Bologna - NCR workshop - the bike comes to life!

For the seventh time in as many summers we "the Vicki Group" as they call us on the Motogiro, referring to the ever growing group of North Americans who attend year after year, are back in Bologna for the Motogiro d'Italia 2007. This year the event begins and ends in Sicily, where we are slated to asend Mount Etna which is (unfortunatly) currently the worlds "most active volcano". Translation? It's spewing flames and ashes a mile into the Sicilian sky but somehow no one seems too concerned. Why? Because it's Italy, and that's why we love it here. Nothing is a problem, the food and people are fantastic and the riding is the best in the world. The adventure always begins in Bologna where Ducati's are born and the historic NCR shop is located. Day one begins at the workshop of Rino Caracchi, for the reunion with Rino, his family and one of the groups Ducati racebike's, which has arrived on Rino's doorstep in cartons.....
By Vicki Smith

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.

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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.