OK, it's not Guzzi, but I like Ducatis too, having owned a 900SS and a Monster 900, so I thought I'd put some pictures up for those of you who can't get to Bologna

I last visited the Ducati factory back in 1992 - there was no museum, the factory looked ancient, and Doug Polen's Superbike winning racebike was leant up against the wall, while young looking factory workers tested completed bikes by thrashing them round the carpark....

How things have changed...the injection of American technology has transformed the place utterly. The rebranded Ducati logo is everywhere to be seen, along wiith posters and missives to the staff full of words like "success", "progress", "pride" and "future" - a bit like Big Brother. The factory is vast and completely high-tec, all glistening machines and brightly coloured tubes, stripes on the floor, and of course bikes in various states of build everywhere - they produce now up to 300 bikes A DAY, and compare that to 1989 when Ducati built just 1000 bikes in a year!! Unfortunately photography in the factory is strictly forbidden...we stopped by the "Ducati Corse" department and peeped through the window of the locked door where few privelidged people know the code to get in. It looked like NASA inside, and they are working on the Ducati GP racebike for next years series....top secret.

The museum is absolutely stunning, beautifully designed, all multi-media with videos showing films from all years of the Ducati history. And of course the bikes are just amazing, and we're talking about absolutely priceless machines that have made history like the Hailwood TT winning bike, and the Paul Smart 750SS. It puts the Guzzi museum (click here to see pictures from the Guzzi museum) to shame somewhat but then Ducati have had more money pumped in and earlier.

If you want to visit the Ducati museum, the guided tours in English and Italian are at 11am and 4pm, and take in the factory too. They last a good hour and a half, and are free, so if you get the chance, you must go. here's some pics of a few of the many things to see. I couldn't note all the models down but I'm sure you'll recognise a lot of them for yourselves....