Ducati 999 [Hardcover]

Alan Cathcart (Author), Marc Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003

Ducati 999: Birth of a Legend describes the unique way in which all new Ducati motorcycles are designed, developed, and manufactured. Rich with in-depth interviews and never before published drawings and renderings, this book takes you on a lavishly illustrated factory tour.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

"We had absolutely unprecedented access and support from Ducati," says Cook. "I've been to many factories, but none like Ducati. High-tech design and manufacturing walk arm-in-arm with old-world charm and rampant enthusiasm."

"I've known the engineers and designers at Ducati for many years as colleagues and personal friends," notes Cathcart, "That helped me tremendously in telling the story of the 999's development."

From the Inside Flap

For a small manufacturer in the competitive world of high-performance motorcycles, every model is important. But for Ducati, the replacement for the long-running, race-winning, and immensely popular 916/996/998 series would be nothing less than a make-or-break motorcycle.

Introduced in 2002 to acclaim and controversy, the Ducati 999 retained the spirit of the 916 series even as it ushered in a new era in motorcycling. Like all Ducatis, it's quick, charismatic, and fun to ride on the road or the racetrack. Yet it's also more comfortable and easier to use for day-to-day riding.

These changes were the result of an entirely new design philosophy embraced by designer Pierre Terblanche, who set out to build the 999 from the inside out. His commitment to simplicity would result in a bike that delivers improved ergonomics and control for riders and unprecedented manufacturing efficiencies for Ducati-the 999 has 23 percent fewer parts than its predecessor, an astonishing reduction to achieve on a motorcycle.

But the process that produced such fundamental improvements was actually amazingly complex. Join us for a journey of discovery as authors Alan Cathcart and Marc Cook go behind the scenes at the Ducati factory in Bologna, Italy, for exclusive interviews with the designers, engineers, and test riders who created the company's most important motorcycle in a decade. Each has his own story to tell of the trials, tools, and technology that were used to create this revolutionary motorcycle, as it evolved from the earliest design sketches through foam core and clay mock-ups to prototypes and various test models. This evolution is brought to life through hundreds of photographs that chronicle the bike's development and manufacturing and take you inside Ducati's impressive R&D facility.

Ducati 999: Birth of a Legend also tells the dramatic story of Ducati's history and heritage, explaining how it grew into a superbike powerhouse and a brand revered by the most demanding riders in the world.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: David Bull Publishing (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893618277
• ISBN-13: 978-1893618275
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and beautiful, December 6, 2003

By 

John Joss (Los Altos, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ducati 999 (Hardcover)

Whether or not you're a fan of Ducati, its chief designer Pierre Terblanche, or authors Alan Cathcart and Marc Cook, you can't ignore this beautiful, brilliant book. It's an absorbing account of a motorcycle's evolution, at unprecedented levels of detailed reportage. The still and action photos--the latter by Kevin Wing particularly pleasing--are exquisite, detailed and informative.
Most enthuasiasts know Ducati's remarkable race history over the last half century, from the great bevel-gear machines whose valve acuation evolved into today's signature desmodromic technology, up to its amazing 2003 MotoGP bike (podiums in its first year!). The V-twin Pantah, suitably bored, stroked and beefed up, eventually using water instead of air to cool, begat the 851, 900S, 888, 916, 996, 998 and now the 999. The book's depth and detail are riveting. Ducati's people, originals to the core, create the focus. No worthwhile vehicle--no designed object of any significance--can be created without committed individuals who believe in what they are doing, into the bones.
David Gross, Ducati's creative director, wrote a candid foreword, revealing Terblanche as interesting and controversial. A bit like BMW Cars's Chris Bangle, Terblanche comes across as an egotist--not always right but never in doubt--who despises his critics.
This is not a perfect book despite its brilliance and production quality. We needed to see dyno comparisons of the various progenitors to the 999, reference to the WSB 999s vs. the production bikes, and 999/R/S spec comparisons that explain the significant cost differentials.
Also, note that this is not investigative reporting. Ducati wouldn't have let Cathcart or Cook into the joint if there had been any suspicion of deviation from an unsullied portrait. And Cathcart's relentless egotism jars--we get yet another opinion or picture of him on a Ducati, neglecting many of the great champions mentioned but not pictured, such as Hailwood, Polen and others. This facet alone removes a star from my review.
Nitpicking aside, this is a remarkable and magnificent book written, photographed and produced by genuine enthusiasts who have given us an unprecedented look into the development of a great motorcycle. It stands alongside some of the best of its kind, up there with the Guggenheim's "Art of the Motorcycle" and Nick Ienatsch's SPORT RIDING TECHNIQUES (a David Bull book), both reviewed by me for Amazon. David Bull is publishing at the pinnacle of the motorcycling world.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ducati 999, July 15, 2010

By 

metro - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ducati 999 (Hardcover)

Realy enjoyed this book. Great insight of the proccess from design to manufacturing of this motorcycle.

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique kitchen view, May 21, 2011

By 

Eddy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ducati 999 (Hardcover)

How many times are you allowed to take a look in the designers part of a factory and listen how and why things are designed the way they are, and what obstacles have to be taken before a bike can become yours? Unique peace of work for every motorcycle lover, not only for Ducatisti.