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Perry Dunfoy - GOOD BUGGER 2021

💬 Always helps out with all manner of things like moving house, garden work bike stuff , going for and organising rides , always promotes Ducati and the club.  - anonymous...

Chris Marer - GOOD BUGGER 2020

💬  Chris has been with the club since year dot, is always keen and willing. Top guy!  - anonymous...

Our Impressions of DOCNZ: Then and Now

It’s hard to believe that it has been about 15 years since we bought our first Ducati.Jason found an ST4s in Senna colours on TradeMe. It was in Wellington. So, he drove the ute from our home in Arapuni, six hours down to Wellington, rode the bike around the block, decided he loved it, put it on the back of the ute, and brought it home.Unaware at the time that he had just met the infamous Chris Marer – DOCNZ’s loyal son!Jason arrived home and was talking about Chris. “He seemed like a re...

2025 GOOD BUGGER OF THE YEAR!

2025 Good Bugger of the Year was announced and celebrated at our premiere event, The DOCNZ National Ducati Rally !This award isn’t just about Ducati devotion, it’s about heart. It’s about those legends who go above and beyond, bringing the spirit of DOCNZ to life with their generosity, passion, and all-around GOOD BUGGER-ness!This year’s winner? This one’s personal. A man I’ve come to cherish and treasure as a sounding board, a right-hand legend, and an all-round super smart and amaz...

Track Day Gatecrasher & Other Ducati Shenanigans

It was a long weekend, but one of my best.Saturday, I made my way to Whangamōmona for Republic Day, then after a couple of hours, rode through to Taumarunui on the Forgotten Highway, then on to Tūrangi for the night.Sunday morning, I rode to Taupō for the Ducati track day. Even though I knew it was booked out, I decided to bring my race suit and back protector just in case there was a chance of getting out on track.Because the riders’ briefing had just finished when I got there, and everyon...

Ross's Grit, Gravel & Grand Adventures on the 2024 Ducati Xpedition

We have all heard the hype around the Dirty Turismo!When the Ducati Expedition 2024 was announced, I couldn’t resist signing up—even though I had little experience riding on gravel. I checked with Alana at Ducati Experience about the suitability of my Multistrada 1260, we confirmed it was essential that I fit off-road tyres. So I switched to Pirelli Scorpion STRs and geared up for the journey.We had to be in Tekapo for registration and briefing at 8am on Friday. I left home on Thursday stopp...

What We Learnt Travelling Italy (and What You Should Know Too)

We landed in Rome on the 2nd of September at 8am to be greeted with a walk across the tarmac in 34°C heat. How odd, I thought, to be outside walking into a terminal at Rome's Terni Airport, but the excitement of being there soon pushed these thoughts from my mind. Planning for our Italian holiday started a few years ago, but it really started last November. Joy, being of Italian descent, made Italy a place we were always going to visit. With flights booked, we decided to hire a car and see Ital...

From Waikato to Italy: A Ducati Adventure!

Well, what an opportunity this was—to be able to take the place of our president and vice president and go on the World Presidents Tour and the World Ducati Weekend! We did arrive a few days early to do the usual touristy stuff by car, but the excitement really started to kick off on Sunday....

Pereira's take on the Alps!

It all started as a seed planted into our brains.Members of the Waikato group for DOCNZ kept suggesting whether we would be keen on doing the World Presidents Tour if our president and vice-president weren’t going. There were a lot of yes, maybe, no, maybe, and yeses. We finally decided, for the first time ever, to do a 10-day Swiss, Italian, and Austrian Alps tour followed by the World Presidents Tour and the World Ducati Weekend!Part One!It started with a quick visit to see family in the UK....

Cost of living cramping your BLING addiction?

Cost of living cramping your bike bling addiction?This is your reminder to unlock the sweet DOCNZ Perks and Discounts we've sourced for you—some old favourites are here, along with a new one too!🎈 Quality Bling: Snag discounts at CNC Racing and DB Race, both known for their superior craftsmanship and design. Your bike will be the envy of the pack!🎈 Insurance: Protect your masterpiece with Swann Insurance's Gold Package and grab 20% off your premium! That’s some serious s...

My Bike - A Chris Marer story

It was 1972 in the Deep South, I was working at my after-school job at the local mower come motorcycle shop, and then I heard it—the rumble of a V-twin… a brand new Ducati GT 750 pulling up outside. Compared to the odd Honda farm bike that we sold, this was just out of this world. Seeing a Ducati for the first time made quite an impression on a 12-year-old boy, I can tell you....

The DOC NZ Origin Story

Recently, DUCATI HQ announced the allocation of exclusive numbers for D.O.C. clubs worldwide.Our official number is... 21!...

Winter - To Ride It or Hide It?

