Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128087
Continued from page 3 Championships next season. according to a release from his team. And after securing additional backing from threetime World Champion Freddie Spencer once again, team owner Jim DiSalvo can't wait to get started as he explained: 'We've decided to move on from the 125s as I think we proved ourselves in that class so we've stepped up to the 250s, The larger bikes seem to suit Jason's style beller and the class has a much higher profile' said Jim DiSalvo. In addition, DiSalvo has managed to secure some factory parts to aid his bid to move into Grands Prix in 2002. Pnce Racing (a satellite team of Kawasaki Team Green) has signed Andy Grider and Shane Esposito to contest the 2001 Best in the Desert. AMA National Hare & Hound Championship and the CRA World Off-Road Championship Series. Steel-shoe man Ken Maely won a political victory of sorts, as the long-time Corona. Califomia. resident had recently come under fire from city officials, who were demanding that he completely renovate his property in order to retain his zoning rights. The hassle came after developers purchased the land on all sides of the Maely Ranch, proposing some 1500 homes to be built there in the next few years. City of Corona officials then placed pressure on Maely. presumably in the hope that he might sell. The list of demands included a cease and desist order on his steel-shoe business. as well as a closing of Maely's oval-track practice facility. But after a long bout of legal maneuvering that included action by the American Civil Liberties Union. the Maely Ranch has been grandfathered. Week participants that if they want any steel shoes or repairs done in time for Daytona, the week prior to Bike Week is not the time to be sending In orders. The earlier the beller, Maely says. Speaking of Ken Maely, the hot-shoe man asked us to remind all Daytona Bike information, please call CMC at 949/3671141. eN products. This led to the TPG takeover at the end of 1996, with Bordi retained in his role by the new American owners, but now under the direction of company doctor Federico Minoli, who became CEO/Managing Director of renamed Ducati Motor, Bord; played a key role in the transition of Ducati from cash·poor (but glory-rich) Latin trophy marque owned by a family of Italian entrepreneurs, to the profitable, well·structured public company it is today, with a booming annual production sold through a distribution network now predominantly owned in-house, His successful day-to-day governance of the running of the factory and Its various R&D arms mjght have been expected to earn him the top job when Minoli moved up to President this past summer - but the appointment of the compllny' S financial chief Carlo di BIagia to replace him, over Bordi's head. has now resulted in the latter's departure. However, the persistent rumors that he had been invited by Aprilia boss Iva no Beggio to take charge of the restructuring of his company's recently acqWred Malo Guzzi subsidiary are simply not true. declares Bordi - speaking for the first time on the record about his reasons for leaving. "When TPG took over Ducati, I was overjoyed because I knew the compllny needed to be part of a big, intemational group In order to correct its financial position and grow in the marketplace: says Bordi. 'We needed an influx of new capital in order to modernize our production facilities, and to develop a series of new products. especially a next·genera· tion desmoquattro engine. Ali this has indeed happened in the past four years, as well as a complete restructuring of the company's distribution network, and an overhaul of our customer communications, in which I believe we have become a leader in the use of the internet. I welcomed Minoli's arrival. because he was an English-speaking company doctor experienced in the financilll sector whom Ducati needed in order to restructure itself and what began as a temporary appointment became a permanent one, after he developed a liking for the company and decided to put down roots here. But my freedom to concentrate on developing new models which I knew from my experience of the marketplace was what the ducatisti were waiting for, was somewhat restricted - I don't want to get into spedfics, but just to say that I believe the range needed overhauling quicker and better than it has been to date. I hoped that I would have the chance to stamp my own vision on the company's future direction - but, sadly, this was not to be. I've therefore decided to change to a different career· but where exactly. I honestly don't yet know," So this doesn't mean Massimo Bordi is headed for Mandello del Lario, and the picturesque Moto Guzzi factory on the shores of Lake Como· yet? "I can truthfully say I've had sev· eral offers ever since my unrest at Ducatl became public knowledge· but though it's a challenge I'd very much relish. the Guzzi job Isn't one of theml I only know that, wherever I do end up going, it will be to a company which will give me the space to expres. my own vision of its future direction. of In the wake of rumors circulating in IUlly which were reported in this column some weeks ago. and in the face of compllny denials to the contrary, Ducatrs General Manager, Massimo Bordi, has indeed lIIUIOUnced his