Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP Race Replica Street Bike

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Ducati gives the go-ahead for the MotoGP replica bike. The announcement was made at WDW2004 in front of thousands of Ducati fans.

Misano Adriatico (RN) 22 May 2004 – In the magical atmosphere of the WDW (World Ducati Week, the giant bi-annual meeting of Ducati fans from around the world), as a fitting culmination of a week of events, sport, entertainment and, above all, motorcycles, an announcement that we have all been waiting for: Ducati has launched the Desmosedici Racing Replica development project!  The “red Borgo Panigale”, the Italian MotoGP bike which has fascinated fans from around the world, will soon be available.

The announcement gives the official go-ahead for the project, which will make the motorcycle available within two years.  This is naturally a limited edition, as is right for a product conceived as the first true MotoGP replica. 

The new frontier of Ducati's technological evolution, embodies all the fundamental features of the motorcycle competing in the MotoGP World Championship, ridden by Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi. 

The Desmosedici RR is another confirmation of Ducati's vision, as well as the company's ability to transfer their experience of the world of racing to a bike intended for the road.

Federico Minoli (President and Managing Director, Ducati Motor Holding) called Gianluigi Mengoli (Technical Director, DMH) and Claudio Domenicali (Managing Director, Ducati Race Division) to the stage to represent the two technological centers of the company. 

Together they are the driving forces behind this exceptional project.  Together with Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi the Desmosedici RR engine was presented to the public for the very first time, as the heart of this jewel in the crown of Ducati technology, which was received with unbridled enthusiasm by the public.

“An important occasion, a historical announcement, yet another dream come true.  The Desmosedici RR is the maximum that Ducati technology has to offer, in line with the tradition embodied by every motorcycle we produce: from race to road bikes", Federico Minoli said from the stage.

"We are pleased to face such a challenge which, even if only in a limited number of bikes, will be the dream of all Ducati fans.  An exclusive motorcycle which stands for the passion and ingenuity which are the heart of our company's identity.

Naturally the two cylinder engine is, and will always be, the Ducati engine par excellence, destined to be the hallmark of all our products, our past and our future.  Today we are launching an ambitious, important project: it will be two years before the Desmosedici RR will be available, but we wanted to celebrate this historic occasion with all of you.  We look forward then to WDW 2006, where we will deliver the very first Desmosedici RR, right here, on this very stage, at another great Ducati festival, an event we can all share and enjoy together.”

The engine of the Desmosedici RR will feature Ducati's traditional desmodromic timing ensures rigorous valve lift parameters up to the highest engine speeds, and is the perfect match for the modern architecture of the four cylinders in L-layout, resulting in a masterpiece of precision mechanics; with 989 cc total displacement and four valves per cylinder, the Desmosedici RR engine will certainly be a new benchmark for the international motorcycle industry. 

The technology used is at the cutting edge of modern production, a methodology which up to the present time was only available for race bikes. The cam shafts (two per cylinder bank) are driven by gears: a sophisticated, reliable solution which ensures maximally precise timing in all conditions.  The fidelity of the replica does not finish here: the dimensions are exactly the same as those of the MotoGP, as is the six-speed gearbox, which maintains its racing design and can be removed as a single unit.

The lightweight and durability targets have led not only to optimization of the design of the components, but also to the use of the most prestigious and exclusive materials: sand-cast aluminum alloy crankcase and cylinder heads, titanium con-rods and valves, plus magnesium engine covers.

The engine is the heart of this fantastic motorcycle, but the chassis components are of no less high quality and incorporate the most advanced solutions, with the characteristic steel tubing trellis frame and the most refined componentry, all covered with an exceptional carbon fiber fairing whose aerodynamics were designed by Alan Jenkins, who was also responsible for the design of the Desmosedici MotoGP.  The replica bike's final shapes has not yet been decided, but it only natural to assume that it will follow the lines, and technical and aerodynamic solutions of the racing version.

The production of this jewel of a bike will be equally exclusive: Ducati intends to limit production to no more than one bike per day, assembled with the fanatical attention to detail and extraordinary skills of the race division.  The project schedule has been defined and the first bikes will be available from Spring 2006.

The Ducati Desmosedici RR will have a sale price of around 50,000 Euro.  Owners of the 999R will have priority in reserving the new bike.  More information will be available on the official Ducati website starting next July 1, 2004.