Ducati Factory Museum

**Voltaire** · 23rd January 2009, 07:28

In 2004 I visited Ducati as part of a Kombi tour of Europe.
We called into Bologna on the off chance of a tour. It was August and the factory was pretty much closed but they still did a tour and the museum is fantastic.
As a Ducati fan of 22 years I mainly looked at the earlier pre belt drive stuff....in hindsight now being a convert to belts I should have taken more pictures....oh well, hope you like the pics. The Scooter is interesting....not on the main display....down a corridor near the toilets..... makes you wonder where the 500cc parallel twins and Apollos are....

I'll have to do them in two as there seems to be a limit on pictures.

**Voltaire** · 23rd January 2009, 07:32

here are some more pics of some other bikes they had.....

**vifferman** · 23rd January 2009, 07:37

We drove past Bologna in September. I had my nose up against the window of the bus, hoping the bus would break down and I could escape, but no such luck.

Must make sure the vifferbabe puts it in our schedule when we go back to Yrp.

**johan** · 23rd January 2009, 10:33

Very nice photos!

Any pix of the Ducati radio?

**slofox** · 23rd January 2009, 11:02

Originally Posted by Voltaire

The Scooter is interesting....

I saw a Ducati scooter today....di'n't know they did one...

**Voltaire** · 23rd January 2009, 12:53

Originally Posted by johan

Very nice photos!

Any pix of the Ducati radio?

No pics...They did have a display of Ducati electical items, looks like they did radios for the Army in the war and other stuff. Ironic that they were originally and electrical manufacturer....
Cool profile pic!!!!!
I've just started tinkering on my 900ssie...replaced the broken headlight...only had to remove most of the fairings...

Caught a glimpse of the oil filter and open clutch for the first time.
Went to local Ducati shop and bought filter, tool and some cam belts.
Can't be any harder than rebuilding a 800kw screw chiller

I get my bevel stuff from bevel heaven, can you reccommend any places for the belt drive air cooled two valvers?
Looking to buy the crank turning tool and special Desmo tools....unless I can borrow a set and get my engineer mate to make me a set.

**Voltaire** · 23rd January 2009, 12:56

Originally Posted by slofox

I saw a Ducati scooter today....di'n't know they did one...

Was it for sale????
I don't think Ducati are proud of their scooter....Velocette did a reasonable one...and the Triumph Tigress at least sounds good.
I so wanted a cucciolo...... I'd even swap a Solex and a Puch Maxi for one...

**vifferman** · 23rd January 2009, 13:30

Originally Posted by Voltaire

I've just started tinkering on my 900ssie...replaced the broken headlight...only had to remove most of the fairings...

LOLzah.
To replace a headlight on a modern bike, you'd expect that: the fairings and bodywork are all intimately related with one another.

On my VTR, I could take the whole faring off by undoing four screws.
On the VFR, to change one tiny instrument bulb, I had to remove the mirrors, windscreen, side cowls of the fairing, front fairing, unplug the headlights and indicators, and a whole lot of other screws and bolts and bits'n'pieces.
Then put it all back.

**Voltaire** · 23rd January 2009, 14:32

The replacing of the headlight was the easy part.
Being stingie I didn't want to pay the $ 800.00 for a new headlight, or even $500.00 for a used one....so I found one on Italian Ebay....but he didn't speak english or deal overseas.....hmmmmm. Thank you Babelfish..
Could not do a transfer as the ASB could not do it....or a cheque...so I posted cash...arranged for it to be delivered to a supplier we use in Venice...posted to NZ...taken apart and the lens glued onto my reflector for the RHD bit....and then the easy bit, take the fairings off.
I could see lots of new things to play with under the fairingg

I should have got you to pick it up on yer travels

Its all good now and I got a nice smoked custom lens cover from the UK !!!!
Ducati Owning: "its shopping on the internet."
PS. as ususal one came up on TM last week...but it sold for $ 350.00....my Italian one was 46 Euro.

**johan** · 23rd January 2009, 14:38

I've used these two for many parts and tools:

http://www.gothamcycles.com
http://www.desmotimes.com/

cheers

**slofox** · 23rd January 2009, 14:54

Originally Posted by Voltaire

Was it for sale????
I don't think Ducati are proud of their scooter....Velocette did a reasonable one...and the Triumph Tigress at least sounds good.
I so wanted a cucciolo...... I'd even swap a Solex and a Puch Maxi for one...

It was at Supacross Cycles in Te Rapa - but NOT a Ducati it turns out - some subsidiary of Ducati with a name I couldn't quite get from the dude there over a crappy phone line....possibly Melillimoto...?

**Max Headroom** · 25th January 2009, 17:43

Originally Posted by Voltaire

The Scooter is interesting....not on the main display....down a corridor near the toilets..... makes you wonder where the 500cc parallel twins and Apollos are.....

Does that suggest even the factory is ashamed of the 500GTL? Wow.....

**LBD** · 25th January 2009, 20:50

So when My wife said the two places she wanted to visit in Italy were Florence and Venice, I thought I had better look them up on the map.....hey..wait ...whats that in between.... BOLONGA...Bingo!

"Sweetie, why dont we spend a couple of days between Venice and Florence, may be Bolonga for example, I am sure we could find something to look at there."

The factory tour was great, Saw the first RR coming off the production line and the first 848's before they left the factory. The Museum was great. Will post some of my photos in a few days.