The Bologna area is known for its fast cars and bikes. Companies such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, Pagani, and Maserati all reside here. Last trip we visited Ferrari and Pagani, so this time we decided to try a motorcycle company. Motorcycle racing is huge in Italy and Ducati is one of the premier names. Started by the Ducati brothers in 1926 as an electrical company, today it’s one of the biggest names in motorcycles. During World War II the Germans took over the plant to help produce electronics for the war. This prompted the Americans to level the factory during bombing raids in 1944. After the war, the Italians were in need of cheap transportation, so Ducati answered by producing a four-stroke micro-motor called the Cucciolo (or puppy in English). Originally a kit that attached to bicycles, it was a huge hit that grew into more serious motorcycles within a few years. Today they assemble 200 bikes by hand during the spring and summer and 100 per day in the fall and winter. Our tour of the factory lasted an hour or so and included a little museum. The factory portion was awesome and everyone enjoyed watching the bikes take shape. They took you right down the assembly lines of several models, except those that are part of the racing division, which stays under lock and key. No photos were allowed in the factory, but I did snap a few in the museum. Here's the original clip-on "Cucciolo" engine mounted to an everyday bicycle.
The 1956 Ducati Torpedo won 46 speed records.
A winner in 1960.
These racing bikes were purposely painted orange when they discovered orange appears red on the HDTV broadcasts.
They'll make a bike for any kind of race. This one is for the ice...
...and this monster is for the desert.
