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
Ducati Revs America Taglioni. It was Fabio Taglioni's genius that made Ducati, even in difficult times. And good because people treat us like a Porsche - not Ferrari, because we are not like Ferrari, even though they are 40 kilometers from us and we are neighbors. But we are similar to Porsche with the 911. Nobody says that the 911 is an old car. It is a special moment when there are not so many companies like Ducati who can say that they have updated their existing technology and lasted for such a long time." To underscore Lodi's message, Ducati is not just about motorcycles, but also about the people who are attracted to them. People like Adam Faussett, who spent the weekend managing the Ducati "Triage Room: a service cubby located at the end of one of the main buildings in the garage area. It was the place to go for riders who needed technical assistance with their mounts. "We have lots of parts in stock here, and we're selling the customer the parts and donating the labor," Faussett. "We've seen 60 or 70 bikes, most of it simple stuff. Some of it is tipover stuff from them playing around out on the track. The point is to get them back on the road, having fun." Chuck Simpson, who made the trip from Oklahoma City, was one of the multitude who came to have fun. Simpson also showed off his 1989 Ducati 900 monster, which sports a unique engine configuration. "It has a Mr. Turbo turbocharger system on it, making five pounds of boost," Simpson said. "Running it on pump gas, we have gone up from 89 horsepower and 67 foot-pounds of torque, stock, to 130 horsepower and 101 foot-pounds of torque. It's a reat kick in the pants to ride." Sometimes Ducatis kick back, though, as 25-year-old Julia Vitarello, director of the Ducati Desmo Owners Club, found out while taking to the track during the Women's track session on Saturday. Vitarello spent the rest of the day ·sporting a gauze wrap over a scraped-up wrist. "I was riding in the Women's track session this morning: Vitarello said. "I was on a 900SS, and I took the last turn a little too fast. I put the bike down, but luckily I got off before the bike went head over heels, aII over the place. I just took a look at it, and it's not looking too good. That was my first accident. I've only been riding for a year, and this was my third track session." Vitarello hardly had the time to worry about the accident. Instead, she was left to run around like a chicken with its head cut off, as she coordinated the areas and activities of the various clubs in attendance at DRA. "Each club has its own space to put up its club materials, its posters, 40 NOVEMBER 14,2001 • cue (Above) italian pizza tossers stnrt their stuff (Below) The Ducatl "triage area" was available In the event that someone's bike got "a IIWe cranky." (Above) Super monster!: This stretched 900 drew a crowd wherever it went. (RIght) The Ducati University provided educational seminars ranging from the technical to the historic. its pictures," Vitarello said. "We have registration for owners who want to get into the Desmo Owners Club as well." Nor did the crash dampen Vita reilo's enthusiasm for the event. "This is very, very cool: Vitarello said. "There are thousands of Ducatis in the U.S., and,this is really the first time that this many of them have been in the same place." Vitarello's sentiment was shared by James Viola, marketing manager for Ducati North America, and a chief organizer behind DRA. "We're ecstatic," Viola said. "Attendance is up. We had more people than we expected walking in to sign up. Everywhere you look, people are enjoying themselves. They're coming out of the Ducati University, saying that it is great. Our Sotheby's auction just finished, and it raised over $30,000 for charity. We're splitting that 50-50 between Riders For Health, which is Ducati's official char· ity, and the Red Cross." Viola said that he believes that with the success of this edition, the seed has been planted for the future. "We plan on doing this every other year, on the off years of World Ducati Weekend, which incidentally is now going to be World Ducati Week over in Italy: Viola said. "Because that is such a successful event, we have modeled this event a lot after what • e ne""s (Left) The Ducat! Museum housed several landmark models, some of them coming all the way from the factory museum in Italy. (RIght! This stunt duo punished their monsters on a regular basis, much to the delight of the crowd. they are doing. Of course, there are some additional challenges, as we do not have the factory right here, but we were able to bring a lot of that flavor here. The guys from the museum were great, loaning us a lot of their bikes, and [fabled Italian bike collector] Guy Webster and all his friends were great. The museum looks great. I'm relieved everything has gone so well. Now, I'm just hoping I can get out on the track for a session." If you're a Ducati fan, then Ducati Revs America is definitely your event. Make plans to be there when the next edition rolls around in 2003. After all, why should those American V-twin guys have all the fun? l:1li