Since its creation, Ducati Scrambler has been characterized by a non-conformist nature that enhances freedom of expression and the sharing of positive emotions.

Starting from 21 May, the Ducati Museum reopens its doors on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Ducati is gearing up to welcome the public again starting from the halls of its Museum, one of the most iconic places to visit for all fans of two wheels and motorsport in general.

Motorcycle road trips are memorable experiences, but any great adventure needs a good soundtrack. You want music that will heighten your sense of adventure, evoke powerful memories and fit seamlessly with life on the road. That’s why we’ve assembled our comprehensive list of the best songs and riding playlists for motorcycle road trips to help you make the most of your experience.

1. “Motorcycle Mama”

Neil Young’s laid-back cruising song from the 1978 album, Comes a Time, is perfect for those long highway touring days. Neil Young and Nicolette Larson sing together about love, lust and trouble–all timeless themes for all motorcyclists.

2. “Smoke on the Water”

The guitar riff, the angsty lyrics–all of the details of Deep Purple’s 1971 classic tune–evoke the free-wheeling spirit of motorcyclists everywhere.

3. “Born to Be Wild”

It’d be impossible not to include this song on a motorcycle road trip list. Steppenwolf delivers the ultimate, rebellious biker song that captures the thrill of the open road.

4.” Ezy Ryder”

Another 1971 classic, “Ezy Ryder” by Jimi Hendrix evokes an era of crazy hippies while also creating something altogether timeless. The lyrics say it all:

“There goes Ezy, Ezy Ryder

riding down the highway of desire

he says the free wind takes him higher

tryin' to find his heaven above”

As far as motorcycle lyrics go, it doesn’t get much better than that. The Hendrix guitar doesn’t hurt, either.

5. “Midnight Rider”

The Allman Brothers are an American treasure. This 1970s song strikes all the right chords. The lyrics evoke freedom, the highway, poverty, evasion and the life of a nomad. The guitar bridges and sweet, haunting high notes of the guitar riffs coupled with the steady beat of the drums conjure up life on the road.

6. “The Ballad of Easy Rider”

The Byrds’ “The Ballad of Easy Rider” is all about the flow of the ride and following the flow of life. It’s spiritual, it’s earthy and it touches on timeless themes of freedom, desire and the beauty of the natural world. Play this while you’re riding down country roads, and you might just find yourself someplace like heaven.

7. “Bat Out of Hell”

With this ten-minute masterpiece, Jim Steinman made the ultimate teenage tragedy anthem. Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman take this song from the end of the road, over the barricade and all the way to the watery depths of the ocean.

Making Your Playlist

When it comes to crafting the perfect riding playlist, you obviously need more than seven songs. We’ve provided these incredible songs to get you started and to give you an idea of how to cultivate the atmosphere you need and want while riding. However, there’s much more to it than that.

Maybe you want to have one massive playlist where you put any and all your songs for riding, but we recommend that you build playlists based on themes. That way, you know exactly what playlist to go to, regardless of mood and landscape.

Choosing Your Themes

Choose playlist themes that will work well with the landscapes you’ll be encountering over the course of your different rides. For instance, cruising along a highway out West evokes a very different mood from the back roads of the Northeastern states. Seaside Southern roads are different still and twisting mountain roads have a character all their own.

Build playlists that reflect the mood you want to cultivate while riding through these different terrains. Choose songs that evoke the hard-driving, amped-up freedom you love, or choose songs that fit seamlessly with laid-back, open-sky tours.

Ideas for Themes

Here are some ideas for perfect motorcycle playlist themes that can keep you going on all roads and in all weather.

* Chilled-out cruising

For this theme, choose songs with a steady, calm beat, well-crafted melodies and poetic lyrics. Neil Young’s “Motorcycle Mama” or almost anything by The Eagles is an ideal song choice.

* Rebel freedom

“Smoke on the Water,” “Bat Out of Hell” and anything punk or metal fit this playlist theme perfectly. Get your adrenaline going and enjoy the rush of life on the road.

* Country roads

If you’re in mountain country, why not enjoy a little John Denver, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks or Emmylou Harris? Ride to the beat of down-home classics and enjoy the nostalgia of country music.

* ’90s teen spirit

This list has been ’70s-centric, but who doesn’t love a little bit of ’90s angst? Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Incubus, Nine Inch Nails, Led Zeppelin and Chris Cornell all make excellent additions to a ’90s throwback.

