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 »

Next week, I’ll be headed to the Ascari Circuit in Southern Spain, as Ducati is set to launch the all new 2013 Hypermotard to the world’s motorcycle press. To get everyone excited about the event, the boys from Bologna decided to have a little fun. Together with its factory MotoGP pilot, Nicky Hayden, and a cameo by Ruben Xaus, Ducati has filmed an exciting video to showcase what the bike can do. See it below. Continue Reading »

Over the last several months, Ducati fans have been pouring over a number of spy photos and debating whether the new model pictured was a Hypermotard or a Multistrada. The answer, it turns out, is a bit of both, with Ducati revealing the new Hyperstrada at the 2012 EICMA Show alongside a new liquid-cooled Hypermotard.

Like the new Hypermotard, the 2013 Ducati Hyperstrada is equipped with an 821cc version of the liquid-cooled Testastretta 11-degree engine. Like the Hypermotard, the Hyperstrada offers ABS and traction control as well as three ride modes: Sport (claiming 108 hp), Touring (also claiming 108 hp) and Urban (74 hp).

What’s different about the Hyperstrada is its more touring-oriented features. The Hyperstrada comes with a touring screen for better wind protection, center stand, longer mudguards, engine sump guard, two auxiliary outlets and 50 liter quick-detach saddlebags (a 31 liter top case is available as an accessory for more storage.) The Hyperstrada’s handlebars are also 20mm higher than those on the Hypermotard, improving comfort for longer journeys. Continue Reading »

Ducati is streamlining its Hypermotard lineup for 2013, replacing its air-cooled  796 and 1100 models with a new 821cc liquid-cooled Hypermotard. Announced at the 2012 EICMA Show in Milan, Italy, the line now includes the Hypermotard, the Hypermotard SP and the more touring-oriented Hyperstrada which you can read about in a separate post.

Bowing to ever tightening environmentally-friendly restrictions, the new generation of Hypermotards come equipped with a new 821cc version of Ducati’s Testastretta V-Twin engine. The Hypermotard has three ride modes: Sport, Touring and Urban. According to Ducati, the the Sport mode offers an output of 108hp at 9250rpm. The Touring mode also claims 110hp though its power curve is better attuned for longer distance travel. The Urban mode restricts power to 74 hp, also at 9250rpm. The Hypermotard also comes standard with the Ducati Safety Pack which includes ABS and traction control.

The rider triangle has been revised on the new Hypermotard, with the handlebars placed higher and further forward than on the previous generation models. The footpegs are also moved further ahead. Ducati claims the new riding posture offers a commanding riding position. Continue Reading »

Ducati will introduce three new models built around an 820cc platform at the 2012 EICMA show, reports French site Moto-Station.

Moto-Station reports the three new models will be a Multistrada 820, a Hypermotard 820 and an as-yet unnamed roadster. Over the last couple of months, spy photos of a new mid-sized Ducati model has been making the rounds, with many people claiming it will be a new liquid-cooled Hypermotard while others, like our own Kevin Duke, believe the new model would be a Multistrada.

If the new report is true then they may both be right. Previous reports believed the new mystery model(s) would use Ducati’s 848 engine but Moto-Station claims it will be an all-new 820cc 90-degree V-Twin powerplant producing 113 hp (115 hp in metric) and 66 ft-lb. Continue Reading »

The latest spy photo of Ducati‘s upcoming 848-engined model continues to muddle the debate as to whether the new motorcycle is a Hypermotard or a Multistrada.

The new model appears to blend elements of the two existing bikes with the liquid-cooled Testastretta 11° engine and an all-new frame. What will likely emerge is a new model with a couple of variations, a sport version and a touring version,

This latest picture (the one shown below the jump has been tweaked for better contrast and a bit of sharpening) reveals the new side-mounted exhaust design and Ohlins suspension. The wheels also appear different than the ones in the earliest spy photo which appear to have been borrowed from a Multistrada. The new wheels appear to be a three-spoke design with each spoke separating again into three. Continue Reading »

New spy photos have emerged of what appears to be either a Ducati Hypermotard 848 or perhaps an 848 version of the Multistrada. Photos of the new liquid-cooled Ducati emerged last month but these new images show the motorcycle in motion and from the left side.

At this point, we’re still not sure if this is Ducati‘s new Hypermotard or Multistrada. The beak front fender resembles that of the Hypermotard family but the rear more resembles the Multistrada. The new model is also liquid-cooled while the Hypermotard line is air-cooled, and we’re not convinced Ducati would introduce a single liquid-cooled model to that family. Continue Reading »

Spy photos have emerged of what appears to be a new liquid-cooled Ducati model As you can tell from the utilitarian-looking exhaust, it’s still a prototype, but the production version could be ready for this fall’s EICMA show. It’s not clear at this point whether this new model will be a new Hypermotard or possibly a new mid-sized Multistrada.

At first glance, the front “beak” fender and hand guards evokes the existing Ducati Hypermotards, but existing Hypermotard 796 and 1100EVO are both air-cooled and this model is liquid-cooled.

The Multistrada 1200 is liquid-cooled and also sports a side-mounted exhaust while the Hypermotards use twin underseat exhausts.The Multistrada has been far more successful than the Ducati’s Hypermotard line, and it seems odd to add a new liquid-cooled model to the air-cooled Hyper line. A new, smaller Multistrada slotted under the Ducati Multistrada 1200 makes more sense than another Hypermotard. Continue Reading »

Ducati is issuing a recall on its entire 2012 Monster and Hypermotard lineups due to internal cracking of fuel lines.

According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ducati‘s quality control department discovered micro-cracking on the four-layer extruded fuel lines. The cracks occured on the inner surface of the line that comes in contact with fuel. As a result, fuel may seep from the connection between the fuel lines and fuel pump flange on the affected units.

Continue Reading »

Ducati is introducing a new track-ready Corse Edition of the Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP for 2012.

The 2012 Ducati Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP Corse Edition comes dressed in red, white and black colors (similar to the Pikes Peak edition Multistrada). Otherwise, the Corse Edition is mechanically similar to the 2011 Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP.

The suspension system is comprised of fully adjustable 50mm Marzocchi forks with a low-friction diamond like coating (separating it from the base Hypermotard 1100 EVO). At the rear, the SP uses an Ohlins shock compared to the non-SP’s Sachs monoshock. The SP version also offers more ground clearance and comes equipped with higher handlebars. Continue Reading »