Audi 2012 Annual Report Download - page 84

Inseparably linked with Ducati: the
desmodromic valve (top) – a component
of every motorcycle produced at the
plant in Borgo Panigale.
Ducati has been building
motorcycles for over
65 years, and the name
Ducati has epitomized
particularly sporty
motor cycles with unique technology
since at least the mid-1980s. This also
marks the start of a steady stream
of victories on the race track. Ducati
introduced the Monster in 1993, and
the 916 established the brand’s super-
bike tradition in 1994. At present,
some 1,200 employees build six model
series in modern production facilities
at the company’s headquarters in the
Borgo Panigale neighborhood of
Bologna. Ducati sells its motorcycles
in more than 80 countries around the
world. The tradition-steeped brand
was acquired by the Audi Group in July
2012 and delivered 16,786 motor -
cycles between then and the close of
the fiscal year.
The enthusiasm of Ducati owners
around the world is not due solely
to the high performance of the
two-cylinder engines, however. The
Ducatisti’s passionate reverence of
their brand also has to do with the
desmodromic valve (desmo dromos
is Greek for “controlled motion”).
Refined by Ducati in the 1950s,
this special valve control system
does not use a spring to close the
valve as in conventional engines.
Instead there are two cam-actuated
rocker arms per valve. One arm
opens the valve, the other closes it.
This prevents valve flutter at very
high revs, thus making the engine
particularly reliable. This is also the
reason for a “Duc’s” typical sound:
a heartbeat unlike that of any other
motorcycle. Yet another thing that
Ducati drivers simply adore about
their machines. «
Around 1,200 employees produce six Ducati model series at the
main plant in Bologna.
The origins of the
desmodromic legend
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