Every new motorcycle design stems from the desire to look forward. This is achieved by combining different inputs, such as product divisions, customer suggestions, and new market areas to be explored. The Centro Stile receives everything in a kick-off document drawn up by the Product Marketing area, known as the Brief, in which the general guidelines to start working can be found.

When the designer transfers his ideas to paper, Sketches are created. First freehand, coming up with hundreds of drawings. Then everything is further developed digitally thanks to sophisticated drawing software. The golden rules of Ducati designers are: style - always unmistakable and original. Dimensions - compact and racing-inspired. Shapes - sensual and captivating. Lines - which must express a sporty, aggressive nature without altering the aerodynamics. Looking at a Ducati must make you want to touch it.

Thanks to digital technology, the Sketches are realized as 3D models: three-dimensional digital objects that allow the first physical model to be created. From the digital models, the designers’ proposals are processed into actual small-scale physical models, ready for selection. At this stage, Ducati chooses the best through a specifically defined approval team. Only one becomes the 1:1 scale three-dimensional Proportion model in ureol - a wood-like polyurethane resin that is milled, finished and painted.

Each line of the Proportion model is 3D scanned and digitally reproduced. The new file is then fine-tuned. It’s now time to create a 1:1 scale prototype, called Clay model, combining style, design, technical and layout requirements. The base is a polyurethane foam body that is shaped by a 3D milling machine. A layer of clay is then applied; this is a synthetic clay specific for automotive design purposes, which is modelled by hand like a sculpture, then refined by the designer. Testers put on technical clothing and get on the saddle to simulate riding movements and check ergonomics. Once the Clay model is approved, the style is defined.

The finished Clay model is scanned with a Point Cloud technique designed to capture digital data on a physical object to a precise degree as true to life as possible. This is known as reverse engineering, or reverse design: a complex process that goes from physical material to virtual. By doing this, symmetries are corrected, industrialization of the components are planned and the final mathematics of the new bike are generated. Everything is ready to create the Master model. A high-density ureol prototype in a sparkling silver shade, which makes the lines and surfaces of the motorcycle stand out for any fine tuning. The most faithful representation of what the final product will be, including the paintwork, is the Clinic model, a maquette that comes just before the production bike.

Once the layout is finalized, the purpose of this phase is to put a working machine on the track and on the road, representative of all the characteristics of the actual bike: the Prototype. A complete vehicle made of accurately designed but temporary components, less expensive than the final versions and quicker to produce. The road tests performed allow the motorcycle’s unique geometries to be validated and settings to be defined accordingly to achieve the best performance, ergonomics, and thermal comfort.