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From Cathcart's book (some good reading even for the anti-Terblanchers):
Among the uninformed critics of the 999's shape are those who fail to
appreciate a curious chicken-and-egg paradox in the design. Terblanche
puts it flatly: "We designed the insides and built the nicest wrapper to
go around it we could." This is exactly the opposite approach to the
one taken with the design of the 916. One designer who understandably
wishes to remain unamed, said that under Tamburini the aestetics would
be determined first and the guts left to fall where they may. "He'd make
the body, and if some part of the engine was in the way, ... out would
come the angle grinder. Zing! Off goes the offending part. 'Let
engineering figure this out,' he'd say."
Because of Terblanche's almost pathological insistence that the bike
work well and be easy to produce and maintain, the dramatically sculpted
bodywork's form always rode pillion to function. Consider the 999's
uniquely shaped fuel tank. A stylistic flight of fancy? Not in the
least. Terblanche explains: "People talk about the styling but the
fact is that we did the ergonomics and the packaging and then tried to
make it look nice. Other people draw tanks to look good, but your
kneeshave to fit in the damn thing. [Because of that requirement for]
any tank you do, that fundamental shape is fixed. And you still have to
make it different from what has come before. Take shoes for example.
You can make all sorts of shapes but still the inside shape is the same.
They've got to fit your feet." Terblanche kept functional
considerations in mind at all times.
If Terblanche and his design crew fretted over the details of the 999's
ergonomic renaissance, it was nothing compared to the effort put into
improving the packing. "On the 916, there were bits and pieces
everywhere," says Terblanche, scowling. "It was a mess. They put the
battery over on the right because that was the only place it would fit.
There wasn't any thought given to servicing the bike."
One of the areas to which Terblanche gave the most thought was
ergonomics. "As much as people loved the 916, it was an ergonomic
disaster," he says. "Six-footers, couldn't ride it. Sure, some guys
would be proud to say they survived a long trip on the 916, but I didn't
want to design the 999 only for them. This bike has to be for everyone,
to appeal to a new group of Ducati owners."
"I didn't want to follow other people. I don't think Ducati can do
that. As with the Multistrada, I want people to see the 999 on the road
and think, wow, that's new. People want to be special, to be different.
We're not trying to convince people that the 916 isn't the most
beautiful bike in the world, only that there's something new out there."
"The 999 isn't just for the faithful, for the guys who loved the 916. The bike is for the company, to sell bikes. We're not selling to the guys who had 888s or 916s. I've had lots of letters from lots of people [complaining about the 999]. I can't worry about the five guys who don't like the looks. I care about the twenty-five guys who sold their GSX-R's to buy a Ducati for the first time because they could ride it. Because it was more comfortable. For me the true Ducatista is someone who appreciates the function of the bike-and appreciates that form that follows function."
Mark was obviously one of the five letter writers referred to in the last paragraph above...
e' tutta una risata, la perla pero' come si addice a uno show e' il finale...
Traduco e sintetizzo.
La 999 non e' solo per i fedeli che amano la 916.
La moto e' stata fatta per l'azienda , per vendere moto.
Noi non la stiamo a quelli che avevano il 916/888.
Io ho ricevuto molte lettere da molte persone che protestavano contro il 999.
Ma non posso preoccuparmi di 5 ragazzi
a cui non piace il 999.
Io mi prendo cura del 25 ragazzi che hanno venduto il gsxR per comprarsi la prima ducati( prima c'era un passaggio dove parlava del fatto che molte taglie
grandi non compravano Ducati perche' non ci entravano Ps mi sa che in 4 anni quelli che dal gsx so passati a 999 so pure meno ).
Per me il vero Ducatista e' colui che apprezza la funzionalita' delle moto
e apprezza le forme che seguono la funzionalita'(prima c'era un passaggio dove lui dichiara di aver fatto al contrario di Tamburini ossia :
Tamburini e' partito dal disegnare una moto bella e poi l'ha fatto il resto
Pt e' partito dalla funzionalita' e poi ha pensato ell'estetica)
LA SINTESI DEL PENSIERO PER ME E' MEGLIO UN ****** PURCHE' FUNZIONALE.
