VELOCE READERS' RIDES #31967 Ducati MR348 – Café Canadiano

Thanks to Kevin Brown from Canada for sending us these fantastic images of his Café Racer creation, which started out as a 350cc Ducati Sebring. Kevin renamed it a 348 to align with Ducati’s current naming practices.

The MR stands for “Modern Retro” because of some modern enhancements as well as maintaining some of the “old” technology. The Retro also refers to the bullet-shaped brake lighting system.

Photographs courtesy Kurtis Kristianson (Spindrift Photography).

Do you have a Café Racer creation? We'd like to see it! Email us your photos and you could feature in a future edition of On the Grid!

Interested in Café Racers? Check out Italian Café Racers by Uli Cloesen.

THE DUCATI ‘SPECIALE’ CHALLENGE

Ducati UK has announced the launch of the 2015 Ducati ‘Speciale’ Challenge, a competition to find the best modified Ducati in the UK.

Ducati Diavel Carbon – Ducati Performance

1299 Ducati Panigale S accessorised
Ducati has always been synonymous with performance and design and most Ducati customers modify their bike in some way using the extensive array of Ducati Performance accessories available. To celebrate some of the best examples of self-expression by UK Ducatisti, Ducati UK will invite six finalists to display their bikes at the Silverstone round of the British Superbikes Championship on the 3rd and 4th October. Here a panel of judges led by Tim Maccabee, Managing Director of Ducati UK will jointly select the winner and runner up before awarding the trophies at the hospitality unit.

The winner of the Challenge will receive a bespoke trophy by designer Dan Taylor, £1000 worth of Ducati Performance vouchers and a 2016 season pass for two for Ducati hospitality at selected BSB rounds. The runner up will also receive a bespoke trophy and £500 worth of Ducati Performance vouchers. The remaining four finalists will each receive a £250 Ducati Performance voucher.

The bikes will be displayed outside the Ducati UK hospitality unit in the main Silverstone paddock where the race day crowd will have chance to view the final entries. The finalists and a guest will also have the opportunity to enjoy Ducati hospitality throughout the weekend.

Ducati Monster 1200S Ducati Performance
To take part in the competition, please email your entries to reception@ducatiuk.com with images and a description of modifications made. The deadline for entries will be the 1st September with the finalists announced on the 14th September.

All Ducati Performance vouchers are to a value including VAT and can only be redeemed by purchasing official Ducati accessories and/or apparel from an official UK Ducati dealer. By entering the competition entrants agree to their names and bike images being posted on the ducatiuk.com website, Facebook and other social media channels.

DUCATI ANNOUNCES THE BRAND NEW MONSTER 821

Ducati announces the brand new Monster 821, a mid-size entry for the third generation of the iconic naked model and the latest chapter in the Bologna-built motorcycle’s famous story. Underlining Ducati’s strong association to the Bologna region, the company has chosen to release the first images of the new model portrayed in typical Bolognese ambience.

Following the successful unveiling of the new generation Monster 1200 at the Milan International Motorcycle show in November, Ducati now introduces the Monster 821, a mid-size version of the exciting new model and the latest entry to the world of Monster.

Having delivered over 290,000 Monsters since the original concept more than 20 years ago, the essential new model maintains its stylish character using the new chassis and muscular styling of the Monster 1200, designed with premium components fully integrated with Ducati’s latest technologies.

Powered by the latest edition of Ducati’s highly successful 821 Testastretta 11° engine, the highly accessible new Monster combines 112hp and 65.9ft-lb of torque with an impressively lightweight 179.5kg – 395.7lb (dry weight) overall package. This stylish mix of minimalism and performance paves the way back to the original essence of the Monster concept, where less-is-more and made-in-Italy combine to create a motorcycle lifestyle.

High-spec brakes, excellent suspension and stylish componentry merge with Ducati’s best-yet ergonomics to offer the Italian manufacturer’s most attractive mid-range Monster ever. Super comfortable and with an innovative adjustable seat height, the model also combines 8-level traction control, 3-level ABS and 3-level Ride-by-Wire into Ducati’s user-friendly, press-button Riding Modes.

The Monster 821 uses next generation technologies to create an enhanced rider/motorcycle relationship, delivering a high-adrenaline experience while constantly reassuring with the feeling of complete control and ergonomic integration.

Available in UK Ducati Dealerships from July 2014 onwards, the Monster 821 Dark is presented in dark stealth with black frame and black wheels with an SRP of £8,795, while the Monster 821 is dressed in Ducati red with red frame and black wheels or star white silk with red frame and matte red wheels with an SRP of £8995. Both red and white liveries are equipped with colour-matched single-seat covers. The brand new model is also made available to restricted license holders with the specially regulated power versions of 25kw for Switzerland and 35kw for other participating countries.

Coming soon from Veloce!
The Ducati Monster Bible – New Edition by Ian Falloon.
When Ducati released the Monster in 1993 it created a new niche market for the naked motorcycle that continues today. Continual advancement over the past 20 years has enhanced the Monster’s ‘less-is-more’ philosophy, and Ducati has created Monsters to suit everyone, from entry-level 400s and 600s to 1100cc superbikes. All Monsters share the naked style that showcases the engine and chassis, and provide superb handling suitable for cities or canyons. More info.

DUCATI TO OFFER RARE GP10 AND GP11 MACHINES AT RM AUCTIONS’ MONACO SALE

Ducati Desmosedici GP11 VR2

Ducati Desmosedici GP10 CS1
Ducati announces the exclusive offering of two Ducati Desmosedici GP machines at RM Auctions' highly anticipated 2012 Monaco sale at the Grimaldi Forum, 11-12 May, including a GP10 raced by Casey Stoner and GP11 raced by Valentino Rossi. Presented directly from the Ducati Corse racing department within the Ducati factory in Bologna, Italy and offered under reserve, both machines represent “motorcycle exotica” at its most desirable and a genuine chance-of-a-lifetime purchase for international collectors.

