Desmo Daydreams: Five top Ducati memories

This weekend’s World Ducati Week at Misano has MCN’s Production Editor, Emma, reminiscing about the good times she’s had with the Italian brand’s bikes

1. 2007 Hypermotard 1100: ‘Ruben Xaus slid right by me’

90bhp, 76ftlb, 179kg

So you’re trying to get your head around Ducati’s nutty new 90bhp V-twin supermoto, doing your best to find your way around the super-twisty Mores circuit in Sardinia, then all of a sudden you’re distracted as WSB nutter Ruben Xaus screeches by. Entering the bend, he broadsides his Hypermotard and drops his left kneeslider onto the tarmac, then raises his inside hand to give the photographer on the outside of the corner a quick thumbs up. I almost crash through slack-jawed amazement. Later that afternoon Ducati insist we sit and watch the Chinese MotoGP with them; Stoner wins – Ducati go crazy!

2. 1993 888 SP5: ‘Termis smothered by a duck-down pillow’

118bhp, 69ftlb, 188kg

Riding Ducatis always make you feel special, but being allowed a ride on a stunning 888 SP5 around the north Norfolk coast was an experience that’ll stick with me for life. Boxy and retro, this early 90s WSB contender – which won the championship with Doug Polen in 1991 and 92 – uses an early version of the Desmoquattro engine and feels utterly mechanical. World Superbike commentators at the time called it the Mellow Bellow because of its booming bass; like its termis were being smothered by a duck-down pillow. Beautiful, sublime, but heavy and tungsten-tough; it’s hard to believe that it’s from the same era that produced the FireBlade.

3. 1994 916: ‘It gave me sleepless nights’

123bhp, 71ftlb, 195kg

I can remember the first time I rode a 916. It was Cadwell Park, my first time there, and it was damp. I was terrified. Worry had denied me a serious amount of sleep the night before, which wasn’t helping the situation. Caught up in the whole historical significance of this serial WSB winner I sat and stared at it for ages before building up the courage to go out on track. I was shocked. That engine, the traction, the way it flopped heavily but securely into turns. I’d never ridden anything like it before in my life. Although it wasn’t as fast or aggressive as I thought it would be, stretched out over it’s beautiful heart-shaped tank, it had me spellbound.

4. 2007 848: ‘A taste of celebrity’

122bhp, 66ftlb, 168kg

Ducati flew the world’s press out to Almeria circuit in Southern Spain in November 2007 to ride their highly anticipated ‘baby’ superbike, the 848. As a fan of middleweight sportsbikes and Ducatis, this new bike was right up my street and didn’t disappoint. Rounding the Spanish circuit’s famous long left-hand bend, the 848 utterly stable and willing me to lean it further still, was an almost spiritual experience. And, as a bonus, the entire event was photographically documented by Gigi Soldano – the legendary Italian photographer who is Valentino Rossi’s personal snapper. 

5. 2016 XDiavel: ‘Every ride’s an event’

156bhp, 95ftlb, 220kg

Car drivers roll down their windows at the lights, “what’s that bike?” they inevitably ask. “It’s incredible.” Ducati’s brand new super-cruiser literally stops traffic, making every ride – even just commuting into work, a real event. Yet for all its looks, raked-out geometry and long wheelbase, it’s still very much a performance bike. Ducat’s DNA runs strong through the 1296cc V-twin’s oilways meaning it’s got more in common with a nutty super-naked than a cruiser. 

 

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