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MotoGP 2018: Andrea Dovizioso Dominates at San Marino GP

Ducati MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso controlled the San Marino MotoGP race and won.
Pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo crashed out with 2 laps to go.
Marc Marquez finished 2^nd to extend his championship lead.

Jorge Lorenzo had been fully expected to win the MotoGP class at the San Marino GP after yesterday’s magnificent qualifying, in which he broke the track record twice over.

But it was a different scene during the morning’s warm-up session when Marc Marquez was the fastest, followed closely by the Ducati factory pairing of Andrea Dovizioso and pole-sitter Lorenzo.

That was not the full news, however, as the times of the top 11 riders were covered by less than 1 second.

There was also hope of a revival for the Movistar Yamaha factory team after Maverick Vinalez put his bike third on the grid.

Lorenzo shot into the lead during at the start, trailed by his teammate Dovizioso and the rest of the field. Dovi then started to shadow Lorenzo and finally overtook him on Lap 4. Behind them, Marquez fought his way through the group of riders to break free into third. He rode as hard as he could and caught the Lorenzo midway through the race.

Dovi meanwhile, rode a steady race and started to open up a gap until he was 1.8 seconds ahead of the chasing two.

Marquez made his move on Lorenzo with some fifteen laps to go, but Lorenzo fought back tenaciously. They kept passing and repassing each other but it was Lorenzo who finally made his overtake stick and started to close down on his Ducati teammate with 8 laps to go.

But Dovi managed to react to Lorenzo’s push. Behind him, Lorenzo was in turn pushed on by Marquez. Lorenzo decided to push harder and attempt to catch Dovi but made a mistake and low-sided his bike with two laps to go, handing 2^nd place to Marquez.

Cal Crutchlow had broken free and finished on the final step of the podium.

Alex Rins battled with with his ex-Suzuki teammate Vinalez and prevailed to finish 4^th. Pedrosa rode a quiet race to finish 6^th while Rossi crossed the line in a lowly 7^th.

Marquez extends his championship lead with 201 points, from Valentino Rossi who has 142 and Jorge Lorenzo with 130 points.

Ducati Australia Initiates Urgent Safety Recall

Ducati Australia issued an urgent safety recall for a possible rear brake pad issue.
Models affected are Hypermotard 939, 959 Panigale, 1299 Panigale, 1299 Panigale Final Edition and the new Panigale V4.
Countries affected are Australia, the United States of America, New Zealand and Canada for the time being.

Ducati Australia has issued an urgent safety recall for several models. The recall is to check if the the rear brake pads are coming loose.

The campaign covers the models Hypermotard 939, 959 Panigale, 1299 Panigale, 1299 Panigale Final Edition and the new Panigale V4.

According to the official notice, the brake pad could separate from the backing plate: “If the brake pad separates from the backing plate, this can cause a failure of the rear brake.”

Letters are being sent to owners in Australia, with instructions to contact their closest Ducati dealer to set an appointment to inspect or replace the rear brake pads.

Ducati has been mired in safety recall campaigns recently.

First was for the Brembo front brake master cylinder, although it was not due to the motorcycle manufacturer’s fault. Then there was the recall for the Panigale V4 catching fire and defective fuel tank cap, while the Supersport S melted its fuel tank overfill hose because it was assembled too closed to the horizontal exhaust manifold.

2018 Ducati Panigale V4 gets TWO recalls

The recall seemed to affect Ducati owners in Australia, the United States of America, New Zealand and Canada for the moment.

Owners may check on the manufacturer’s website if their motorcycle is involved in any safety recall campaign by clicking on this link http://www.ducati.com/services/recall_campaigns/index.do and keying in your bike’s VIN (vehicle identification number, or chassis number as it’s known locally).

Anyway, in our opinion, safety recalls should not paint a manufacturer as being bad; instead it should be taken positively as the manufacturer caring for their customers’ well-being.

New Ducati Hypermotard for 2019?