That’s the question I’ve been tasked with wittering on about this month. I don’t own a car, and Sunday being my day off, I usually have the displeasure of driving, but luckily, I have my lovely wife and son for company.Having no option other than two wheels has led to challenges, revelations, dicey moments, and a lot of learning. I’m here again this month to share some of that with you all.First of all, you will need to decide if you’re going to park the bike up or carry on through the...

Capture the Ride: Moto Photography Tips from Kent

MY storyJust before my first child was born, I bought a good camera. Initially, taking photos of her and portraits was my goal. However, I eventually found my joy in photographing motos; it is rewarding and definitely easier than children.I really enjoy sitting on the side of the road, with a shot in mind, waiting for a mate to come past on their pride and joy. When everything works out, and I get a nice shot, it's quite rewarding. Also, sharing my photos with friends that I took with my camera ...

The First Ducati Superbike

Paul Smart's victory at the 1972 Imola 200 mile race on the new 750 ‘bevel’ v-twin was the start of Ducati's superbike success, and the beginning of a new era for the factory, which continues to this day.The ’72 Imola 200 race was a Ducati 1-2, with Paul narrowly winning the race from team mate Bruno Spaggiari, who had lead but ran low on fuel on the final lap.  Paul was married Barry Shene’s sister Maggie, and was racing the fearsome 750 two-stroke Kawasaki triples when approa...

Diary of a Turismo Virgin.

I wasn’t going to go to NDR. I love my Streetfighter but don’t consider myself a brand frother, and wasn’t too bothered with the social aspect of attending a club event. Te Anau seemed like too many kilometres and nights away on a bike NOT made for touring.Yet, as my regional Ducatista associates started talking about and planning for it, I began to reconsider what I was actually dismissing: the opportunity to ride my awesome bike around our scenic South Island’s quality roads/natural bi...

Building Bonds: A Father-Son Tale of Ducati Dreams

Every bike can be special, many have different reasons as to why and this one is very special to me, let me tell you why.This bike lived in my head for a while before it became a reality, over a few club nights, fellow DOCNZer, Joe Togo and I had spoken about the ideal 1st generation Fighter and this is what it is for me. Not just for what the bike physically is but also what it represents – this is giving a part of my passion, knowledge, and time back to my dad Paul for all he has done for me...

2024 Dirty Turismo

Rewind to over 9 months ago and Chris Marer and I started planning the (Dirty Turismo) DT 24! Then Chris goes and breaks some ribs for shits & giggles just weeks before National Ducati Rally (NDR), and I’m left heading the tour, damn – really wished I had taken more notice of where we were last time I was in the South! Anyway, we all meander to Te Anau for a group of 5 tour. Some newbies including Chris Sinclair (DDX), Ian Gibbon (T7), original crew Phil Herdman and Murray Deam on Multis...

2024 Show n Shine Awards

During our National Ducati Rally, we revved up the excitement with our Show n Shine awards!Bikes were strutted, while folks pointed, oooohed and aaaahed. Our judges, Ducati Managing Director Sergi Canovas, and Ducati Product Genius Nick Selleck, had the tough job of picking the winners."Best" awards were given for each class, along with the coveted "Best in Show" and "People's Choice" awards.It was superb to see so much Ducati BLING in one place, creating great vibes for celebrating these master...

2024 Show n Shine - PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER!!

✍️&📸 David NewberyI’m not the person to give you a history of Ducati in New Zealand, which no doubt would be quite a story, but I can tell you all about this particular Ducati.It all started in 1973 as a poster dream of a 16-year-old lad with a keen eye for all things mechanical; his name was Lionel, he was my big brother. Motorcycles soon became the focus and they started to accumulate in the shed. A Matchless 500 single, a sprung hub 500 twin Triumph, and a box of bits that was ap...

2024 GOOD BUGGER OF THE YEAR

After much anticipation, it's time to announce the winner of the Good Bugger of the Year Award.Drumroll, please... And the winner is... someone who is enthusiastic, passionate, and simply a great guy to have around!With six nominations, congratulations goes to our 2024 Good Bugger of the Year... ...

2024 Good Bugger NOMINATIONS

We're all about celebrating the good buggers among us at DOCNZ.These legends spread the good vibes and do good deeds that make our community shine. We call 'em GOOD BUGGERS! From lending a hand to sharing their passion for Ducatisti, these awesome individuals deserve a massive shoutout.Let's dive in and read this year's nominations......

Mike's Tale of Obsession & Discoveries in USA

✍️📸 Mike McKenzie...

Chris Tackles the Himalayas

✍️Chris Marer 📸Chris Marer & friends...

Casbolts - Transformation and Team Spotlight

✍️ Casbolts MC...