It is neither an exercise in style nor a simple exhibition project. The Ducati Desmoto It is the purest and most uncompromising interpretation of a modern supermotard, built piece by piece by a single man with one fixed idea in his head: to create the light and wild motorcycle he always wanted to own and ride.
The history of this Ducati special begins far from any production line. Its author is Mark van Veggelfounder of the Dutch workshop Futuri Motion Tech, based in Tilburg, and someone who has been pursuing a very specific idea of high performance on 2 wheels for years.
In fact, inspiration came to him when he was a teenager, after discovering videos of supermoto races on circuits, with riders skidding to the limit and machines taken to the extreme. That image was the seed of a project that would end up taking him years of work.
This is the Ducati Desmoto by Futuri Motion Tech
To shape the Ducati Desmoto, van Veggel started from a Ducati Multistrada 1100 acquired as a donor. It only retained the 1,078 cc V-twin engine, since everything else was discarded to start from scratch. The engine was completely disassembled and rebuilt with a clearly racing approach, incorporating a lightened crankshaft and flywheel, racing camshafts and a larger intake duct. Added to all this is a gearbox from a Ducati 1098, an unusual combination in a supermoto.
The engine was tuned on the test bench and, after just 100 km of use, it was dismantled again for a complete overhaul. The final result is a set that delivers 112 hp at the rear wheel and a maximum torque of 123 Nm, figures that, combined with a declared weight of only 141 kg, turn each acceleration into an extreme experience, that is without a doubt.
The creator himself admits that he has barely been able to ride with it, but he assures that those first meters justified all the effort.
The chassis is an aluminum structure designed specifically for this project, with the aim of reducing weight as much as possible without compromising rigidity. At the rear it mounts a double arm swingarm from a Ducati 999 of the first generation, while the front axle uses the fork of the Hypermotard 1100held by seatposts made to measure and hand-made by the man himself. van Veggel.
The rear suspension is one of the most sophisticated points of the assembly. The shock absorber signed by Öhlins incorporates electronic compression and rebound adjustment through a control unit ÖTXa solution more typical of advanced prototypes than of a handmade motorcycle.
On the other hand, also at the rear, the exhaust system is another of the great visual and technical protagonists. It is made entirely of stainless steel and hand-welded from between 100 and 150 individual pieces. The set emerges from the rear of the motorcycle and provides a sound that is as aggressive as it is aesthetic, in addition to reinforcing the radical character of the project. That without a doubt.
The 17-inch forged magnesium wheels, signed by Marchesiniprovide the golden contrast on the black bodywork. The aluminum fuel tank, located in front of the seat, has a capacity of 10.1 liters. Its manufacture took around eight months and involved more than 70 welding beads, another example of the level of dedication put into each component.
The body was developed using CAD design and prototypes were made in 3D printing, with the final parts made of carbon fiber and nylon. Everything in the Ducati Desmoto It responds to a functional logic, but also to a constant search for personality. Far from being a simple exhibition motorcycle, this creation conveys the feeling of having been built with a very clear idea and without shortcuts.
Every detail, from the inside of the engine to the suspension electronics, speaks of a project carried out with time, patience and enormous personal involvement. All very Dutch.
The Ducati Desmoto It will be exhibited at the Bike Shed Moto Show (London) from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24, where it promises to attract attention not only for its figures, but for the coherence of a concept that goes far beyond the aesthetic. An extreme supermotard born from the determination of someone who decided to build, exactly, the motorcycle that he had always “dreamed” of owning.
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