CONTRARIO A TUTTE LE LOGICHE DELLE MAGGIORI INDUSTRIE AUTO/MOTOCICLISTICHE
Among the uninformed critics of the 999's shape are those who fail to
appreciate a curious chicken-and-egg paradox in the design. Terblanche
puts it flatly: "We designed the insides and built the nicest wrapper to
go around it we could." This is exactly the opposite approach to the
one taken with the design of the 916. One designer who understandably
wishes to remain unamed, said that under Tamburini the aestetics would
be determined first and the guts left to fall where they may. "He'd make
the body, and if some part of the engine was in the way, ... out would
come the angle grinder. Zing! Off goes the offending part. 'Let
engineering figure this out,' he'd say."
Because of Terblanche's almost pathological insistence that the bike
work well and be easy to produce and maintain, the dramatically sculpted
bodywork's form always rode pillion to function. Consider the 999's
uniquely shaped fuel tank. A stylistic flight of fancy? Not in the
least. Terblanche explains: "People talk about the styling but the
fact is that we did the ergonomics and the packaging and then tried to
make it look nice. Other people draw tanks to look good, but your
kneeshave to fit in the damn thing. [Because of that requirement for]
any tank you do, that fundamental shape is fixed. And you still have to
make it different from what has come before. Take shoes for example.
You can make all sorts of shapes but still the inside shape is the same.
They've got to fit your feet." Terblanche kept functional
considerations in mind at all times.
If Terblanche and his design crew fretted over the details of the 999's
ergonomic renaissance, it was nothing compared to the effort put into
improving the packing. "On the 916, there were bits and pieces
everywhere," says Terblanche, scowling. "It was a mess. They put the
battery over on the right because that was the only place it would fit.
There wasn't any thought given to servicing the bike."
One of the areas to which Terblanche gave the most thought was
ergonomics. "As much as people loved the 916, it was an ergonomic
disaster," he says. "Six-footers, couldn't ride it. Sure, some guys
would be proud to say they survived a long trip on the 916, but I didn't
want to design the 999 only for them. This bike has to be for everyone,
to appeal to a new group of Ducati owners."
"I didn't want to follow other people. I don't think Ducati can do
that. As with the Multistrada, I want people to see the 999 on the road
and think, wow, that's new. People want to be special, to be different.
We're not trying to convince people that the 916 isn't the most
beautiful bike in the world, only that there's something new out there."
"The 999 isn't just for the faithful, for the guys who loved the 916. The bike is for the company, to sell bikes. We're not selling to the guys who had 888s or 916s. I've had lots of letters from lots of people [complaining about the 999]. I can't worry about the five guys who don't like the looks. I care about the twenty-five guys who sold their GSX-R's to buy a Ducati for the first time because they could ride it. Because it was more comfortable. For me the true Ducatista is someone who appreciates the function of the bike-and appreciates that form that follows function."
Mark was obviously one of the five letter writers referred to in the last paragraph above...
e' tutta una risata, la perla pero' come si addice a uno show e' il finale...
Traduco e sintetizzo.
La 999 non e' solo per i fedeli che amano la 916.
La moto e' stata fatta per l'azienda , per vendere moto.
Noi non la stiamo a quelli che avevano il 916/888.
Io ho ricevuto molte lettere da molte persone che protestavano contro il 999.
Ma non posso preoccuparmi di 5 ragazzi
a cui non piace il 999.
Io mi prendo cura del 25 ragazzi che hanno venduto il gsxR per comprarsi la prima ducati( prima c'era un passaggio dove parlava del fatto che molte taglie
grandi non compravano Ducati perche' non ci entravano Ps mi sa che in 4 anni quelli che dal gsx so passati a 999 so pure meno ).
Per me il vero Ducatista e' colui che apprezza la funzionalita' delle moto
e apprezza le forme che seguono la funzionalita'(prima c'era un passaggio dove lui dichiara di aver fatto al contrario di Tamburini ossia :
Tamburini e' partito dal disegnare una moto bella e poi l'ha fatto il resto
Pt e' partito dalla funzionalita' e poi ha pensato ell'estetica)
LA SINTESI DEL PENSIERO PER ME E' MEGLIO UN ****** PURCHE' FUNZIONALE.
CONTRARIO A TUTTE LE LOGICHE DELLE MAGGIORI INDUSTRIE AUTO/MOTOCICLISTICHE
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