Miguel Angel Galluzzi is the artist who gave us the Ducati Monster, however in contrast to Frankenstein, he’s liked for the Monster he created. However the Monster is not the one cool motorbike designed by Miguel Galluzzi; he is credited with designing many bikes, a few of which have grow to be icons in their very own rights, together with quite a few Aprilia, Cagiva, Moto Guzzi, and naturally Ducati bikes.
Born in Buenos Aires, raised within the States, and at present heading Piaggio’s Superior Design Middle in California, Galluzzi is a legendary entity within the motorcycling group, however he is very a lot actual. His design philosophy is kind of distinctive in comparison with his friends: he is at all times aimed toward designing useful bikes that push the boundaries of innovation with out sacrificing efficiency. For him, the appears should complement the bike’s efficiency, which is clear in his finest designs.
Taking a look at numerous dependable sources and producer web sites, we have put collectively this listing of ten finest bikes designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi.
10 1998 Cagiva Planet 125
Rossi’s First Bike
The Cagiva Mito, Valentino Rossi’s first bike, appears suspiciously much like the Ducati 916, and it is no shock that its bare variant, the Planet 125, bears a resemblance to the Ducati Monster — not stunning, contemplating each bikes are designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi. Regardless of the naked fundamentals design, the Planet 125 was a breath of contemporary air again then, due to its beefy entrance finish, a giant headlight, shiny aluminum perimeter body, and a peppy engine. However the place it excelled in design and efficiency, it demanded a little bit of your money and time in upkeep — proudly owning it was a ache. Hey, not less than it was fairly to have a look at, proper?
9 2007 Aprilia Dorsoduro
A Stripped-down Beast For The Streets
The Aprilia Dorsoduro is not simple on the eyes, nevertheless it does not should be. It is a supermoto primarily based on the SL 750 Shiver, nevertheless it’s an excessive motorbike. It is meant for skilled riders who can extract the enjoyable it affords with out being intimidated. The design speaks the identical language — gone are any panels or elements that do not serve a function, giving this bike a stripped-down look that exposes the parts that matter probably the most: the engine and the chassis. Even the passenger pegs have been non-obligatory! The no-frills strategy might not be for everybody, nevertheless it serves the operate the place it counts most — avenue hooliganism.
8 1991 Ducati 900 SuperSport
A Boxy 90s Ducati Sports activities Bike
The 1991 SuperSport maintained its predecessor’s legacy of efficiency however repackaged it in a extra sensible outfit and cheaper maintenance, which is saying rather a lot for a Ducati. This ’90s sports activities bike was watered-down for the plenty, and so was the design. It was designed to be easy, useful, and sculpted, and whereas it might not look as sharp as different Ducati sport bikes, it was nonetheless a beautiful motorbike to behold. The vast, boxy dimensions, THAT purple paint, and Ducati’s consideration to element nonetheless make this a beautiful assortment bike for individuals who recognize the nice ol’ instances.
7 2009 Moto Guzzi V12 X
The Final Collab
Alright, this isn’t a manufacturing motorbike, however it’s nonetheless one of many coolest bikes designed by Miguel Galluzzi and Pierre Terblance. This drool-worthy motorbike is designed for a pure driving expertise and is a testomony to what will be crafted when two of one of the best automotive designers come collectively. This prototype mannequin pays tribute to Moto Guzzi’s heritage of innovation and distinctive character. The V12 X is aggressive, fashionable, and radical, and we all know it can by no means see the manufacturing unit ground, however who will cease us from dreaming? That is the bike you’d buy if you happen to purely needed to indicate off your candy experience — if solely it was ever launched!
6 2011 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer
An Italian Café Racer
Retro bikes, particularly cafe racers, are already among the most lovely bikes in the marketplace. So, making a motorcycle stand out on this gorgeous lineup is a problem that maybe solely Moto Guzzi can take up. The Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, a restaurant racer designed by Galluzzi, is a sight to behold, leaving the likes of the Triumph Thruxton and Royal Enfield Continental GT miles behind when it comes to visible enchantment. The hand-finished body, the chrome gas tank, retro-cafe racer-inspired panels, and the transverse-mounted engine make the V7 Racer maybe probably the most lovely fashionable cafe racer. The bike is spirited but easy-going, and it is meant to be loved at a slower tempo, like effective wine, not like a glass of chilly water on a sizzling summer season day.