Ducati could be revamping the Hypermotard for 2019.
It should be ready for Euro 5 emissions standard since it will be implemented in 2020.
While it is not confirmed, there is speculation that the new engine will be equipped with DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing).

A revamped Ducati Hypermotard has been caught undergoing road trials. Could it be released for 2019?

Looking at the spy shot, the “new” bike looks to have a new engine, styling changes and twin underseat exhaust silencers.

According to MCN, the exhausts are the obvious sign that the new Hypermotard will comply with the Euro 5 emissions standards that’s set to be introduced in 2020. The new rulings are even tougher on carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and noise emissions.

Hence, the new Hypermotard’s exhaust system separates the baffles and catalytic convertor rather than having both in the same unit. The new Supersport and Multistrada may also follow this same route.

Speaking of the new Multistrada 1260, the Hypermotard’s engine may just be equipped with DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing) too since the system allows for better efficiency throughout the rev range.

Other takeaways from the spy photo are a new steel trellis subframe which replaces the previous one-piece cast unit, the clutch and alternator covers beefed up for more sound-proofing, and Marzocchi forks and Sachs rear monoshock.

Expect the 2019 Hypermotard to be unveiled at EICMA.

Ducati Working on “Cheaper” V4?

Ducati announced that more models will be powered by the V-Four engine.
The engine will be adopted from the Desmosedici Stradale that’s powering the Panigale V4.
The new V-Four engines will be more “affordable” according to Ducati.

The Ducati Panigale V4 marked a paradigm shift for the Italian manufacturer as they move from their signature and traditional V-Twin to the V-Four format to power their production sportbikes.

2018 Ducati Panigale V4S Test & Review

However, while the 1103cc Desmosedici Stradale engine in the Panigale V4 alone at the moment, as they will adopt it to an entire range of new V-Four powered bikes. Ducati called some of the models “affordable.”

But cheaper in what sense? The V-Four format is inherently more complex (hence more expensive) than the V-Twin or even the inline-Four to build. There has to be a compromise somewhere and that should be the materials used, hence making less power.

The manufacturer had also said that the next V-Four model should be an “R” version of a smaller capacity Panigale V4. According to Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, we should see the V-Four format powering other models other than the Panigale in the near future.

“It will be more in the future because we think that we don’t want to just take this engine and apply it as it is. The new motor will be one that will be based on this technology but will be much more tuned for longer distance and lower maintenance cost and this is where our development we will focus. It’s taking time because we want to be right, but this is where we are going,” Domenicali told Motorcycle News.

That’s a mouth-watering prospect, indeed. Multistrada V4 or Streetfighter V4, anyone?

Ducati Streetfighter V4 coming soon?

Ducati Worldwide Sales Down 7.4% in First Half 2018

Ducati Motor Holdings is the latest to report a decline in sales.
It was in Q2 2018 which dropped more over the first half of 2018.
Ducati is just one of the manufacturers who are seeing the decline in a soft worldwide motorcycle market.

When analysts said regarded the worldwide motorcycle as “soft,” they weren’t kidding. Ducati Motor Holdings is the latest to announce a sales decline of 7.4% in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period last year.

Total units sold were 32,250 motorcycles, representing €448 million revenue for the Audi-held motorcycle brand.

To analyze further, Ducati’s second quarter sales were down by 8.9% compared to Q2 2017, translating to 20,319 units compared to 22,300 in the same quarter last year.

Sales in all segments took a hit except for the manufacturer’s sport category which includes the SuperSport and superbike models. This sport category is what keeps them doing reasonably well despite the slump in sales for the other models, as there was a 29% increase with 7,683 units sold in the first half of this year.

That report leads to the Panigale V4 being the key driving force. Sportbikes are dead? We don’t think so. The manufacturer had also iterated that the Mutlistrada 1260 had also performed well.

2018 Ducati Panigale V4S Test & Review

Ducati did not reveal their performance in individual markets, however. However, we do know that the Italian motorcycle market is seeing a resurgence of late, driving up not just Ducati’s sales but also BMW as we reported earlier.

