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Pierre Terblanche

Jun 29
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Rare Ducati MH900e at auction costs more than 2021 Monster 1200 S

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by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com

Turn your garage into a museum with a timeless piece of Bologna’s two-wheeled artwork.

Rare Ducati MH900e Rolls to Auction, Is Pricier Than a 2021 Monster 1200 S

The Ducati MH900e was designed by Pierre Terblanche to honor Mike Hailwood’s victory at the 1978 Isle of Man TT race. This gorgeous machine saw a limited production run of only 2,000 copies at the dawn of the 21st century, making it an extremely desirable rarity for any diehard Ducatista out there.

To be fair, the MH900e has to be among the sexiest machines ever conceived by the illustrious South African designer. The way its front fairing merges with the gas tank to form a single unit is downright perfect, causing several motorcycle customization enterprises to replicate this feature on their bespoke ventures.

As for the Duc’s technical specifications, its steel trellis framework embraces an air-cooled 904cc L-twin powerplant, with two desmodromic valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 9.2:1. The mill is capable of generating up to 75 stallions at around 8,000 spins per minute, along with 56 pound-feet (76 Nm) of torque lower down the rpm range.

In order to reach the rear 17-inch wheel, the oomph travels via a six-speed transmission and a chain final drive. This whole ordeal translates to a solid quarter-mile time of 11.9 seconds, while top speed is generously rated at 133 mph (215 kph).

On the other hand, stopping power comes from dual 320 mm (12.6 inches) brake discs and four-piston calipers up front, accompanied by a single 220 mm (8.7 inches) rotor and a twin-piston caliper at the rear. The bike’s front end sits on 43 mm (1.7 inches) inverted telescopic forks, coupled with a Sachs monoshock at the back.

Right, you get the idea, so let’s cut to the chase. This article’s photo gallery reveals an unblemished Ducati MH900e produced back in 2002, and the creature is making its way to the auction block at this very moment! You may Click Here to submit your bid for this Italian wonder on Bring A Trailer until July 3, but we do hope your wallet is well-nourished, as you’ll need over $20k to overtake the top bidder.

Feb 06
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Futuristic SA motorcycle to go into production

By General Posts

by Denis Droppa from https://www.businesslive.co.za

Unlike anything yet seen on two wheels, Pierre Terblanche’s R1.1m Hypertek electric bike takes shape

A futuristic South African motorcycle that attracted interest at a recent international motorcycle show is to go into production in two years’ time.

Looking like a prop from a Blade Runner movie, the prototype of the outlandish Hypertek electric bike was unveiled in November at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, the motorcycle industry’s premier annual showcase.

The Hypertek is a collaboration between SA’s Blackstone Tek (BST), a Johannesburg-based company specialising in carbon-fibre automotive components, and well-known SA designer Pierre Terblanche who penned iconic motorcycles like the Ducati 749 and 999.

The striking Hypertek takes a bold sidestep from conventional motorcycle design. Looking like it was assembled from a giant Meccano set, it features no fairings and has all its mechanical elements on display, with the lithium-ion batteries housed in a finned, engine-like casing.

Is it pretty? You decide. Is it spectacular? Heck yes.

The bike is powered by an 80kW electric motor and has an estimated range of about 200km, taking as little as 30 minutes to fully charge on a DC quick charger.

BST’s Terry Annecke says the $80,000 (R1.14m) bike is aimed at the high-end luxury market and will be hand-assembled in small volumes at BST’s Joburg factory from early 2022.

She says the Hypetek has received 10 confirmed orders with at least 50 people “seriously interested” since the bike’s appearance at EICMA. Annecke expects a mostly international clientele for the bike, although the first two orders were placed by local buyers.

“The Hypertek is aimed at people who appreciate it for its exceptional design and Pierre’s reputation,” she says, adding that the world-famous Barber motorcycle museum in Alabama, US, wants one for its collection.

Terblanche, the former director of design for Italian motorcycle company Ducati, says current battery-powered motorcycles are rather boring and that he created the Hypertek as a more emotional electric bike.

Apart from the flamboyant design, emotion is created by a built-in sound generator that makes the Hypertek roar like a conventional combustion-engined bike, or any sound of the customer’s choosing. Unlike other electric bikes it also has a clutch that allows riders to perform wheelies and burnouts.

There is no instrument panel. Instead, data and infotainment is projected on a head-up display (HUD) inside the rider’s helmet. Mirrors are absent too, and a camera projects the rear view onto the HUD.

It has some novel engineering solutions too, including the rear suspension being incorporated into the swingarm. That leaves the seat floating in an open space on a short tailpiece, well forward of the rear wheel.

Calling the Hypertek the best work he has ever done, Terblanche says he wanted to build an iconic electric motorcycle with excellent performance and beautiful styling.

“Motorcycles have become very formulaic and paint-by-numbers, and I wanted to create something that didn’t carry over existing bike ideas.”

Terblanche isn’t a fan of the retro-styled trend sweeping the motorcycle industry, and a small plaque on the Hypertek’s rear end reads: “Warning: for fans of curated replicas of 40s, 50s or 60s motorcycles, you are at the wrong stand”.

With its estimated 200km range the Hypertek is a primarily urban machine, but Terblanche says battery and supercapacitor technology is constantly improving and later editions of the bike will be able to travel further out of city confines.

BST’s Annecke says the Hypertek is a true South African story, including the fact that most of the prototype’s bodywork was 3D printed by a Brakpan company.

BST manufactured the carbon fibre wheels and frame for the Hypertek. The Randburg-based engineering company also makes carbon fibre components for motorcycle companies such as Ducati, MV Agusta, and the Arch Motorcycle company co-founded by Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves.