The exclusive and spectacular Ducati Motorola e-Race starting at 14.00 on Saturday 16 May, will be broadcast live on the Ducati website and YouTube channel, as well as on the Motor Valley Fest Digital platform.

Two exciting virtual races involving the Ducati Team MotoGP riders Danilo Petrucci and Michele Pirro, Pecco Bagnaia of the Pramac Racing Team, the two expert pro gamers Andrea Saveri, winner of the 2019 MotoGP eSport Championship and official Ducati rider and Davide Gallina, Pramac Racing’s new official gamer for 2020. The sixth rider in the race is the motorcyclist/youtuber Andrea Pirillo.

The two races of the Ducati Motorola e-Race will be held on the two Italian circuits that are the venues for the MotoGP events: the Mugello International Circuit and the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. On the Mugello circuit, one of the most spectacular in the entire championship, it will take place over a distance of 6 laps in cloudy weather. On the Misano World Circuit, one of the main Motor Valley racetracks in the heart of the territory which has always been linked to the world of motoring and motorsport, the race will take place over 7 laps in sunny conditions. Before getting to the heart of the competition, the riders will also have to tackle a short 10-minute qualifying session to determine the starting positions for each race.

A truly spectacular event with lots of post-race interviews and a real virtual award ceremony. For the podium of the e-Race, at the end of each GP points will be awarded to the riders, which will then be added up to define the overall classification and therefore the winners. The prizes are offered by Motorola, a Lenovo Group company, an important partner of Ducati Corse in the MotoGP championship.

The virtual competition, organized in collaboration with Pro2Be Esports, will be commented by Alessandro Pietracatella, technical speaker of the Italian Esports MIC and MIR championships, and by Matteo Pittaccio, official voice of the Moto3 and Moto2 races broadcast on DAZN. At the end of the races the two pro gamers, Andrea Saveri and Davide Gallina, will stop for a Q&A session with all the fans.

An unmissable event, where the riders involved will not be holding back and where everyone will line up at the start with the aim of winning. The Ducati Motorola e-Race is just one of the events that will contribute to making this edition of the Motor Valley Fest Digital interesting.

The second edition of the Motor Valley Fest, the international event that involves the excellence of Italian two and four wheels, will take place from 14 to 17 May 2020 in a new all-digital format.

The Emilia-Romagna Motor Valley, which identifies a reality that is unique in the world for its concentration of brands, private collections, international circuits and specialist training centres in the automotive sector, will be meeting up for four days of digital events.

Ducati is playing an important role and is taking part in the many activities planned on the website www.motorvalleyfest.it and with a massive array of themed content shared on the Company's digital channels.

The Festival starts with the opening conference, scheduled for May 14 at 9.30am, which addresses important current issues, such as the impact of the Coronavirus in the world of two and four wheels and the evolution of the new scenario that is emerging for the sector. The protagonists of this digital opening session are the management of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Dallara and Maserati together with the Ducati CEO, as well as current President of the Motor Valley, Claudio Domenicali.

“Motor Valley is much more than a union of unique brands that constitute the excellence of Made in Italy in the automotive and industrial supply chain. It is the sharing of passion, skills and desire to do something special, which can inspire the dreams of many, through the creation of high-performance, technological and innovative products. Prestigious companies made up of determined and ambitious professionals but at the same time capable of enjoying life and loving beauty. Motor Valley is also universities, institutions, training and an eye to the future: young people represent tomorrow not only as enthusiasts but also as professionals in the sector. For all this, I believe that in a complex phase such as the one we are experiencing, having confirmed a series of activities planned for the Motor Valley Fest takes on even more importance,” said Claudio Domenicali, President of Motor Valley Development. “The 2020 Motor Valley Fest is entirely digital, and the future is heading in this direction. Digital is no longer just content, videos, e-games and social networks but also business, meetings and training. I am therefore confident that this edition of the Motor Valley Fest can represent an interesting opportunity for online discussions between the major international players in the automotive sector and a positive stimulus for the Italian system, Emilia-Romagna and the entire regional production sector.”

Also on Thursday 14 May from 3.40pm to 4.10pm Claudio Domenicali will be taking part in the “Racing” Round Table with Roberto Dalla (Managing Director – Media & Technology Center – Formula 1), Maurizio Crispino (Professor of the Polytechnic of Milan) and Mattia Binotto (Managing Director of Ferrari Sports Management and Team Principal).

