Ducati continues on its path of reopening to the public and, after restarting the visits to the Museum in May, the long-awaited tours of the factory in Borgo Panigale will also resume from 11 October.
During the factory tours, visitors, accompanied by an expert guide, will have the opportunity to walk through the production lines, observing what goes on inside the factory where Ducati motorcycles are created.
Guided tours of the factory can be booked on Monday and Friday, choosing between three visiting shifts in the morning (9.15am – 9.45am – 10.15am) and three in the afternoon (2.30pm – 3pm – 3.30pm). Online booking is required on the dedicated platform for both factory tours and Museum visits.
In order to ensure the safety and health protection of visitors and workers, access to the facility will be possible by reservation only during the hours indicated with a limited number of entries. The presentation of a valid EU Digital COVID Certificate is mandatory, with the exception of children under 12 years and people unfit for vaccination with a medical certificate.
The ticket price for the Ducati Museum entrance only is € 17, while the ticket with combined entrance to the Ducati Museum and guided factory tour is available at € 32.
Starting from 21 May, the Ducati Museum reopens its doors on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Ducati is gearing up to welcome the public again starting from the halls of its Museum, one of the most iconic places to visit for all fans of two wheels and motorsport in general.
During the months of closure due to the pandemic, Ducati extended the digitization process to the Ducati Museum, expanding the digital offer of the Borgo Panigale Experience through the “Ducati Museum Online Journey”. Real guided tours accessible from PC, tablet or Smart TV, virtually accompanied by the Museum’s expert guides, to discover – also remotely – the place where the Italian motorcycle manufacturer shares its essence and history with all fans. The “Ducati Museum Online Journey” remains available for all those who still cannot visit Borgo Panigale in Italy.
Starting from 22 May, the offer of the digital Borgo Panigale Experience is enriched by the “Ducati Factory Online Journey”. The fascinating tours of the Ducati factory, currently suspended for reasons related to Covid, can be experienced from remote by booking the online guided tour of the production areas of the Ducati plant.
During the tour, users will be accompanied by a guide who will show where and how Ducati motorcycles take shape, passing through the mechanical machining department, the engine assembly area and the vehicle assembly lines, up to testing and shipments. A unique experience for all enthusiasts of motorcycling and mechanical engineering.
Both for the Online Journey in the factory and for those in the Ducati Museum, it is possible to ask questions to the guide through the Questions and Answers section of the platform. The programming and tickets for the digital Borgo Panigale Experience (Ducati Museum and Ducati Factory Online Journey) are available on the ticketing platform.
The visit to the Ducati Museum in person is only available by reservation on Friday from 9.00 to 12.00 and from 14.30 to 18.00; Saturday and Sunday from 9.00 to 18.00. The entry ticket must be purchased online on the dedicated website.
To guarantee the health and safety of visitors and workers, access to the structure will take place with a limited number of entries. In order to enter the plant and for the entire period of stay inside the company area, visitors are required to respect the rules established by the internal Covid-19 Task Force, also described on the entrance tickets.
Further information on how to visit and book is available on the Ducati website.
For more Ducati news check out our dedicated page Ducati UK News
The number 001/500 model of the Ducati Superleggera V4 – the only motorcycle in the world homologated for road use with carbon fibre frame, swingarm and rims and produced by the Italian motorcycle manufacturer in a limited run of just 500 units – has been officially delivered to its new owner, the Belgian Ducatista Filip Van Schil, who already possesses nine other Ducati bikes.
For the occasion Ducati invited Van Schil to the Borgo Panigale factory for a special tour, in which he was able to see up close the line where his motorbike was built and meet the specialized worker who made its engine. The day then continued with a visit to the company Museum, the Centro Stile Ducati and the Racing Department. In addition, as with all the other Superleggera V4 owners, Filip will have an incredible opportunity to test the Panigale V4 R, which competes in the SBK World Championship, on the track at Mugello as part of the “Superbike Experience”.
“When I received the call and the official invitation to come to Borgo Panigale to collect my Superleggera V4, the number 001 of 500, although I have always been a Ducatista, my legs trembled with emotion,” said Filip Van Schil. “A welcome like this, even though I was the first to call and order the bike, is something unimaginable. Receiving it directly in the company and touching the passion of the people who work in Borgo Panigale is an experience that I will always remember. Days like this are what make Ducati unique and different from all the other motorcycle manufacturers.”
It was Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, who unveiled the Superleggera V4 001, and then handed it over to its new owner. The ceremony took place inside the Centro Stile Ducati.
“Today is a special day. Experiencing on the track in the morning the incredible emotions that a Superleggera V4 can give at Mugello, and then handing over the keys of the 001/500 motorcycle to the first customer in the afternoon makes this day truly magical! Being able to meet and see the passion of our customers in person is always very exciting, and even more so is making them proud and allowing their dreams to come true,” said Claudio Domenicali. “The Superleggera V4 is the only motorcycle in the world approved for road use with a carbon fibre frame, subframe, swingarm and rims. It is a mix of mechanical engineering, technique and “made in Italy” design that amazes for its performance, style and attention to detail. I am really proud of the work done by all the technicians and engineers of Borgo Panigale, they have created an engineering masterpiece that fully embodies the fundamental values of our brand: Style, Sophistication, Performance and Trust. Today another star of the Ducati firmament was born, dedicated to our most passionate customers, and to collectors and connoisseurs.”
The attention that Ducati wished to reserve for the Ducatista does not stop with an invitation to the company and the delivery of a copy of the book Stile Ducati bearing the date of this unforgettable day and a special dedication from Claudio Domenicali. As will all those who have bought or will buy a Superleggera V4, Van Schil also received a sculptural reproduction of the Superleggera V4 personalized with the number of the bike it accompanies. The Superleggera V4 will be delivered to owners accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and inside a wooden crate with dedicated graphics, specially created for the transport of this masterpiece of motor engineering.