BMW Motorrad Q2 Sales Decline

Will 2018 see the end of Ducati’s eight-year sales increase? In fact, Ducati barely grew in 2017. Do note that this current motorcycle sales slump hit all other manufacturers, too. In our opinion, the industry-wide slump shows that it’s not due to one brand being more popular that the other.

Ducati sold over 55,800 bikes worldwide in 2017!

And of another intriguing note is how will VW Group treat this news (although we feel they won’t divest in Ducati yet).

VW Hints of Selling Ducati (Again)?

It’ll be interesting to see what the other European manufacturers such as KTM and Triumph will report, as they had been doing very well for many years. Triumph, in particular, has seen great growth year-on-year.

VW Hints of Selling Ducati (Again)?

After announcing that Ducati isn’t for sale in April, VW Group CEO hinted at the possibility of selling Ducati again.
The Volkswagen Group is looking to recover losses due to the Dieselgate scandal in 2015.
This announcement could also mean Ducati will expand into other categories or engine capacities.

Volkswagen Group (VW) started a couple of firestorms before when they announced the possibility of selling the Ducati brand in order to recover the losses they experienced through the “Dieselgate” scandal in 2015.

The scandal broke after it was discovered that VW had cheated in engine emissions tests in the US and Europe. The revelation cost the conglomerate billions of Euros, causing them to plan the offloading of some assets, including Ducati which is considered a “non-core” business.

Other companies were quick to jump on the chance, with Harley-Davidson and Bajaj Auto Limited readying to go into a bidding battle.

However, VW announced in April 2018 that the Italian brand “is not for sale,” putting an end to all speculations. (Please click on the link below for the report.)

Ducati for sale AGAIN?

But just a last week, Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Office, Herbert Diess, opened the rift all over again during an interview with Bloomberg TV. According to him, VW will either expand or sell their motorcycle business, saying, “Either we find a way for Ducati, which provides some growth, or we have to look for a new ownership.”

Let’s roll our eyes in exasperation.

But, but, but why offload a brand that makes money? Ducati is the second most profitable entity in the VW Group – the first being Porsche, outranking Bentley, Audi, Seat and Skoda by wide margins. In fact, Ducati returned 9.5% compared to 8.2% during the first half of this year alone.

We won’t pretend to be financial experts, but we would hold on to a money maker with all our lives!

Audi released a statement last Friday, “The new Volkswagen Group structure aims to develop sustainable future perspectives for non-core businesses – calmly and with the necessary thoroughness. This can be expansions and growth strategies, but divestments are conceivable as well.”

Notice that the word “expansion” keeps cropping up. Could we expect Ducati to start producing smaller capacity bikes like how BMW did with their G-series and what Harley-Davidson announced last week? Think about it, a new range of 250cc Panigales or Monsters for the SEA and Indian markets. They could go electric too, since most countries are adopting the electric vehicles only ruling within the next 10 to 15 years.

Is this the new Ducati Scooter?

But whatever VW’s decision would be, we just wish they stop being wishy-washy about it!

2019 Ducati Diavel 1260 to Feature DVT

Ducati introduced the DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing) in the 2015 Multistrada 1200.
It will now be carried over to the 2019 Diavel 1260.
But what is DVT and how does it work?

Ducati had first introduced the DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing) in the 2015 Multistrada 1200 to a great reception and will now be carried over to the 2019 Diavel 1260, in addition to the Multistrada 1260 and XDiavel.

But what exactly is DVT and what does it do?

To understand DVT, we need to understand about valve timing.

Truth is, there are many considerations when it comes to valve timing. For one, if the intake valves open for a short duration, less fuel-air mixture can be inducted, compared to the valves being kept open longer. At low-RPMs less fuel-air mixture (also called “charge”) should be inducted for it to burn quicker, resulting in higher torque. Conversely, the valves need to be kept open longer for more charge to enter to produce higher maximum power.

