Helping us celebrate 30 years—yes, 30 years—since the Ducati 916 burst onto the motorcycle scene is the Ducati Owners Club.
A bit of backstory on the Ducati 916: designed by Massimo Tamburini and Sergio Robbiano at the Cagiva Research Centre in San Marino, the 916’s water-cooled engine was a revision of its predecessor, the stunning Ducati 888. It had a larger displacement and a new engine management system. The increased displacement was achieved by increasing the crankshaft stroke while keeping the same bore size as the 888, resulting in a new 916 cc engine.
The 916 was a smaller motorcycle than the 888, featuring a chrome-moly trellis frame that was later shared with the Ducati 748 in 1995. This was combined with striking new bodywork featuring aggressive lines. Compared to the Japanese inline four-cylinder competitors of the time, its V-twin engine produced less outright power but offered a more even torque spread.
The Ducati Owners Club (www.docgb.org) will be attempting to amass one of the largest collections of Ducati 916s and 748s outside of Italy. It’s sure to be an Italian feast!
Also celebrating at Stafford is the Laverda Club (www.iloc.co.uk), which has been together as a club for 70 years. Founded in the UK in 1974, the International Laverda Owners Club welcomes everyone—riders, restorers, dealers, enthusiasts, or collectors. All you need is an interest in Laverda motorcycles!
Completing the Italian trio is the Morini Club (www.morini-riders-club.com), celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Morini 3½. The Sport was one of a pair of models introduced at the Bologna show in 1971 and manufactured from late 1973 onwards. It arrived in the UK in 1974, featuring wire wheels and a double drum front brake. Designed for simple and efficient production, many components were modular in nature, allowing for the cost-effective expansion of the range.
