Project Ducati Single

Given a journalist stuck his head in my shop when I wasn't there and took pictures last week -- my latest project in baremetal will be gracing a UK magazine without my authorization here soon. So I will wanted to post pictures of MY PROJECT before he does...

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So where does one start for inspiration in building a new bike?

My latest inspiration came when I was walking through the Barber Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, AL on my way back from Daytona this year. Lots of Italian and racing motorcycles throughout the museum. But the vintage boardtrack racer section totally floored me with the old H-D and Indian racers. (specifically there tall tires and narrow profile) Immediately I headed out to the truck and got paper and pen and went back inside and started sketching. I wanted to capture the "essence" of the boardtrack racer but with three design criteria -- 1) it must be more "art deco" in design; 2) it must be easily identifed as a "custom bike"; and 3) it must utilize a Ducati engine (old single cylinder racing engine).

And it must retain the two characteristics unique to my bikes -- they are very simplistic looking with no excess doodads hung off of them --and-- they are heavily European influenced via their engines/drivetrains.

The project is underway and the frame/swingarm are almost done -- I'll post more pictures if there is interest.

The project will debut in Los Angeles in July. (I will probably bring it to MotoGP also)

So here are the concept image and the initial mockup of the bike in the shop with engine/wheels, tubing and cardboard/rattlecan paint.

(concept image)


(full-size mockup image)

Very sweet!

Outstanding work Mark, I would love to have your talent of being able to sketch visualize and make real

Looks sweet but frame and front fork look too much like a Confederate Wraith IMHO.

That looks fuggin cool! Great job on that and keep us posted. Nice design.

very cool keep up the good work ,, and if you bring it to Laguna I'll be looking for it

Looks great. Wonder what the guys at Confederate will think of this design. Is there indeed no suspension aboard? (the board-racers didn't)

I've received an e-mail and phonecall from the folks at Confederate -- they mentioned the Speedzilla site. (Also some journalists are aware of my posting online also and might have been who referred them also?)

I think the words the folks at Confederate used were "flattered you have taken the time to create an interpretation of our concept model". I had met with them for a few minutes in Daytona this year -- and was surprised they actually remembered myself.

The language form created via the side profile itself is highly reflective of the JT Nesbitt Bauhaus-inspired creation -- but in the other views of the bike, it is very much different as you will eventually see. Construction / materials / packaging is also very different. I did a French teardrop language designed concept image called the Aerolithe before I ever did the MotoCreations stuff -- and a few of those images were published in a French magazine in Nov 2003. I pulled the images off my website when I went forward with the Ducati stuff -- thus I could come back to them later. (which I have -- I'll do the Aerolithe later this year and another project I sketched out back then)

Rear suspension is via Showa shock. Front is a very short Fox shock via girder-style fork. Battery, electronics, etc are in the front part of the swingarm. The bike is pretty long to be honest given its origins -- 64in wheelbase. 90.5in overall. 32in top of tank. 33in top of stem/bars. Seat is at 26" and is adjustable. Front tire is 26" tall. Rear tire is 26.6" tall.

The bike is almost too thin -- it is as if someone is playing an optical illusion as you walk around the bike. Fortunately the width variation of the aluminum fuel tank itself helps balance the bike visually in reference to the engine mass by moving the eye focal point higher. Hard to describe -- but I might post some pictures after I roll it outside again if there is interest.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by superleggera &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">-- but I might post some pictures after I roll it outside again if there is interest.

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There is interest here, yes please.

Sweet stuff Mark!