The exclusive and spectacular Ducati Motorola e-Race, which also involves some official Ducati riders, kicks off on Saturday 16 May at 2.00pm. Among the participants confirmed are two exceptional eGamers such as Andrea Saveri, 2019 MotoGP e-Sport Champion and official Ducati Team rider and Davide Gallina, new official Ducati Pramac eGamer. At the end of the race, after the interviews and the award ceremony, the two riders will stop for a Q&A session with all the fans.

Motor Valley represents the capability of a territory to network and enhance the unique characteristics that distinguish it internationally, revolving around the motor industry and technological innovations in the automotive world. This is why the six prestigious brands of the association have also joined together for the “Engine Restart” project: the style centres of Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Dallara and Maserati have created for this purpose an ad hoc graphic inspired by the start button of their most high-performance and iconic cars and motorcycles, to communicate together in the Motor Valley Fest on the occasion of the restart of the automotive sector after the forced lockdown.

The successful “Innovation & Talents” format, dedicated to talented youngsters and innovation, is also scheduled for 14 and 15 May. 50 universities, over 50 start-ups and 20 companies will be presenting their projects and the youngsters will virtually meet up with the important companies in the sector. Simone di Piazza, Head of Innovation and R&D Services, will take part for Ducati with an innovation themed conference on Thursday from 3.30pm to 4.30pm.

On Sunday 17 May from 10.00am to 10.30am the Ducati Museum opens its doors for “Viaggio al Museo”, a visit in live streaming on Facebook during which viewers can ask questions in real time to the curator. Thanks to this virtual experience, the public can cross the threshold of all the rooms of the Ducati Museum, which houses exemplary production and racing models, reconstructing the story of the legendary “Rosse di Borgo Panigale” step by step.

These are just some of the many events that make up the Motor Valley Fest Digital from 14 to 17 May on the website www.motorvalleyfest.it 

You can view all the updated information and register for the various scheduled appointments on the official event portal. 

Ducati launches #raceagainstCovid, a fundraiser organised by the Borgo Panigale company in favour of the Policlinico di S.Orsola of Bologna, an excellence of the territory as well as one of the largest hospitals in Italy. In this way, Ducati wishes to contribute to the fight against Covid-19, and it does so with the approach that most distinguishes the company – that of great challenges, forming a team, sharing a goal and looking to the future.

For this reason, Ducati has rallied together its entire family – employees of the Bologna headquarters and its subsidiaries throughout the world, DOC, dealers, suppliers, partners, riders and enthusiasts – to offer concrete support to those who work every day in the front line to protect the health of citizens.

The goal is to collect, by June 2020, the necessary funds to finance instrumentation, research and staff of the Policlinico di S.Orsola of Bologna dedicated to the exclusive care of patients in post Covid-19 convalescence.

“Even on those who recover, Covid-19 often leaves a significant aftermath on organs and systems that it has attacked with its harsh action. Lungs, heart, circulatory system, kidneys, brain are the preferred targets of the virus. Impairments of lung, cardiac and renal function occur, the risk of thrombosis remains and there may also be neurological residues. To monitor these patients, treat them and follow their rehabilitation, dedicated multidisciplinary areas have been set up with cardiologists, neurologists, nephrologists, pneumologists, physiatrists and infectious disease specialists.

For these patients, even complex rehabilitation programs are proposed that require dedicated personnel and specific equipment such as, for example, telemedicine tools for remote patient control, robots for patient rehabilitation at home, ultrasound, echocardiographs, electro-stimulators of respiratory muscles and instruments that measure their strength and train them, traditional active and passive exercise bicycles (for patients with respiratory problems forced in bed)”, declared Chiara Gibertoni, General Manager of the Policlinico di S.Orsola.

Ducati has always been an active part of its territory, which is characterized internationally for the Motor Valley of ‘masterpieces’ on two and four wheels, but also for its excellent medical facilities. The Emilia-Romagna Region has become a national hub for the treatment of Covid-19. The same Ducatisti from all over the world are extremely close to this land which has always been the location for the factory where the red bikes of Borgo Panigale come from.

“Faced with a tragedy such as that caused by the Covid-19 virus, one can remain immobile, paralyzed by terror, or react quickly, precisely and in a coordinated way. Helping the health system in every possible way is a duty of every single citizen and also of the companies that are a fundamental part of the social fabric,” declared Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO. “Ducati was founded in Bologna ninety-four years ago and is therefore inextricably linked to this city. I am sure that our riders, fans and enthusiasts from all over the world will join us to give the city and the whole country a strong sign of solidarity, as well as sincere thanks for the effort and dedication that the doctors are making to combat this new and still not fully understood serious illness.”

