however I do believe it represents something more sinister, by the massive width of that rear tyre this may represent the first time Ducati has deliberately chosen to effect the riding efficiency of a bike in a negative way. A frickin 220 ish tyre on the back can no way be justified, it is function lost for fashion gain....and that is a intrinsic quality of Ducati in my eyes and a very sad day for the brand.
Seriously? You think this is the first time of form over function? Its just a matter of relativity.
If you are entering a new area of the market you have to at least meet the minimum 'standards' of that market ... I know nothing about this particular segment of the market but would guess a large section rear tyre is de rigueur (and in typing that I realised if I knew an Italian translation for that I should use it). Do I need a 180 rear section on my Monster? No. Do I need 190 on the 999? Not even close (in fact a common performance mod I have read is reducing the rear tyre section). So it is nothing new.
But a point I would like to raise again is my discussion with Joe Charity about the Streetfighter. He could not understand why Ducati would purposely de-tune the 1098 engine or why they would choose an exhaust design that would not allow you to ride with your toes on the pegs. My view was that they had probably nailed the market they were looking to enter/create/lead/inspire:
. massive although mostly theoretical power
. relatively comfortable ride position
. all the trick bits you would expect (brakes & suspension kinda thing)
. something not entirely impractical for ducking down to the cafe for a pose
. BOAST-ABILITY
I don't know how successful they have been but had it not been for the economy turning nasty I think they would have sold a lot more (and perhaps this MegaSportsCruiserThingy would have been deemed unnecessary).
Your comment seems a bit like saying 'Ducati have never installed lesser parts or compromised on design to save a few bucks'.
