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Recent morning spent in Borgo Panigale at Ducati


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Took the morning of a recent business trip to Italy and visited the Ducati factory.  They have a guided factory tour (sorry no pictures allowed) and the Museum tour all on the site in Bologna.  If you have the chance, don't hesitate, the factory tour was fascinating.

A few notes from the factory tour:

 - The new Panigale V4 engine takes 180 minutes and a V-twin only 120 minutes to assemble

 - Non of the bikes are 'dressed' in bodywork within the factory

 - From the assembly line to quality control and through to final inspection each bike is rolled around by hand.  When I asked what happens when someone drops a bike the question was met with dead silence and the guide quickly moved on to someone else.  I suggested the person wear a green shirt like at TMAC, but was again icily ignored.  For some reason I felt right at home.

A few pics of my trip the majority of the Museo as it was only permitted to take pictures in the museum where they had the last remaining Super Sport that hadn't caught fire.  Even with that risk I still covet that bike as N+1 the ergos are very comfortable.

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Did you stay in Bologna? The wife and I are planning a trip there, probably next year and she's put this on the must see list.

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5 hours ago, vfrcapn said:

Did you stay in Bologna? The wife and I are planning a trip there, probably next year and she's put this on the must see list.

 

Unfortunately no, was an hour North of Venice - an easy 2 hr drive on the Autostrada.  

Going again I would stay with the 09:15 tour - this way the parking lot across the street is virtually empty.  It was packed when I got out around 11:30.

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When I asked what happens when someone drops a bike the question was met with dead silence and the guide quickly moved on to someone else.


Cazzo!!

7 Our Fathers and a bunch of Hail Marys to redeem yourself for even THINKING it!!
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Maybe

 

One day

 

Who knows....

 

 

 

 

IMAG9825_BURST002_COVER.thumb.jpg.498f21ec1c8354a91500cedb00c1d35f.jpg

 

 

 

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Bologna is my wife's home town, so we visit a lot.  I like it.

 

They used to shut everything down for the summer, but things were a lot different in the "old days" when I visited the Ducati factory...  Even though it was summer I had asked my then-girlfriend to call them and ask if I could take a tour.  I don't know what she told them, but an appointment was duly made.  So I rode there from the other side of town on my FL and parked strategically in front of the Ducati sign... where I was met by someone whose role wasn't clear to me, but he spoke some English, which was apparently the main criterion.  He took me (just me!) around to see the idle factory departments (for it was indeed summer), and when I asked if I could take pictures he shrugged, so I did.  Unfortunately, this was pre-digital in the late 1990s, so I didn't take very many pictures--where have my slides got to, I wonder?  Anyway, I wasn't allowed into the race department, but it was still interesting to see an actual motorcycle factory, though I'm sure a modern tour would be more informative. 

 

The Bolognese love "their" Ducati, but there is also a local saying: "Ducati, soldi buttati", which was probably more relevant in years past, but means, "Ducati, money thrown away"...

 

Ciao,

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