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After a blip at Jerez, Andrea Dovizioso returned Ducati to the MotoGP podium with third place in Sunday's French MotoGP.
The Italian lost second place to countryman Valentino Rossi on lap 13 of 28, later backing off to ensure his fourth rostrum from five starts.

“We have to be happy because we are back on the podium, we already make four podiums in five races, so this is really good. We don't have to forget that, but it was another confirmation that we miss a little bit to fight for the victory,” Dovizioso said.

“We have the speed, also at the beginning when Lorenzo made a really incredible lap time. But maybe we still use too much grip to go fast and after a few laps I can't keep the same lap time.

“But we are very close. Today we finish 12 seconds behind, but only because I slowed down at the end. There was no reason to take risk. But I believe we are very close to the Yamaha so we have to keep fighting.”

Pressed further on what exactly the Desmosedici GP15 needs, Dovizioso...

A cheeky sneaky preview.....

Picked up my new bike this weekend and found time for a 200k ride. Previously owned a 2010 and 2013 model.

First impressions. The finish the best yet, no fasteners on panels and cable runs all tucked away nicely giving a high quality look to the bike. The switch gear all worked really well and easy to use. I will shorten the high beam toggle as the gloves caught it going for the clutch on several occasions, flashing oncoming traffic. The heated grips now have their own switch, hazard lights present, cruise control brilliant, and the colour screen really clear and easy to set all the parameters. A stunning looking bike.

It is by far the best handling multi I have owned. I have always felt the earlier models didn’t tip into corners without a fair amount of counter steer effort. The new bike is beautifully balance, tips into corners with a minimum of fuss and tracks flawlessly around them, it is such an easy bike to ride and will be a fantastic touring bike it is so effortless....

Following its successful unveiling at last year’s EICMA trade show held in Milan in November, production of the Diavel Titanium, a limited 500-bike edition, is now under way. The first bikes are already arriving at UK Ducati Stores, inevitably causing a buzz among those with a passion for the special versions created by Ducati.

Built using only the finest components and featuring plenty of exclusive details, the Diavel Titanium, in addition to inheriting the undisputed dynamic performance common to all the other models in the Diavel family, embodies a style that merges design, performance and technology. These aspects together with the outstanding craftsmanship of this unique version, adds a new dimension to the meaning of exclusivity.

The Diavel Titanium is ready for delivery: style, excellence and craftsmanship have given rise to a version for those with a passion for Bologna "specials"
Titanium, carbon fibre, top-quality finish and dedicated design plus billet components
This...

A new absolute sales record was achieved in April with the delivery of 7,309 bikes, up by 29% compared to April 2014. The previous sales record held by Ducati was in May 2012, with the delivery of 6,500 bikes. Overall, 17,881 bikes were sold in the first four months of 2015, showing a 10% increase compared to last year, and setting another record for Ducati.

The launch of new products that enhance the 2015 Ducati model range, including Scrambler, 1299 Panigale and new Multistrada 1200, contributed to achieve such positive results. With their innovative styles, technologies and performance they have truly won over the Ducatisti, together with new customers all over the world.
7,309 Ducati bikes delivered to customers in April 2015
Record sales for Ducati, up by 29% compared to April 2014 and 10% growth from start of the year
Record growth in Italy (+ 69%) in April with the Ducati Scrambler as top selling bike
In April 2015 Ducati sales registered a steady growth in Europe, which...

GETTING READY FOR THE OFF

Four weeks after a surgeon had taken his knife out of my nuts and another surgeon had cut out two skin cancers from my face, I thought, what better thing to do than head to the sun on a sports bike.

Let's go to the Spanish MotoGP in Jerez. Nice ride.

Besides the operations weren't a problem, the anesthetics did their job, it was the stitches that really gave me grief. Ooh sir! Especially when it got cold.

So I took off with two tiny panniers and a Ducati Panigale S Tricolore. Who needs these BMW GS's to do these kind of trips, much more fun with a Pornygirly.
The ride down the A3 to Portsmouth was so busy it was enough to make me glad I was leaving the country. Several cars had impaled themselves in the Armco on the northbound carriageway and the southbound was bumper-to-bumper for almost all of it. It was awful. Shouldn't these people still be in work on Friday afternoon? Does the whole of England head to the south coast for the weekend?

It felt like...

This is my 1100 Demon its a 999 frame 996 svingarm 1098 fork and breaks and a 1100ds with Dp camshafts, light flywheel and heads done .

Following an altercation between my bike and a deer last night on a slip road (M49) of the M5 I can confirm that the airbag system on the multistrada works brilliantly.

I hit the deck at around sixty mph and other than some superficial bruising I'm here to tell the tale. The bikes pretty badly damaged (4 weeks old) and the deer had to be put down by the police firearms unit

The airbags worked exactly as expected and I'm sure saved me from a much worse outcome. Ima little black and blue this morning, but thankfully nothing broken. the bike is fixable.

