Ducati.Net Photo Gallery - Vicki's View
Sicily. If places bring to mind colors, than this place is bright sea blue with some deep orange thrown in for highlight. In May Sicily is in full bloom - wildflowers and wildly flavorful fruit are everywhere you turn. Toss in some Italian motorcycles and you have the recipe for this years Motogiro d'Italia which returned to the island at the tip of Italy for the second time this year. The highlight of this years route was Mount Etna, a must see place if there ever was one. Currently active it was kind enough to misbehave on the other side of the mountain, leaving our route and viewing pleasure uninterupted. The 2007 event began for us at the NCR workshop (see the gallery here: http://ducati.smugmug.com/gallery/2835303 ) with a story that began two years ago. It's about a man, a dream and one fast little bike.........
Photos by Vicki Smith
Photos by Vicki Smith
Motogiro d'Italia 2007 - Sicily
Motorcycles are just machines no matter how much passion they inspire. What makes them special is the people that build them, ride them and love them. This story is about a man, a dream, a little bike, the event that inspired it's creation and the cast of characters that helped it all take place.
Motorcycles are just machines no matter how much passion they inspire. What makes them special is the people that build them, ride them and love them. This story is about a man, a dream, a little bike, the event that inspired it's creation and the cast of characters that helped it all take place.
The playground - Sicily in May. Perfect weather, blue skies and seas to match. Heaven off the coast of Italy
The bike is a 125cc Ducati single, built at the NCR workshop over a 5 day period with the help of Rino Caracchi, the most historic mechanic in Ducati's vast history, he's the C in NCR. It's a purpose built tool, conceived and designed to be the perfect, historically honorable, Motogiro d'Italia cutting edge tool. Just under 200 lbs, with a magneto system rather than a battery, the idea was to create a machine that honored the spirit of the event. That meant it had to be fast and reliable with plenty of midrange for the mountains, low end for the skill tests, top end for the straights and at least a little comfort for the rider. It's a lot harder than it sounds. Two years of planning and the bike was ready for it's days in the Sicilian sun.
Rich Lambrechts. He's the "man" in this story. Well known in the US as a historian and restoration specialist with an emphasis n Ducati's, this was his third trip to the Motogiro, with the first two setting the stage for his dream of building what he believed was just the right bike for this challenging 5 day event.
The bikes arrive in Sicly anyway they can, the logistics of getting here with "stuff" in tow are daunting. These bikes came from England
Thursday. Entrants begin to filter in to the hotel in Sciacca, Sicily. It's time to make sure the bikes work and renew friendships that blossom every year during the race.
The bikes come from everywhere in the world. Many built just for this, it's all they do. Current registrations mate up with license plates on owners arrival.
Details were focused on increasing reliability and making the bike as light and simple as possible. No battery is the first thing you notice - this being the biggest source of trouble on these little machines.
Machined cases take off weight, increse access to serviceable components and, well, just look cool.
Ohio, birthplace of aviation and little Ducati's
The Sorcerers of Smug are adding new magic right now, so we're in window shopping mode. We'll provide more updates here on our Status Blog.
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