5 2009 Aprilia SL 750 Shiver
A Completely different Monster
Galluzzi’s design language is all in regards to the expertise of driving a bike, and it is most evident in his bare bikes, just like the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver. This beautiful motorbike is muscular and aggressive, but it retains the design language minimalistic, just like the Ducati Monster. The bike was about operate, with the highly effective V-twin engine suspended throughout the trellis body, aluminum-alloy swingarm, and uncovered shock absorber. The panels solely served these useful bits on the bike, giving this bike an aggressive but useful look — what a great bare motorbike ought to appear to be. And let’s not overlook, the underseat exhaust cans solely added to the enchantment!
4 2009 Aprilia RSV4
One Of The Purest Superbikes
The 2009 Aprilia RSV4 was a tough motorbike to advocate again then, given its lack of rider aids, substandard specs, and reliability issues, however look previous that, and you’ve got a uncooked and formidable bike. The design adopted the identical precept — it was designed for uncooked competitors. From the entrance cowl to the rear finish, each nook on this bike is designed for the racetrack, apart from the funky headlights. It is nonetheless a minimalistic design that does not distract from the efficiency however is muscular (and compact). Even when parked, the RSV4 appears able to pounce — if solely it begins.
3 2013 Moto Guzzi California 1400
The Artwork Nouveau Italian Energy Cruiser
The Moto Guzzi California 1400 is an Artwork Nouveau-style cruiser that challenges the conventions set by Harley-Davidson and Japanese cruisers. Galluzzi designed this cruiser to be radically fashionable, akin to fast-paced cruisers just like the Ducati Diavel and the Harley-Davidson V-Rod. But, it retains the attraction of the seven California generations that got here earlier than it. And would possibly we are saying, the California 1400 appears so beautiful — this contemporary tackle a standard style was lacking within the cruiser section. The motorbike is unmistakably Italian, inspiring efficiency, exoticism, and wonder, and the transverse-mounted V-twin engine solely makes your complete package deal all of the extra ravishing. That is the one cruiser that deserves the “Made in Italy” tag.
2 2017 Moto Guzzi MGX-21
What A Stunner
Most idea bikes are lovely, however they not often retain the identical design of their manufacturing avatars however the Moto Guzzi MGX-21 is an exception. When its prototype was proven, nobody anticipated the production-ready model to retain the identical attraction, and the model shocked everybody, albeit with greater dimensions. This luxurious bagger is smooth and seductive, and one take a look at it, and you will not discover some other cruiser prettier than this one. The sweeping strains, the transverse-mounted V-twin engine with daring purple head-covers, the purple calipers, and the blacked-out paint scheme — this bike appears like one thing that Batman would experience on his time off.
“And, after all, we considered infinite areas, with straight roads heading to distant horizons, to hurry information snatched on the expanses of salt lakes, to touring aimlessly and freely. On this approach, a blurred picture began to tackle a particular form, and so the MGX-21 was born.” — Miguel Galluzzi
1 1993 Ducati Monster 900
Miguel Galluzzi’s Legacy
Miguel Angel Galluzzi is thought for a lot of bikes, however his Holy Grail is the Ducati Monster 900. What began because the parts-bin-special for Ducati has become a motorcycle that popularized the bare motorbike section and Ducati’s hottest mannequin line ever. Galluzzi started engaged on the Ducati as a styling train; it was a cocktail of Ducati parts. This, together with the minimal but muscular bodywork that prioritizes operate over kind, has come to outline the bare bike section.
At first look, the Monster 900 doesn’t appear to be an unique superbike, nevertheless it does not should be. It nonetheless displayed the Ducati heritage with its sporty but approachable character, which was what Galluzzi was going for. It is nonetheless drop-dead beautiful, with its uncovered trellis body (which we miss within the newer Monsters), the Desmo L-twin engine, a sculpted tank, and spherical headlamps. Quite a few magazines and automotive authorities credit score the Monster for being one of the vital lovely and essential bikes ever created.
Flying within the face of each modern motorbike design rubric from Tokyo to Munich, Galluzzi recreated stripped-bare suburban specials in a manufacturing motorbike. The end result, an excellent piece of pop-culture interpretation, was the M900, nicknamed “the Monster.” — The Artwork of the Motorbike, the New York Guggenheim Museum, 1998
