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My DREam - Kenny Rinaldoni - 2/4
I was happy to have the chance to meet Claudio De Angelis again, having met him in the context of the Ducati Women’s Y2K Team. In the offices of the Ducati Community I was able to see the actual physical location I was sending my work to. Valentina introduced me to Livio Lodi, the curator of the Ducati museum and the “historic memory” of the Borgo Panigale factory. Livio didn’t waste any time – he immediately started asking me about my Monster 400! After chatting with Livio, I got the opportunity to meet and thank Ombretta Piatesi since she is in charge of DRE and was even able to find me a great Ducati Dainese riding suit in my hard-to-find mini size! I wanted to meet Annalisa Dimonte to thank her in person for having given me the present of a day at DRE but unfortunately, she was out so I’ll thank her now: ”Grazie Annalisa!” There was a wonderful friendly warm atmosphere. Inside the building I could still feel the euphoria that came after the recent Ducati racing successes – both Paola Cazzola’s victory at the Italian Women’s Championship and of course Loris Capirossi’s win at the Motegi MotoGP. I then went down to the factory with Valentina and Livio and had the honour to see the first Sportclassic models on the production line. Just think – this really was special since the bike was the SportClassic Paul Smart Limited Edition. After a brief break at the DesmoBar, (where I even went online to see that my recent article had just been published) we joined a group of visitors and the guide. Now I can say I know what is there underneath – underneath my Ducati! Forget the idea of huge Japanese factory where every little piece is put together by a robot. Here, in the Ducati factory, every worker puts his or her hands, and a bit of heart, into each engine. Each engine is built by one single person and his or her DNA becomes a part of that engine’s bar code – that one worker really becomes the bike’s creator. Perhaps this job does get routine, but I would just love to see what it feels like to build a Ducati engine! The Ducati Corse area is off-limits for everyone. This is the top secret part of the factory where only special workers are allowed in. I like to imagine all the work going on in there – the development of the Desmosedici and all of the other historic engines that race on so many tracks around the world. The development of the technique, the aerodynamics, the strategy… the secrets of Ducati Corse that are only unveiled as the final product speeds by you on the track! In the factory the motorcycles take shape step by step: the unforgettable trellis frame, the electric system full of wires and tubes like veins and arteries. Finally, the engine, the beating heart of all Ducatis. The tyres like muscles and the fairings as the final protection like a skin, a dress specially tailored to fit. There they all are, just born, in line one by one as if it were a little Ducati nursery. Now the new-born Ducati motorcycles are ready to leave the nursery for the Ducati Stores around the world. Walking though the factory, everything around me seems so ALIVE. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I look at my own bike and I feel as though it is alive, as though my Monster had a soul. Now I understand where that feeling comes from. It was really special to see the new SportClassic family – to see the past revised and perfected seems like the perfect way to go back and reclaim old and new successes. After the visit to the factory, we headed toward the museum. The doors to the museum opened like the curtains in a theatre. The museum is a large circular space with 7 separate rooms – the 7 rooms of wonder, a trip through time to live Ducati tradition. From the first and smallest Cucciolo to the most recent Desmosedici. All of this was surrounded by an illuminated track with an astounding number of motorcycles that represent all of Ducati’s amazing past. Federica Rinaldoni (continues) Read the first part Read the third part 
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