Italdesign Reimagines Classic Ducati 860 GT As Vintage Electric Motorcycle

Electric street bike concept.

Since its founding in 1968, Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Italdesign has become venerated for crafting vehicular icons under badges ranging from Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen and even DeLorean. 

The 1974-on Ducati 860 GT is one of the relatively few two-wheelers in the Italian firm’s portfolio, and it’s gotten a modern treatment in the form of new all-electric concept previewed in the video above. 

“Do you remember the #Ducati860 we had the chance to design back in the 70s? It was so futuristic it was probably way too ahead of its time,” Italdesign wrote in the video’s description. 

“That’s why today, almost 50 years later, we asked our designers to re-imagine this model. The Ducati 860-E Concept keeps some of the iconic lines of the original one, like the tank hull continuing under the saddle, projected into the next future. Fully electric and quiet, with a mind-blowing design.”

Cycle World posits that the Italdesign’s most famous contribution to the motorcycling world is probably the Suzuki RE5, one of few bikes ever produced with a piston-less rotary engine. But the Ducati 860-E would be a disruptor for sure. 

Modern features like a circular LED headlight and dead-silent power plant combined with an updated classic profile is already forward-thinking, but idea of a Ducati-badged e-bike is what pushes it over the top, given that the Italian marque is dead-set on continuing with internal combustion engines. 

However, Italdesign adds that “no production is planned for this model” as the Ducati 860-E is merely an exercise. Too bad.