Ducati sold a record 44,102 motorcycles in 2012 while reporting a 16% increase in revenue over 2011. The positive news was announced as part of new parent company Audi‘s annual press conference in Igolstadt, Germany.

Worldwide revenues totaled 606 million euros (US$789 million) including more than 200 million euros since Audi officially acquired Ducati in July 2012. Motorcycle sales were up about 4% from 2011. Sales were particularly strong in the U.S., which accounted for sales of more than 9,300 units in 2012. U.S. sales were also up 21% compared to 2011.

“The biggest single market was the United States with more than 9,300 motorcycles sold – twice as many as in 2003,” says Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of the Audi. “Why do I mention that? Because the relevant overall market has contracted by more than half in the same period. So Ducati successfully utilized one of the most difficult times in the American motorcycle business as an opportunity.” Continue Reading »

Last week, we wrote about retired Formula One racer Michael Schumacher taking part in a track day at France’s Paul Ricard circuit on a Ducati 1199 Panigale. The event’s sponsor, Monster Energy, has released a video offering a behind-the-scenes look at the event.

The seven-time F1 champion was joined by TT racer John McGuinness, retired MotoGP racer Randy Momola, Moto2 racer Pol Espargaro and Keith Flint, a musician from the group Prodigy and a racer in the U.K.’s  Hottrax Endurance Championship.

Schumacher rode on a Panigale dressed in the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team’s gray color (perhaps a bit awkward considering Ducati‘s new owner Audi). As expected, McGuinness rode on his Honda TT Legends team’s CBR1000RR, and Espargaro on his FTR Kalex Moto2 bike. Mamola rode a Yamaha YZF-R1,while Flint rode his Suzuki GSX-R1000 endurance racer to complete the varied collection of sportbikes.

Check out the video after the jump, and especially the shot of the four riders pulling wheelies just after the 3-minute mark. Continue Reading »

Formula One racing star Michael Schumacher is a noted motorcyclist, having competed in various motorcycle races after his initial retirement from car racing. Schumacher was no slouch either, and once received an open invitation to ride a Honda in the World Superbike Championship.

Schumacher recently got a chance to ride motorcycles on a track, taking part in a track day at the Paul Ricard circuit in France organized by Monster Energy and Mercedes-Benz. Schumacher was joined by some notable company as well, riding with retired Grand Prix racer Randy Mamola, TT racer John McGuinness, Moto2 racer Pol Espargaro and musician Keith Flint of Prodigy, who also happens to be an endurance racer.

The now re-retired Schumacher rode a Ducati 1199 Panigale (pictured in the red leathers below), and McGuinness says he acquitted himself well alongside the professional motorcycle racers. Continue Reading »

Ducati has named Bernhard Gobmeier the new general manager of Ducati Corse, handing the former BMW Superbike racing director the reins to the company’s racing program. Gobmeier replaces Filippo Preziosi (pictured above) who will be reassigned to the post of director of research and development for Ducati, shifting his focus from racing to developing new products.

The personnel change carries two storylines. On the one hand, Preziosi’s tenure as GM of Ducati Corse was a disappointing period for the factory MotoGP program, highlighted by the two disastrous seasons with Valentino Rossi and the continuing struggle to make the Desmosedici race bike competitive.

The other plot thread is the appointment of a German to lead the Italian manufacturer’s racing program. Ducati is now, of course, owned by Audi, and the appointment of Gobmeier has the German automaker’s fingerprints all over it. As the official announcement reads, Gobmeier’s role is to “to enter the new phase of development for Ducati’s racing activities and to achieve the targets set during the recent acquisition by the Audi Group.” Continue Reading »

Ducati has unveiled a new R version of its 1199 Panigale, providing an upgraded version of the sportbike for World Superbike homologation. Unveiled at the 2012 EICMA Show, the 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R is based on the S model but with lighter components, ABS standard, a higher-revving engine, an adjustable swingarm pivot and full race kit.

The Panigale R’s 1198cc engine receives new titanium con-rods Ducati claims shaves 1.38 pounds off the overall weight. The crankshaft flywheel is also lighter, trimming an additional 1.54 pounds. The lighter engine components as well as the diamond-like carbon coated rocker-arms and revised engine mapping enable the R’s engine to rev up to 12,000 rpm, a 500 rpm increase on the Panigale S version’s rev limit.

The R race kit includes a high-penetration racing screen, machined alloy fairing mirror caps, full Termignoni exhaust system and track-only ECU mapping. According to Ducati, Panigale R still peaks at 192 hp at 10,750rpm and 98.1 ft-lb. at 9000rpm, but the race kit upgrades add a 3% increase in power at higher revs and a 15% increase in the mid-range. Continue Reading »

As the Ducati Factory World Superbike team finalizes its plans for the introduction of the 1199 Panigale into the series, two things are certain: 2011 champion Carlos Checa will be the team’s lead rider, and Team Althea Racing, who have worked with Ducati since 2010, will not be the team’s sponsor. Continue Reading »

Ducati North America reported its ninth consecutive quarter of growth with a 24% increase in retail sales for the three months ended Sept. 30, 2012.

Specific numbers were not released, though we may hear more details when Ducati‘s worldwide quarterly results are released. Ducati did say September was a particularly strong month, reporting a 40% increase on sales compared to 2011′s figures. Continue Reading »

Ducati has issued five recall campaigns for 1199 Panigale for a number of issues. These five new recalls follow an earlier recall in June for a “non-compliant” swingarm mounting screw.

One of the new recalls, campaign ID #12V401000, is also related to the swingarm connection. According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the left and right swingarm shaft pivots may not have been tightened with sufficient torque. As a result, the swingarm shaft pivots can loosen, resulting in a loss of control and risk of a crash.

Ducati has received four field reports of loosening swingarm shaft pivots. Authorized dealers will address the issue by tightening the left and right swingarm shaft pivots. Continue Reading »

Retired World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss announced he is retiring once again, this time from his duties as a test rider for Ducati.

Bayliss, who retried from racing after winning his third WSBK title in 2008, had been working with Ducati, most notably as a test rider for the Ducati 1199 Panigale. Bayliss tweeted (@TroyBaylisstic) his intention to no longer test on June 23, just hours after beating Valentino Rossi in the finals of the Diavel drag race at World Ducati Week 2012. Bayliss also put in some demonstration laps of the WSBK-spec version of the Panigale, possibly for the very last time.

“Home bound tomorrow, pretty happy , let every one know I will not test again, time for a change, don’t want to hang around like bad smell,” Bayliss tweeted. Continue Reading »

Revellers at 2012 World Ducati Week got a surprise treat with defending World Superbike Champion Carlos Checa completing an unscheduled test of the WSBK-spec Ducati 1199 Panigale.

The Althea Ducati racer has ridden the production version of the Panigale but this marked his first test of the WSBK-spec version. His maiden ride of the WSBK Panigale was supposed to take place at Mugello but instead Checa and Ducati decided to give the Ducatisti a treat at the Misano circuit for WDW.

Ducati did not release any lap times, only saying Checa provided valuable feedback. Continue Reading »