Welcome to Rino Caracchi's workshop. When Ducati racing history is told it's difficult if not impossible to explain the relationship between NCR and Ducati Reparto Corse because as is often the case in Italy, sometimes they were different and sometimes they were the same. What is clear is that NCR was two men, Georgio Nepoti and Rino Caracchi. Partners so closely linked in work and in spirit that when Giorgio died last year Italian TV reported that it was Rino who had passed (a story Rino tells fondly because it allows him to speak of Giorgio who was for all purposes a brother and could not be more dearly remembered or missed). All visits to Bologna begin for me with a visit to Rino but this year we have a purpose. One of the groups bikes has been delivered here for final assembly for next week's Motogiro d'Italia. The original construction plans called for it to be sent to the WSBK shop of Stefano Caracchi and with the help of Franco Farne the assembly would be done in advance but the bike's arrival date conflicts with the Monza SBK race weekend so Stefano diverted the bike to his father's shop. As a result our arrival in group with tools in hand is somewhat unexpected/last minute, but greeted as always with a smile.

A small space organized to reflect a lifetime of good results. First question? "Where are your coveralls?" A question impossible not to smile at because it goes to the root of Italian tradition. Ducati's have always been built by men and woman wearing coveralls, it's just how it's done

That's Rino. Every year he builds me what is surely the closest thing there is to a new 1957 "works" Ducati. The "Vicki fleet" has 4 bikes in it now, named Vicki I, Vicki II, Vicki III and Vicki IV.
This year Rino is sending Vicki IV to Sicily

Vicki IV awaits the truck south

Those are the number plates of Vicki's past. Rino displays the Motogiro memrobilia and trophies alongside the truly historic items. (his rider list includes Hailwood,Spaggiari,Polen, Caracchi (his son who was quite accomplished)and of course me)If you ask him who has ridden for him he includes my name with the others. There are many reasons to adore this man, his great sense of humor is one of them!

The boxed bike belongs to Rich Lambrechts, a restoration expert from the US. With Rich is Jim Dillard who has been with me on every 'giro, all seven. Jim is a noted collector of Italian bikes and it's a running joke that no one actually knows how many he has.

Once it's unboxed the real work begins. Mrs. Caracchi takes one look at the parts pile and declares Rich will be peddling! (A reference to the many bicycles in the shop, one of which he may have to borrow) But the bike is coming together quickly. Here they put the head on the motor

The bike is designed to look raced but Rich is known for details like this one. Rino took one look at this piece, picked it up, rolled his thumb over the detailed work, made a little smile, looked at Rich and nodded. High praise in the universal language being spoken in this shop today

At one point Rino asked Jim how many bikes he had. Rino wrote a number on the workbench of how many he had. Jim held up his fingers how many he had. Rino asked him to tell him again, and then a third time. No misunderstanding. More head shaking. Then discussion of how long it takes to find and buy this sort of history. In this room on this day the people assembled had between them many hundreds of bikes, almost all Italian, the vast majority Ducati's. And that seemed perfectly normal. (OK, to be truthful we know it's not, but we don't care) :-)

That's Rino's personal rider, well, one of them anyway. I really think he's most fond of an electric start Mototrans Scrambler which he started proudly for us - one push of the button and it purred to life