Ducati Motor Holding (NYSE: DMH) is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer located in Bologna.

Ducati motorcycles have long been known for their excellence in design and performance. From the first post-war bicycle-like low-displacement motorbikes Ducati has grown over the years into a racing giant that is consistently competitive in both the racing arena and the world motorcycle marketplace.

In the 1960s, Ducati earned its place in motorcycling history by producing the fastest 250cc road bike available, the Mach 1.

In the 1970s Ducati began producing large-displacement L-twin motorcycles and in 1973 released a L-twin with the trademark desmodromic valve design. In 1985, Cagiva bought Ducati and rebadged many of the Ducati motorcycles with the lesser-known Cagiva name (at least outside of Italy). In 1996, Texas Pacific Group bought 51% of the company for $325 million and renamed the company Ducati Motor SpA. In December 2005 Ducati went back into Italian hands with the sale of Texas Pacific's stake to Investindustrial Holdings, the investment fund of Carlo and Andrea Bonomi.

Ducati is best known for high performance motorcycles characterized by trellis-style frames and large capacity four-stroke, 90-degree L-twin engines featuring a desmodromic valve design. Modern Ducatis remain among the dominant performance motorcycles available today partly because of the Desmo valve design, which is nearing its 50th year in production. (Desmodromic valves are closed with a separate, dedicated cam lobe and lifter instead of the conventional valve springs used in most internal combustion engines). While most other manufacturers have adopted wet-clutches (with the spinning parts bathed in oil) Ducati uses dry clutches in almost all of their motorcycles. This 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. Although the higher than average cost of servicing the Ducati's finicky engine can shock some owners, most will still agree that the improved ride quality, performance, and styling of Ducatis is worth the extra cost.

Product history

Ducati now manufactures several lines of motorcycles: naked sport bikes: Ducati Monster, faired sport bikes: 800 and DS1000 Supersports, superbike 749 and 999, adventure-tourer Multistrada 600 and DS1000, tourers ST3s, and retro-replicas SportClassic.

The chief designer of Ducati motorcycles since the 1970s was the late Fabio Taglioni (1920-2001). He introduced the Pantah in 1979; its engine was updated in the 1990s in the SuperSport (SS) series. All modern Ducati engines are derivatives of the Pantah, which uses a toothed belt to actuate the engine's valves.

In 1993, Miguel Angel Galuzzi introduced the Ducati Monster[1] , a naked bike with exposed trellis and engine. Today the Monster accounts for almost half of the company's worldwide sales. The Monster, which has been out since 1994, has undergone the most changes of any motorcycle that Ducati has ever produced. After more than a decade of manufacturing, Ducati continues to create innovative changes to this classic motorcycle.

In 1995, the company introduced the Ducati 916 model designed by Massimo Tamburini, a water-cooled version that allowed for higher output levels and a striking new bodywork that featured aggressive lines, underseat exhausts, and a single-sided swingarm. Ducati has since ceased production of what many called the bike of the 1990s, supplanting it with the 749 and 999.

In 2005, Ducati introduced its concept supermotard motorcycle, the HyperMotard. The company has announced this bike will enter production in time for delivery by spring 2007.

Motorcycle design history

Ducati (in its various incarnations) has produced several styles of motorcycle engines, including varying the number of cylinders, type of valve actuation and fuel delivery. Ducati is best known for its "L-Twin" motor which is the powerplant in the majority of Ducati-marqued motorcycles.

On current motors, the valves are actuated by a standard valve cam shaft which is rotated by a belt driven by the motor directly. Timing is maintained by teeth on the belt which keep the cam shaft drive pulleys indexed. On older Ducati motors (prior to 1981) a solid shaft with a bevel-shaped gear on the end, mating with the valve cam shaft at 90-degrees was used. This style of valve actuation was used on all of Ducati's older engines, starting with the oldest single cylinder motorcycles.