Hang on, that’s not all, because there’s “valve overlap.”

The term describes the timing when both intake and exhaust valves are open together – hence “overlap.” Overlap occurs when as the exhaust valves are starting to close and the intake valves are starting to open. This way, the exiting exhaust gas causes a vacuum which helps to suck in fresh fuel-air mixture and fills the combustion chamber quickly.

So high overlap timing is the magic bullet? Not necessarily.

A racing engine profits from prolonged overlap because each piston travels 20,000 times up and down at 10,000 RPM, thus each stroke lasts merely 0.003 second. The exhaust gas is able to evacuate quickly and draw in fresh charge.

But if the same engine is used as a road bike, there will not be enough time to push all the exhaust gas out and some of it will end up being sucked back into the combustion chamber and mixed with the fresh charge, contaminating and diluting it. That’s when the bike spits, sputters and backfires. And you will end up with a bike that’s sluggish at low- and mid-RPMs.

Of course, the fuel injection ECU could shoot in very specific amounts of fuel at any given load, but there’s not much way around the engine’s basic architecture.

From this, we can deduce that the perfect engine should have less overlap for good torque at low-RPM to mid-RPM, and maximum overlap at higher-RPM for high horsepower (read: top speed).

Problem is, you can only have one cam profile for either characteristic. Take your pick.

You may have heard of Honda’s VTEC (Valve Timing Electronic Control). Ducati’s DVT works on the same principle of varying valve timing but uses a different method to Honda’s copyrighted VTEC.

Ducati’s DVT uses an ECU to control valve adjusters to keep the valves totally shut; or delay, advance or prolong their opening. Each of this behavior translates to the character of the engine, resulting in a super-smooth powerband, enhanced throttle response, higher power production and optimized fuel economy.

The addition of the DVT will surely make the 2019 Diavel 1260 a much better all-round power cruiser to ride. To be unveiled at EICMA 2018, is it also slated to receive Bosch’s six-axis IMU (Inertia Measurement Unit) to enhance rider aids, Ohlins suspension, Bluetooth connectivity and cosmetic updates.

Stay tuned!

Ducati Panigale V4 S “Race of Champions” editions all SOLD OUT!

13 Ducati Panigale V4 S used in the Race of Champions at the World Ducati Week 2018 are all sold out.
Auctioned off eBay, the bikes with special components come with race liveries used by Ducati riders in MotoGP and WorldSBK.
Troy Bayliss’ bike received the highest bid at €120,000 (RM567,600)!

The World Ducati Week 2018 (WDW 2018) recently concluded just last month where thousands upon thousands of Ducati enthusiasts from around the world gathered for a two-day extravaganza in Misano, Italy. One of the biggest highlights of this year’s event had to be the Race of Champions where renowned Ducati riders competed on board the very sexy 2018 Ducati Panigale V4 S. (more…)

Ducati Red Weekend 3.0 coming on 4 & 5 August 2018

The third Ducati Red Weekend 3.0 is coming to Ducati Petaling Jaya this weekend on 4 and 5 August 2018.
Amazing rebates and offers on your favourite Ducati models are up for grabs including official merchandises and apparel.
There will also be live music performances and fun activities for the whole family too.

The third Ducati Red Weekend of the year will be happening this weekend and it promises to be one heck of a weekend filled with festivities including great offers. The Ducati Red Weekend 3.0 organised by Next Bike Sdn Bhd will take its place from 4 to 5 August 2018 at Ducati Petaling Jaya (next to the Federal Highway). (more…)

2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 has arrived in Malaysia! From RM83,000

Next Bike Sdn Bhd has officially launched the 2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 Special and Sport variants here in Malaysia.
The official launch was made at the 2018 Art of Speed Malaysia festival currently happening this weekend at MAEPS Serdang.
The 2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 Special is priced at RM83,000 while the Sport variant comes in at RM85,000 (OTR price without insurance & 0% GST).

