Full list of 2014 DRE dates now released
• Brand new Ducati 899 Panigale and Monster 1200 models introduced to the program
• DRE 2014 enrolment to open online 16 December, 2013

The Ducati Riding Experience is set to continue in 2014, with the 11th edition of the Italian manufacturer’s highly successful riding school opening its enrolment online at Ducati.com on 16 December 2013.

Participants can look forward to using some of Ducati’s latest models, including the brand new, 148hp 899 Panigale Superbike for Racing 1 & 2 courses or the new Monster 1200 for the Intermediate course, Ducati’s latest generation Monster awarded “Most Beautiful Motorcycle of the Show” when unveiled at the EICMA show in Milan in November.

As usual, DRE has been carefully structured to cover all riding levels of motorcycle experience, from absolute beginners taking their very first steps on two-wheels in the Basic course, to the Master Racing and Troy Bayliss Academy courses for regular track-day experts wishing to further perfect their talent.

For DRE 2014, the Racing 1 and Master Racing courses take on a new format intended to provide participants with enhanced instruction for fast and safe riding with a dedicated classroom session prior to the track experience. To achieve this new format, the courses will spread over two days, during which Racing 1 participants will start the first afternoon with a briefing and theoretical exercises designed to lay a firm foundation of knowledge before practical tuition on the track. For the more advanced Master Racing course, participants will have a highly informative classroom session with Ducati’s official test-rider, Alessandro Valia, and Chief Instructor, Dario Marchetti, before taking to the track aboard Ducati’s impressive 1199 Panigale S Superbikes.

Participants of the highly prestigious Troy Bayliss Academy courses will be instructed in groups of five by none other than the triple World Superbike Champion himself. Academy students will ride the Ducati 1199 Panigale S further equipped with a Termignoni exhaust system.

Racing 2 courses, which remain unchanged, are intended for riders who already have track experience and wish to develop it further. In addition to many other details, they will work on areas such as increasing corner turn-in and mid-corner speeds and on how fully capitalising on every last hp of acceleration can achieve a smoother, more fluid and confidence-inspiring riding style.

Enrolment for Racing 1 and 2 courses is limited to 50 students, divided into efficient learning groups of just five, whereas the Master Racing course is open to just 12 participants, divided into groups of three. While all groups are guided by an expert instructor, all track-riding participants must be holders of Class A driving licenses without engine size limitation.

For non-track riders, DRE 2014 also offers a fully comprehensive range of courses from Basic to Intermediate. While learners in the Basic course will use the Ducati Monster 796, participants of the Intermediate course can improve their existing road skills to enhance their overall safety using Ducati’s own versatile Multistrada 1200 S, Hypermotard and Hyperstrada models and, new for 2014, the Monster 1200 with excellent user-friendliness and the enhanced ergonomics of an innovative adjustable seat height.

Within the cost of the courses, all DRE participants will be provided with a motorcycle and instructor as well as a welcome kit and lunch, while those who need to rent riding gear can do so during the online enrolment.

The team of highly qualified instructors is coordinated by DRE Technical Director and Chief Instructor, Dario Marchetti, and Alessandro Valia (Factory Test Rider and Chief Instructor of the Master Racing course). In addition to many more successful and celebrated riders, the list of DRE instructors include top names such as Troy Bayliss (2001, 2006 & 2008 World Superbike Champion and MotoGP race winner), Paolo Casoli (1997 World Supersport Champion), Manuel Poggiali (2001 125cc World Champion & 2003 250cc World Champion), Andrew Pitt (2001 & 2008 World Supersport Champion & World Superbike & MotoGP competitor) and Niccolò Canepa (2007 Superstock FIM Cup Champion & World Superbike & MotoGP competitor).

With DRE, Ducati will continue its close collaboration with FMI, ensuring constant improvement of teaching protocols and standards of excellence on all courses. Additional support will also be provided by official Ducati supplier Bosch, further establishing the successful technical partnership between Ducati and this premier German brand.

Ducati Riding Experience 2014 calendar

28-29 Apr Adria Racing 1 course

29 Apr Adria Intermediate course

29-30 Apr Adria Racing 1 course

30 Apr Adria Base & Intermediate courses

13-14 May Mugello Master Racing course

14 May Mugello Intermediate, Racing 2 & Troy Bayliss Academy courses

14-15 May Mugello Master Racing course

15 May Mugello Base, Intermediate, Racing 2 & Troy Bayliss Academy courses

09 Sep Mugello Intermediate & Racing 2 courses

09-10 Sep Mugello Master Racing course

10 Sep Mugello Base, Intermediate & Racing 2 courses

With more dates expected to be added, visit Ducati.com to remain updated on DRE 2014.

Ducati Riding Experience 2014 motorcycles

Base course: Monster 796

Intermediate course:

Monster 1200

Multistrada 1200 S

Hypermotard

Hyperstrada

Racing 1 & 2 course: 899 Panigale

Master Racing & Academy courses: 1199 Panigale S

Was it Stormin the Castle, You've been NABBED, Motorcycle Live, The Isle of Man TT, Rally in a Chalet, Ace Café Reunion, a charity run or your clubs Rally?

Cast your vote on our facebook group here

The best events of 2013 voted by the member of the facebook group are...

RTTW - 20 votes
Motorcycle Live - 12 votes
Ride of Respect - 11 votes
Rock and Blues 10
You've been NABBED - 8 votes

We also have the following with worthy votes!

