Interviews

September 2000, Assen the Netherlands Ducati Club Races

Hoog bezoek: kom ie of niet?

In de ruim 2 jaar dat de BBC aanwezig is tijdens de Ducati Clubraces, is het evenement volwassen geworden. Hierdoor is ook de interesse van ´professionals´ voor de Clubraces toegenomen. Tot deze groep behoort zeker niet in de laatste plaats de fabriek zelf. Passend in de nieuwe strategie onder het Yankee bewind van TPG is het in contact komen met de klant via evenementen als de clubraces. Mochten wij vorig jaar een enthousiaste Frederico Minoli ontvangen, dit jaar zou de fabriek worden vertegenwoordigd door niemand minder dan het Hoofd Ontwerp Pierre Terblanche. Natuurlijk werd zijn komst geholpen door het feit dat datzelfde weekeinde ook de Intermot in het relatief nabije München werd gehouden, maar het verlaten van de salon voor de clubraces zegt toch wel wat! Zoals wel vaker met beloftes uit Italië, is een zekere Hollandse nuchterheid (eerst zien, dan geloven) op zijn plaats om al te grote teleurstellingen te voorkomen. Tot op het laatst toe werd echter bevestigd dat ´Ja, Pierre Terblanche komt. Hij zal het zaterdagavondprogramma bovendien de wordingsgeschiedenis van ´zijn´ Mike Hailwood Evoluzione toelichten´. Een uitgelezen kans dus om het creatieve brein van Ducati SpA te ondervragen over de laatste ontwikkelingen in Bologna!

Speur- en ellebogenwerk

Het vooraf maken van een afspraak voor een interview blijkt om duistere redenen vaak onmogelijk. Hierdoor is de BBC dan ook teruggeworpen op ouderwets journalistiek speur- en ellebogenwerk. Om bij het eerste te beginnen: het vinden van de heer Terblanche in de hektiek van de eerste trainingsdag. Een drukke (voor ons verborgen) agenda stond Terblanche waarschijnlijk niet toe om wat rond te lopen op het paddockterrein, zo dachten we... Totdat uw altijd alerte BBC directeur Racing & Sonsoring (voor het eerste tijdens de Clubraces gehuld in officiële jacks!) een lange in het zwart geklede figuur met licht grijzende haardos en bril voorbij zag schuiven. 'Dat zal ´em toch niet wezen?' 'Toch?' Uiteraard erop af en verdomd, met grote letters stond op de om de nek gehangen bezoekerskaart: Pierre Terblanche, Ducati SpA. Het vinden was dus gelukt, nu nog de mouwen opstropen voor het betere ellebogenwerk.

Terblanche werd namelijk vergezeld door enkele personen die keken alsof ieder ander die Terblanche direct wilde aanspreken onmiddellijk van het terrein zou worden verwijderd. Zo'n blik die slechts na jaren training op de academie voor uitsmijters kan worden verkregen. Natuurlijk lieten wij ons hierdoor niet afschrikken en spraken Terblanche aan: "Hello mister Terblanche, Erik Brouwer of BBC online magazine. Could you please spare some time for an interview with us?" Na enige aarzeling verscheen een vriendelijke glimlach op het door de pers veel geplaagde gelaat van Terblanche "Offcourse, no problem when would you like to meet me?" BBC: "Well, euhm, let's say somewhere before yor presentation" Terblanche: "Tell you what I'll give you my mobilephone number so you can contact me in case you can't find me anymore and arrange for a place to meet" Zo eenvoudig is dat dus.

Enkele uren later zouden we in de late zomeravondzon op het terras van het TT-restaurant een, volledig onvoorbereid, vraaggesprek hebben met Pierre Terblanche. Een interview dat hijzelf overigens zou afsluiten met de opmerking "so I haven't told you anything have I?". Toch waren er 'tussen de regels' van het gesprek interessante feiten te horen. Terblanche is Zuid Afrikaan van geboorte en spreekt vloeien Afrikaans (een soort oud Zeeuws) Engels en Italiaans. Het interview is voor het gemak gehouden in het Engels en voor de goede weergave ook opgeschreven.

BBC: Since we’re in Holland I would like to start-off with asking you about the 900 SS series. You already know about Troll/Ducati 900. Is that the way to go with the new 900SS from Ducati?

Terblanche: It's definitely one way to go and a good way to go for that matter. The loss of weight is definitely the Ducati way.

