When it comes to iconic motorcycles, the Ducati Supermono ranks high on the list. Only a handful of these unique single-cylinder machine exist, and they fetch a pretty penny when they come on the market.
The man behind the machine is equally renowned, as Pierre Terblanche has been responsible for designing and creating no shortage of highly coveted and unique motorcycles, the most famous of which came during his time at Ducati (the Hypermotard, Multistrada, MH900E, 999 Superbike, and of course the Supermono).
Sitting down with Brian Case, a well-known motorcycle designer in his own right, and one of the founding partners of Motus Motorcycles, we get today’s video interview.
Set in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Alabama, the pair talk about the story of how the Ducati Supermono came to be, with a fascinating insight into the story of this bike and Terblanche’s work on it.
After a brief look at the history, Terblanche talks extensively about how the Supermono was designed, using the tools of the time, and going through the various technical challenges that presented themselves along the way.
The end product is a 550cc thumper, with a dummy numb of a second cylinder (Terblanche explains this in the video), that produced 57hp from the 300 lbs motorcycle.
If you are a student to motorcycle history, you owe it to yourself to watch what these two gentlemen have to say. It’s worth the 45 minutes of your time.
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