Ducati wins the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Carlin Dunne won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb today on the Ducati Multistrada 1200, setting an all time motorcycle record and giving the Italian brand its second consecutive victory in the historic race.
Dunne, owner of Ducati Santa Barbara in California, took the checkered flag on his store’s showroom demo bike. After three weeks of frantic preparation, the team set out to Pikes Peak for Dunne’s rookie effort. The 28 year old rider was fast from day one, qualifying on pole for the race and setting a confident pace throughout all three days of practice. In the race Dunne got the holeshot at the start and never looked back. The time across the finish line was 11:11.32; a new course record for motorcycles.
“We were definitely anxious to get out and race today; “said Dunne about his race. “When the flag dropped I got the holeshot and went for it. The whole week’s worth of setup work with my technician Sam Swain came together and the Multistrada 1200 worked flawlessly to give us the win. With the help of Spider Grips, Dumontec, BrakeTech and Burley Motorsports we can go home with an all time record!”
While Dunne topped the timesheets for Ducati, Pikes Peak regular Alexander Smith rode a spirited race and crossed the finish line with a time of 12:12.92; earning him a much celebrated third place in the 1205cc class. In what was a wild and treacherous race away from Dunne and Smith, the other two Ducati entries fell upon misfortunes. Six-time winner Greg Tracy had an unfortunate fall while charging to post a fast time, and is already looking forward to next year’s race. Second place qualifier Mark Cernicky also suffered from bad luck when his Multistrada’s tire went flat several corners past the starting line. All four riders in the Ducati family enjoyed their Pikes Peak adventures despite mixed results, and were thrilled with the dominating performance of the Multistrada 1200.
Crucial to Ducati’s Pikes Peak successes is the Multistrada’s innovative “4 bikes in 1” capability. The Pikes Peak circuit is an ideal location to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Multistrada 1200’s riding modes due to its diverse terrain. A racer can conquer the asphalt sections using the Multistrada’s 150hp “Sport” mode, and on the fly change to the 100hp “Enduro” mode for the dirt sections of the course. This enables maximum setup capabilities throughout the race, changing the Multistrada’s Ducati Electronic Suspension, Ducati Traction Control, and Bosch-Brembo ABS in conjunction with the engine’s ride-by-wire throttle management.
The Multistrada 1200’s race win comes on the eve of the Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition, a striking version of the Multistrada 1200 S painted and accessorized to match the Spider Grips team bikes competing in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Ducati is quite proud of its rider’s successes, and hopes to return to the mountain with the Multistrada 1200 for a future title defense. For more information about The Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition and Carlin Dunne’s victory in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, visit ducatiuk.com.
