At Ducati, when we speak about ‘being Italian', we have two characteristics in mind.
The
first can be summed up with the words ‘clean and essential': the
motorcycle should only have what it needs (anything superfluous is
abandoned, so no frills, just clean lines). The second is compactness,
in terms of both dimensions and the overall impression.
A culture of
beauty, then, based on elements that are of simple form, built with
attention to detail and of outstanding quality.
With the approval of the fi nal draft comes a second stage that sees the making of a "Pre-Clay" 1:1 scale model, allowing us to glimpse (and touch) the motorcycle in 3-D form for the fi rst time. This process helps the designer seek out the best possible balance of volumes.
The next stage, borrowed from the world of cars, is the clay model, which undergoes continuous manual modifications. It's like witnessing a team of sculptors: once their work has been completed they deliver an object to be optically scanned. The wizards of virtual modeling (CAS) and mechanical design (CAD) then transform this into a set of three dimensional files.
As the project progresses prototypes are built and tested to assess reliability and appeal with potential customers.