Next Bike Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Ducati here in Malaysia has officially unveiled the latest and most powerful Ducati Scrambler ever built yet for the Malaysian market. The 2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 comes in two different flavours which are the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Special and Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport. (more…)

2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 to Debut at Art of Speed

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 was first unveiled at EICMA 2017.
Next Bike will unveil it to the Malaysian public at Art of Speed 2018 this weekend.
The Scrambler 1100 range is set to bring more riders into the “Land of Joy”.

Ever since the 2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 was unveiled to the public during EICMA 2017, Malaysian enthusiasts have been anticipating its arrival at our shores. (Please click on the link below to check out our report.) The good news is Next Bike Sdn. Bhd., the sole distributor of Ducati motorcycles in Malaysia will unveil both the Scrambler 1100 Special and 1100 Sport variants at the Art of Speed (AOS) 2018 exposition on 28^th July.

2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 – The most powerful Ducati Scrambler yet

The Scrambler 1100 will expand the Scrambler’s “Land of Joy” range and it set to increase the ranks of Scrambler fans throughout Malaysia.

Powering the bike is a 1079cc, air-cooled, Desmodromic, 4-valve, L-Twin (90^o V-Twin) which produces 86 bhp @ 7500 RPM and 88 Nm @ 4750 RPM. That’s not all as the new models receive electronic rider assistance such as ride modes with 3 settings, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Bosch’s latest Cornering ABS.

The 3 ride modes are ACTIVE which offers full engine power and limited traction control (akin to SPORT mode), JOURNEY which offers full power and appropriate power delivery (akin to TOURING mode), and CITY which limits power to 74 bhp and provides the smoothest power delivery (much like URBAN or RAIN mode).

As for rolling stock, all three models (“basic”, Special and Sport) are equipped with Brembo 4.32 Monobloc 4-piston calipers, and adjustable suspension, although the basic model and Special shares ø45mm fully adjustable USD Marzocchi forks and Kayaba monoshock. The Sport, on the other hand, features ø45mm fully adjustable USD Öhlins forks and Öhlins monoshock. Additionally, both the “basic” and Sport share the same 10-spoke 17” allow rims, while the Special uses 17” spoked aluminium wheels.

Other details have also been updates to distinguish the 1100 from the 821cc and 400cc models. The headlamp now features a prominent “X” and a new LCD instrument cluster. Although the 1100 is air-cooled, there are aluminium “radiator” shrouds behind the forks.

However, the most distinguishing styling feature has to be the dual high-mounted exhaust silencers which the Italian manufacture says will produce the “pure Ducati V-Twin” exhaust note.

Next Bike is confident that the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Special and Scrambler 1100 Sport will steal the show from the many new bikes set to be launched during AOS, so be sure to visit the show this weekend.

Art of Speed 2018 will be held on 28^th to 29^th July 2018 at MAEPS Mardi, Serdang. Please refer to the map below.

PICTURE GALLERY

Desmo Cup returns for 2018: First round happens this weekend!

The TOC Desmo Cup is the best way for Ducati owners to fully exploit the potential of their bike.
Race is open to all owners of the Ducati 848, Panigale 899 and 959, the 1098, 1198, Panigale 1199, 1299 and the brand-new Panigale V4.
Registration is open.
Round 1 takes place this weekend during the Malaysia Superbike Championship.

The Desmo Owners Club Malaysia (DOCM) will be hosting the first round of the TOC Desmo Cup 2018 during the second round of the Malaysian Superbike Championship.

However, unlike the MSC series which has two race rounds per weekend, the TOC Desmo Cup will only race once in a 10 lap race format.

Taking place on the 27,28 and 29 of July at the Sepang International Circuit, the 2018 installation of the TOC Desmo Cup sees DOCM partnering the TOC Automotive College who comes on board as the title sponsor of the series.