The members of the Ducati Board started off the fundraising collection, followed by many other employees. The amount collected was then doubled by the company, reaching the amount of € 100,000, the starting point of #raceagainstCovid.

“In all these weeks of Coronavirus emergency, our regional public health service has received incredible demonstrations of support in the face of the outstanding work of doctors, nurses and operators to whom we will always be grateful,” commented the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Stefano Bonaccini. “A lot of affinity and many donations, from those who could give a lot and from those who could give less, but really a desire to stay united against the pandemic that still continues today. This is why Ducati's initiative is just as wonderful and important: to mobilise both its employees, a formidable team, and Ducati enthusiasts all over the world for a fundraiser that will support the post-Covid rehabilitation activity of the S.Orsola hospital in Bologna, given the important consequences that it can still have on the organs and systems attacked by the virus of those who recover. Both dedicated staff and specific equipment are needed, and Ducati is on the track for this: thanks very much to Claudio Domenicali, to the entire Borgo Panigale team and to anyone who loves the red bikes for what is already a certain victory. Thanks again.”

Ducati is set to gradually return to normal, with the steady resumption of production in its Borgo Panigale factory, scheduled to begin on Monday April 27.

In compliance with the regulatory protocol for measures to combat and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the workplace, Ducati temporarily suspended production in its Bologna plant on Friday 13 March to reorganize production schedules. 

Then came the decree that suspended all non-essential activities and therefore, despite the organization being ready, production did not restart. The gradual improvement in health conditions has allowed the government today to enable companies deemed strategic for the national economy, whose activity is mainly aimed at exports, and for which a prolongation of the suspension would risk losing our country additional market shares, to resume production. This is a first phase of return, which at the moment will only involve a part of the workers destined for the production lines.

 Workshop staff will begin first, then engine assembly workers and, from Tuesday 28 April, motorcycle assembly workers. As for employees, the use of smart working will remain mandatory, only those who are not in a position to carry out their work from home will be allowed to access the factory. All resources employed in the commercial, marketing, IT, personnel management, finance, purchasing and logistics areas will therefore be working remotely. 

The production has been reorganized, going from an eight-hour shift to two seven-hour shifts to allow the minimum number of people to be inside the plant at the same time and thus minimize possible contact. The canteen will be active but with one seat for every four chairs.

The technicians engaged in Research and Development activities who cannot do their work from home were already at work as allowed by the specific ATECO code: therefore the engineers of the engine test rooms, those who carry out motorcycle tests and those who carry out laboratory testing are all present at Borgo Panigale.

All designers, project managers, and those in the calculation department will work remotely. This will ensure the deliveries of Ducati motorcycles and the development of new products.

Ducati looks ahead by launching the “Ducati Cares” program, which allows Ducati Dealers to welcome their Customers and Fans again. The program is mainly focused on Safety, but will also answer to the desire to resume everyday life and being able to experience the emotions and freedom that riding a motorcycle offers. 

The “Ducati Cares” program has been created for the worldwide Ducati Dealer Network providing guidelines to be adopted so that the Ducatisti can feel at ease when returning to their local Dealership.

The core of the program consists of a series of actions and precautions that every Ducati Dealer will implement in order to ensure the safety of visitors to the dealerships. Several measures such as indications on safe distances, disinfectants, masks and other precautions will be implemented and communicated to all Ducatisti both at the Dealership itself and via online channels. 

Ducati has exploited the experience gained recently by the company’s internal Task Force, which was set up after the first signs of what would soon become a global pandemic. 

Through the Task Force Ducati aims at guaranteeing the safety of its employees at the Borgo Panigale Headquarters a well as its subsidiaries around the world. In the past weeks all internal processes were redefined where necessary, such as designated time slots at the Company restaurant, a revised layout of the working environments and at the production lines, defining sanitization procedures, enable smartworking and other precautions to protect all employees. 

The “Ducati Cares” golden rules included in the Program were based on the experience gathered by the Task Force. It is a real Code of Conduct, to guarantee safety and peace of mind for both Customers as well as Dealership employees, representing the Company all over the world.

“It is now clear to everyone that the virus won’t disappear from our lives any time soon, we will have to learn to deal with it, putting in place all possible actions to protect ourselves, allowing us to return to live our lives again”, said Francesco Milicia, VP Global Sales and After Sales. “It is in this context that, by capitalizing on the experiences gathered by our internal Task Force as well as some of our Asian Dealers, we have developed the Ducati Cares program to support our Dealer network all over the world. It will allow our Dealers to welcome our Customers in the safest and most practical way. “ 

TheCustomer can also register through MyDucati dedicated online section on Ducati.co m, in order to retrieve previously saved motorcycle configurations to share them with friends and Customers will also soon also be able to manage Dealership appointments directly from the portal. 

