Engineered art

Massimo Tamburini changed the way the world viewed motorcycles, giving delicious form to function

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The under seat exhaust. The single-sided swingarm, the fully exposed wheel. Twin cat’s eyes for headlights. Tantalisingly revealing full-body fairing. Elements of the Ducati 916 that make it one of the prettiest motorcycles ever made – an opinion that’s hard to argue with even if you find pleasure in uncommon choices. It’s the motorcycle that put Massimo Tamburini on the map of every motorcycling enthusiast, and though his CV may be short and sweet, it’s one filled with hits that changed the course of the companies he worked for, from Cagiva, Ducati and MV Agusta to his very own outfit, Bimota. A company that started out making air-conditioning ducts. So, how did Tamburini come to be the ‘Michelangelo of motorcycles’?

The early years