Participants taking part in the series will be racing on their own bikes and the series is open to those riding the Ducati 848, Panigale 899 and 959, the 1098, 1198, Panigale 1199, 1299 and the brand-new Panigale V4.

Entry fee to the series is set at just RM500, while the price is as follows:

Race winners:
– 1st RM600 and trophy
– 2nd RM500 and trophy
– 3rd RM400 and trophy
– 4th trophy only
– 5th trophy only

Overall season championship prize money as follows:

– Overall points champion RM3000 and thropy
– Runners up champion RM2500 and trophy
– 3rd Overall RM2000 and trophy
– 4th Overall RM1500 and trophy
– 5th Overall RM1000 and trophy

The series will receive technical support from Ducati Malaysia who will be sending their trained mechanics to work on bikes. Lubricants will be supplied by Toyo Lubes while Kratos Motorsport, the distributor of K-Tec suspensions in Malaysia, will offer ride and handling support to all riders.

All riders intending to join the series must have a valid AAM license to take part in the races.

The following is the MSBK TOC Desmo Cup Supersport and Superstock Calendar:

– Round 1 : July 27th, 28th and 29th 2018
– Round 2: September 14th, 15th,16th 2018
– Round 3 and 4 : October 5th, 6th, 7th 2018

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ducati

Ducati MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso controlled the San Marino MotoGP race and won.

Pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo crashed out with 2 laps to go.

Marc Marquez finished 2nd to extend his championship lead.

Ducati Australia issued an urgent safety recall for a possible rear brake pad issue.

Models affected are Hypermotard 939, 959 Panigale, 1299 Panigale, 1299 Panigale Final Edition and the new Panigale V4.

Countries affected are Australia, the United States of America, New Zealand and Canada for the time being.

Ducati could be revamping the Hypermotard for 2019.

It should be ready for Euro 5 emissions standard since it will be implemented in 2020.

While it is not confirmed, there is speculation that the new engine will be equipped with DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing).

Ducati announced that more models will be powered by the V-Four engine.

The engine will be adopted from the Desmosedici Stradale that’s powering the Panigale V4.

The new V-Four engines will be more “affordable” according to Ducati.

Ducati Motor Holdings is the latest to report a decline in sales.

It was in Q2 2018 which dropped more over the first half of 2018.

Ducati is just one of the manufacturers who are seeing the decline in a soft worldwide motorcycle market.

After announcing that Ducati isn’t for sale in April, VW Group CEO hinted at the possibility of selling Ducati again.

The Volkswagen Group is looking to recover losses due to the Dieselgate scandal in 2015.

This announcement could also mean Ducati will expand into other categories or engine capacities.

Ducati introduced the DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing) in the 2015 Multistrada 1200.

It will now be carried over to the 2019 Diavel 1260.

But what is DVT and how does it work?

13 Ducati Panigale V4 S used in the Race of Champions at the World Ducati Week 2018 are all sold out.

Auctioned off eBay, the bikes with special components come with race liveries used by Ducati riders in MotoGP and WorldSBK.

Troy Bayliss’ bike received the highest bid at €120,000 (RM567,600)!

The third Ducati Red Weekend 3.0 is coming to Ducati Petaling Jaya this weekend on 4 and 5 August 2018.

Amazing rebates and offers on your favourite Ducati models are up for grabs including official merchandises and apparel.

There will also be live music performances and fun activities for the whole family too.

Next Bike Sdn Bhd has officially launched the 2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 Special and Sport variants here in Malaysia.

The official launch was made at the 2018 Art of Speed Malaysia festival currently happening this weekend at MAEPS Serdang.

The 2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 Special is priced at RM83,000 while the Sport variant comes in at RM85,000 (OTR price without insurance & 0% GST).

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 was first unveiled at EICMA 2017.

Next Bike will unveil it to the Malaysian public at Art of Speed 2018 this weekend.

The Scrambler 1100 range is set to bring more riders into the “Land of Joy”.

PICTURE GALLERY

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Marc Marquez finished 2^nd to extend his championship lead.