2016 saw the start of new collaboration between two Italian manufacturers of bikes, Bianchi – a bicycle manufacturer first setting up shop in Milan in 1885 – and Ducati, home of high-performance motorcycles; the ‘shared spirit for innovation and passion for racing’ yielded a range of road, mountain and electric bikes.
Guy Wheeler, of sole UK distributor of Ducati Bicycles, Brandistro, told Pedelecs more about Ducati’s history, saying: “A little over seventy years ago Ducati bolted an engine from a local supplier on to a bicycle. They named it Cucciolo or ‘little puppy,’ after the sound it made. This small step lead to some of the world’s most celebrated motorcycles in history. Fast forward from 1946 to 2017 and Ducati’s approach to the Bosch and Shimano Steps e-bike systems of today is remarkably similar; incorporating third party components is now an established route. Choosing fellow Italian legends Bianchi for frame production, completes both an elegant and reliable package.”
The range for 2017, while expanding on the off-road section with the continued focus on eMTBs, also includes “something for everyone” says Wheeler. “All of Ducati’s electric bicycle models are street legal and combine the most suitable ingredients for each environment. At one end of the spectrum is the hugely successful E-City step-through model, at the other the highest specification full-suspension TT. In between is the E-Sport for commuting and a pair of SCR hardtails for MTB.”
Ducati’s TT is new for 2017 (RRP £3,500); powered by the Bosch Performance Line CX, the Purion display offers four levels of assistance.
“The flagship Ducati TT combines the Bosch CX motor with their most capacious 500Wh battery, 4-bar Horst link suspension and 140mm of travel. The Performance Line CX motor is all about delivering the maximum performance” sums up Wheeler.
