The sixth edition of World Ducati Week, the massive event that unites and excites the Ducati community, has finished after four incredible days with a record-breaking attendance of 60,000 motorcyclists. Held at the Misano World Circuit on the Adriatic Riviera, the celebration - entitled the ‘Red Planet Returns’  - ran in soaring temperatures from Thursday, 10th to Sunday, 13th June to become one of the best ever in the event’s history.

While Italian Ducatisti made up 60% of the total attendance at WDW2010, the remaining passionate Ducati fans travelled from 28 nations and five continents to underline the huge international appeal of the Ducati brand. Owners from Europe, USA, Australia, Russia and India, united with those from Brazil, China, Malaysia and even Gabon and Nepal to celebrate their shared passion and loyalty to the Ducati brand.

Four sun-drenched Ducati days peaked on Saturday, 12th June when the full program of events climaxed in a spectacular knock-out drag race competition that featured Ducati MotoGP and Superbike team riders aboard asphalt-ripping Ducati Streetfighters. True to form, the eight riders – Battaini, Bayliss, Byrne, Checa, Fabrizio, Haga, Hayden and Stoner - put on a fantastic show from the moment they left the pit garages, playing to the crowds that filled Misano's paddock terraces. World Superbike Ducati Xerox Team rider, Noriyuki Haga won the photo-finish final, just  fractions of a second ahead of American former MotoGP Champion and current Ducati MotoGP Team rider, Nicky Hayden, with Troy Bayliss in 3rd and Casey Stoner in 4th.

Immediately after the all-star drag race, the riders joined Ducati’s top management - Gabriele Del Torchio, Claudio Domenicali and Filippo Preziosi – on stage before a stunning light and sound show pushed the evening’s excitement even further into the red.

The packed four-day program provided both entertainment and interaction for the 60,000 visitors, including events on the track and courses in the “Ducati University” presented by Ducati engineers, riders and managers from the Bologna-based manufacturer. While the Mangusta helicopter aerobatics display provided an incredible show in the air, stunt shows, vintage bike shows, motocross freestyle displays, dragsters and race track demonstrations by the Ducati Xerox Team provided the same on the ground. The event also staged concerts by four Ducati Bands, chosen from a list of local artists submitted by Ducatisti in the run-up to the event.

The massive WDW event has now become so big, it attracts sponsors and partners happy to  associate their name and image in such a dynamic environment. In addition to the Generali group, who already enjoy the prestige of being a Ducati MotoGP Team sponsor, AMG-Mercedes also took the opportunity to use the event for the presentation of their new Mercedes SLK ‘Naked’, a model inspired by the Ducati Monster, the icon of naked motorcycles.

 
Other significant brand names and companies involved in the success of WDW2010 included, Finance Planet Compass, who are part of the Mediobanca group and provided individual financial consultation for those wishing to buy their dream Ducati.

Italwin displayed and provided a testing area for their range of new Ducati licensed electric bicycles including the ‘Ducati City Pearl’ and  NCR presented their stunning new ‘NCR Millona 16’ alongside a range of NCR Ducatis and special parts produced in sophisticated materials such as titanium and carbon.

Taft, a dynamic range of Testanera professional hair products, organised a competition called ‘Style 'n' GO!’, while Toshiba presented the ‘Ducati Edition’ range of laptops and video cameras. Cartorama, the Italian leader in the field of stationery and school items, and Colombini, Italy's largest producer of children’s furniture both displayed their ‘Ducati range’ of products alongside KeyLine SpA, the leader in key-making technology, and DHL the world-famous package delivery service.

While WDW was entertaining people in Misano, Italy, the rest of the world enjoyed a virtual WDW online by connecting to the official website www.wdw2010.ducati.com, where more than 200 official photographs and 30 videos were uploaded in real time from the event. During the four days of WDW, a record 400,000 visits were also recorded on Ducati’s official Facebook page and over 60,000 people watched the action moment-by-moment by viewing videos on Ducati’s YouTube channel, making it the world’s most followed automotive channel that week.

WDW record-breaking numbers over 4 days:

•    60,000 visitors!
•    38 million km covered by Ducatisti in order to reach Misano - 80 times the distance between the earth and the moon!
•    21,000 traditional ‘piadinas’ eaten!
•    1.2 tons of sausages eaten!
•    8,600 litres of cold drinks and over 50,000 litres of mineral water consumed!
•    56,000 photographs taken by staff photographers!

The 2010 Isle of Man TT races finished in grand style today - quite literally, as the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Team came to town to celebrate Suzuki's 50th anniversary of International Racing, with Italian legend Loris Capirossi and the GSV-R 800 MotoGP machine.