Digitalisation is implemented to support the Dealer network. 

For both the Sales and After-Sales areas, Ducati provides online training through a specific App with a highly effective and interactive approach. Every week micro contents will be provided, aimed at keeping the sales teams up to date on all the aspects of Customer relationship management and the related processes. 

Ducati is also creating an important archive of contents and information which will allow the majority of Dealer training to be carried out online or through webcasts, in particular for the Service activities. For this important area of excellence for Ducati a paperless digital predictive maintenance program has been developed. An industry benchmark, which allows a certified digital overview of the assistance history of the vehicle but also a digital agenda and maintenance guidelines to be carried out.

Ducati is ready. Dealers are provided with adequate online tools and are enabled to welcome Customers safely, as soon as this will be possible again in various countries around the world.

Let’s rev up our emotions again! 

Ducati and the LEGO Group present the latest model in the LEGO® Technic™ line: the Ducati Panigale V4 R, the result of a licensing agreement recently signed between the LEGO Group and Ducati Motor Holding. Unique of its kind, the first-ever brick reproduction of a Ducati motorcycle expresses and respects the values of ‘Style, Sophistication and Performance’ that characterize the brand.

The new set combines LEGO Technic DNA with that of Ducati, recreating in brick a spectacular reproduction of the Panigale V4 R, which identifies the maximum expression of Ducati racing bikes homologated for road use, technological excellence, and Italian design worldwide. The most powerful and high-performance Ducati of all time, with 221 horsepower (162 kW) delivered at 15,250 rpm (234 hp / 172 kW at 15,500 rpm with the Ducati Performance by Akrapovic full-racing exhaust) thanks to the 998 cc Desmosedici Stradale R, an engine born to compete on track in the WSBK championship. Never before has ‘LEGO Build for Real’ transported fans from game to reality.

The thrill of the engine roar, the adrenaline of acceleration and the riding position in tackling curves, combined with a breath-taking design; anyone who has ever imagined riding this motorcycle symbol of Italian engineering will love building the LEGO® Technic™ Ducati Panigale V4 R set. It will be fantastic to discover how the innovative 2-speed gearbox, exclusive to this new LEGO reproduction, activates the V4 engine, as well as trying the innovative and original front and rear suspension, to simulate a GP ride and feel like an official Ducati rider.

The LEGO® Technic™ Ducati Panigale V4 R measures 32 cm in length, 16 cm in height and 8 cm in width and is the first motorcycle model in LEGO® Technic™ history to include a gearbox to simulate different speeds and riding techniques. Other striking features are the steering and suspension that give realistic movement, in addition to front and rear disc brakes. Kickstand, exhaust pipe, windscreen and dashboard are the details that make this bike so faithful to the real version. Last but not least, the red colour that accelerates the heartbeat of every Ducati fan.

“We have all been children fond of LEGO bricks and I think it is easy to understand that this new licensing agreement between Ducati and the LEGO Group is like a dream come true. Two excellences that share the same values of dedication, passion and attention to detail come together to give life to a unique experience” said Alessandro Cicognani, Ducati Licensing Director. “Our hope is that the Ducati Panigale V4 R LEGO® Technic™ can bring together, excite and entertain children and parents, but also all the fans who ride their motorbikes every day.”

“The Ducati Panigale V4 R is such an elegant icon and a masterpiece of technology” states Aurélien Rouffiange, Senior Designer of LEGO Technic. “It was essential for me to include as many details and features as I could, to capture all the curves and the unique design of the Red icon, to create for the first time a functioning gearbox and steering as well as a V4 cylinder engine that spins. To me riding is all about the sensation you feel in connection with the road on your motorcycle. I hope that building the LEGO TECHNIC Panigale V4R model brings you the same excitement. Not only a play experience but also a way to learn about mechanics, power and technology. The beginning of a long journey with a lot of fun and passion.”

“Being one of the first to have built with bricks the model of an icon such as the Ducati Panigale V4 R was exciting”, stated Paolo Lazzarin, General Manager of LEGO Italia. “The set perfectly captures the spirit and design of the original thereby transforming the concept of performance: pure adrenalin racing and full control. This model is the brainchild of the partnership with Ducati Design Center and I am convinced that LEGO fans of all ages will appreciate the attention-to-detail in this amazing motorcycle replica created by LEGO Technic.”

