25 March 2013

(Welcome to) The Ducati World


"The german quality and the italian design."
Is that what they say?

Ducati's entrance

When Italy comes to my mind, now, more than the place where I recently lived for 6 months, I know we are talking about a country of design, a big industry of luxury design (being Milano the born city of it). 
It comes easily to my mind italian fashion industry (more here), italian cars industry, italian leather and now Ducati. So, I can easily name some luxury fashion brands, like Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Moschino, Fendi, ... just to name a few; I can also name some luxury cars brands, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Alfa Romeo; and then, we have Ducati for motorcycles.
And that's the story I want to talk about today.

As I wrote here, my brother is the most passionated person I know about motorcycles, it's not just a "like" or a hobby, it's love, it's his life, I think truly is the meaning for his life (ok, maybe that's too much information for you!)... Something that is beyond my comprehension and everyone's comprehension, unless you share the same love. From outside, you can never deeply understand that passion!
So, while in Milano, my brother came to visit me - I know his motivation was not me, but going to the Ducati factory and museum, I was just the perfect excuse, eheh! ;) Turns out that, that day we spent in Bologna, was one of my favorite days of my whole 6 months experience. Seriously, watching him so happy, so excited (like a child in a toys store, or me in the winter wonderland!) is a moment I'll keep forever in my mind. From the very moment we took the public bus towards "Via Normandia - Via Panigale", his eyes started to shine! [For those who don't know (like me!), "Panigale" is one of the ultimate models of Ducati.]
The "walking" from the bus stop to the museum was also an emotion, as we almost arrived late and literally we had to run for our lifes. But the running moment happened along with the factory walls (see picture below) - it seems an entire block just for the factory - which made it a happy running!

The visit started and as I was watching my brother completely dazzled, camera on hands, head turning all over the space, completely lost, but at the same time, completely found, because that's a world he knows so well, I was getting very moved inside... Yeppa, touching day!
We were lucky to have an incredible guide (woman!) speaking about 1h for us, showing and explaining everything! I loved the way she embraced the brand as it is her own concern, for the good and for the bad that happened in the Ducati history.

Well, enough of words, let's share some pictures and interesting discoveries I found that day.

Enjoy the ride!

In 1926 the Ducati brothers founded an electrical business (radios firstly) on the outskirts of Bologna.

 Ducati's old factory walls destroyed during the II World War.
 
Their motorcycle breakthrough came in 1946 with the Cucciolo - "and a motorcycle dinasty was born".

Bevel-gear twin cylinders bike (?!?), but what I want to write about here is the particular detail of a tennis ball cuted in the middle (on the left of the handlebar - right back where you can read "Hailwood") with a sponge inside with water and soap, that Mike Hailwood himself used to clean his helmet visor.
Also, that was the moment we discover that the red color of Ducati (nowadays more orange-ish because of the High-Quality TV - can you believe this?!) came from the sponsor Castrol.
 
 Superbike Championship motorcycles

Ducati's entrance

Arrivederci!

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