Misano Adriatico is the scene for World Ducati Week, Europe’s largest one-make motorcycle rally, which attracts ‘Ducatisti’ from all over the world to a week of festivities involving the Italian manufacturer. WDW2002 takes place from June 14-20, the week leading up to the San Marino Round of the World Superbike Championship, scheduled for the same circuit from June 21-23.

WDW participants are the first to get a look at the final version of the Ducati Desmosedici, a 989cc four-stroke, “double-twin” machine, with a unique twin-firing order (called “twinpulse”).

The Ducati Desmosedici is a brand-new prototype and will be on display in the red livery of Team Ducati Infostrada, which, in the hands of reigning champion Troy Bayliss from Australia, is currently leading the 2002 FIM World Superbike Championship.

The new bike will undergo nine months of development and testing before making its debut at the first round of the 2003 World Championship in Suzuka (Japan).

Ducati has a long-term vision of being able to challenge for top honours in MotoGP, exploiting to the full its experience with four-stroke production-based motorbikes in the World Superbike Championship, in which it has won 9 Riders’ and 10 Constructors’ titles in the last 14 years.

“Competition has always been the main vehicle of promotion for Ducati” declared Ducati Motor Holding President Federico Minoli “and the new Desmosedici represents the icon of our philosophy: the construction of technologically advanced bikes, representing Italian genius and style in circuits throughout the world.”

The new bike has been designed by a team led by Ducati Corse Managing Director Claudio Domenicali, together with Technical Director Filippo Preziosi.

“The Desmosedici project is clearly the largest commitment ever faced by Ducati in motorcycle racing” declared Domenicali, “but we believe we have built a competitive motorcycle and track tests will get underway soon.”

“The Ducati tradition of desmodromic valve system, tubular trestle frame, L-shaped engine layout, unmistakeable design, together with its experience in Superbike and years of collaboration with international partners, have made it possible to realize this dream” added Preziosi.