Creating the LEGO® Technic™ Ducati Panigale V4 R set is exciting and offers an addictive and rewarding construction experience. Reproducing the realistic features such as the engine introduces builders, regardless of their age, to the world of engineering, and just one look at the details of the LEGO mechanisms and gears lets you see how similar this brick model is to the real bike.

The LEGO® Technic™ Ducati Panigale V4 R model, created with 646 pieces, is designed for fans aged 10+ and will be available in dealerships and on the Ducati Online Shop, in LEGO Stores, in the LEGO Online Store and in LEGO Brand Retail Stores from 1st June prices may vary. 

• Further improved, easier, more intuitive, less tiring and even faster, the new Panigale V4 is ready to take to the track
• After being confirmed for the second consecutive year, the best-selling super sports bike in the world is now available from Ducati dealers
• Over 450 motorcycles delivered in Europe and the United States

Since 2018, the date of its arrival on the market, the Panigale V4 has established new benchmarks in the super sports bike segment where, for the second consecutive year, it is the best-selling motorcycle in the world.

The production of the Panigale V4 MY2020 is in full swing. Around 450 motorcycles have been delivered to European and US dealers, and in the coming weeks the new super sports bike will also reach the other markets in the world in which Ducati is present.

To confirm the success already achieved by this jewel of style and technology, feedback and data from customers and the specialized press were collected and analysed in Borgo Panigale. This allowed Ducati to make a Panigale V4 that is easier, less fatiguing and more intuitive to ride, resulting in an even faster bike on the stopwatch, with an improvement that is all the more evident the lesser the rider's experience. In short, it is an even more powerful and enjoyable bike for an amateur who, on the track, can bring his performance closer to that of a professional rider.

The Panigale V4 is now equipped with content taken from the V4 R. For example, the aerodynamic package through-air (aerofoils, plexiglas screen, nose fairing and larger lateral fairings, more efficient lateral vents for the radiator), which provides enhanced airflow protection and improves overall vehicle stability, enhancing confidence. 

The update is completed by the Front Frame chassis with modified stiffness, to give better front-end 'feel' at extreme lean angles. What's more, the bike includes DTC and DQS up/down EVO 2 strategies. Thanks to a new 'predictive' control strategy, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2 significantly improves out-of-the-corner power control; Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS) EVO 2, instead, shortens up-shift times, allowing sportier high-rev gear shifts (over 10,000 rpm) and boosting shift stability during aggressive acceleration and cornering. The bike also features specially-developed Ride by Wire system mappings with several torque delivery control logics.

The Panigale V4 is powered by the 1,103 cc Desmosedici Stradale (banked 42° back from the horizontal), a MotoGP-derived 90° V4 with Desmodromic timing, a one-of-a-kind engine featuring a counter-rotating crankshaft and Twin Pulse firing order. The engine can deliver 214 hp at 13,000 rpm and a torque of 12.6 kgm at 10,000 rpm, making for awesome road riding.

• Another prestigious prize for the unique Diavel 1260 design

• A true style icon, the Diavel 1260 continues its winning streak in international design competitions

• Powerful and beefy, this motorcycle combines maxi-naked performance with muscle cruiser ergonomics

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 10 January 2020 – Design and sheer personality have always been an essential part of every Ducati motorcycle and winning international awards proves just how dedicated the company is to these aspects.
 

An undisputed style icon, the Diavel 1260 S – after winning the prestigious European design prize, the Red Dot Award – has now gone on to enjoy success in the United States where the Bologna-built muscle cruiser has clinched the Good Design Award.
 

Assigned by the Chicago Athenaeum, Museum of Architecture and Design, and by the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, the Good Design Award is one of the most sought-after prizes, one that has been acknowledging and certifying global excellence in design since 1950.
 

Powerful and beefy, the Diavel 1260 combines maxi-naked performance with muscle cruiser ergonomics. The second-generation of this incredibly special bike remains faithful to the spirit of the original, drawing on its key styling elements yet bringing them decidedly up to date. Its meticulous design seamlessly incorporates the bike's beating heart, the 159 hp Testastretta DVT 1262 engine. For 2020 the unconventional, unmistakeable Diavel 1260 will be sporting two new colour schemes, namely Dark Stealth (a total black look, available for the standard version) and an all-new Ducati Red with white trims and red seat tail (on the S version) to emphasise the sport performance and power-cruiser spirit of this original bike in inimitable Ducati style.