Ducati has a long history, and the more I learn about the 81-year-old company, the more I’m amazed that it’s still around. There’s been as many dark times as sunny ones, surviving bombs, busts and bungling government management, but Ducati somehow has made it to the 21st century and is having its best years ever.
Take 2007, for instance. In a tastefully lit, brand-new auditorium at the enormous, lavish Fiero Milano Expo Center, Ducati Motor CEO Gabriele Del Torchio painted a bright picture of Ducati’s health. Not only is the company experiencing massive growth in sales and revenue, it is debt-free as of last quarter, and now the president and prime minister of Italy have recognized Ducati for its 2007 MotoGP championship.
So Ducati is flying high, but it’s not happy to rest on its glossy-red, carbon-fiber laurels. The company will release one all-new model each year for the next three years, we’re told, and heavily revise two or three models each annum, as well. It all started with the unveiling of three new bikes at the Milan Show on November 5th.
First up is the 1098R. We’ll have a more thorough tech story on all these bikes, but the short version is this: 368 pounds dry, Öhlins suspension, traction control (actually called “traction control”) 180 hp, 99 ft.-lbs. of torque, all yours for $39,995. I’ll let you absorb that while you write a Craig’s List ad for your R1. And your boat. Throw in the jet-ski and you can get the race kit, which bumps power to 186 hp.
Next, in another dilution of the concept of “entry level,” Ducati introduces the 848. The product planners wanted more than just “a slower 1098,” so they lightened and improved the motor and made lots of little weight-saving changes elsewhere to trim it to a 375-pound dry weight and make the bike more fun—and less intimidating—for new Ducati Superbike customers. But with a claimed 134 hp and 71 ft.-lbs. of torque at the crank, it will hardly be boring, and at $12,995 offers a substantial savings over the 1098. It should be in dealers in December in the trendy Pearl White paint scheme. It’s also available in red so you can find your bike in the snow.
But the happy ending is the all-new Monster 696, the first truly new Monster since the model line was first revealed at the Cologne Show in 1992. The looks speak for themselves, (and judging from reader response in the forums, may be a bit controversial) but less-obvious improvements include a cast-aluminum swingarm and subframe, a redesigned chassis aimed at improving handling and ergonomics, digital instruments, radial-mount Brembo brakes and a motor that squeezes a claimed 80 hp out of an air-cooled, 696cc two-valve design. Its wicked looks and promise of good handling will make it attractive to experienced riders, but the 360-pound claimed dry weight and low, narrow seat will make it beginner-friendly, especially priced just 10-15 percent higher than the $7995 Monster 695, which will still be sold in 2008. Expect to see the 696 as an early-release 2009 model, in Ducati dealers next summer.
With red off the balance sheets and on the bikes where it belongs, Ducati’s outlook is strengthened by these new offerings. Will it be able to continue its successes in racing and on the sales floor in the coming years? With bikes like these, it would be hard to conclude otherwise.
