What's News
More of the AMG & Ducati Marriage
More of the AMG & Ducati marriage... a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG coupe paired with a Ducati 848 Evo sportbike makes for some purdy pictures, and a pretty sweet commercial. Find the full commercial and behind the scenes footage behind the cut.
Reclusion is Not an Option…
...now that the Ducati 1199 Panigale is coming. It'll even bring a mountain man out of the mountains.
100 Important Ducatis to be Auctioned
A single-owner collection of significant Ducati motorcycles (along with some of the Ducati Corse itself) is going to be auctioned off 'without reserve'.
Now's your chance, boys and girls.
The Saltarelli Collection also features a beautiful 1990 Ex-Works Ducati 888 SBK, ridden in period by Giancarlo Falappa. A factory-raced 888 is a rare bike indeed, and this example represents a not-to-be-missed ownership opportunity. Other significant lots include a brace of 750SS race bikes from the 1970s including an ex-factory 1973/4 Ducati 750SS, Race Number 1, ridden in 1975 works rider Franco Uncini, and a 1974 Ducati 750SS, Race Number 23, which also boasts an illustrious racing history, having scored a number of victories and podium finishes during the 1974 and 1975 seasons, often in the hands of Carlo Saltarelli himself.
Read more and get the lowdown on how to participate on Ducati News Today.
Rossi and Hayden on the 2012 GP CRT Concept
Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden support the CRT concept for 2012 MotoGP. At least in theory.
Sport Rider summed it up best-
The 2012 MotoGP season will be a showdown between the haves and the have-nots. The haves are the 12 factory MotoGP machines powered by 1000cc prototype engines, the have-nots, the nine CRT machines with the heart of a production machine.
But how do Rossi and Hayden feel about this? Optimistic, at the very least.
Rossi: “It's an important season for understand the potential of the CRT and I hope that the difference of the lap times is not too big, and especially during this season coming less for the future. In a perfect world we would have 24 factory MotoGP on the grid, but unfortunately now without CRT we are just 12, I think, so it's not possible make a MotoGP race with just 12 bikes, so CRT is now the choice. We need some CRT for the grid and we hope that the difference in lap time is not so big.”
Hayden compared it to Moto2 racing: "which has been great. I mean, the racing is awesome, a lot of teams showing up, so I'm optimistic and will hold out or hold my judgment until I really see ‘em."
Karel Abraham’s 2012 Ducati Unveiled
Last week we showed you the leaked peek of Karel's 999cc 250bhp Ducati for the 2012 MotoGP races- this week we give you the finished product, unveiled for the world to see.
This is what the Ducati Desmosedici GP12 that Karel Abraham will ride in the 2012 MotoGP world championship will look like when the new season kicks off in Qatar on April 8.
Abraham’s Cardion AB Motoracing squad staged its team launch in Prague last Friday ahead of the Czech Republic rider beginning his preparations for the new 1000cc era in Sepang next week.
The first three-day test of the pre-season campaign runs between January 31 and February 2.
(from MCN)
Ducati Desmosedici GP12: Aluminum Frame & 250bph
Technical specs of the new 999cc Ducati Desmosedici GP12 have been leaked by Czech racer Karel Abraham.
From GP11 to GP12 they've upped the horsepower, top speed, and ditched the monocoque for an aluminum frame.
And due to the new larger V4, it's got a whopping 250bhp, top speed of 224mph, and dry weight of 342lbs.
Read More...MotoRapido in 2012 British Superbike Championship with Two Panigales!
MotoRapido announced it will be partaking in the 2012 British Superbike Championship with two brand-spanking-new Ducati 1199 Panigales!
The team stepped up to the BSB stage in 2011 with a single EVO entry for Scott Smart, the former race winner claiming fifth in the sub-category standings, but with the series adopting a single set of regulations this season, Moto Rapido will now compete on a level playing field with its rivals.
However, it will do so with brand-new Ducati machinery after striking a deal to campaign the recently launched 1199 Panigale with support direct from the Italian manufacturer.
No riders have been formally confirmed, but team owner Steve Moore is confident the 1199 Panigale will ensure Moto Rapido can be front runners in 2012.
“It has been a massive shift for us in the past two years. We've come from being a small dealer team to a Ducati supported effort in BSB. I am so proud of what we have achieved in the past couple of seasons and long may it continue. The technical support from Italy has been excellent and we are looking forward to working closer with them this year."
(Read more at Crash.net)
2012 Desmosedici GP12 Motorcycle to Debut at Jerez
The '90% new' 2012 Desmosedici GP12 MotoGP bike will be making it's track debut at a private test that starts on Tuesday at Jerez.
...the test will last for three days, with development rider Franco Battaini and World Superbike champion Carlos Checa at the controls of the bike with which Valentino Rossi will be aiming to end his longest winless run in grand prix.
Checa confirmed via Twitter that he arrived in Jerez on Monday evening.
Unlike in recent years, the new Ducati machine was not unveiled during last week's Wrooom press event and will instead make its public debut - alongside its factory rivals - during the Sepang MotoGP test, which starts on January 31.
(From crash.net)
