As I indicated in the last post, the weather has been quite uncooperative this winter for photography. So, when the weather is bad, I start looking indoors for something to photograph. Some museums are good places to look for interesting subjects, and one of them is the Peterson Auto museum. I have gone twice in the last two months of 2016.

I've never been a "biker", but I really liked the look of the Ducati 916 motorcycle on display. It turns out that I'm not alone ... according to Wikipedia "the 916 has consistently been declared to be one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever produced."  

"To many enthusiasts around the world, the 916 was not simply the latest superbike, but the best there had ever been. It set new standards of performance, handling, and braking, but also style and charisma. ... The 916 changed the face of sports bikes in a way that only the original Suzuki GSX-R750 had managed a decade earlier."

And, that got me thinking about design ... Is it an art form? Are designers artists? The answer, I'm afraid, is "blowing in the wind" at 160 mph ... the top speed of the 916!

Here's a plan view photo of the bike;

The front wheel with disc brakes, shock absorber and wheel attachment:

Don't you love that red? Reminds me of another vehicle from Italy classically painted in red.

I loved the detail and the colors of the exhaust header and tail pipe assembly. It must get hot when pushed. Metallurgists, I think, call this bluing, and now I know why!

And, the exhaust end of the tail pipe. This picture, along with the one above, are my favorites!

I hear another storm is on its way this week ... no more drought for California.

Enjoy,

Adam

P.S. Don't forget to click on an image to see a large version of it!