Peter Wallman, specialist at RM Auctions – Europe comments, “Ducati represents the pinnacle of two-wheeled desirability with a reputation for world-beating performance and unmistakable design. We are very excited to be working with yet another leading manufacturer and to have this exclusive opportunity to offer items that are not normally available to the public. The sale offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire very unique pieces of Ducati history, not to be missed.”

Built in the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale, Bologna 7-11 December 2009, Casey Stoner’s Ducati Desmosedici GP10 “CS1” was first started for bench testing on 14 December 2009 before being track tested by the Australian rider in Sepang, Malaysia in February 2010. Stoner first competed with CS1 in Qatar in April 2010 and raced it to victory in the Australian GP at Phillip Island in October 2010. The machine took pole positions in Qatar, Phillip Island and Valencia and powered the Australian to podium positions in Valencia, Assen and Catalunya. Its final Grand Prix was in Valencia, November 2010 having logged a total of 4,232km.

Valentino Rossi’s Ducati Desmosedici GP11 “VR2” was built at the Ducati factory 6-10 December 2010 and was first started for bench testing two days later. VR2’s first track test for Rossi was carried out in the February 2011 Sepang tests and first competed in the Qatar Grand Prix the following month. It recorded a podium position at Le Mans, France in May 2011 and competed in its last race at the Dutch TT in Assen, having logged a total of 2,342km.

“The release of two very special machines like these is an extremely rare occasion for us, so the lucky buyer must not only enter into a confidentiality agreement, but also become a close member of the ‘Ducati family’!” said Ducati Corse General and Technical Director, Filippo Preziosi. “The Desmosedici GP10 and GP11 were two very interesting bikes in our GP project history and therefore will represent exciting opportunities for serious collectors.”

RM’s highly-anticipated Monaco auction will also offer the private Saltarelli Collection of historic Ducati motorcycles at the same event, providing a wonderful celebration of Ducatis history. In addition to the motorcycles, the two-day sale will also feature a magnificent roster of blue-chip automobiles.

For further information on RM’s upcoming Monaco sale, including a frequently updated list of auction offerings, visit rmauctions.com.

Source: Ducati

THE DUCATI MONSTER BIBLE AVAILABLE NOW

Image used on Veloce's new Tumblr page!

New!
The Ducati Monster Bible
By Ian Falloon.

When Ducati unleashed Galluzzi’s Monster at the Cologne Show at the end of 1992, few expected it to become Ducati’s most successful model. Dramatically styled, minimalist in stature, yet bristling with innovative engineering, the 900 Monster created a new niche market. Here is the ultimate guide to the Monster maze.

Click here for more info about the book.


Check out this Ducati Monster road test YouTube video!

MEET THE AUTHOR: IAN FALLOON INTERVIEW

New! The book of the Ducati 750SS ‘Round-case’ 1974
By Ian Falloon.

Although manufactured for only one year – 1974 – the Ducati 750 Super Sport was immediately touted as a future classic. It was a pioneer motorcycle – expensive and rare, and produced by Ducati’s race department to celebrate victory in the 1972 Imola 200 Formula 750 race.
Owing to its uniqueness and rarity, the 750 SS has become extremely valuable and desirable, fetching prices beyond the most expensive contemporary Ducati; for Ducatisti, it is the Holy Grail. More info.

60,000 DUCATISTI SET RECORD AT WDW2010

The sixth edition of World Ducati Week, the massive event that unites and excites the Ducati community, has finished after four incredible days with a record-breaking attendance of 60,000 motorcyclists. Held at the Misano World Circuit on the Adriatic Riviera, the celebration - entitled the ‘Red Planet Returns’ - ran in soaring temperatures from Thursday, 10th to Sunday, 13th June to become one of the best ever in the event’s history.

While Italian Ducatisti made up 60% of the total attendance at WDW2010, the remaining passionate Ducati fans travelled from 28 nations and five continents to underline the huge international appeal of the Ducati brand. Owners from Europe, USA, Australia, Russia and India, united with those from Brazil, China, Malaysia and even Gabon and Nepal to celebrate their shared passion and loyalty to the Ducati brand.

Four sun-drenched Ducati days peaked on Saturday, 12th June when the full program of events climaxed in a spectacular knock-out drag race competition that featured Ducati MotoGP and Superbike team riders aboard asphalt-ripping Ducati Streetfighters. True to form, the eight riders – Battaini, Bayliss, Byrne, Checa, Fabrizio, Haga, Hayden and Stoner - put on a fantastic show from the moment they left the pit garages, playing to the crowds that filled Misano's paddock terraces. World Superbike Ducati Xerox Team rider, Noriyuki Haga won the photo-finish final, just fractions of a second ahead of American former MotoGP Champion and current Ducati MotoGP Team rider, Nicky Hayden, with Troy Bayliss in 3rd and Casey Stoner in 4th.

Source: Ducati

Coming soon from Veloce!
The book of the Ducati 750SS ‘Round-case’ 1974
By Ian Falloon

Although manufactured for only one year – 1974 – the Ducati 750 Super Sport was immediately touted as a future classic. It was a pioneer motorcycle – expensive and rare, and produced by Ducati’s race department to celebrate victory in the 1972 Imola 200 Formula 750 race.
Owing to its uniqueness and rarity, the 750 SS has become extremely valuable and desirable, fetching prices beyond the most expensive contemporary Ducati; for Ducatisti, it is the Holy Grail. More info.