Fanatical about physical preparation, Franco Battaini was probably the most complete athlete on the Grand Prix circuit, as evidenced by his excellent performances between races in triathlon competitions. A latecomer to motorcycle racing, the Italian made his first appearance at 21 but it wasn't long before his natural talent shone through. In 1994 he was runner-up in the Italian Sport Production 125 series and lifted the Suzuki 250 Trophy after five race wins. He joined the World Championship in 1997 on a 250, becoming a regular top ten fixture and clinching four Best Privateer trophies, taking sixth in the championship in 2002 and 2003. In 2005 he joined the MotoGP class for one season aboard the V6 Blata-WCM with a best finish of 11th in Japan.

Following a spell away from MotoGP, where he contested in World Superbikes, World Supersport and the Italian CIV championship, Battaini joined Ducati in 2010 as its official test rider for its MotoGP project, occasionally aiding the satellite teams as well.