“Each one of our daily decisions is dictated by the goal of making our fans happier and prouder. I am very happy to be here with Mr. Van Schil because this ceremony testifies the passion, professionalism and attention to detail that we reserve for our customers and fans in Borgo Panigale today, as in all our dealers around the world,” said Francesco Milicia, VP Global Sales and After Sales. “Ducati dealers allow fans to get hold of our bikes, our clothing and the entire range of accessories, but also to experience a meeting place where, with competent people dedicated to them, they can share their passion and great emotions. Today’s ceremony represents all of this and is a symbolic delivery for Ducati enthusiasts all over the world.”
The package that Ducati has provided for this unique project includes, in addition to what has already been mentioned, a racing kit, the possibility of customizing the Superleggera V4 leathers with air-bag and part of the “SuMisura Ducati” line and the opportunity to complete the look with a carbon helmet.
Even more incredible and exclusive is the opportunity, limited to only 30 owners of the Superleggera V4, to purchase access to the “MotoGP Experience”. For the first time, in fact, it will be possible to ride the Desmosedici GP on the circuit, followed directly by Ducati Corse technicians, making a dream come true for all fans of sports bikes and the red bikes of Borgo Panigale.
Ducati is set to gradually return to normal, with the steady resumption of production in its Borgo Panigale factory, scheduled to begin on Monday April 27.
In compliance with the regulatory protocol for measures to combat and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the workplace, Ducati temporarily suspended production in its Bologna plant on Friday 13 March to reorganize production schedules. Then came the decree that suspended all non-essential activities and therefore, despite the organization being ready, production did not restart. The gradual improvement in health conditions has allowed the government today to enable companies deemed strategic for the national economy, whose activity is mainly aimed at exports, and for which a prolongation of the suspension would risk losing our country additional market shares, to resume production.
This is a first phase of return, which at the moment will only involve a part of the workers destined for the production lines. Workshop staff will begin first, then engine assembly workers and, from Tuesday 28 April, motorcycle assembly workers. As for employees, the use of smart working will remain mandatory, only those who are not in a position to carry out their work from home will be allowed to access the factory. All resources employed in the commercial, marketing, IT, personnel management, finance, purchasing and logistics areas will therefore be working remotely. The production has been reorganized, going from an eight-hour shift to two seven-hour shifts to allow the minimum number of people to be inside the plant at the same time and thus minimize possible contact. The canteen will be active but with one seat for every four chairs.
The technicians engaged in Research and Development activities who cannot do their work from home were already at work as allowed by the specific ATECO code: therefore the engineers of the engine test rooms, those who carry out motorcycle tests and those who carry out laboratory testing are all present at Borgo Panigale. All designers, project managers, and those in the calculation department will work remotely. This will ensure the deliveries of Ducati motorcycles and the development of new products.
All the rules of conduct in force in Ducati comply with the updated shared protocol of April 24, and for some points they are even more restrictive. For example, inside the company there is an absolute requirement to use masks, regardless of distancing. The entire Ducati protocol is the result of the work of a joint commission between the company and the RSU (unified worker representation body) that was formed on February 23, just two days after the discovery of the first infected person in Italy. Many of the measures inserted are the result of a careful analysis of the protocols used in the Chinese plants of the VW Group, in particular the FAW-VW of Chanchung, where production was suspended only for one week but where strict protection, distancing and sanitizing measures are still in force.
“We are ready to go, we have worked hard over the past few weeks to minimize any risk,” said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO. “Despite this we will have to be extremely cautious and rigorous. The virus is still in circulation and we must therefore be careful to combat any possible form of transmission. This is the reason why all the people present in the factory will wear masks, we must protect the population from the presence of asymptomatic positives who, although in a very small percentage, are present today and will not be identified by the mandatory temperature test. Serological tests can help but they represent only a snapshot; they should be repeated every day before entry, and this is obviously extremely difficult. This is why masks and distancing are so important. We will obviously adapt the protocols to the evolution of the health situation and to the indications given by the State and the Emilia-Romagna Region. We have been in constant touch with President Bonaccini, whom I thank for the support, with councillor Colla and with commissioner Venturi to prepare us better for this eventuality. The two-wheel market is highly seasonal, and the stop to production in March and April has already had negative effects on sales. The Chinese market is already booming, sales in Korea and Japan are doing well. In Germany, dealers have been open for a week and we already have a major shortage of product. I really believe that this restart can allow us to reduce at least in part the negative effects of the lockdown that we were forced to respect, unfortunately at the worst time. We have a splendid order book: the brand-new Streetfighter V4 just launched has obtained unanimous approval from the specialized press and is the undisputed queen of the category. Unfortunately, production was halted just one month after the start. Then there are also many orders for the Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour and for the Panigale V2. We also have the empty warehouses of the Multistrada 950 and Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO. I am convinced that in this ‘phase two’, the bike will prove to be an extraordinary means of combining fun, passion and the possibility of having a vehicle with which to spend the weekend but also to move around quickly and safely in the city, without any problems of parking or social distancing. I want to thank all Ducati employees who have patiently and collaboratively managed this very anomalous phase and are supporting us in the management of the restart.”
Despite the reopening of the production lines, Ducati confirms that visits to the Museum, Factory and Fisica in Moto continue to be suspended until further notice, in addition to entry into the factory being prohibited for suppliers, dealers, external contracted companies, and external staff in general, unless proven and unavoidably required for the continuity of production activities, product development and general services.
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