We had an exclusive conversation with Ducati and uncovered the thinking behind its e-bike collaboration with Thok and Aldo Drudi.

When my friend and I were still teenagers, we rode our bicycles from Birmingham, England, across France, and over the Swiss Alps into Italy. The tour’s most demanding day began with a five-hour climb up the mighty Alpine pass of Gran San Bernardo. We flew down the Italian side, not stopping until we found a campsite outside the little town of Alba. The heavy Saracen Tufftrax I was riding was a far cry from the advanced bicycles of today. I often wonder what it would be like to do it all again, staying in hotels instead of a stinky tent and riding an e-bike to augment my legs and resolve. While purists might protest at anything supplementing manpower, I reckon we’d have made it down to Greece on e-bikes; as it was, our legs (and resolve) ran out in Milan.

Renowned for its truffles and wine, Alba has also been the home of Thok e-bikes since 2017. One of several new producers competing in the evolving e-bike market. Thok's principals include Livio Suppo, one of the most successful team managers in MotoGP history, and Aldo Drudi, the father of modern motorcycle race-suit design and creator of Valentino Rossi’s celebrated helmet decals, handles design, and styling. Fittingly, then, Ducati chose Thok as their partner when they launched their first e-bike in 2018.

Thok’s premium pedal-assist bicycle design and development team also boasts Stefano Migliorini, former BMX and MTB Champion, as a member. He worked with Aldo Drudi to realize Ducati’s e-bike vision. The collaboration's first offering was the MIG-RR, an aggressive, Enduro MTB with a staggered wheel setup, class-leading suspension travel, and distinctive aesthetics. For 2022, Ducati’s new peddle-assist lineup includes a second MTB model and a sleek road conquering e-bike called the Futa.

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“The E-bike is a very interesting thing,” according to Aldo Drudi, “For an Enduro lover like me, the E-bike is the only way to ride on the same dirt roads where I used to ride with my old Enduro motorcycle. It presents a kind of physical effort, helped by an electric motor, which in some ways is the same thing I found practicing Enduro. So I’ve started this new experience with enthusiasm, considering that I’ve tried to replicate some aspects of the Enduro bike on the E-Bike. And I’ve tested it – when I had my first E-bike prototype, I went back to my favorite rides in the gravel and in the forests, looking for the right sensations to be more or less like my old bike.”

We asked Drudi to what extent the battery influences e-bike design. “For sure, the battery pack is a key element of the design because it’s probably the most crucial component that can’t be changed in any way. We started by developing a frame that can hold it in the proper way. I drew a “muscular” design because this kind of bike can be ridden on a steep downhill grade and a rider needs perfect control in every condition. So, I improved the size of the swingarm and other parts of the frame to have a harmonious design.”

Drudi admitted that designing an e-bike for the prestigious Bologna brand brought distinct challenges. “Ducati is world-renowned for its style and hyper-performance, so it’s vital to choose solutions distinctive from other manufacturers, though the design can’t stand alone. It’s important to have the correct design based on the bike’s functions (geometry, measures, set-ups, shock absorber position), things we’re used to managing in a motorcycle.”

“In the end, customers expect something that lives up to the Ducati name,” he told us, “which is complicated because Ducati is something exotic, and customers expect the same style and sophistication they find in Ducati motorcycles.”

The new Futa joins the 2022 Ducati e-bike lineup, alongside the updated MIG-S and the limited edition TK-01RR mountain bikes.

The 2022 All-Mountain class Ducati MIG-S is fitted with the new Shimano EP8 motor and receives updated components. The lightweight EP8 boasts a maximum torque of 63-foot-pounds, a servo assistance ratio of up to 400%, and is controllable via a smartphone app. A 630Wh Shimano battery is positioned under the downtube, lowering the center of gravity and improving stability. An adjustable RockShox 35 RC fork and SuperDeluxe shock offer 150 mm of travel at the front and 140 mm at the rear. SRAM components include 12-speed shifting and Guide T four-pot disc brakes, while the staggered 29-inch and 27.5-inch THOK e-plus wheels are shod with Pirelli Scorpion tires.