With Capirossi making his maiden visit to the Island, the MotoGP rider, who started his 300th Grand Prix in Qatar at the start of the season, arrived on Thursday to acclimatise himself with the Isle of Man before riding the 37.73 mile course.

On the final, Dainese Senior Race day, Capirossi lead away the Suzuki parade on a Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 for his first ever lap of the famous TT course and afterwards commented, "This place is incredible. I've seen the TV footage before, but nothing prepares you for the TT course. The surface is much bumpier than I imagined and when you see the speeds that these guys run at, it is simply amazing. It's a fantastic event that you could never replicate anywhere else in the world."

As the final race of the week concluded, Suzuki signed-off the 2010 racing fortnight, with the first ever lap of the TT course by a MotoGP machine, with Relentless Suzuki by TAS TT racer Cameron Donald riding the GSV-R and setting a fastest top speed down Sulby straight at 202mph.

Donald commented, "Man, that was just amazing. I thought the bike would be really difficult and twitchy to ride, but it was great. I was expecting to ride a steady lap, but it was so good that I was able to get a great rhythm going and pick up a fast pace. In fact, it was so good, I reckon we need to get some regulation changes for next year as this thing with a few more laps on it, would really fly here."

Despite not looking to smash any records, Donald still managed to set a highest top-speed, with 202mph recorded on the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R down Sulby straight.

The Auto Cycle Union regret to announce that Paul Dobbs, 39, from Onewhero, New Zealand, was killed during the Supersport 2 race at the TT races in a racing incident at Ballagarey.

Paul was an experienced TT competitor with a best finish of sixth in the 400cc lightweight TT race in 2000. He first competed in the Isle of Man TT Races in 1999.

He was married with two children. The ACU wishes to pass on their deepest sympathy to the rider’s family and friends.

Jim Parker, Chairman, ACU, commented: “Paul was a really popular rider in the paddock and was a great competitor. He was a very talented rider who made many friends in the racing community. He will be sorely missed.”

Six hundred vintage motorcycles will converge at the Heritage Motor Centre on Sunday 20 June for the nostalgic Vintage Motor Cycle Club Banbury Run.  The event, which starts at 10:00am, is the 62nd Banbury Run and the largest gathering of motorcycles manufactured before 1931 in the world.

The Banbury Run is aimed at those who enjoy the thrill of riding with other Vintage, Veteran & Pioneer bikes. The Run operates over three different routes which all converge back at the Heritage Motor Centre. This year the Run will feature new routes and checkpoints to challenge the riders. Visitors can enjoy wandering around Club and Trade Stands as well as the famous Banbury Run autojumble which is one of the best sources of Veteran & Vintage motorcycle spares. An auction featuring Pioneer, Veteran and Vintage motorcycles will take place the day before on Saturday 19 June at Bonhams auctioneers saleroom in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

Advance tickets costs £5 or £6 on the day and £25 for an advance family ticket or £30 on the day. FREE museum entry is offered to entrants and spectators. Camping is available for the evenings of Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 June. Prices for the two nights are £13 in advance or £18 on the day. Advance tickets or camping can be purchased by phoning the new ticket hotline on 01926 287728 Monday – Friday from 9:30am – 5pm. 

Residents in Westminster have shown signs of losing patience with the Council over its insistence on retaining motorcycle parking charges in the face of massive opposition from the biking community.

The petitioners say: “We are sure that very few have escaped having their daily commute in Westminster blighted by the recent series of demonstrations by angry motorcyclists campaigning against the introduction of parking charges for motorcycles. Whilst originally infuriated, and initially assessing their complaint to be selfish and inconsiderate, we took it on ourselves to look more closely at the basis of their complaint and, having seen irrefutable evidence of a total lack of genuine justification for the City Council to impose a levy where there has never historically been the need, we have compiled a petition on our website” 

www.wccpetition.co.uk

Warren Djanogly, Chairman of the No To Bike Parkign Tax Campaign, said: "It seems that residents are now more aware than ever of the way in which this Council has blatantly ignored thousands of bikers, and are continuing to line the pockets of the private companies contracted to enforce these charges, at a cost to the rate-payer of over £400,000." 

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “There is massive opposition to Westminster Council’s motorbike parking charges from residents, commuters and local businesses. There is no justification for charging motorbike owners to park on the street. No other Council charges. The Westminster motorbike parking tax is all about raising money for Westminster Conservatives so that they can plug a big hole in the Council’s finances.” 

“This is a time for common sense to prevail. The motorbike parking charge is Westminster’ s ‘poll tax on two wheels’ and like the poll tax it is hated and should be scrapped”