Ducati is also famous for using desmodromic valve operation championed by engineer/designer Fabio Taglioni, but on older bikes, there were many standard-type spring-closed valve engines. Ducati saved the desmodromic valve heads for its higher performance bikes as well as its race bikes. Engineer Fabio Taglioni knew that desmodromic valves do not suffer from valve float at high engine speeds, thus a desmodromic engine is capable of far higher RPMs than a similarly configured engine with traditional spring-valve heads. Read the entry on desmodromic valves to explain positive opening/closing of valves versus traditional spring valves.

A quick summary of the engine styles with the Ducati name:

• • Single cylinder, bevel actuated, spring valved: 160cc, 250cc, 350cc
  • Single cylinder, bevel actuated, desmo valved: 350cc and 450cc

• • Two cylinder, bevel actuated, spring valved (L-Twin): 750cc, 860cc
  • Two cylinder, bevel actuated, desmo valved (L-Twin): 750cc, 860cc
  • Two cylinder, chain actuated, spring valved (parallel twin): 350cc, 500cc (GTL)
  • Two cylinder, chain actuated, desmo valved (parallel twin): 350cc, 500cc (GTV)
  • Two cylinder, belt actuated, desmo valved (L-Twin): Almost all motors since 1984.

• • Four cylinder, belt actuated, desmo valved (L-quattro): Only the Desmosedici GP6 race bike currently
  • Four cylinder, bevel actuated, desmo valved (L-4): The Apollo concept motorcycle, 1200 cc.

Company history (apart from motorcycles)

Ducati Meccanica (as the company was previously known) has its marque on non-motorcycle products as well. In the 1940s, Ducati manufactured radios, cameras, and bicycle products. The Ducati Sogno [2] was a half-frame Leica work-alike camera which is now a very rare collectors' item.

Racing History

The company has enjoyed eleven World Superbike championships since the series' inception in 1988. The company also races its motorcycles in MotoGP where it returns from a hiatus of over 30 years.

World Superbike Championships

• • 1990
  • 1991
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1995
  • 1996
  • 1998
  • 1999
  • 2001
  • 2003
  • 2004

See also

List of Italian companies

List of Ducati motorcycle models

External links

Official Ducati links:

• Ducati main website The manufacturer's main website; current model info, including online information, history, manuals and race team info (Italian/English)
• Ducati North America website Ducati NA information for USA and Canada.
• Ducati Japan website Ducati NA information for Japan (Japanese).

Enthusiast and owner group sites:

• Ducati Multistrada List Ducati Multistrada pictures, discussion, technical assistance, owner feedback forums, ride stories, links, manuals, movies, marketplace, racing and more (English).
• Duc.nu Ducati pictures, manuals, movies, racing and more (Dutch/English).
• Ducati Webring Created in 1996 this webring is a collective of currently 132 active Ducati related websites.
• Ducati Monster List USA-based Monster Owners resource and community forum site
• The Ducati Owners Club GB The largest and oldest Ducati club worldwide, based in the UK.
• The Ducati Sporting Club Home of the UK's newest club for Ducati owners and enthusiasts.
• The Monster Owners Club UK-based club for Ducati Monster Owners
• UK Ducati Forum (Ducatisti.co.uk) Free forum for chat and technical help, pictures, videos, classifieds, meets, ride-outs and more!
• BevelHeaven - Classic Bevel Drive Ducati Forum Ducati Singles and Twins through until 1985.
• Ducati Meccanica Website Information, photos, and resources for all classic Ducati Bevel drive motorcycles (1954 to 1985).
• Wheels Of Italy Ducatis and other Italian Motorcycles
• Ducati Owners site and home to the largest MH900e registry
• The Ducati Portal Ducati owners discussion site, all Ducati bikes.

Ducati technical reference sites:

• Desmo Times This site includes DIY information and resources for Ducati Enthusiasts to be able to maintain their own Ducatis.
• Desmodromic Valve Gear What does desmo mean?