The limited-edition TK-01 RR is an exclusive version of Ducati’s Enduro class MTB e-bike, benefiting from premium components. These include an Öhlins DH38 fork and TTX shock, which offer 180 and 170 mm of travel respectively and promise increased downhill confidence. An 11-speed Shimano Di2 XT groupset and giant Magura MT7 brakes add e-shifting and immense stopping power. A Renthal carbon handlebar, Fizik saddle, carbon battery cover, and skid plate, combine with Crankbrothers Synthesis staggered, 29-inch front and 27.5-inch wheels to reduce weight and improve strength and handling.

The Futa has a unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber monocoque frame. “UD is a type of composite with all the carbon fibers aligning in the same direction. It exhibits higher specific properties and is easier to lay up a specific fiber angle.” According to the design team, “It’s a solution that allows the frame to offer the best compromise between weight, stiffness, strength, and durability.”

“Weight is one of the most fundamental elements for Ducati, and we’re aware that in road cycling, every gram counts.” A factor in choosing the hub-mounted FSA HM 1.0, 250W motor, which develops 31 pound-feet of torque and offers five assistance levels selected from a handlebar-mounted Garmin. “Various drive systems were tested during the product development phase, and we were convinced that this was the best choice.” Ducati told us that a facet they “appreciated most was the smooth and natural pedaling sensation, even when a rider exceeds 20 mph.”

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Controls combine a 2x12 FSA K-Force WE (wireless electronic) groupset, adjustable UD levers, and a carbon crankset. The design team added, “The Vision AGX30 rims and handlebar are also in carbon fiber, and our Futa can boast a weight of only 27.5 pounds, thanks to careful choices of components and materials.”

“We are always looking for the best performance without compromising the essential characteristics of an electric-assisted road bike,” they told us. Sourcing race-bred components from competitive cycling’s leading suppliers is one aspect ensuring the Futa offers the sophistication and performance expected from a Ducati.

Nonetheless, the Futa's configuration aspires to appeal to riders of varied fitness and training levels. “The level of comfort when pedaling over long distances or uphill plays an important role,” said the design team. “The carbon-fiber frame and compact rear stay offers this comfort but also adds stiffness, maximizing power transmission to the wheel and increasing the bike’s responsiveness.”

Comfort is also enhanced, thanks to sport-endurance geometry and 35mm Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR tires, allowing riders to take advantage of the optional 250Wh range extending battery pack.

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Yamaha recently released an electric trials bike, and Honda, a twist-and-go dirt-bike. Many in the motorcycle industry aspire to the notion that the rising popularity of e-bikes has the potential to deliver a new generation of motorcyclists, and we asked to what extent the collaboration with Thok reflects that ambition. “Motorcycles and bicycles have many things in common both offer great emotion for the rider, derived from a sense of escape and freedom.” but Ducati threw cold water on any speculation over a twist-and-go e-bike, stating that its ambitions will continue to focus on the premium pedal-assisted segment for now.

Nevertheless, since signing on as the exclusive supplier to the fledgling MotoE race series, surprised industry pundits have been speculating on the Bologna factory’s intent for electric propulsion. “Ducati always looks to offer its fans unique and unforgettable experiences,” is all they told us, and I guess we’ll have to wait and see when it comes to electric motorcycles. In the meantime, we plan to test the new e-bikes, and although we won't be riding them down to Alba (or Greece), we shall be sure to give them a thorough trial.

Guy started riding motorcycles aged 21 and bought a Kawasaki ZX-6R the day after passing his road test. He was a sportbike enthusiast for many years until, in 2010, the Long Way Round television series inspired him to organize an adventure moto-tour. Since then, he has traveled thousands of miles across the US, Chile, Argentina, Canada, and the UK on various adventure bikes. He attended adventure bike school with the BMW Performance Academy, completed enduro training with Off-Road Skills in the UK, and recently brushed up his sportbike skills at the renowned California Superbike School. He spent a year in amateur endurance car racing and has attended Skip Barber and Dirtfish driving schools. Guy has previously been the Road Test Editor at Rider Magazine, and his stories were also published in Adventure Bike Rider, ADVMoto, and DRIVETRIBE. In 2020, Guy was one of three winners of Moto Guzzi's "Spirit of the Eagle Rideaway" competition.