Motorbikes, what a thrill! If at any given MotoGP event you consider the real competition to be between who screams the loudest, you or Murray Walker, if you get saddled up just to go from the living room to the bedroom, if your bike is basically part of the family, then this is the itinerary for you!
It starts with a roaring visit to the Borgo Panigale (Bologna) plant. Exactly, Ducati!
A guided tour of the factory not only means discovering how a Ducati motorcycle is put together, but it also involves taking in the electrifying atmosphere of the various steps in engine production and assemblage, the assembly lines, the check tests, and finally taking a peek at the legendary Racing Team.
This experience also includes a visit to the Ducati Museum, a journey that takes you through the 90-year history of the company, where each exhibited motorbike is a work of art that tells a story of men and passion.
Leaving Bologna, you will head to Romagna where your second stop will be Coriano, the birthplace of the beloved racer Marco Simoncelli who has a museum dedicated to his legacy.
Museo Marco Simoncelli is the only one that recounts Sic’s life story, both inside and outside the MotoGP tracks that witnessed his success as world champion of the 250 cc class in 2008 and, with deep sorrow, his premature death at just 24 years old during the Malaysian Grand Prix.
It’s a truly touching experience that retraces his sporting achievements with a collection of motorbikes, helmets, racing suits and personal belongings of the rider, so keep your handkerchief handy.
Making your way to the coast, the next destination is none other than the National Motorcycle Museum in Rimini, housing a display of more than 250 models by 55 different brands covering the history of the motorcycle from its origins to the twenty-first century.
You will be moved when you see the first vehicles, made between the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s, black and white photographs of sidecars, and unique, hard-to-find pieces such as the 1924 Frera SS 4V.
There are also some gems for true connoisseurs such as the 1937 Moto Guzzi 500 GTV, which belonged to the artist Antonio Ligabue, and internationally renowned prototypes like the Bimota.
Furthermore, the museum periodically hosts a large market dedicated to enthusiasts and collectors of vintage cars and motorcycles.
The last stop is like Disneyland for any motorcyclist, fan and two-wheel enthusiast, as well as the perfect round-up for where this itinerary started: the Ducati World!
35,000 square metres in the Mirabilandia amusement park are dedicated to Ducati-designed entertainment, refreshment areas, a brand store, virtual reality simulators and, above all, the Desmo Race roller coaster: an interactive attraction fuelled by adrenaline and speed that simulates riding a Ducati Panigale V4.
Definitely an unforgettable experience!