[mod edit - added picture for front page]

The hugely impressive grid of 34 Ducati 899 Panigales was one of the stars of the bank holiday British Superbike Championship this weekend (2-4 May) at Oulton Park in Cheshire. Sunday’s TriOptions Cup showdown produced a thrilling finale, with 2011 champion Leon Morris securing his first victory of 2015.

Behind the fast-starting Carl Cox Motorsport/P&H rider there was an incredible story developing with a number of series front-runners racing through from the back of the field. Having crashed on his out lap in qualifying, reigning TriOptions Cup champion Dennis Hobbs charged off the line on his Carl Cox Motorsport/P&H 899 from 34th slot to be 11th after just one lap of the picturesque circuit. By lap three Hobbs was up to eighth and behind Rob Guiver on the Hyside Motorcycles machine who was soon to become the talking point of the ten-lap showdown.

At mid-distance Guiver began a series of circulations that repeatedly smashed the Ducati TriOptions lap record and hauled the #13...

It's official - I am in love... again.

What a bike. Had it a week and a half or so (lost track of time) and done about 600 miles.

I cannot get over it. The sounds, the feeling, the experience. It is almost overwhelming. I am an emotional bastard at the best of times. I still coo over it. I don't think i will EVER take its beauty and specialness for granted.

The feeling is indescribable. When I ride it I just feel so damn good. I feel very fortunate and grateful that I even own it. My ego gets a boost and people turn and stare at it.
I enjoy waashing it so much. as if I was giving a bed bath to Amanda Holden...

What has surpsied me is that i seem to learn to love it more as every day passes. Does anyone ever get bored with this bike? OK, well, sometimes I just wish it had a touch more power, and other times I scare myself silly on a bend that I underestimated. That's the rub. i guess that is what makes it truly exciting.

I am soooooo glad I bought it. i think I would have...

Still not satiated after a morning watching all Jerez practice and qualy, I found this on Utube, well worth the 17mins watching.

The University of Bologna and Ducati Motor Holding have signed a framework cooperation agreement that will soon see them working together in both the research and training fields. A new Motor Vehicle Engineering module will be introduced as part of the master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, held in Bologna. This module will draw extensively on the support of Bologna’s most renowned motorcycle manufacturer, an internationally acclaimed designer and producer of sports and racing bikes. In addition to the degree module, Ducati will also be funding a new 3-year research project at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering.

This framework agreement further reinforces the long-standing partnership between the Bologna-based bike manufacturer and the University, which today grows even closer thanks to the company’s active participation in some key academic activities.

The most significant new development is the Motor Vehicle Engineering module, introduced by the Faculty of Industrial...

Just a few days after Troy Bayliss officially announced he’ll be taking part in the AMA Pro Flat Track 2015 championship, the first picture of the Ducati on which the three-times World Superbike Champion will be returning to the track has been released.

The bike is built around a Ducati twin-cylinder twin-valve air-cooled motorcycle and is specifically set up for oval track racing, being exactly what inspired the sportiest Ducati Scrambler, the Full Throttle. Like the bike that’ll be ridden by Bayliss, the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle features low-slung wide bars, dual tailpipes on the right-hand side and race number holders, which on Troy’s bike will be displaying the Aussie’s trademark ‘21’.
Troy Bayliss back on the track for five AMA Flat Track races
The Australian will be riding a Ducati-based special inspired by the new Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle
The bike has been built by the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team in close collaboration with Ducati
Made by the Lloyd Brothers...

I had a fun time last weekend test riding a BMW S1000R, KTM Super Adventure and Ducati Multistrada DVT.

I'm in the market for a replacement for my excellent Yamaha Super Tenere - I no longer need to commute by bike so the sensible, reliable S10 can go and I can get something more fun. I'm after the spiritual successor to my KTM 950 Supermoto which was more fun than the most fun thing, but a bit of a pain for distance work (!). I want lots of power, a comfortable riding position, mile munching, and a serious dose of madness.

Obviously I can't ride the BMW S1000XR yet as nobody has any, but with it having the same engine as the S1000R naked streetbike, I rode that instead. I like the torque of twins and haven't had a 4 cylinder for a while, so I wanted to see if I'd like the engine. The S1000XR is going to be pretty much the same power unit.

P&H in Crawley had the KTM Super Adventure in, and just registered a 1200 DVT (non-S base model) on Friday evening so I was able to take it...

