Supermono for the 21st century: Ducati veteran Terblanche reworks the legendary racer

The man behind some of the most memorable Ducatis of all time, Pierre Terblanche, has reimagined the Supermono to help launch the new Barber Advanced Design Centre.

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The centre, based at the Barber Motorsports Complex in Alabama, has been built to help educate and inspire the next generation of industrial designers. The first bike to come out of the centre is the ‘Mono’ concept that’s being billed as a sort of director’s cut.

If you’re not familiar with the Supermono, it was a single-cylinder racebike built by Ducati and was effectively powered by an 888 engine with the rear cylinder lopped off. The single conrod inside the motor was designed by a young man called Claudio Domenicali, who worked his way up to being CEO.

The design of the bike itself was done by Terblanche, with elements making their way on to the 916. Now that style and tech have moved on, Terblanche wanted another go.

Gone is the trellis frame, instead the engine now hangs from a single alloy beam. It then stretches to the subframe, with a nice big gap left inside to route the exhaust header, which on a running bike would presumably terminate under the seat just like the 999 that Terblanche also designed.

Although the concept isn’t a runner (yet) there are some interesting elements. The lightweight wheels are fitted with dual solid rotors and split calipers with heat sinks on the perimeter. The suspension makes use of right-way-up legs, with a brace for rigidity as well as an anti-dive set up.

Thanks to the clever way the Supermono’s engine is balanced, the bike could rev its 549cc single to over 10,000rpm, generating 73bhp. There is already a Panigale engine in the restoration area waiting to be cut, and in 2022 they will begin work on a running Mono.

For now it’s just a fun reimagining, but if there are any Supermono owners keen to modernise their collection, you know who to call.