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/128130
ers and fans had the opportunity to gain insight through the Ducati University, a series of seminars ranging from practical tech briefings, such as the Dunlop-sponsored "Getting the most from your tires," and "Desmodromic valve adjustment," to a historical Q&A session with Ducati racing legend Paul Smart. There were also primers on Ducati's engineering practices and principals with Ducati engineer Andrea Forni, and styling with Pierre Terblanche. According to Forni, whose presentation was so inclusive that he could not fit it all into his one-hour time slot, his work, just as that of the rest of Ducati's employees, is driven by passion for the product. "My job is not only a job for me, it is, first of all, my passion," Forni said. "I like engineering, and I like to apply it to motorcycles. This is my life." Forni is also well aware that viewing the world from behind a draft table can be detrimental. Feedback from Ducati's customers take a high priority in the development process of a model. "We take that into account," Forni said. "We know that the judgment of the customer for a motorcycle will not be the same as for a television or a tape recorder. It is an object that is based 100 percent on passion. The motorcycle is not something that is needed for daily life, but something that is needed only for the spirit, so it needs another approach ... and basically that is Ducati, which conveys the spirit of the people bUilding them." Livio Lodi, the curator of Ducati's factory museum in Bologna, said that he was quite surprised with both the volume and enthusiasm of Ducatisti who came to hear his presentation on the 75-year history of Ducati. "It was quite well," Lodi said. "I did not suppose that the U.S. people have such big passion for the company. Italy have so many history, and it is quite difficult to improve the people and say, Take a look at the museum.' But the [U.S.) people really love bikes, especially bikes like Ducati are. They were astonished to hear the history of the company, and they didn't expect that Ducati made so much in its 75 years. And I was very well impressed with this whole thing [DRA] because I have understood that people see that this bike is not just a simple bike, but a bike that has what IAbove leftl DRA goers were treated to the unveiling of the Iimited-editlon Ducati 99as Bostrom on Saturday. IAbove) The man himself was on hand to sign autographs all weekend. they would call as 'added value.' They are impressed with the V-twin and the Desmo system, and Ducati is special for this way. We must be devoted to Fabio Taglioni, who made this bike in such a perfect way. We have been using the same technology since 1968." Being the official company historian, Lodi, of course, has a plethora of examples in the company's dynamic 75-year history from which to choose as a defining moment. Surprisingly, he chooses the here and now as the quintessential time to be a Ducatisti. "Call it coincidence. but 2001 has been a very special year in a good and a bad sense for us. The bad sense is that we lost two of the founders of Ducati, Bruno Cavalierri Ducati and, most of all, Fabio (Left) This Ted Henryowned 1968 Ducati 350 was not only ridden around at DRA, it was also one of the museum bikes. (Above) Check out this monster. This Chuck Simpson-owned turbo bike makes 130 horsepower at the rear wheel. (Right) This precision flag drill team from Rizzo, Italy, was part of the nonmotorcycle entertainment at DRA. cue. e n __ S • NOVEMBER 14,2001 39