Misano magic
World Ducati Week (WDW) started in 1998. In the beginning, it was more of a factory promo event, and through the years it has evolved to what it is today: a monumental bike festival that every Ducatisti aspires to experience. Every two years, Ducatisti come together to celebrate motorcycles and the Ducati way of life. Through the past two decades, WDW has grown with a record number of attendees swelling to 91,956 in 2018, a number unsurpassed to this day.
The last WDW in 2022 had around 84,000 riders show up, and considering the world only started opening up that time (post-COVID), that’s still a pretty good number. This year, a staggering 94,000 Ducati aficionados from 86 nations showed up to experience the vibrant pulse of WDW.
I arrived at the Bologna International Airport before lunch on July 26 after about 18 hours of traveling. By noon, familiar faces and long-time international moto media colleagues started showing up. Journalists come hailing from 30 countries. Yep, it’s that big of a deal. One can get a sense of the global moto scene by talking to the eyes, ears and motorcycle news bringers from around the world. I must say the industry is in a good place at the moment.
It took us close to two hours to get to Misano from the airport. Pretty good ride, the closer we got to the home of WDW, we started spotting more Ducatisti on the road, and more Ducati signs everywhere. Misano is turning into Ducati Town. After dropping off our stuff at the Hotel Cristallo, we went to the Misano World Circuit, a four-kilometer racetrack that can accommodate 100,00 people. We were to witness the release of their all-new no-holds barred generation 7 Panigale V4S.
The Panigale line is the closest production bike one can buy that is comparable to Ducati’s Moto GP bike in terms of performance. The Generation V4S has a new braking system, new hollow swing arm, new dashboard, new look and lines, and a lot of new tricks to help make you a better rider. We will definitely have some alone time with this in Makina soon.
After the global premiere of the Panigale V4S, we went for supper by the Misano Circuit race track. Now that’s a first. It was dinner with red LED lights running through a table set up about 100 meters long. The piece de resistance wasn’t the three-course Italian meal or the special Ducati dessert done by French Patisserie Julien Dugourd, but the race bikes for the Race of Champions displayed in the middle for all of us to gawk at.
Seeing red
Opening day for the general public for Ducati World Week generated much anticipation and excitement for the upcoming festivities. The Ducatisti arrived in droves, bringing their families and friends, all rolling on Ducatis from the vintage classics to present-day models. By 9 a.m., the parking was packed. Lotsa’ riders, lotsa’ smiles, lotsa’ Ducatis.
WDW has three key elements to celebrate the passion for Ducati. We have, of course, the bikes, we have the racetrack, and of course the Ducatisti. One of the highlights of World Ducati Week was the Race of Champions where the Ducati Champions had a go on the all-new Panigale V4S. We saw Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Andrea Lannone, Enea Bastianini, Michele Pirro, Mark Marquez, Franco Morbidelli, Jorge Martin, Alvaro Bautista, Nicolo Bulega, among others. All eyes were on two racers, the two MotoGP Champions: Marquez and Bagnaia.
After the day’s qualifying, to everyone’s surprise, Marquez was not in the top three, on pole position. Rather, it was an upset with Lannone, on top, crowd favorite Bagnaia on 2nd and Di Giannantonio in 3rd position. Marquez ended in the 5th position, just half a second away from pole. The results generated much talk and a lot of predictions for the actual race the next day. For the majority here, it was Pecco all the way.
Summer in Misano gets hot, it’s a dry kind of heat and we were at 33 degrees at lunch. This didn’t stop people from attending. By this time the space between people is a lot less with people going around checking out the racers’ bikes in their paddocks, checking each other’s bikes in the parking lot, shopping at the Ducati Merch Shop, and even getting their bikes serviced at the Ducati Service shop.
Another activity we did was the new DRE (Ducati Riding Experience) program, the DRE Adventure Academy. DRE is the training course Ducati offers its customers so they can better enhance their riding skills. The Adventure Academy focuses on off-road and adventure riding. I got pretty stoked to finally get the chance to ride their Ducati Desert X and experience the hype around it. This is the only bike where I find myself with both heels slightly up. For reference, I’m 6 feet tall. We went through a simple course, warming up with some cones, going through planks, then eventually going through logs and a full dirt course with some tight bends. Fun!
A parade and a party
After the DRE Adventure camp, it was time for us to prep for the Ducati Parade. Now, this is where the Ducatisti get to flex as one. From where I was standing, on top of the terraces of the Misano Racing Circuit, thousands of Ducatistis lined up for the parade. We’re talking about riders across the board, from the young rev-lovin’ ones to the golden Ducatisti who have done hundreds of thousands of miles on two wheels. It’s quite a sight to see so many people gathering together for the love of this Italian brand.
After the parade, we spent almost an hour and a half getting to the after-party at the beach which was supposed to be only 10 minutes away. Bad traffic is non-existent in this sleepy town, it takes a WDW parade to cause a grid lock. This time of the year, the sun sets late in Italy at around 9 p.m., so we got to the beach just as the sun set. Time to party.
I haven’t been “tugishtakishing” in a very looooooong time. Still, after a couple of beers I found myself doing a “tipid tito” dance of swaying side-to-side, tapping my foot, nodding to people passing by like I was approving and acknowledging their moves. This whole time, the energy from the people never dropped, from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight it was “bam, bam,bam.” There was always a Ducati thing to do.
Beyond the redline
Our third day started with an interview with the “main main man” of Ducati, Claudio Domenicali. After graduating in mechanical engineering from the University of Bologna, he joined Ducati in 1991. Fast-forward to 1999, he was appointed CEO of Ducati Corse, the company’s arm dedicated to racing. In just four years since, Ducati entered Moto GP with their 4-cylinder V engine Desmosedici. In 2013, after years of growth and success, and after Ducati was bought by Audi, he became the overall boss man and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding.
Claudio talked about how World Ducati Week has evolved, not just with the number of people who attend it, but with how people have looked and lived with the Ducati brand throughout the years. He spoke about how Ducati isn’t just about being another fast bike. It’s a way of life.
The Race of Champions is the most exciting part of the whole WDW. This year was extra special with the presence of Marc Marquez. Crowd favorite Pecco Bagnaia started in the second slot, and immediately got to first, and pretty much held that position throughout the race. Pecco dominated the Race of Champions and the only thing controversial here was Marquez ending up in 3rd due to what appears to be a “touch” that caused Nicolo Bulega to crash.
At the press briefing, Marc was asked about that last turn in lap 10, he said he didn’t feel any contact and he was just following his racing line. Good thing, albeit a bummed-out shoulder, Bulega did not have any fractures. He’s fine, except for his ego perhaps. “Na Bulaga si Bulega!”
At the podium, there was tension in the crowd when Marquez came out to accept his trophy. He is, after all, in Pecco territory. Still, the spirit of World Ducati Week prevailed, and a race is a race.
World Ducati week happens every two years. This is an event that every Ducati-lovin’ rider should experience, at least, once in their lifetime. In 2026, the next World Ducati Week will coincide with Ducati’s 100th year anniversary. If there’s any chance to go, that would be it. World Ducati Week is about Ducati Familia, and its culture, and heritage spanning a century. Congratulations to this fine Italian Motorcycle Brand for a fantastic event. Forza Ducati!
