Here’s the Ducati Desmosedici RR vs the Ferrari F430 Scuderia in a track race from the guys at MCN. While it could be considered another gratuitous test of the age-old car vs bike debate, but this time the guys have gone up market and are indulging in two of the best road machines out there, regardless of number of wheels.

This Desmosedici RR is road replica of Loris Capirossi’s 2006 bike, with full carbon-fibre fairing, Marchesini wheels and racing tyres, and 203 hp. It’s up against the 510 hp of the Ferrari Scuderia. Check it out in the video.

Continue reading: Video: Ducati Desmosedici RR vs Ferrari F430 Scuderia

It didn’t take long for someone to put Casey Stoner’s sighting warm up lap crash at Valencia on YouTube, let’s see how long it takes Dorna to take it off.

Ducati’s Fillippo Preziosi was hard up in trying to explain Stoner’s highside to Paolo Beltramo, pitlane commentator for Italia 1 saying that they would have to download the data before understanding what exactly happpened, while Ducati’s new team manager Vitto Guareschi just chalked it up to cold tires. We’re still waiting to hear from Stoner.

UPDATED:

After the jump you can read the the explanation on why Stoner crashed:

Continue reading: MotoGP Valencia - Casey Stoner Crash Video

We revealed two weeks ago in another post that Ducati’s official test rider Vittoriano Guareschi had been promoted to play liaison between Filippo Preziosi and the Ducati riders and you saw Guareschi on the podium at Sepang next to Stoner.

The Italian started his career in the Italian 125 cc Sport Production Series with Cagiva and ended his professional racing career in 2001 after racing for Ducati in WSBK Championship finishing16th in the standings.

The iconic Guareschi whose distinctive hairstyle (his brother Gianfranco aka “il Guaro” has the same hairstyle and is also a motorcycle racer) is a favorite among Ducati fans and has a fan club on Facebook and excellent off track relationships with almost all of the Italian riders.

In this week’s number 34 issue of Motosprint, Guareschi gave his first interview to explain his new role in the team adding that he isn’t going to give up testing completely:

Continue reading: Vitto Guareschi talks about his new role in Ducati

After ten weeks and thousands of pages of theories, rumors and speculation, here’s Ducati’s press release that announces Casey Stoner’s return to racing for the Estoril GP.

The release contains a detailed account of Stoner’s medical condition that made made the Aussie rider sit out three Gran Prix’s.
No viruses, no infections, just low blood pressure and a sodium imbalance that caused extreme fatigue and a certain loss of muscle functionality.

Here’s part of the Ducati press release regarding Stoner, the rest you can read here.

During two months away from racing under the supervision of an expert medical team in his homeland (Dr. Neil Halpin, Sport Physician, Dr Jeremy Coleman, Consultant Physician, Dr Harry Grunstein, Endocrinologist and Professor Jonathan Silberberg, Cardiologist), who have remained in touch with Prof. Fabio Catani (Specialist in Pathology and Locomotive System at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute of Bologna and Ducati’s doctor for several years) and Dr Claudio Macchiagodena of the Clinica Mobile, Casey has undergone a series of exams and special tests.

The results of the tests have excluded pathological anomalies of cardiovascular, respiratory or neurological origins. The exams and inspections also failed to show up any kind of virus or infection.

Continue reading: It's Official, Casey Stoner is Back

While Marco Simoncelli was in the media limelight with his two day test on the Aprila RSV4, Mattia Pasini was quietly concluding his three day test on the Ducati Desmosedici GP9, despite two spills, one yesterday and one today. The Italian rider today registered a best time of 1.51.9 out of 40 laps , while test rider Vittoriano Guareschi, testing different updates for the 2010 bike, posted a best time of 1.51.7.

Pasini has received several offers to race in next year’s new Moto2 class, but has yet to decide for which team he’ll be riding for, because he may get an offer to rider in MotoGP from Pramac Ducati.

Mattia Pasini:

“It was really a great and positive experience and I think I could have recorded a faster personal best.Unfortunately I fell this morning at the “Correntaio”, having made a strong start to the day with a good feeling due to the changes we had made towards the end of yesterday’s session. The changes made a difference as today I immediately went a second faster in the first exit. I didn’t injure myself too badly but hurt my neck which perhaps affected my riding; I think that otherwise I would have been able to drop another second before the end of the day. Anyway, I repeat that it has been a fantastic experience and I thank Ducati and the team who have looked after me during these three days. We will see each other again at Estoril next week.”

Continue reading: Mattia Pasini Concludes Testing with Ducati

Mattia Pasini began his first of a three day test with the Ducati Desmosedici GP9 at the Mugello track today, doing 56 laps and his best time was 1.52.8.

