The idea of an electric Ducati may seem contradictory to many enthusiasts who love the soul of these sports bikes equipped with specific internal combustion engines, equipped with the desmodromic system, but the Borgo Panigale factory is increasingly involved in electrically assisted bicycles and it is surely only a matter of time before we see a battery-powered motorcycle in the catalog of the Bologna brand. Various unofficial designs have been created in the past, but this one, created by Italdesign, a company that has both a past with Ducati and current involvement with the company, is called the 860-E.
Italdesign Giugiaro SpA is the company founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1968. It is responsible for countless iconic car designs, including Maserati, Lotus and Ferrari. However, Italdesign has not limited itself to the field of four wheels: Nikon, Beretta, but also several motorcycles have come off the drawing boards of the Italian firm.
Italdesign's most famous two-wheeler is probably Suzuki's rotary RE5, but also the Ducati 860 GT from 1974. Although purists found the bike's sharp styling shocking and the angular fuel tank was quickly Revamped for a more sculpted shape for the later GTS version, it was a motorcycle that predicted the move to boxier designs long before the likes of the Suzuki Katana appeared. More recently, Italdesign created the Ducati Urban-E, a production folding electric bike, in collaboration with Ducati designers.
With the 860-E, Italdesign returns to the 860 GT, but without focusing on a retro look. The key details are carried over: the side plates that cut into the “tank” on each side are an exaggerated revival of the 860 GT. The shape of the tank is also reminiscent of the original, as is the circular headlight, although on the 860-E concept it's literally a ring of LEDs with a hole in the center. Italdesign has adopted the most modern Ducati signatures, including a single-arm swingarm and an inverted fork with radial brakes for the mechanical parts, while the front fairing – which presumably contains the battery – is given a silver finish with fins, bridging the gap. area where the bevel-drive V-twin of the original 860 GT was located.
Italdesign points out that the original 860 was so futuristic that it was probably ahead of its time, which is why its look remains timeless. Officially, no production is planned for the 860-E, but given Italdesign's relationship with Ducati, the idea shouldn't be dismissed entirely.
