Nr. 7 in our Great Heroes series: “His true masterpiece would not come until later”

Welcome to our "Great Heroes" series. In this collection of stories, we'll take you inside the world of the people who motivate and inspire our team every day. You'll meet our personal heroes.

By sharing these stories, we invite you to get to know our team on a more personal level. Discover which pioneers, artists, and thinkers have shaped us, and why their work continues to inspire us on our own creative journey.

Wouter's great Hero:

Massimo Tamburini

Rimini, Italy, 28 November 1943

Tamburini began his career as a motorcycle mechanic, but he had bigger ambitions; he was someone who saw form and function as a single entity. In 1966, he founded Bimota (together with two colleagues), the legendary Italian motorcycle brand known for its unprecedented combination of performance and design. But his true masterpiece was yet to come.

The Ducati 916

In 1994, Tamburini introduced the Ducati 916 to the world. It was a statement. Proof that technical perfection and design can not only coexist but also reinforce one another.

The single-sided swingarm, the exhausts under the seat, the narrow twin headlight, and the continuous line of the seat: every line had a function, and every function was also an aesthetic choice.

British rider Carl Fogarty won four world titles in the Superbike Championship on this machine. His riding style, aggressive, all-out, pushing the limits of what was possible, matched the bike’s character perfectly.

In 1994 stelde Tamburini de wereld voor aan de Ducati 916. Het was niet zomaar een nieuwe motor. Het was een statement. Een bewijs dat technische perfectie en vormgeving niet alleen kunnen samengaan maar elkaar kunnen versterken.

De enkelvoudige ondersteunde achterbrug, de uitlaten onder het zitje, de smalle dubbele koplamp en de doorlopende lijn van het zadel: elke lijn had een functie, en elke functie was tegelijk een esthetische keuze.

De Britse coureur Carl Fogarty pakte met deze machine vier wereldtitels in het Superbike-kampioenschap. Met zijn rijstijl, agressief, vol overgave, aan de rand van wat mogelijk was, dit paste perfect bij het karakter van de motor.

In de film de The Matrix Reloaded (2003) schittert de evolutie van de Ducati 916, de Ducati 996 op het witte doek. In de film is de Ducati 996 gereden door Trinity onderdeel van een van de meest memorabele achtervolgingsscénes uit de filmgeschiedenis.

Tamburini’s later work

After his time at Ducati, Tamburini wasn’t done yet. At MV Agusta, he was once again given a blank slate. The result was the MV Agusta F4, unveiled in 1999. Four exhaust pipes grouped beneath the seat, a line that runs from front to back. It felt as though he had raised the bar even higher for himself.

Both the Ducati 916 (and later evolutions, the 996 and 998) and the MV Agusta F4 are still considered icons today and among the most beautiful motorcycles ever built.