#desmodromic

The arc of the aging sportbike rider goes a little something like this: In their youth, going fast and taking chances is the name of the game. Sportbikes are the status symbol that fulfills this desire and is the closest thing to a two-wheeled land missile they can get their hands on. Not to mention it costs a fraction of what supercars go for. The aggressive position of clip-on bars and rearset pegs adds to the sensation of speed and places the young rider in a position of power they may not have experienced yet in their young lives.

As a general rule, I tend to listen to museum curators once they start talking. Having someone at your disposal who is so deeply vested, and intimately knowledgeable, in the subject matter is a treasure worth hanging on to.

The laws of physics haven’t changed, but its application to motorcycling can be hard to understand at times. To help educate local high school students, Ducati created the Fisica in Moto at the company headquarters in Bologna. Among its many features, the physics laboratory includes several interactive and hands-on displays to help understand the inner workings of Ducati motorcycles. Now the Fisica in Moto is open not just to students, but to the general public.

Confirming our earlier suspicions, Ducati announced it would present its new V-4 engine Sept. 7 at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli ahead of MotoGP round in Rimini, Italy.