The tranquil suburb of Bologna Borgo Panigale seems like – for the most part – your average Italian neighborhood. Old-fashioned buildings line the narrow roads, tasty restaurants are in abundance and espressos reign supreme. Make a left on Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati though, and you will see what sets this quaint neighborhood apart from any other Italian quarter – the Ducati motorcycle factory; a place where hundreds of Italian masterpieces are assembled daily.
There she stands; the original...
There she stands; the original Ducati factory is still erect, although it was heavily damaged by Allied bombs during WWII. The large poster draped over the side is a sign of the changing times.
Unbeknownst to many, Ducati was not always a motorcycle manufacturer, but originally a manufacturer of electronic components. In fact, it was the company’s manufacturing of electronic military equipment that led to the original factory being bombed by Allied forces in the later stages of WWII. The original – now decrepit – building is still erect, but it’s the “new” factory on the adjacent lot where some of today’s most popular Italian sportbikes are built, and that’s exactly where
Sport Rider headed on a recent trip to Italy.
Each day, roughly 160 to 300 motorcycles are assembled at the factory in Bologna and each year, the 800-plus employees pump out some 40,000 to 42,000 bikes. According to our tour guide Livio Lodi, a Ducati employee who has spent some 24 years with the Italian manufacturer, production goals are influenced heavily by the seasons. For instance in the winter months, when motorcycle sales begin to dwindle, operations slow. Once the summer months come back around, the factory goes back to running wide open.
Factory espressos provide...
Factory espressos provide the Ducati advantage.
Employees who ride Ducatis...
Employees who ride Ducatis get "special parking"
A Ducati timeline lines the...
A Ducati timeline lines the side of the factory that faces Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati.
Considering the factory literally assembles hundreds of motorcycles a day, you would presume the feeling behind closed doors to be that of controlled chaos. The opposite is true rather and instead, you find that everything is quite organized and well managed.
Get in Line
Life for each and every Ducati starts at the engine production line, of which there are two in the Bolgna factory – one for the Ducati air-cooled two-valve engine and one for the liquid-cooled four-valve engine. Interestingly enough, the build actually begins before the bits even make it to the assembly line. That’s because prior to getting to the line, all the internal components are arranged on a shopping trolley, a trick Ducati uses to keep things organized. The filled shopping trolley is sent to the appropriate assembly line, where the worker hooks it to the conveyor and the build begins. Roughly 70 minutes later, the engine reaches the opposite end of the line, complete and ready to be tested.
Each and every engine is tested too – none of them squeak through the cracks. The test isn’t too ruthless though, each engine is merely run at 3000 rpm for three minutes, during which time a technician keeps an eye on things like temperature and compression. If for any reason the engine's numbers are outside the predetermined parameters, it is pulled, inspected and rebuilt so that it will pass the test the next time through. And "every engine will eventually pass," Livio states as we listen to a freshly-built Desmo engine being fired up.
Reliability isn’t as much of a concern as it was in years past for Ducati though, and according to Livio the Italian manufacturer has “reduced defects by 85 percent since 2001.” That’s after employees from Porsche came to the factory and lent a helping hand, he goes on to mention.
There are a total of four...
There are a total of four production lines in the factory. Some are above ground, others are under and make life for workers a little bit easier.
While there are just two engine assembly lines, there are four full production lines: the one on which the all-new Diavel is built, the one for the Monsters and Hypermotards, the one for the Streetfighter and Superbikes and the one for the Ducati Multistradas (before production ended, the Desmosidici was assembled on this line as well. The only hint of that however is the lone banner hung from the ceiling overhead the line). Not much is different between the lines, aside from the fact that three are above ground and the other is built into the ground. According to Livio, the workers manning the above-ground line are at a disadvantage though, because they have to reach up to work on the bikes. Luckily, the bikes don't spend too much time on the line, that's because it takes roughly just 90 minutes to fully assemble each one.
Before leaving the factory,...
Before leaving the factory, every model is ran on the dyno, where the technician checks over everything, including headlight position and the controls
Suppliers provide most of the parts for the Ducati models. That means the frames show up built and powdercoated, electronics turn up already wired and brakes arrive ready to be mounted. This also means your tour through the factory isn’t accompanied by the obnoxious sound of heavy machinery slaving away. Instead, you are greeted by the sound of freshly-built Ducatis on the dyno. That’s because once every bike is buttoned up, it is put on the dyno and inspected to make sure there are no faults; everything from power, headlight angle and brake lights are checked.
Assuming the bike passes the test on the dyno, it is pushed to a designated area where it sits at the ready to be transported. Interesting though, is the fact that no Ducatis roll out of the Bologna factory “complete." Instead, final assembly for each model is done at a logistics warehouse roughly 5km down the road who installs, for instance, the fairings and battery. Once buttoned up there, it takes just six to seven weeks to get the completed models from Italy to U.S. dealerships.
It's not uncommon to see women...
It's not uncommon to see women hard at work in the factory.
It's no surprise that Valentino...
It's no surprise that Valentino Rossi swag fills the cafe and gift shop.
The Ducati factory: a haven...
The Ducati factory: a haven for trellis frames
Disappointing is the fact that the tour of the Ducati factory doesn’t let you go even remotely close to the Ducati Corse team’s designated area. That is strictly off limits according to our guide, and to other employees on hand who mentioned that they themselves had never seen that section of the factory.
Nevertheless, the tour through the factory doesn't disappoint. It is truly remarkable to see what goes into each Ducati and there are few better ways to spend a day in Bologna Borgo Panigale. If your every in the area, be sure to check it out for yourself.
And don't forget about the remarkable museum on the grounds either, which features everything from the Ducati Cucciolo to Nicky Hayden's latest MotoGP bike. We had a chance to tour it not too long ago and you can read about it here.