Ducati Road Bikes

Ducati occupies a special place in the hearts of all bikers, as it represents the emotion of motorcycling. The legendary red bikes have been lighting up race tracks around the world for nearly fifty years, garnering praise for their design and innovation as much as their success. Bikers and fans have been able to follow the Ducati bikes and their riders as they go through good and bad times, never losing sight of that which makes Ducati so special. Passion.

Shell Advance doesn’t look to evoke the same kind of passion as the Ducati bikes, instead focusing on the combination of Ducati’s raw emotion and Shell Advance’s technical know-how, resulting in a partnership of style, protection and performance. The Ducati brand is built on history and racing, much the same as Shell Advance, who have captured four World Superbike Manufacturers’ Championships through the Ducati Corse team. This history and success is what draws fans to the bikes, and has done ever since the company started.

The Ducati story goes back to 1926, when Adriano, Bruno and Marcello Ducati founded the first company to bear the Ducati name – The Ducati Radiopatent Scientific Company. Few would have thought that these humble beginnings would have led to the creation of the most famous motorcycles in the world, and it wasn’t even until after the factory was destroyed during World War II that the first Ducati bike was developed. Known as the Cucciolo (‘Puppy’) the bike was powered by an engine of the same name, and became one of the first mainstream bikes with sales all over the world.

The company split in 1954 into an electronics firm and the Ducati Motorcycle Company, and it only took a year for the factory to go racing, taking the first bike of the Taglioni era, the Marianna, onto the track with some success. The following year Ducati took its first Grand Prix victory in Sweden in the 125cc World Championship Class.

In 1958 the Italian government closed down Ducati’s racing arm, and the factory was instead forced to focus its efforts into supporting private teams who raced the red bikes. This period represented something of a lull in the otherwise colourful history of the company, from which it only emerged during the Varese era which began in 1982.

Following this change in management of the company, Ducati endured a couple of lean years before the creation of the 851. This bike evolved into the highly successful 888 which was the first bike Ducati entered into the World Superbike Championship in 1988. Winning immediately, the bike proved a huge success, but also created a loyal band of followers which was to grow over the years to command the support of thousands around the world.

The Ducati bikes have dominated the World Superbike Championship since its creation, winning 13 Manufacturers’ titles and 11 Riders’ titles. The names of the bikes and the riders are equally famous, and Ducati’s reputation was boosted immeasurably in 1993 by the launch of the 916, perhaps the defining modern motorcycle.

Together with its achievements on the track in its various evolutions (916, 996, 998), the sound and the stunning performance of the bikes which were produced for nine years, Ducati became the focus of the motorcycle world. Fans from every country knew what the bike represented, and followed the Italian firm’s struggle against the Japanese factories both on and off the track with great interest.

The road-going Ducati bikes have always stirred the passion of everyone who has ever seen one, as the sound and visual impact are something apart from everyday motorbikes. This plays a big part in what Ducati means to the fans, as bikes such as the new 999 are aspirational, grabbing headlines and turning heads. It is for these reasons that Shell Advance and Ducati work so closely together, as Ducati benefits from having the best possible protection for its high-performance engines and Shell Advance is able to put its products to the test on the track with the most evocative name in motorcycling.

Shell Advance engineers develop oils not only for the MotoGP and World Superbike teams, but also supply the Ducati road bike range with the complete package of oils and lubricants. The difference is that on the track, Shell Advance oils must protect one engine, whereas on the road they must protect hundreds. The experience gained on the track means that the Shell Advance engineers are able to transfer any technological advances across to the road oil range, improving the product and benefiting riders all over the world.