I dropped my bike in for it's MOT this morning at P&H and there was a nice new S in it's crate being unpacked. Rather than organising the loan bike I asked Marcus if they had their demo ready, and took it out for a quick hook around the local lanes.
They only have a base model available at the moment, the seat was in it's lowest position and I could get both feet on the floor easily (5' 9"). You feel like you are sitting 'in' the bike more, personally I would prefer it higher (they couldn't find the adjusters to change it)

First impressions?
Smoooooooooooooth, I mean really smooth, more like a triple than a twin, no lurching and clutch slipping at low revs, no chain lash. Very impressed with the engine, torque is fabulous, a little step in power at about 6,000 revs and then it revs up like a cat dipped in boiling oil.

Brakes, front's were fine, seem better than my originals, back brake actually works (for now), I even locked the back slightly. The caliper is odd, it is reversed...

The Ducati TriOptions Cup blasted into action at Brands Hatch this weekend (17-19 April) as the first two races of the year thrilled the Kent crowds.

As the UK’s premier one-make bike racing series the grid of Ducati 899 Panigales always draws plenty of attention over a British Superbike Championship weekend, and with a record 36-bike entry the action this year is set to be more exciting than ever.
Hobbs gets off to perfect title defence
Record Ducati grid lines up to race
Returning champions fight it out at the front
Local rider and race winner at Brands Hatch in 2014 Rob Guiver was the man setting the pace early on in the weekend. He flew out of the blocks in free practice to set the fastest time before securing pole position for Hyside Motorcycles by a tiny margin of 0.083s from the P&H/Carl Cox Motorsport machine of reigning champion Dennis Hobbs.

Guiver held his pole advantage in race one to cross the line first, however in post race scrutineering a technical infringement...

Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso increased his points tally by another 20 points following his third consecutive runner-up finish this season in the Argentina MotoGP.
“Dovi” gained a position to finish on the podium again after Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez came off on the penultimate lap of the race as he tried to regain the lead from eventual winner Valentino Rossi, underlining the consistency of the new GP15 this year.
Dovizioso is only six points adrift in the championship standings after the first three rounds and was especially pleased with his result at the Termas de Rio Hondo track on Sunday.
“I’m so happy. Especially to get this result here. Last year I struggled a lot and during practice this weekend I was quite fast but not like Qatar and Austin,” said Dovizioso.
“But we worked hard and arrived in the race with the right set-up for the chassis and electronics. It worked very well to go fast but also save the tyre.
“This was the key to be able to follow Valentino almost all the...

Jonathan Rea secured his sixth win from eight starts in the WSB Championship at Assen, winning race two by 0.439 seconds from Chaz Davies (Ducati) with local rider Michael van der Mark (Honda) in third place.
In front of Sunday’s portion of the total weekend attendance of 55,724 spectators – up on last year – the WSB riders left the best for last as five of them had a battle royal behind, the long time leader Tom Sykes for some of the race.
Davies, Rea, Haslam and van der Mark passed and re-passed, running as one unit within the same second around the Assen circuit, in marginally warmer track conditions than in race one. Track temperatures had gone up from 18 to 22°C. The action up front was incredible, with Sykes determined to stay ahead for as long as possible.
Rea, the early leader, passed Sykes shortly after half way, as did Davies, but the top five remained together for a time after.
The brilliant action on some of the fastest turns of the whole championship trail saw Sykes...

Well today I have spent a few hours out and about on the twisties of West Yorkshire (even meeting with swmbo for lunch in a nice country pub).

In short the bike is a hoot and just loves being thrown around corners! It's not as ferocious or as manic as my panigale as you would expect, nor is it as comfortable for long periods in the saddle, but it's a lot of fun.

Brakes are ok. Not as pin point sharp as a sports bike but as you're not going anywhere near as fast they are more than adequate in pulling you to a standstill in plenty of time.

I didn't feel much head buffeting till I was getting over the 85mph mark. But again as its a more sedate ride I'd be amazed at anyone having to suffer that over any long periods of time.

The 75 horses are more than enough for very brisk road riding, and the handling is superb. I haven't taken it off road yet but I would think that it'll cope with some unspectacular dirt tracks no problem. I'll probably try that later in the summer.

All in all...

After losing the first race by the finest of margins, Chaz Davies romped to his first World Superbike win for Ducati ahead of Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam while Tom Sykes spectacularly crashed out
Chaz Davies capped his best weekend to date with Ducati by comfortably winning the second World Superbike race at Aragon while Tom Sykes spectacularly crashed out of a top-four spot.
At the circuit which saw him claim his maiden double victory in the class, Davies was never headed after assuming control at the first corner. In the end he coasted home a full four seconds clear of Jonathan Rea, who narrowly held off Leon Haslam for his sixth straight top-two finish.
As the top three staked their respective claims for the championship it was a nightmare end to the weekend for Sykes, who suffered a massive high-side while holding fourth and closing in on Haslam.
The 2013 world champion had started poorly and lost early ground to Rea and the number one Aprilia as they tried in vain to stay...