a lot. In these days, I miss the most doing motocross with him and training together, also because right now I can’t really ride anything!”

The last time the Ducati riders were able to sit on the Desmosedici GP20 bikes


was more than a month ago, during the final winter test that was held in Qatar from 22nd-24th February 2020: “I was delighted with the test at Losail. I think I was one of the few riders that covered the whole distance in the race simulation by completing 22 laps. The bike is an evolution of the previous year, but the big difference now is the tyres. We worked a lot on trying to adjust the bike setup and the riding style”.

Speaking about the future, Petrucci declared his goals for 2020 and his expecta-tions from the championship, now that the new calendar has tightened up towards the end of the season: “This is my second year with the Ducati Team, and I am proud of it. This year I would like to improve my performance compared to last season. In 2019 I got my first win in MotoGP, and I was able to fight for the third position in the standings until

there were two races to go. This year I want to fight for that placement during the whole championship. For sure, this season will be a surprise for everybody. We are not used to such an intense programme! The calendar is extremely tight, especially in the last months, so we need to do a good mental and physical preparation and try to rest now because then we won’t have time. Honestly, I can’t wait to face this demand-ing calendar!”


ANDREADOVIzIOSO

The ongoing Coronavirus out-break has put on hold the start of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, and, during these months, diffe-

rent countries in the world are also adopting lockdown measures and travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Italy has been one of the states most affected by the Covid-19, and since the last 9th March, all citizens are spending their times at home fighting together against the Coronavirus emergency.

Based in Forlì, Andrea Dovizioso is also respecting the measure in his house, and he told about his feelings on it in this interview: “Nobody expected the situation to turn out this bad, so it is really strange. Now it is crucial to stay at home. I know it is difficult, but we all have to try to go out only when needed, also because

it seems that this measure is working, so we need to continue like this”.

The Ducati Team rider also explained how he is coping with the lockdown and how he is spending his days. “At the beginning, it was quite hard. My girlfriend and I did a few house-work, but now things have changed a little. My daughter is staying with us, and there is a lot of work to do with her”.

Apart from spending time with his fam-ily, Dovizioso explained how he is taking advantage of these weeks to increase his workouts: “I am training harder than before. Normally, our schedule is tight. We have to train, but also find some time to rest to be ready for the race weekend. Now I can train as much as I want”.

Speaking also about his passion for moto-cross, Dovi added: “I am trying to follow moto-cross as much as I can, also because in America


they are allowed to continue their activities, so I can watch what they’re doing. For me, it is like a sort of time to recharge”.

Before the cancellation of the opening MotoGP Grand Prix for 2020, which was due on the last 8th March in Qatar, the Ducati Team riders Dovizioso and Petrucci were able to undergo two official preseason tests in February, in Malaysia and Qatar, where they worked on the final development of their Desmosedici GP20 bikes.

Looking back to those two three-day tests

the Ducati rider said: “I think that two presea-son tests are not enough for us. Our bodies are not ready yet to ride that much for three consecu-tive days. I spend most of the time trying new items, and we also need to be sure before decid-ing on which way continuing our development. That is why I am usually not that fast during the tests. I always try to try the materials during the right time and with certain tyres because I want to give the right feedback”.

Speaking on the new tyre solutions intro-duced by Michelin this year he also added: “At

the beginning, it looked like the new tyres weren’t adapting well to our riding style and our charac-teristics. But I think, in the end, we were able to improve the overall feeling with the bike during the Qatar Test. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean that we will be fine on all race tracks. The rear tyres are different, and they affect the front tyres a lot. We did a lot of laps, but during a test, it is difficult to find the same conditions as in the race”.

The Ducati Team rider also stated his goal for the 2020 season, which hasn’t changed from the years before: “Of course, we head into the new season to fight for the championship. If that will be possible, we are only able to find out during the season, but it is always difficult as there are a lot of fast riders. It is hard to be the best, but you need to have this mindset to become like that”.

�� MD DOSSIER APRIL �0�0

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