BBC: Is there any future for the Ducati air-cooled V-twin engines?

Terblanche: Definitely. If we can get to 90 to 95 reliable horsepower and get the weight down to 165 kilo’s, real kilo’s not the ones some of our competitors seem to be using, with a very agile frame, compact and small (smaller than today) there will definitely be a future for the air-cooled series.

BBC: What about the criticism on the current design? Do you think these comments hold any ground?

Terblanche: Well, it depends to whom you’re speaking. Addicts of the classic SS series find the design too modern. The ones in favour of state of the art bikes usually don’t like the comparative lack of horsepower.

BBC: What about you’re first 'major' design for Ducati, the Supermono. What are your views on the fact that is still hasn’t been brought out as a production road model? This has to be somewhat frustrating for you?

Terblanche: Well yes, I think we can probably get 60 to 65 horsepower out of it on the road which in a bike weighing about 155 kilo’s and a lot of torque could be very good and still interesting to do even now.

BBC: Does Ducati feel the same?

Terblanche: That depends of whom you are talking to. Despite the fact that the basic design is already there the engine has to be industrialised. It obviously can't be build and sold as the handmade machine it is now. The costs for industrialising the machine are very high so mainly the accountants at Ducati are not very enthusiastic about it. But ... nothing is impossible... (!)

BBC: Moving on to the obvious subject of interest: the new Hypersports series. We already know about the new 996R shown at the Intermot salon. This is an evolution of the current well known 9x6 series. Could you tell a little about what we can expect from it’s all new successor?

Terblanche: The motor is obviously much better. It's got 136 horsepower on the SPS. The new bike will be more compact still, more like the Supermono, very small. More aerodynamic than today with better ergonomics so that people from 1 meter 65 to 1 meter 95 can be able to sit on it (geweldig! Maar ik heb met mijn 1 meter 93 geen enkel probleem met de pasvorm van mijn 748) and then there are ahm... one or two new ideas ha, ha!

Erik Brouwer: no factory ride next year...

BBC: Right, we’re particularly interested in those one or two new ideas but you’re not going to tell us right?

Terblanche: Well hopefully the people will like these ideas. Anyway... well (hier twijfelt Terblanche om begrijpelijke redenen even) most of the ideas will be related to the engine: exhaust system, airboxes, electronics, fuel tank etc. The new bike is ahm... I think we have 10 components from the old bike in total (die wordt dus wel erg bijzonder zonder frame, wielen en stuurtje)

BBC: So it’s completely redesigned then?

Terblanche: Yes almost everything is new. I think the triple clamps and steering stem are original and the swingarm pivotbolt and a few other little things like that...

BBC: Obviously we have also heard rumours about the use of electromagnetic valve control in the new 9xx Hypersports series. Could you tell more on this?

Terblanche: (resoluut maar lachend) Don't know about that. Never seen anything like it.

BBC: OK. Is the overall design of the new bike finished?

Terblanche: Yes it´s finished. The bike is finished.

BBC: Does Ducati maintain the same philosophy as with the current models: bringing homologated racebikes to the road?

Terblanche: Yes. Firstly it's a racebike that we've done a lot of things to to make it easier handling on the road. More steering lock (?). It will be easier to go around on on trackdays, easier to work on, maintain and assemble. It will be easier and less expensive to run.

BBC: Will the new Hypersports series also comprise of a 748 version?

Terblanche: Yes!

BBC: What about Ducatis other range of models, the ST and Monster types. Will Ducati further broaden its range along the road of the Desmoquattros?

Terblanche: Yes we need more horsepower (in the rest of the model range) because of the competition. Of course we will also eventually replace the Monster one day but not for now. This model will stay around for a while since it is the flagship of Ducati when you look at the sales figures. It is a difficult one to replace anyway, like the 996...

BBC: Some years ago Ducati has been taken over by the US TPG investment group. How big is their influence on the factory and your work in particular?

Terblanche: Well they supply the money and reorganised the company making it easier for us to do our jobs well. I have complete freedom to do my job the way I want to... if I do a good job in creating a beautiful and well selling bike I get the credits for it, if I don't I get the full blame. I think too much has been made of the fact that TPG, in theory, is American. Ducati is still very much an Italian company. The whole management is Italian. There are very few American influences. The fact that I am a South African has got no influence what so ever!

BBC: New initiatives like the website and the fact that Ducati pays more attention to initiatives of Clubs etc. Does that show the factory tries to get more in touch with its customers?

