Italy’s Famous Ducati Motorbikes
In northern Italy, Bologna is home to the oldest university in the Western world, “Alma Mater Studiorum” (founded in 1088). But for motorcycle riders, Bologna is more famous for Ducati, which is headquartered there. Ducati is best known for their high performance motorcycles featuring four-stroke, 90-degree V-twin engines, although they have produced many different engine configurations in their history.
A Little History of Ducati Motorcycles
The three Ducati brothers who started the company in 1926 could not have known that their new business was ultimately headed for motorbike racing success, since they started out making radio components. In the 1930s and 40s, Ducati manufactured radios, cameras, and electrical products such as a razor.
In 1950 they offered their first 60cc motorbike and in the 1960s, Ducati earned its place in motorcycling history by producing the fastest 250cc road bike available at that time (Mach 1).
In the 1970s Ducati began producing their larger, signature v-twin engines.
Ducati is also famous for using the desmodromic valve system championed by engineer and designer Fabio Taglioni, though they have also used engines that use valve springs to close their valves.
