Riding the memory lane
WHEN attending the World Ducati Week 2022, I had the opportunity to visit the Ducati Museum situated at the Ducati headquarters in Bologna, Italy.
It is a dream of every Ducati fan to visit the Ducati Museum.
The 280sq m museum was opened to the public in 1998.
This one-level museum is packed with Ducati memorabilia dating from 1926, the period when the Ducati brothers started making transistor radios and various electric devices before motorcycles.
This iconic museum is an oval shape with a simple layout that showcases 50 years of Ducati motorcycle history.
About 40 motorcycles are displayed here start from the first bicycle add-on engine ‘Cucciolo’ built after World War II to the sexy Superleggera and the latest edition from the Ducati family, Ducati DesertX.
A myriad of racing motorcycles are displayed, each model narrating a victory and a rider whose name will remain written in the Ducati Hall of Fame forever.
The museum section is completed by an exhibition of trophies and racing suits of a few great champions.
Each Ducati model showcased here is aesthetically pleasing with relevant information on the walls and the ceilings above each masterpiece.
The museum is definitely a dream come true for any motorcycle photographer because of its simple yet captivating visual treat and Instagram-friendly venue.
I had the opportunity to learn the evolution of Ducati with the help of a trained guide who is able to speak English besides Italian.
Visitors are allowed to take pictures and there are selected bikes where one could sit on them and take a picture.
A must-see in this museum is Cucciolo, the first Ducati engine; an auxiliary engine that could be clipped onto any bicycle.
A later improved version of the Cucciolo went on to power a sturdier frame to become the Ducati 60 that was defined as the first Ducati motorcycle.
Not to forget the 17 road bikes that are rich with history that played an important role in Italy’s social evolution from 1946 until today; the unique Ducati 100 Sport and the Ducati racing bikes that have created its sporting legend in world championships.