FOR the past 67 years, Ducati’s USP (unique selling proposition) has been the closeness of its customer products to the bikes its factory riders race at the highest level. This is especially true of Ducati’s natural sporting home, Superbike racing, with its riders aboard evolved versions of bikes its customers can buy in their friendly local Ducati dealer.
It’s been that way since May 1954, when designer and engineer Fabio Taglioni began work at the state-owned Ducati factory in Bologna, Italy, then producing a prosaic range comprising the Cucciolo clip-on moped engine, the Cruiser scooter and various 100cc pushrod models. He was hired by then CEO Dr Giuseppe Montano, himself a keen motorcyclist who recognised the sport-mad Italian public were attracted to successful racing marques like Moto Guzzi, Gilera, MV Agusta and Mondial. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. But unlike the others who raced exotic machines
