Ducatisti Homecoming - Ducati Island, Austin MotoGP 2016

“Oh, you have a Ducati? The fast, sexy motorcycles. They’re Italian, right?” I’d just arrived in Austin, Texas for the MotoGP weekend and was chatting with my driver on the way to my hotel about the bikes that I ride. He’s never swung a leg over a motorcycle. North America happens to be Ducati’s largest market, so perhaps it’s no coincidence that even to the non-motorcycle enthusiast, Ducati isn’t a brand that needs much in the way of an introduction. Nonetheless, it’s a real testament to the appeal of the brand given their comparatively small manufacturer status, selling about 20% of what ubiquitous American brand Harley Davidson sells worldwide and only a fraction of the big Japanese companies.

I happily found myself in Austin first and foremost for the third round of the MotoGP Championship, but also to experience Ducati Island. Taking over the infield of The Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) for the entire MotoGP weekend, Ducati Island is the largest fan activation at any MotoGP race around the world. I’ve owned a Ducati since 2009, so for me it wasn’t a mission of being sold on the Italian brand; but just what would I come away with from the experience?

As I approach the main gates of COTA on Friday morning, it was the typical sights of any motorcycle race weekend with a constant stream of bikes filing in, lining the roads and parking areas. I then notice the sign for Ducati parking and the gate that leads straight through to the infield of the track and the refuge of Ducati Island. Once through the gates, Ducatisti (Ducati owners / enthusiasts) are greeted by a team of Ducati personnel to direct you to what are without a doubt the best parking spaces at COTA. It truly is something special to see such a large area full of seemingly every model of Ducati, as though they’ve all been called home for a special occasion. Racing, for Ducati, is in fact a special occasion.

The footprint of Ducati Island is impressive and the presence of the brand throughout the circuit seems to burst out of this epicentre. The heart of the Island is the huge owner’s parking area, rows upon rows of fine Italian metal. Sure, logistically this makes sense, but there’s also something poetic about it being laid out this way -- having everything else surrounding the machines that brought all of the Ducatisti together is actually a beautiful thing. The boundaries of the Island are lined with the Ducati store, owner’s lounge and other hospitality services, the Desmo Owners Group, Scrambler and XDiavel showcases, partner and technical displays and the main music stage. There’s a massive screen towering above the owner’s lounge and the track is right there as well, with turns 16 through 20 visible only steps from the entrance to the Island and turn 1 and 2 off in the distance, you can essentially spend your whole time at the Island and not miss a thing that happens on the track.

It’s perhaps important to understand why Ducati put so much into this event, and the answer is simple. Racing is a part of the Ducati DNA. Hosting a round of MotoGP, the premier road racing world championship, reinforces their commitment and passion for racing and allows them to connect with their customers and fans in the purest of motorsport environments. “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” as the old adage goes. You can hear the powerful Desmosedici GP16 scream by on the track while you ogle a beautiful Panigale on the Island. Really, there’s no better way to feel such a connection from race machine to production bike.

The 2016 MotoGP season for Ducati has so far seen some highs and lows, but the good news is that the bike appears to be competitive and just might get the Bologna factory back to the top step of the podium. With only two rounds of the championship under wraps, there has already been a surprising amount of discussion on the future of the team, more specifically which riders will be on the grid for Ducati come 2017. News of Jorge Lorenzo moving to the team next year had been circulating and growing in legitimacy leading up to the Austin GP and by the time all of the riders lined up for Sunday’s race it had been reported that yes, in fact a two year deal for the three-time champ to move to Ducati is done ("official" statement pending). This leaves existing riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone to vie for the second seat on the team. The two Italians have both shown great pace so far this season. Iannone, however, earned a major blemish on his score card at the previous round in Argentina with a last lap lunge up the inside of Dovizioso that ended up taking both riders down and costing Ducati a strong finish with both riders in secure podium positions. In Austin, Dovi’s mis-fortunes continued as he once again found himself unceremoniously taken out in a corner, this time by Dani Pedrosa. Iannone managed some redemption, bringing home a solid third place finish, his first podium of the season that he dedicated to the team.

I was fortunate to be able to tour the garage while the team of technicians worked methodically on Dovizioso's and Iannone’s bikes, tearing down and rebuilding the beautiful works of art and engineering between sessions. They really are remarkable machines, to see them up-close and with each of the four bikes in various stages of preparation was a real treat. Seeing what goes on behind the scenes and in talking with various team personnel, one thing was abundantly clear; there is a genuine passion for motorcycles and for racing within Ducati. It’s not a marketing directive, it’s what the entire culture of this company is built on.

As the racing wound down at COTA, Ducati Island was still buzzing. There was something to celebrate from the day’s racing and still more music to come on the main stage. One thing I’ve been curious about with the introduction of new product lines in recent years, namely the Diavel and Scrambler, is if the face of the Ducatisti has changed at all. Not so. In essence, every Ducati model is built around the same principle of performance and technology. Whether you’re cruising on an XDiavel or getting your knee down on a Panigale R, you are a part of the same family and the lineage of your machine benefits from the same intent as the prototype grand prix bikes that do battle in the hands of the world’s best racers.

Reflecting on the weekend’s experience as the iconic tower of The Circuit Of The Americas shrank out of sight behind me, it was clear what Ducati Island meant to me and most likely to all of the Ducatisti who turned out in record numbers this year. As I alluded to earlier, when you buy a Ducati you’re immediately a part of the family, but I left with an even greater sense of pride in ownership and connection to the community and to the Ducati Corse racing program. Next year though, I’m riding to the Island.