Isle of Man TT, Stormin the Castle, Farmyard, Bum in the Mud, Yorkshire Rock and Bike Show and Rally in a Chalet

Many thanks for your votes... see you in a muddy field in 2014

It would appear ahead of schedule that negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Council on the Road Worthiness Test (RWT) Package, have been finalised.

The Lithuanian Presidency of The Council have announced that heavy motorcycles will be subject to periodic roadworthiness tests from 2022.

However giving breathing space to those motorcyclists in European Member States (11 – member states) who do not have mandatory RWT (MoT) for motorcycles and whose rider organisations who have been fighting hard against mandatory RWT, the compromise news is that those Member States may:

“Exclude these vehicles from testing if they have put in place alternative effective road safety measures, taking into account in particular road safety statistics of the 5 years.

If heavy motorcycles are included in the scope of periodic roadworthiness testing, specific testing methods, inspection areas and frequency are decided at the Member State level.”

Of course the devil is in the detail, for example what is meant by heavy motorcycles, what this means for low-performance and medium powered motorcycles and whether the compromise will be accepted by those riders and their organistions who will be affected by this compromise.

“Final Compromise”

With this “final compromise” text agreed the final vote is down to the elected body of MEPs at the European Parliament.

For the UK with our own RWT through our MoT it looks like there is no major change or shake up to our system of testing.

At Right To Ride EU in the cold darkness of this evening, having just learnt of this outcome, it looks like a compromise that can be lived with.

As we have said all along our view is simply that, different countries with different situations require a different solution and that this must always be a national decision based on the needs and requirements of each country and their citizens.

We will be off to study some of the finer details.

Read the article leave comments on Right To Ride EU

The current way we train new drivers is clearly failing to produce safe and law abiding motorists, particularly men, according to road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

Thirty-thousand, eight hundred and fifty male drivers aged 20 or under have up to six points on their license, according to data released by the DVLA.¹  This compares with only 9, 758 young female drivers with up to six points on their license.

The breakdown by age is:

During 2012, young drivers were involved in a fifth of all collisions where someone was killed or seriously injured.  Yet younger drivers only account for eight per cent of all full driving licence holders in Great Britain, they also drive, on average, about half the distance of older drivers each year.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Such high numbers committing a wide range of offences demonstrates the inability of our current system to deal with the attitudes and lack of experience which put new drivers at such high risk on the roads today. The government is currently working on a Green Paper for young drivers and this must better address the content and process of learning to drive so that our roads are safer for all road users.”

The trio will be riding 500cc Manx Norton’s for Works Racing Motorcycles, owned and run by Patrick Walker and Miles Robinson. Both are lifelong Manx Norton enthusiasts and have been involved at the top level in classic bike racing for many years, providing bikes for riders of the quality of Wayne Gardner, Glen English, Swallow and Chris Palmer. They have Senior Manx Grand Prix, Goodwood Revival and Lansdowne Championship wins among their achievements.

Works Racing Motorcycles will also team up with Stuart Garner and the Norton Factory for the Classic TT to build an eye catching Norton display in the paddock, featuring Norton machines from past to present.

Charlie Williams came to the fore at the Manx Grand Prix, winning the 1971 Lightweight event and the Cheshire rider went on to enjoy a phenomenal TT career, particularly in the 250cc and 350cc classes, in the 1970s and 80s taking no less than nine wins and 21 podiums.

His last TT race came in 1984, finishing second to Graeme McGregor in the Junior 250cc event and fifth in the 250cc Production Race, but he has continued to ride regularly in Mountain Course parade laps and UK circuits as well as contesting races in the UK including the Lansdowne Classic Championship, Goodwood Revival and the Triumph Past Masters.

Swallow also has a formidable record around the 37 and ¾ mile circuit and still has the fastest ever recorded lap by a single cylinder machine, an impressive 108.03mph which he set in the 1999 Singles TT when he finished in second place. The Huddersfield rider’s record in the Classic races at the Manx Grand Prix is second to none having won nine races between 1986 and 2003, the fourth highest number of wins ever achieved in the meeting, and has taken 19 podiums in total. He last competed on the island in 2011, when he finished fourth in the Classic 350cc Manx GP.

The third team member, Pemberton, is also an experienced campaigner around the Mountain Course having contested the Manx Grand Prix between 1996 and 2000. He returned in 2012 to finish 12th in the Supertwins Race and also rode at the TT in 2003 and 2004, winning two bronze replicas.

Speaking about his return to competition around the Mountain Course, Charlie Williams commented: “I really wanted to be involved in the Classic TT, but didn’t envisage ever racing in it! I’ve been riding for Works Racing Motorcycles in the Lansdowne Series for Patrick Walker and Miles Robinson and they really wanted me to do it and have worn me down eventually! Now that I have committed to do it though, I am really excited about the chance to race on the Mountain Course again, without any of the pressure I had during my career. I know the bike and the team well and both are second to none.”

Miles Robinson, Works Racing Motorcycles added: “We attended the first Classic TT earlier this year and were very impressed by what we saw. We decided immediately that we wanted to be a part of the event going forward and we are delighted with the three riders we have confirmed to ride our bikes. We are equally pleased to be working with Stuart Garner and the Norton Factory to ensure that our presence in the paddock is as professional and high profile as it is on the track.”