Terblanche: Yes I think that is definitely the strategy, although I am not involved with marketing and promotion. For instance the webdesign is not my responsibility. Ducati uses a specialised company for this.

BBC: You’ve been working in Italy for the last 11 years now. Has this always been for Ducati?

Terblanche: Yes, well also for Cagiva/Ducati. I started off in Rimini with Tamburini then Varese where I did the (Super)mono, back in Rimini and now I have been with Ducati for the last 4 years.

BBC: Is working for Ducat the dreamjob for a designer like yourself?

Terblanche: Well ahm, you have to be a little bit crazy because it´s very hard work. Especially when you want to do really new things sometimes.

BBC: Like with the Mike Hailwood evoluzione (Mhe)?

Terblanche: Well yeah the Mhe was a very special case. It was a... Minoli told me I could go and do whatever I wanted and had 12 weeks to do it in, so that was a time of a lot of coffee and total stress, but fun!

BBC: You must have had some idea of how you wanted a new bike to be?

Terblanche: Oh yeah, I've been going on at it for 14 years so in the 12 weeks I had I dug out all the sketches I had and just put them out on the table and selected the ones I wanted to use and went out to work them out.

BBC: So we could say that the Mhe is the ultimate Pierre Terblanche bike?

Terblanche: It is the ultimate hobby bike. The real trick was to get the factory to pay for it! I'm no different from the guys who bring their (zelf gebouwde) bikes here (naar de DCR) But I haven't had to pay for it so it's great to work for Ducati!

BBC: So what's next? Is it your dream to design another dreambike like the Mhe?

Terblanche: We have to wait to the end of the year. In theory all Ducatis should be dreambikes. So the next bike we will be doing will be pretty good... I can´t say anything more about it. A lot of people will be able to buy it and use it though...

BBC: The thing that surprised us with the launch of the Mhe was the fact that Ducati had build an 'Experimental' bike like in the automobile industry and to test the reaction of the public. Is that something Ducati will be doing again in the future?

Terblanche: Well, the first Mhe was very much a production bike with a few things added on to make it a dreambike. It's not really that advanced or out of the ordinary for Ducati. It's a combination of little bits and pieces and finishes but the actual concept isn´t that radical.

BBC: Still, the preliminary version with the rear-view-mounted camera and indicators in the mufflers are quite new?

Terblanche: True, but that one you couldn't ride on.

BBC: What segment will Ducati aim at in the future? The exclusive 9xx range or the more budget friendly series?

Terblanche: I think you have to do both. Ducati is for the people who like the very top end in biking, but you have to cover the whole spectrum. Ducati will be a niche player tough. Certainly compared to Honda that produces about 4 million units a year. We're aiming at about 60.000 units so we’re not exactly a real competitor for Honda. We’re almost a kitbike manufacturer! We're small...

BBC: Well mister Terblanche thanks again for the opportunity to have this interview with you.

Terblanche: OK, but I haven't told you anything really!? Ha, ha. I have a bit of a problem talking about the new models... But anyway I think the people will like the new bike.

BBC: It's understandable that the development of the successor of such a revolutionary bike like the 916 is difficult and has to be kept a secret as long as possible. Since we're back again on the new model. Has the design process been difficult? In the press there has been speculations on the new model. Some reports even say that in previews of the new model by Italian dealers it has gotten a 'thumbs down'.

Terblanche: (iets gemeen uit de ogen kijkend) That was from MCN or somebody. But I can tell you it's absolute rubbish! The bike... a lot of people in the company have never seen the bike. Definitely no dealer has seen the bike at all. The bike they saw is the one that has been launched. They saw the 996R like it is today. There are people in Ducati's management that haven't even seen the new bike. The whole idea is that nobody knows!

BBC: Have you been surprised by the MV Agusta F4 by Tamburini? People have said that it was virtually impossible to better the design of the 916 but Tamburini has succeeded. A new Hypersports series from Ducati is a huge task to design.

Terblanche: It's always very difficult. Remember that I worked there (bij Ducati/Cagiva) when they (Tamburini en cs were working on the F4. I knew the ways in which it was coming... It's one way to go. We've chosen to go maybe a slightly different direction (met de nieuwe Hypersports serie and that´s it... it will be lighter because 203 kilo's... if we didn't get 20 kilo's lighter then... and with 136 horsepower and a lot of torque, good ergonomics and aerodynamics... it will be different. In that way it has been hard because it had to be simple and original and functional. It has to be right in both the handling and design department. Any Ducati has to be!

