Ducati

​Italian manufacturer Ducati is, of course, best known for its high-end motorcycles. At the upcoming Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA 2018), however, the company will be debuting something a little different – an electric-assist mountain bike.

The 2019 Ducati Multistrada Enduro is receiving the upgrades that the rest of the model family has been enjoying. These include the larger 1,262-cc Testastretta V-twin with DVT variable valve timing and more power, a revised frame and enough electronic systems to cause a racing superbike blush.

The Barber Museum Auction held last weekend saw some remarkable motorcycles cross the auction block, some with great celebrity and movie provenance. The results were puzzling, and raise some interesting questions about celebrity provenance, whether it always applies, and whether it wears off.

​Ducati continues its Joyvolution model upgrades with the announcement of three fresh Scrambler motos. The Full Throttle, Café Racer and Desert Sled were revealed earlier today at Intermot 2018 in Cologne, Germany​.​

​Ducati has updated its popular Scrambler bike with some new goodies like daytime running lights, an upgraded dash, Bluetooth multimedia and Bosch's excellent Cornering ABS braking system. It has called this upgrade a "Joyvolution." Ducati, we need to talk.

Motorcycle auctions have always been somewhat of a sideshow during Monterey Car Week, but just the same, some delectable machinery is scattered between the four-wheeled lots and this year saw quite a few remarkable two-wheeled offerings.

Those who follow the Ducati faith are known as Ducatisti.​ The most faithful Ducatisti from across the globe perform a pilgrimage every two years to a spot near Rimini on Italy's Adriatic Riviera, and the event is known as World Ducati Week (WDW).​ This is our story in pictures of WDW 2018.

Since 2008 the Fisika in Moto laboratory has been educating students on how the strict equations of Physics they learn at school are applied in motorcycle design. Now for the first time, its guided tours are open to everyone, offered in daily package deals with the Ducati museum and factory visit.

Yet more safety and driver assist technologies are set to move from the car world into the motorcycle world, with Ducati announcing it will release a motorcycle fitted with front and rear radars in 2020 as part of its "Safety Road Map 2025"​ strategy.

The shape of future sports motorcycles evolved considerably over the last few days as the world's leading sportsbike manufacturers and MotoGP contenders evaluated new aerodynamic fairings at the second last test of the MotoGP pre-season at the Chang International Circuit at Buriram, Thailand.

The motorcycle auction marketplace evolved rapidly at the year-defining Las Vegas auctions this year, both on a macro and micro level. Mecum's five day sale was the largest motorcycle auction ever held, while Bonhams set a new world record by fetching $979,000 for a 1951 Vincent Black Lightning.

Benelli has reinvented itself in recent years with a series of attractive low-capacity bikes built in China to keep them affordable. But the new designs are starting to look a little ... unoriginal. The 402 S, which which looks a lot like Ducati's XDiavel, is the latest example.