Question: When is a Ducati not really a Ducati? Answer: When it's an electrically-assisted pedal bike made by the Italwing Group. The machine is known as the City Pearl, and it will be available in both men's and women's (with a dropped top tube) styles when it goes on sale in January at selected Ducati dealerships in Europe.

There is a precedent set for a pedal-powered Ducati. The famed Italian marque's first two-wheeler was known as the Cucciolo, which was really just a small four-stroke engine that attached to a bicycle frame. Still, we do wish that there was a bit more of a direct connection between Ducati and the City Pearl – as it stands it seems Italwin is merely trying to capitalize on the Ducati name.

In any case, the specifications for the City Pearl are right in line with other comparable electric bicycles. Power comes from a six-volt 9Ah Panasonic lithium ion battery pack and motivation comes from a front-mounted 250W brushless electric motor that's capable of propelling the bike to 24 kilometers per hour (about 15 mph). A seven-speed Nexus hub from Shimano sends human power to the rear wheel. See both versions in our image gallery below.



[Source: Ducati]

After months of rumors, grainy spy shots and leaked information, Ducati has finally pulled the wraps off the 2010 Multistrada 1200. As with the original MTS, Ducati wanted to create a machine with sportbike-level performance that could be attained on nearly any kind of surface terrain. This time, though, the Italian manufacturer started with its latest liquid-cooled Testastretta powerplant as used in the top-level 1198 superbike, though altered with revised valve overlap for smoother power delivery and a 15-percent improvement in fuel consumption and emissions.

Ducati says the new Multistrada 1200 is "four bikes in one," and has thus bestowed its new motorcycle with four distinct Riding Modes that alter power and traction control levels: Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro. Sport mode offers the full 150-horsepower experience with a low amount of traction control and Touring mode is reportedly intended for everyday riding. Urban and Enduro modes tone things down several notches to 100 horsepower and opting for the latter also raises the suspension and sets the traction control to its least-active setting.

Up-level S models get a new Ducati Electronic Suspension setup that can be tailored to adjust spring pre-load along with rebound and compression damping with options for rider only, rider with luggage, rider and passenger or rider and passenger with luggage. Ducati says that the Multistrada 1200's 417-pound dry weight is the lowest in its class, though a full 5.3-gallon load of fuel (enough for 186 miles between fill-ups) would certainly raise that a bit. Pricing starts at $14,995 before any options are added. Hit the jump for the rest of the details and check out our high-res image gallery below.



[Source: Ducati]

Following the release of the $9,995 Hypermotard 796, it was pretty obvious that Ducati would have some updating to do on its bigger 1100cc brother. After all, with a power-to-weight ratio that was within spitting distance, it seemed kinda tough to justify the price increase to the bigger model. Not surprisingly, then, Ducati has just released all the details on the 2010 Hypermotard 1100, and it's got all the right boxes checked: 15-pounds lighter, five more horsepower and an $11,995 starting price.

The new base 1100 is now called the EVO, and it weighs 379 pounds dry and puts out 95 horsepower and 76 lb-ft of torque. New vacuum-cast engine cases join a magnesium alternator cover, a superbike-spec flywheel from the 848 and rare-earth magnets in the generator assembly help the latest Desmodue engine drop 11.5 pounds. Like the smaller 796, the new EVO eschews the previously-forged chassis bits for lighter pieces without sacrificing performance.

Also new for 2010 is an uprated 1100 EVO SP model for $14,995 that has higher ground clearance, upgraded suspension bits, Brembo Monobloc brake calipers, Marchesini wheels and a few external carbon fiber bits. Want to know more? All the sordid details can be found in the press release after the break and we've added a high-res image gallery for your viewing pleasure below.



[Source: Ducati]

Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones recently splurged on a customized Ducati Hypermotard S. According to Ducati, he bought the bike to "celebrate his return to the LA airwaves this fall."

If you missed Jones' last radio show ("Jonesy's Jukebox" on Indie 103.1, which he unfortunately had to fold when the station decided to turn Spanish-speaking only) he's in talks with other stations in LA, as well as Sirius, he told a reporter at this year's SXSW.

Jones told Ducati: "I've always admired Ducati from a distance but never found something that suits me. That all changed after that first ride on the Hypermotard. I knew I had to have her. All my mates are jealous -- and that suits me just fine!"