* Hippie riders

If you want to get in touch with your inner slow-riding hippie, make a playlist centered on the acoustic classics: Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith, Paul Simon and Joan Baez all bring back some stripped-down hippie blues. 

Download Your Playlists

If you need your tunes to keep you going through the backroads where you might lose signal, remember to download your playlists to your listening device. This can help keep you motivated even in the absence of cellular service.

Add to Your Playlists as You Go

Part of the beauty of playlists is that you can add to them as you go–add songs that your buddies recommend and create a time capsule of memories. The more you build and ride to your playlists, the more memories you’ll have associated with the songs and the themes you’ve chosen. Some things just get better with time, and the best riding playlists definitely fall into that category.

The Takeaway

Whether you enjoy chilled-out cruising tunes or amped-up Rock ‘n’ Roll, there’s something here for every rider.

Enjoy your ride, make those memories and savor the moments and the friendships along the way. The road is calling, and these songs can help you enjoy the journey.

 

 

 

 

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The West Midlands took another leadership step in the electric vehicle revolution today – as leading Spanish electric vehicle brand, Silence, opened its ‘urban ecomobility’ headquarters, training centre and first UK retail store in Solihull.

MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. Every biker worth their salt dreams of getting aboard one of the amazing bikes and racing at breakneck speed around some of the most demanding and exhilarating tracks around the world. Fabio Quartararo is one young man realising his MotoGP dreams.

The 22-year-old Frenchman is a MotoGP superstar in the making. He started his professional career during the 2015 season where he raced for Team Estrella Galicia in Moto3. Quartararo finished 10th in his debut season before switching to the KTM of Leopard Racing for 2016. A 13th place finish followed before Quartararo stepped up to Moto2 with the Kalex of Pons HP40. Another 13th place in the rider’s championship was followed by a 10th place in 2018 before Quartararo got his MotoGP break in time for the 2019 season.

"Fabio Quartara" by motorsports.com is licensed under CC BY 3.0

Yamaha Takes A Gamble That Pays Off

Petronas Yamaha SRT gave Quartararo a shot at the big time. Yamaha initially planned to give Quartararo a 2018-spec bike but gave him a factory-spec Yamaha instead. It turned out to be a masterstroke from the Japanese racing giant because Quartararo was incredible. He went from having a reputation as a talented rookie to being one of the race favourites almost overnight. 

Quartararo qualified for the Spanish Grand Prix in pole position and became the youngest-ever polesitter in MotoGP history. Disaster struck, however, on Lap 20, and Quartararo retired with a gearbox problem, but he had shown the world what he was capable of.

The young Frenchman’s first podium finish came three races later at the Catalan Grand Prix. Quartararo started in pole position again before finishing second to the fantastic Marc Marquez. Two third-place finishes and a further four runner-up finishes, including at the season finale in Valencia, resulted in Quartararo finishing fifth in the championship race with an impressive 192 points.

"Fabio Quartara on the track" by PETRONAS is licensed under CC BY 3.0

First MotoGP Victories

Quartararo started the 2020 campaign in style with his first and second MotoGP victories in back-to-back races. After yet another pole position, he won the Spanish Grand Prix before taking the chequered flag at the Andalusian Grand Prix, again from a pole position start.

His 2020 campaign was helped by a severe arm injury to championship favourite Marques. The Spaniard was involved in an accident in Spain and hardly races again during the COVID-19 hit season. Quartararo ultimately finished eighth with 127 points from 14 races.

Quartararo’s 2021 campaign has started well. He followed up a fifth-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix, which is Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales won, with victories in Doha and Portugal. Quartararo qualified for the Doha Grand Prix fifth on the grid but rode an epic race to finish on top of the podium. The talented Frenchman led for 17 of 25 laps during his second win of the season in Portimao.

His Portuguese Grand Prix victory placed him first in the overall standings, but Quartararo failed to build on his lead after a disappointing showing in Spain. Quartararo languished down in 13th place, some 19 seconds behind Ducati’s Jack Miller and despite setting a new course record for the fastest lap.

MotoGP experts have already drawn comparisons between Quartararo and the great Marques. Six-time world champion Marques is a motorcycle racing legend with 56 wins, 95 podium finishes, 62 poles, and 57 fastest laps from 130 starts. If Quartararo manages to enjoy even half the success of his Spanish rival, he will have enjoyed a glistening career.

 

 

 

 

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