resignation from the IUllian manufacturer with immediate effect as of December 8. thus ending a quarter-century career in the Bologna factory. Bordi has been one of the pivotal fIgUres in the rebirth of the European motorcycle industry over the past decade, and his contribution to Ducati's development into the Ferrari of motorcycles cannot be over-estimated. Beginning with his Mechanical Engineering thesis in four-valve desmo engineering. his professional and business life has been entirely spent with Ducat\, where he masterminded the company's transition from a smaU. specialist manufacturer into the world force it is today, Shortly after taking over his role as the compllny's Technical Director in 1984 from the legendary FabiO Tagliani. Bordi was presented with the Cagiva takeover of the state-owned compllny, which in fact provided the opportunity to develop a new family of desmoquanro engines of his own design, starting with the 748cc prototype which made its public debut in the Bol d'Or in 1986. This led to the launch of the first otto valvole 851 streetbike the following year, which in 1988 won the first-ever World Superbike race in the hands of Marco Lucchinelli. setting the stage for the Italian marque's domination of the class ever since· although it was not until 1990 that Frenchman Raymond Roche won the first of the eight World 5uperbike titles Ducati has won to date. under Bordi's direct supervision. Ducati's commercial success under Cagiva ownership in the wake of this success on the racetrack was technically masterminded by Bordi, who assembled a team of young engineers to develop a range of models buiit around his desmoquattro engine concept, with the 888 following the 851, and then the current 916 family of bikes designed by Massimo Tamburini. but based on Bordi's engine package. He also developed an updated version of the classical "desmodue" motor dating from the Taglioni era, still in use today to power the 600/750/900cc bike lineup in Monster, 55 and 5T2 guise. In due course the Ca tigliom brothers appointed Bordi as General Manager of Ducati. in which role he assumed responsibility for the overall running of their Bologna·based subsidiary. However, the mid-'90s financial downtum in other parts of the Cagiva empire starved Ducati of much-needed investment. with Its healthy profits diverted that elsewhere to prop up other companies In the group· even though the company had a fat order book and was inherently profitable, it was unable to meet demand for its cyclenews.com reader poll question of the week Which of the following mascot ideas will be the first tD becDme a reality, joining Honda's Woody Woodpecker and Mazda Yamaha's Jeremy c[irath II on the AMA/EA Sports Supercross tour? A. Dodor Marten IAmsDiI/Dr. Martens/JDurneys/Competition Accessories! B. Mini Pastrana (5uzukiJl--C. J 1 d D. Mr. [iIDbe IPlanet Honda! E. Mitch Payton II (Pro &i u 1.!YI!UJTr[!:!u~ck~IU) -F, Tommy Trojan (Yamana--or-·Y [i, Trati Lords IMDto ~_ JANUARY 17. 2001 • cue _ s CMC FMF Golden State Nationals at laGrange has been moved to Hollister Hills SVRA in Hollister. California, on Sunday, January 21. Open practice will be held Saturday. January 20, For more course in concert with its owners. I believe I have the experience and ability to head up a major company, whether in the motorcycle sector or other engineering industries - cars, trucks, even tractors; they're all the same to me, so long as they have a motor lit their heart. Wherever I go, it must have the scent of motors in every building· that's the fuel my spirit runs onl But after spending my entire professional life at Ducati, lind enjoying the success we were able to IIchieve there, not only in racing but also in the marketplllce. I know I will remain a ducatista at heart for many years to come. The appreciation that customers have for the marque has created a wonderful fellowship unique to any company in the twowheeled sector - and whatever I do In the future, I will look back on the time I spent at Ducatl with great pride. and a sense of achievement.• Bordi's depllrture has created a gap in Ducatl management that the American-owned company will not be filling: Instead, according to di Biagio. there will be an overhaul of the compllny's corporate structure aimed at a less vertical operation. There's already conjecture, too, that the departure of someone so focused on Ducatl's sportbike heritage • coupled with Massimo Tamburlni's decision to remain with Cagiva, at the time of the TPG takeover - will herald a broaderbased expansion of the Ducat! range. in pursuit of the increased nwnbers management is seeking to shift through its company-owned stores. The day of the Ducati scooter, let alone a Harley-style custom or KTM·type off-road range of models powered by a desmo V·twin engine. cannot be far away and will now come even sooner. with Bordi's departure. For Bord! himself, a spot of gardening leave will be followed in the New Year by an evaluation of the various offers he's received - both from inside and outside the motorcycle world. Maybe Ivano Beggio will have calied by then.... TD cast YDur vDte. IDg Dn tD http://www,cytlenews.cDm. 72 The second round of the 25th Annual Ricky C.rmichael IKllw) Z6.I% Travll Pastrana 15uzl David Vuill.mln IVaml Ezra lUlk IHanl 7.1% Kevin Windham 15uzl 7.D%