The Hypermotard S is a seriously stacked bike with advanced low friction technology which "takes the thrills and road holding to the highest level." More info here.

Rumors of a possible motorcycle brand for Volkswagen aren't anything new. It's a well-known fact that Ferdinand Piech, Chairman of Volkswagen's Board, wishes that the German automaker had purchased Ducati back in 1985 when the Italian bike manufacturer was in dire financial shape.

As recently as last year, Piech – himself a Ducati rider even at age 72 – commented that Volkswagen could still purchase an unnamed motorcycle manufacturer if the conditions were right. Strike up the rumormill again, boys and girls. The Italian motoring press is reportedly signaling that Volkswagen is making renewed overtures toward Ducati, which, like pretty much all other motorcycle manufacturers these days, is seeing sales and profits take a dive due to the sorry state of the global economy.

Just a few weeks back at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Piech indicated that the Volkswagen Group was looking to expand, and some took that to mean it would procure a sizable stake in Suziki, another long-rumored target of the German automaker. KTM has also been bandied about as a potential partner. So, is there any truth to the two-wheeled VW rumors? We'll see how it all pans out soon enough, but we're not exactly holding our breath.



[Source: Clutch and Chrome]

Ukranian model / actress Olga Kurylenko, who played a Bond Girl opposite Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace, has just been unveiled as the star of the 2010 Campari Calendar. Following in the footsteps of former calendar stars Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes and Jessica Alba, Kurylenko appears in a series of vignettes in different locations around Milan indulging in the classic Italian aperitif. Italian photographer Simone Nervi shot the photos, including the image above for December of a Gucci-clad Kurylenko surrounded by Ducati Monster-riding admirers at Milan's Piazza Duca D'Aosta. The twelve images will be featured in the limited edition calendar, with only 9,999 copies being printed to be distributed worldwide.

There's no doubt that the Ducati Hypermotard is one of the most talked about new motorcycles in recent memory, but at $14,995, it was priced out of many buyer's budgets. If you fit into that mold, we have some good news to share: Ducati has just officially announced the Hypermotard 796, and it carries a reasonable $9,995 asking price.

At this point, Ducati isn't saying much about the new engine that powers the Hypermotard 796, except that it's air-cooled, sports two valves per cylinder and puts out 81 horsepower and 56 lb-ft of torque. We've heard, though, that the new mill will displace around 800cc and is a development of the mill used in the Monster 696. Those power figures coupled with the new bike's low 368-pound (unverified at this point, naturally) package provide an attractive power-to-weight ratio.

Other features will include an APTC clutch and a single-sided swingarm along with redesigned top and bottom fork clamps and a revised steel trellis frame. Color options will include Ducati red and matte black in addition to the cool matte white scheme seen in our photo gallery below. Click past the break for the official press release.

Ferrari has made a killing off of its merchandising division. Between the sportscars and the t-shirts, the Maranello outfit makes enough to support its multi-million-dollar Formula One team – purported to have one of the biggest budgets in the hugely expensive pinnacle racing series – without requiring parent company Fiat to contribute one thin dime. Dany Bahar, the man largely responsible for the company's branding efforts after having done the same for beverage giant Red Bull, is now rumored to be moving to arch-rival Lotus to become its new CEO.

A few years back, Bahar brokered a deal with Puma to supply the team and company with branded sportswear. But before that it was the purview of Italian sportswear company Fila. Oregon-based designer Olivier Henrichot designed a whole range of conceptual shoes for both Ferrari and its two-wheel counterpart Ducati. When Ferrari names a replacement for Bahar, he might want to take a look at these. And so can you in the image gallery below.

A new company called Columbus International based in Cannes is offering luxury tours of France via various different Ducati motorcycles including the latest Streetfighter, Monster S2R 1000, Hypermotard 1100 and Supersport 848. Among the various programs on offer combining other luxury travel elements are a Gourmet Tour (eating at starred Michelin restaurants), a High Octane Tour (driving a F1 car on the racetrack), Offshore Ride Tour (luxury yachting, barracuda fishing) and Nature Tour (natural parks, private yacht, restaurants). Special winter packages allow you to ride your bike in the morning and ski in the afternoon. Tour package prices range from €5,696 to €11,696.

