Wondering what the Ducati DRE has to offer? Wonder no more. I had the opportunity to attend the Ducati DRE last June at Misano, and here is a brief review of the experience.
The Ducati DRE currently offers 6 courses with varying degrees of difficulty. This list of courses changes from time to time, however, the current schedule includes: Intro, Precision, Track Warm Up, Track Evo, Track Master, and Champs Academy. DRE also introduced an Enduro course in Tuscany for those seeking experience in the off-road abilities of the Multi.
I chose the Track Warm Up course which included a day and a half of track riding and instruction onboard a Panigale 959.
Logisitics
The course tuition was $1100 US dollars; however, as a member of IDesmo, you qualify for a 20% discount. Add in the full gear rental and my cost to attend was roughly $1000. A third party photo/video company provided optional services which can be an additional $50-$200.
No special driver’s license, beyond your valid US motorcycle endorsement, is required.
The information that Ducati provides prior to your arrival is adequate and includes a track map with directions, an agenda detailing the course schedule and information about the optional photo services mentioned above.
For ground transport to and from the track, I rented a car from the airport. This was the most convenient option for me and, aside from having to remember how to drive a stick shift; it was a trouble-free choice. Lodging is up to you. Fortunately at Misano, the beach is about 7 minutes away and densely populated with hotels of various price ranges.
The Course
The first day began in the afternoon with credential and rental gear pickup. This was fairly straightforward and organized, with approximately 35 other students in attendance. This was followed by a briefing where the instructors were introduced and safety rules were covered. After the briefing, we were split up into groups of five and led to the parking lot where the Panigale awaits. The parking lot had been transformed into a cone-filled agility course with several separate skill-building exercises. Cornering, braking, and body steering were all incorporated into this 2-hour block of instruction. This basic warm-up rounded out the first day and we adjourned for the evening.
The following morning came early with a 7:30am gathering in the garage where expresso was served and a reminder safety brief was held. This brief was a little more in depth and included instruction regarding brake points, line recognition, throttle control and body position. On pit row, 7 lanes of 6 Panigales were standing by for the day to begin.
After being re-introduced to our instructors, we were again split up into groups of 5. For the remainder of the day, each group of riders would ride a series of twenty-minute sessions followed by classroom review of each rider’s performance.
The use of GoPro cameras onboard the instructor bikes made the garage sessions very informative, as we were able to immediately see for ourselves how we performed. After each checkered flag, the group would park in the pits and gather in the garage to view the footage from the previous session. The instructors – all with a racing background – would then help each of us understand our strengths and areas of improvement.
Around noon, complimentary lunch was served at the nearby restaurant located on track property. And since it was Italy, the food was so good that it was tempting to stay parked!
After lunch, track sessions began again for another couple of hours with the same routine as before. The day concluded with a small certificate ceremony and some parting words from our instructors.
Conclusion
I had always wanted to see what DRE was about, and my experience was very positive. When I learned early in 2016 that I would be in Italy on business, the timing allowed me to squeeze the DRE experience into my schedule. After having such a great time, I can easily justify going back next year for another course as a standalone trip. The staff was super friendly, the agenda was managed efficiently, and the instructors worked hard to provide each rider meaningful feedback on ways to improve.
Yes – there are plenty of courses that you can attend right here in the US that have quality instruction on great tracks, but, the opportunity to ride Ducati’s on the home track of Valentino Rossi certainly makes the experience a lot more memorable and worth the extra expense and travel.
The ciliengina sulla torta (icing on the cake), is that the factory in Bologna is only about an hour away from Misano and is an easy drive on the Autostrada. I managed to take the tour the day before the DRE which made the entire experience that much more gratifying.
If any fellow IDesmo members have questions about the experience that I’ve not covered, do not hesitate to ask – I’ll be glad to help. Hopefully, I’ll see some of you there next year!
Photos
Article written by Vincent Cascella – iDesmo Member