Pasini, rode the GP9 with the Ducati team during the Brno Monday official test, was feeling positive once again even if the asphalt didn’t have a very good grip.

Mattia Pasini:

“It is so much fun to ride the Ducati here at Mugello - this is the circuit to do it at! The surface was a little slippery and we’re not here to set super fast lap times but by the end we weren’t going slowly either. I spent this morning ‘getting my eye in’ for the track and the speed, which is probably more difficult here [than other circuits], but after that we were able to start making a few little changes to adapt the bike to my riding style. This is a wonderful experience for which I would like to thank Ducati once again. I can’t wait for tomorrow because it is important to have more than a single day on the bike and to get back on it after sleeping on things overnight and allowing all the feelings and excitement of today to sink in.”

Continue reading: Mattia Pasini on 1st Day of Testing with the Ducati GP

When Valentino Rossi made sweet eyes towards Ducati and announced “I have to decide about my future with motorcycles at the begining of June next year - whether I will continue, whether it will be with Yamaha or if I change … the idea of Rossi switching to a Rossa (red) motorcycle has inflamed and divided loyal Italian Ducati fans.

Some are all for it, hoping that Rossi and legendary crewchief Jeremy Burgess can make the Ducati more rider friendly, while others totally hate and refuse even to think of someone like Rossi on ‘their’ bike.

Arguments include that Rossi’s superstar status and esuberant personality would cloud the iconic image of the bike or that he would place his ‘ridiculous’ stickers all over it or that Valentino is such an overated rider and could never tame the D16 like Casey Stoner does.

Here are some ideas of how the Desmosedici could look like after getting the Rossi treatment, and if you guys have any other ideas, why not send them to us and we’ll publish them. Send to: pics@twowheelsblog.com

Continue reading: Could one of these be Valentino Rossi's Ducati GP 11 Livery?

It looks like that Mattia Pasini is trying out for a Ducati GP ride next year. The Italian will again be testing the Desmosedici GP9, during a three day test that was already organized at the Mugello race track this week.

He will be riding alongside Ducati’s official test rider Vittoriano Guareschi, under the watchful eyes of Filippo Preziosi.

Pasini debuted on the Ducati after the Brno GP, accepting a long standing offer from Livio Suppo to try out their bike. The test was cut short by rain, but apparently Pasini impressed Ducati enough with his riding and work method, that they decided to give the rider another chance.

Continue reading: Mattia Pasini Gets Another Chance to test a Ducati

The Ducati Desmosedici is a dream bike and it’s great to see it actually being used and not closed up in some sort of garage-museum for bike collectors only, but the guy riding it must be out of his mind or simply doesn’t give a damn about his own safety or has never seen anyone with road burns.

A super expensive GP replica motorcycle, a great lid rounded out by a pair of flip flops, just doesn’t work in my mind.

Send your funny, bizarre or surprising pics to us and we’ll post them, with your name. We’d love to share what you guys find in the world of motorcycling! Send to: pics@twowheelsblog.com

Source: superbike

Continue reading: Photo of the Day: Is Safety Gear an Optional?

Prince Harry showed up at Donington to take in the British Gran Prix races. Usually royalty likes to lay low and avoid the paps like the plague, but in this case young Harry got photographed while riding pillion behind Randy Mamola on Ducati’s MotoX2.

The Prince got treated to a Mamola style wheelie and on the damp track almost got highsided during one of the high speed laps around the English track.

Both Princes are avid bike fans and just a couple of weeks ago the paparazzi caught Prince William riding a Ducati 1198S.

Continue reading: Prince Harry on Ducati D16 with Randy Mamola

Ducati has prepared this one-off special edition Desmosedici RR for the G8 summit in the earthquake stricken town of Aquila, in Italy’s Abruzzo region. The Desmosedici RR special livery has been created by Ducati and Fiera Milano, on suggestion from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The Ducati Desmosedici RR was itself a limited production run of just 1,500 models, making it one of the most prestigious bikes Ducati has ever built. If you’re desperate to get your hands on it, the bike will be auctioned at the next EICMA show in Milan. Have a look at this small gallery of the special edition Desmosedici RR and the details from Ducati after the jump.

Continue reading: Special edition Ducati Desmosedici RR at G8 summit in Italy

Donington Park woke up yesterday to the roaring sound of 60 privately owned Ducati Desmosedici RR’s.

Organized by Ducati UK, it was the first ever Desmosedici track day and these owners got to ride the full MotoGP circuit.

As well as riding the MotoGP circuit, guests got the chance to see Ducati test rider Vittoriano Guareschi in action, meet designer Alan Jenkins, and members of the Ducati Corse team, including SBK Technical Director Ernesto Marinelli and got guidance from DRE (Ducati Riding Experience) instructors .

Continue reading: Ducati Desmosedici Day at Donington