[via Motorbiker.org]

Ducati is using this weekend's Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California as the backdrop to launch its new 848 Nicky Hayden Special Edition sportbike. The new machine, which will only be available here in the States, features the same 134-horsepower L-twin Evoluzione powerplant, wet-clutch and six-speed gearbox as the rest of the 848 line.

As the first of the 2010 848s introduced, the new Special Edition ushers in a revised LED dash cluster, optional 30mm mirror extensions for those with long-torsos and improved aluminum cam belt tensioner pulleys to go along with its new patriotic livery.

The 848 Nicky Hayden SE will carry a $14,495 sticker price – a reasonable $500 over the asking price for last year's 848 – and will hit Ducati dealerships in America on July 7th after being on display throughout the U.S. GP festivities starting on the 4th. Click past the break for the official press release.

If you're the type who wears threads from the likes of Von Dutch and Ed Hardy, you may recognize the name Christian Audigier. He's the French fashion designer behind these and other labels popular among Hollywood celebrities, stenciling tattoo-style designs on t-shirts and trucker hats for the Ashton Kutcher crowd. Unfortunately he's also penned his designs on the occasional motor vehicle, teaming up with Edo Competition for a special-edition Lamborghini Murcielago, which in turn bred an imitator in the Novitec/Unique Sportscars Ferrari F430 Calavera.

Apparently Audigier isn't quite done messing up otherwise beautiful Italian exotica, and has this time turned his attention to the Ducati Monster. Created in conjunction with motorbike customizers Rever Corsa, the Christian Audigier edition Ducati Monster 1100 comes decked out in airbrushed and vinyl-decal half-dragon tiger laid over a particularly garish red and gold paintjob. The whole thing screams wretched excess, but at $55,000, whoever buys one of these is probably looking for exactly that effect.

Want to get your hands on a Ducati Monster and benefit a good cause? Get out your British pounds and head to eBay's UK site. Ducati has donated three Monsters and three Central Saint Martins MA Fashion students (Abigail Briggs, Charlotte La Roche, and Laura Mackness) gave them unique graphics based on each of their graduate collections creating stylish one-of-kind motorcycles. The collaboration sprung from Puma's sponsorship of the Central Saint Martins graduate fashion show at London Fashion Week. The show and the auction benefit the PUMA Central Saint Martins Bursary Award. The auctions end on April 5.

[via Fresh Moco]

Luxury Italian motorbike brand Ducati has opened a stylish bar / restaurant / coffee shop in Rome, the Ducati Caffé. Located at Via delle Botteghe Oscure 35, the Caffé serves drinks and full meals and is adjacent to a Ducati showroom should you decide to purchase a superbike after dining. Of course, the Caffé serves espresso and Ducati's own Desmorosso wine, which my colleague Deidre Woollard wrote about last year, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Carmenere grapes. The menu showcases Italian specialties (naturally) with an emphasis on regional products and cuisine. A retail boutique on the premises carries a full line of Ducati-branded apparel and merchandise. The décor is sleek and modern, echoing Ducati's motorcycle designs with a red, white and black color scheme and chrome details. And yes, the waitresses are hot.

[via Motorbiker.org]

Ducati has unveiled two new watches for Spring 2009, a new version of the Ducati One, which we first covered last fall, and the Ducati Corse (after the jump).

The Swiss-made Performance Time Ducati watches are made with sapphire glass, plus technologically advanced cases and watchstrap materials that include steel and titanium. In case watches and motorcycles aren't your only hobbies, the watches are guaranteed waterproof up to a pressure of 10 atmospheres.

The $2,500 Ducati One evokes Italian-made motorcycle images like tire treads, wheels, and the elegant Ducati dashboard. It's made with black diamonds on the bezel and a crocodile strap.

The world's only full carbon Ducati 999S is being offered for sale in Switzerland via global luxury marketplace JamesList for €120,000, or about $160,000. The custom-made Ducati has had its engine tuned up to 1037 ccm by one of the most famous specialists in Germany, resulting in an engine output of 170 hp. The extraordinary low weight of just 143 kg achieved with a maximum use of carbon fiber and titanium means the one-off motorcycle can do 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds. The bike was handbuilt upon a full carbon frame from Carbotech along with other special carbon and titanium parts. The carbon was honed and polished part by part and then buffed to a high gloss with multiple lacquering. The price makes it one of the world's most expensive motorbikes as well.