I have to talk about 20th Century Italian Motorcycles

[DukeRed]

About 10 mins long so can't talk about anything to in depth. Was wondering if anyone had any ideas about what bikes to talk about.

First ideas are ducati 916, Massimo Tamburini, an early Guzzi, and possibly the Tesi 2D.

I want to get across what Italian motorcycle design is about, passion and style rather than just performance. But also say that they've had this flare from the beginning of the 1900's.
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Would ignore the Tesi 2D (if they have sold many anyway), and just go for the original Tesi (and the ES version even looked OK).

Probably also look at Cagiva (the 916 was designed when they owned Ducati anyway), and the way they raced in the 500cc GP class for years (and probably built the best ever looking GP bike, pity it was one of their slower attempts).

All the best

Keith
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[Jack_Cheese]

Aprilia and their rs125?

Benelli Tornado?

Piaggio now becoming a massive company?

Jack
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[DukeRed]

Cheers for replies

Unfortunately someone else in the group is doing piaggio and vespa. I'm just doing motorbikes. Benneli and Aprilia both made/make beautifull bikes but they don't have the heritage and IMO don't have that speacial something that makes it a classic. Of course that could be rubbish.

That ES is something else, love the fairing. The problem with talking about companys is that I've got ten minutes to do this and Cagiva would take up ten easily.

Was thinking about talking about trellis frames and V-twins since this is a very Italian style. Are there any other parts of design that are very "Italian"?

Cheers
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[NC30UK]

Mopeds!

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not sure that trellis frames are Italian. More an 80's / 90s Ducati trademark (OK, copied a bit recently by Morini and the like). Same for V twins, pretty much Ducati (and only then from the 70s) and Guzzi (they had the design for a military engine that they used).

In a way you could argue that the 4 is an Italian trademark, Gilera using them in the 50s for GP racing, followed later by MV Agusta.

All the best

Keith
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[tintin]

Don't know if this helps but it's lifted from something we designed for Shell when they first started sponsoring Superbikes:

In 1926, the Ducati brothers founded an electrical business in a Bologna suburb. Their breakthrough came in 1946. The Cucciolo (”Puppy” in English) was no more than a 48cc four stroke engine bolted to a bicycle frame, but Italy loved it and a motorcycle dynasty was born.
By the 1950’s Ducati was building ever more ambitious bikes - first the 98cc ohv single - the “Marianna” - and later race models developed by engineer Fabio Taglioni, the father of Desmodronics (the system of directly opening and closing valves, thus eliminating valve springs).
Names like Smart and Hailwood became synonymous
with spectacular speed records. Championships like the 200 miles of Imola, the Isle of Man - and later World Superbike - became indelibly linked with Ducati.

Ducati Image - Press
What they say . . .

The Ducati’s got fantastic steering, racebike feel from the front tyre, incredible stability and the equally incredible barking rasping drone from the storming engine. It’s the most visceral riding experience there is.
If you can afford one, you should have one: it’s a simple as that.
Kevin Raymond: May 1997

The Ducati 916 - the benchmark to which everything else is compared.
Kieren Puffett: May 1997

Makes the others look like they’re just playing at making race reps.
Martin Child: Dec 1998

When you ride it you feel like the fastest,most invincible person on the planet.
Steve Westlake:
Nov 1998
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