Ducati to showcase six new motorcycles at EICMA 2016

Italian superbike manufacturer Ducati has revealed the six new motorcycles to be showcased at EICMA 2016, the 74th edition of the International Motorcycle Show to be held at the Milan-Rho Trade Fair Centre from November 10-13.

Last evening, the company hosted Ducati World Première 2017, where Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, unveiled the latest motorcycles. Ducati has seen a record-breaking performance in 2016 with motorcycle sales – riding on new products, innovative technology and future-oriented planning – breaking the 50,000 barrier.

"More than Red: Evolution never stops represents the very essence of Ducati 2017 as presented this evening,” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. “Red for passion, performance, racing, and More to indicate a product range that continues to grow, including not only more accessible, differentiated models, but also unprecedented levels of service. A key example of this is the new used Ducati certification and warranty scheme, called Ducati Approved, which makes access to the Ducati world even easier by offering all the economic advantages of a used product but with assurance and guarantees on a par with those of new ones.”

Taking centre-stage at the Ducati World Première 2017 were the new motorcycles that complete and extend the Ducati range for 2017. Of the eight new motorcycles set to join Model Year 2017, no less than six were unveiled on the eve of EICMA (the SuperSport was showcased at Intermot 2016 in Cologne last month). The eighth and last new bike, instead, will arrive in January 2017. 

For 2017 the Monster family is being renewed and extended with the arrival of the new 1200 and a fresh 797 (pictured above). The Monster 1200 is packed with new design and content, but retains that pure Monster essence. Shaping, silhouettes, fuel tank and headlight are faithful to the lines of the motorcycle that came out in 1993. Available also as a higher-performance S version, the Monster 1200 has a sleeker tank, a fully redesigned sports-style tail, an all-new, technologically advanced headlight and a first-rate electronics package derived from the one on the 1299 Panigale.

Sporty, compact, essential yet incredibly stylish and up to date, the Monster 797 embodies all the allure of the Monster and represents the gateway to the Ducati world. Everything on the Monster 797 recalls the iconic '90s bike but with cutting-edge modernity: from tank to Trellis frame, from air-cooled L-twin engine to the round headlight.

The new Multistrada 950, which is billed as the Bologna-based bike manufacturer's smallest ‘multibike’, is designed to provide all the excitement of the Multistrada in a more accessible, versatile way. Designed to put great performance within everyone's grasp, the Multistrada 950 is for those who want to get in some touring (and perhaps enjoy the company of a passenger) and those who want an agile fun bike that's ideal for everyday use.

The first of two new bikes is the Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer, an interpretation of the legendary 1960s bikes that triggered a motorcycling revolution. With its ‘Black Coffee’ colour scheme, the Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer gets 17-inch’ wheels and ‘racer’ handlebars as also a complete rear-end re-design in pure cafe racer style.

There’s also the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled, which evokes the spirit of the off-road American bikes of the 1970s and 1980s and extends the Scrambler range even further. Thanks to the modified frame and suspension, the spoked wheels (19-inchers at the front) and alluring, ground-breaking lines, this bike is targeted at those who want to be able to get off the asphalt and take a less-beaten track. The off-road capability of the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled is also evident in the type-approved headlight mesh guard, the off-road style footpegs with removable rubber pads, the high mudguards (specially designed for this version) and, of course, the engine skid plate.

The grand finale of the Ducati World Première 2017 came with the arrival on stage of the 1299 Superleggera, ridden by Casey Stoner. The 1299 Superleggera is the first road bike to feature carbon fibre frame, swingarm, subframe and wheels. Ducati says it is a concentrate of engineering, technology and performance – something which until now has never been implemented on a factory-produced model by a motorcycle manufacturer – in a limited edition of just 500 bikes.

Underneath that carbon fibre skin lies the highest-performing version of the Superquadro. Thanks to its 215hp (Euro 4 compliant), the desmodromic engine on the 1299 Superleggera is the most powerful factory twin-cylinder ever built.