BBC: Thanks again mister Terblanche for this interview.

Roving Repoter back with a vengeance

Yes, I am back... to update this site that is. Since my departure to Bangkok Thailand, where I am working for a Dutch company , I have been getting many emails from BBC-members on how they all miss my reports (thanks Hans for your emails), but no worries mate's, here's a short story from abroad.

Anyhow, as a true Ducatist I obviously could not let the opportunity pass me by to look into the status of the "Ducati experience" in Thailand. In fact I already had a lead when leaving the Netherlands because Rob de Jong (a Dutch Ducati Club member) forwarded me the email address of one Dan Fitzgerald. Dan is an Australian guy who rides the streets of Bangkok on a ’99 996SPS. You have got to admire this guy. Not because he owns a 996SPS, but dares to ride it on the streets of Bangkok. Trust me when I tell you this definitely is a life threatening experience especially with a machine capable of doing 200 kph+.

So far, so good I had found a fellow Ducatistus with the nerve of actually driving his machine over here. He was bound to know more about the Ducati scene in Thailand.

Looking for the Thai Ducati experience

After arriving in the beginning of February I contacted Dan once more enquiring about any dealers in Bangkok and maybe some driver clubs for that matter. He informed me on a place on the outskirts of Bangkok (Lat Phrao for the ones interested). Supposedly THE official Ducati dealer for the entire country. The owner of the place is a guy named Joe and his shop is also the meeting point of a group of expats riding Ducati’s and Triumphs on Thailands twisty roads. This small and exclusive club is called the T-birds. Exclusive I hear you ask?! Well yes unfortunately. The price of anything on wheels in Thailand that is not manufactured within the country is exceptionally high due to high import taxes. A new and officially imported standard 996 would set you back a 'mere' 1,5 million Bahts. That is equivalent to about € 90.000,-... not much official imports as you might expect. It is because of this that most of the around 40 Ducatis running around in Thailand are grey imports, mainly coming from rich farts in Japan who love the design but not the driving.

Joe’s place

So what about Joe's place? Well, the other week I finally had the opportunity to meet the man himself at his shop. Sure enough I had brought my notepad and camera as a true reporter. We only had a little time to talk shop because we both had other meetings scheduled. However, Joe was kind enough to make some time to have a word with me about himself and his shop.

Joe is a biker in the truest sense of the word. He has always had a passion for the machines and when the opportunity arose to start his own shop, he took it. Joe is a Thai national and has built up a very successful business in the sales and service of petrol pumps for gas stations and medical equipment. Based on this he was able to start the motorcycle shop running the exclusive marques of Ducati and Triumph, along side some Japanese brands to make this business a little viable.

As mentioned before foreign bikes are hugely expensive in Thailand, especially when manufactured in Europe or the US. Joe started the business around ’95 when the Asian economies were still doing well and sales of luxury goods too. Even though Thailand is still very much a developing country, there are also a lot of people with plenty of cash to spend. The large number of Mercedeses 500 SEL driving through Bangkok’s streets is enough proof of that. Take into account the effect that it is more or less customary to spend cash as you get it in over here and there should be an interesting marketplace to sell exclusive bikes like Ducati. Unfortunately the Thai economy has been hit relatively hard by the crisis in ’97 and ’98, so the prospects for Ducati sales have plummeted.

For Joe's shop this does not propose a real problem since it is primarily an activity born out of a passionate hobby. However his relationship with Ducati in Italy has been somewhat troubled by the sales figures. They want Joe to take some bikes in stock. Given the price of new bikes this is no option to Joe. He now only places orders after a sale if there is a customer interested in this and wants to wait three months for delivery. Needless to say there aren’t many customers interested in this. So at this moment Joe is not sure if he still is the official Ducati importer and distributor for Thailand. However he has some very nice used Ducati's on sale and can still order spares from Ducati in Italy. Delivery times for these are also around three months so he frequently visits Britain to get spares from his contacts over there.

Looking out for a ride!

Despite all this Joe and his mechanics remain very enthusiastic about Ducati and keep the shop looking very smart indeed, as you can see from the photographs. Joe has also very kindly invited me for a ride along with the other members of the T-birds during one of the coming weekends. There are some nice and fairly well kept roads leading towards the south from Bangkok and maybe we’ll even pick up some track time at one of the circuits over here.