Ducati passion
The unmistakable rumble of L-twin and V4 engines, the clickety-clack rattle of dry clutches and a sea of red-clad thrill seekers approaching marked the 30-minute-long evening parade that descended on the small sleepy town of Cattolica. Thousands of motorcycles, every conceivable open space occupied was evidence that the Ducatista had arrived.
This was only the start of 3 days of organised chaos that is World Ducati Week, three full days celebrating the iconic motorcycle brand that has as rabid a following as its stablemates Lamborghini and Ferrari, incidentally, towns mere kilometres away in either direction.
Related: More than 90 000 people attend World Ducati Week
Some 94 thousand people descended on the Misano World Circuit just outside Cattolica for the festival of red, with people from all over the globe attending, 86 countries in total. The love and admiration of this brand cannot be understated, especially in Italy, where when the locals do something, they do it passionately.
Our visit to this prestigious event was not only to partake in the cult-like atmosphere but also to see several special machines that Ducati has developed, some special once-off racing, and to find out what lies in Ducati South Africa's future.
New models
2024 Panigale V4
One of the event's many highlights was unveiling the brand-new race-bred Panigale V4 superbike. A machine grown from MotoGP DNA and raised on the track.
It features a new V4 engine with a desmodromic distribution and counter-rotating shaft, a chassis and electronics that are even closer to those of the official Desmosedici GPs.
The Desmosedici Stradale, Euro5+ homologated engine delivers 161kW at 13 500 r/min and a maximum torque of 120Nm at 11 250 r/min. In track configuration, these values increase by adopting the Ducati Performance racing exhaust by Akrapovič; the maximum power rises to 170kW.
Ducati 450 Desmo
A brand new bag from Ducati, Motocross. The 450 Desmo is a special program that has rapidly gone from prototype to race circuit in record time. Featuring a 450cc single-cylinder engine and a reinforced frame, the 450 Desmo has already won races in its first year of testing and competition and will soon go into full production by 2025 for customer race teams.
Ducati V21L
Another special machine developed by Ducati Corse, the V21L, is a fully electric race machine that competed in Moto E. The initials "V21L" in Borgo Panigale identify Ducati’s first electric motorcycle, a prototype that started in 2023. Ducati Corse worked on the electronic parts design, on the software controls and strategies, on the simulations of the dynamics and aerodynamics of the motorcycle and finally on the bike assembly, testing and data acquisition processes
Panigale V4 916 30th Anniversary SP2
The 916 exhibition, a rare showcase of some of Ducati's best bikes, was also on display. The Panigale V4 SP2 30th Anniversario 916 embodies the two most successful Ducati families in production-derived racing history. All the bikes initially offered were sold almost instantly, and the track parade that followed was truly fantastic to see.
Lenovo Race of Champions
Another highlight of the weekend was the Race of Champions, 11 of the top Ducati riders in the world from World Superbike and MotoGP took to the track on new, slightly modified 2024 Panigale V4 bikes for an exhibition race to the delight of the throngs of cheering fans. Ducati Lenovo Team's Pecco Bagnaia dominated the race, clinching victory ahead of former MotoGP™ and now WorldSBK star Andrea Iannone and Gresini Racing's Marc Marquez in an incident-filled event.
Ducati Museum Tour
Our final day in Italy was marked with a visit to the Ducati factory in Bologna and an awe-inspiring walk through the history of the Ducati brand in the Ducati Museum attached to the factory. Over 90 years of development are on display, ranging from famous race bikes to the brand's offroad exploits and production history.
Ducati’s future in South Africa
Aside from witnessing the dedication to the brand globally, the main focus of our trip was to establish what would be happening with the red brand in SA. A few months ago, news broke that the Volkswagen Audi Group had pulled the import license of the current distributor, throwing the local Ducatista into a flat spin. What would happen to service and parts? Who would sell bikes now? Would the brand have continued support locally?
With many conversations behind closed doors and plans being fleshed out, news has been sparse, leaving many owners wringing their hands.
Well, we finally know what is happening, and it's exciting, to say the least!
Volkswagen SA will take over import and operational duties for the brand in South Africa. This means that they will use their current automotive import lines to bring in even more bikes and parts, reducing costs and scarceness. The first shipment is due to arrive any day now and will include a full array of models that will go through homologation processes, as the new importer has to do this for legal reasons.
A new national sales director will be appointed quickly to handle the seamless handover of brand operations by Jan 1st, 2025. A full complement of stock available for sale at new dealerships in Cape Town and Durban is being finalised. Several containers will arrive with spares and accessories to stock those new dealerships. The current importer will remain a dealer, and the team at Ducati Centurion is raring to go.
More developments are coming, so stay tuned as we bring you more updates. Until then, we have the sights, sounds, and smells of WDW2024 to remember. Bring on WDW2026!
