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 »

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’s Multistrada 1200 has attracted all types of riders to the Italian brand by creating a model that is not only powerful and playful, but also comfortable and versatile. For 2013, Multistrada models feature enhanced aesthetics, a second generation Testastretta 11° engine, the latest ABS and, on the “S” versions, the semi-active suspension system, Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS).

The 2013 base model Multstrada boasts Riding Mode technologies, Ride-by-Wire (R-b-W) and Ducati Traction Control (DTC) in addition to the very latest in ABS, while the Multistrada 1200 S Touring is now equipped with Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS), additional side luggage, heated grips and a centerstand.

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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 »

For a company best known for its sportbikes, it may surprise some to learn Ducati’s hottest selling model is its Multistrada 1200. But it’s true: the Multistrada 1200 family, consisting of the base version, the 1200S Sport, 1200S Sport Pikes Peak Special Edition and the 1200S Touring is topping Ducati’s sales charts.

It makes sense then for the Ducati Multistrada 1200 to return relatively unchanged for 2012, though it appears the Pikes Peak edition is the only version of the Multistrada to come in the 1200S Sport trim. The only update for 2012 is a revised seat with an increased front and rear length for all versions of the “four-bikes-in-one” Multistrada.

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Carlin Dunne set a new course record for motorcycles in Ducati’s second consecutive Pikes Peak International Hill Climb victory.

Riding the Ducati Multistrada 1200, Dunne completed the 12.42 mile course in 11:11.32 for the win in the 1205 class for 900cc and larger Twin cylinder machines. Dunne’s time was also 34 seconds faster than the winning time set by Greg Tracy on the Ducati Multistrada in the 2010 race.

Dunne, the owner of Ducati Santa Barbara, won in just his first time in the event, and perhaps more impressively, did it on his showroom’s demo bike.

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The word “Multistrada” is supposed to mean “many roads” in Italian. One man took the term literally, riding his Ducati Mulitstrada 1200S on a 62,000 mile trip around the world.

Paolo Pirozzi, the president of the Naples Ducati Dreams Club, is a self-proclaimed professional motorcyclist with over 280,000 miles logged on various Ducati motorcycles. All those miles were merely a warm-up for his latest trip, a round-the-world ride across five continents.

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Despite the Diavel Carbon weighing in at 207 kg (456 pounds) dry and featuring bulkier dimensions than any other Ducati it still handles very well. This is down to true Ducati know-how where the 162hp 1200cc L-twin and trellis frame are based on the 1198 superbike developments. The engine is in fact the same Testastretta II found on the Multistrada but with a massive exhaust system that boost power over the Strada by 12 horsepower. The midrange of the Diavel engine is very impressive.

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