Taking a break from the daily commute I recently had the fortune to spend a few days in Bologna, Italy. Why this may be of interest to Daily Rider readers is Bologna is the home of Ducati, one of the most iconic motorcycle brands in the world.
My own experience with Ducati is limited to imaginary test rides at bike shows and window shopping. I've never ridden one (anyone want to trade for an afternoon?). But I do remember walking into a bike shop back in 1994 and seeing a Monster M900 for the first time - wow. It really messed with my expectations of what a bike could be, and far more attractive to my young eyes that any of the plastic fantastics buzzing around the streets.
I'm not the best source for a rolling history of the brand or racing pedigree so check out Wikipedia or the museum has a brief website based on the museum with more background information. So… on to some pictures!
To visit the museum you have to book ahead (thanks, A.S.!) When we arrived a big group was waiting and two English and two Italian groups set out. It was pouring rain and everyone was soaked, especially the several who had ridden to the museum on what looked like part of an extensive European motorbike tour. But everyone was happy, perhaps even a little giddy at what they were about to see.
The displays are organized chronologically starting with the early radios and electric razors that got the company started and moving quickly to the piccolo bicycle engine that fuelled a post-WWII transportation boom in Italy.
Most of the museum is devoted to Ducati's racing heritage. Surprisingly, there wasn't a single Monster in the museum, considering its been one of the top sellers for over a decade. Bikes were all nicely cleaned without being over-restored. There was a special section for the Moto GP models. It was the obvious pride of the stable.
The black stallion was originally used by both Ducati and Ferrari.
The guide mentioned that Ducati has patented the exhaust note of their 90° twin, but there was no mention of this nor samples of the sounds of the bikes. I don't know about anyone else but it is the sounds that elicits the most excitement with the Ducati brand. A nice touch were the magazine clippings for some of the models from trade magazines of the day. "The Italian rocket for '75" and so on.
The gift shop was reserved for such a flagship location. Nothing like the gaudy Ferrari wonderlands that ferment on Euro-trash real estate. A.S. tried a leather jacket, but they only carried two (wrong) sizes.
I went into the experience thinking of Ducati as a stylish if flamboyant manufacturer. They obviously see themselves as a technology company solely focused on winning races. I think they know what they're doing.
Definitely a great visit if you're in Northern Italy.
Postscript - While in Modena next door i was passed by a Ferrari prototype test drive on public B roads complete with obscured bodywork. Fun!
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