by Gabrielle DeSantis

Electric motorcycles aren’t as prevalent as electric cars yet, but several brands are starting to get involved. That being said, not every bike company has started thinking about EVs—for example, Ducati. True, the Italian brand does have an electric bicycle, but no official electric motorcycle plans. But that hasn’t stopped Italian design firm Italdesign from imagining an electric Ducati. And the end result, the Italdesign Ducati 860-E, takes inspiration from another of the firms’ joint projects: the Ducati 860 GT.

Italdesign founder Giorgetto Giugiaro shaped the classic Ducati 860 GT’s unconventional lines

Even if you don’t know Italdesign, you probably know the work of its founder, Giorgetto Giugiaro. He’s penned some iconic machines, including the original Volkswagen Golf, the Lotus Esprit, and the DeLorean. And Italdesign recently worked on a special-edition Nissan GT-R. However, Giugiaro hasn’t only worked on cars. Among his notable industrial projects, he’s also designed a handful of motorcycles. One was the rotary-powered Suzuki RE-5. And before that came the 1974 Ducati 860 GT.

While it’s a successful motorcycle company today, in the 1970s Ducati was in financial straits. To try and turn things around, Ducati simplified and enlarged its 748cc L-twin engine to appeal to American buyers, Rider explains. And the company asked Giugiaro to style the new grand-touring-focused bike that would use this engine.

But while the Ducati 860 GT isn’t a bad bike per se, its arrival had a mixed reception. On the one hand, contemporary reviewers found the 60-hp 864cc air-cooled V-twin refined and offering “’endless torque,’” Motorcycle Classics reports. As a result, the bike accelerates well at low and high RPM. Ditching the brand’s desmodromic valves also simplified maintenance and setup significantly. And the Ducati 860 GT is a true sport-touring bike, meaning it can handle long distances and curving roads. Plus, it has Brembo disc brakes.

However, Giugiaro’s design didn’t sit well with riders accustomed to more ‘conventional’ motorcycles. Plus, the too-high and too-wide handlebars caused some high-speed instability. So, Ducati redesigned the bike in 1976 with a rounder look and different handlebars. Also, despite being a post-Honda-CB750 design, an electric start wasn’t standard until 1975.

The Italdesign Ducati 860-E Concept re-imagines the 860 GT as a rad electric motorcycle

But times and tastes change. While unconventional in 1974, the Ducati 860 GT heralded the rise of sharp-edged bikes like the original Suzuki Katana, Cycle World explains. And today, to quote Italdesign itself, the 860 GT is considered a bike “way too ahead of its time.” That’s why the firm re-imagined and refreshed it into an electric motorcycle: the Italdesign Ducati 860-E.

To be sure, the Italdesign Ducati 860-E isn’t an 860 GT converted into an electric motorcycle. Instead, the 860-E is an homage to the classic bike that also includes modern Ducati style elements, RideApart explains. For example, I see a bit of the Streetfighter V4 in the lower bodywork. Plus, the Italdesign Ducati 860-E has LED lighting, an upside-down fork, and a single-sided swingarm—all things the original lacks, Cycle World notes.

As of this writing, Italdesign hasn’t released any technical details about the Ducati 860-E. And it likely never will for soon-to-be-explained reasons.

Can you buy it?

Unfortunately for potential buyers, the Italdesign Ducati 860-E isn’t a production bike. Although the design firm collaborated with Ducati on a folding e-bike, Ducati didn’t commission the electric motorcycle concept. It’s a styling exercise and nothing more.

It’s worth noting, though, that the Harley-Davidson LiveWire is now its own sub-brand. So, Ducati could use this concept as inspiration for a future LiveWire competitor, Jalopnik muses. But even if the 860-E remains a digital render, it’s undoubtedly a sharp and stylish look at the future. Just like the original was.

Follow more updates from MotorBiscuit on our Facebook page.

RELATED: The TE-1 Is a Crystal Ball Into Triumph’s Electric Motorcycle Future

The post Italdesign’s Ducati 860-E Pulls an Icon to a Neo-Retro Electric Future appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When it comes to new pickup trucks, there really aren’t many complaints. Still, there are two 2021 pickup truck models that owners have already complained about. The 2021 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Jeep Gladiator have shown problems that owners are already logging complaints about on CarComplaints.com. Let’s take a look at what some of these owners have to say about their vehicles. 

Naturally, these trucks having complaints doesn’t mean they aren’t good trucks. It simply means that owners of these trucks have dealt with some kind of problem that was frustrating enough to submit to CarComplaints.com. Overall, however, the Gladiator and Silverado are compelling trucks in their own right. That said, they are the two most complained about 2021 pickup truck models. 

Owners of the 2021 Jeep Gladiator are complaining about steering problems 

The 2021 Jeep Gladiator is Jeep’s new pickup truck. Consumer Reports recommends this off-road truck, ranking the latest model No. 2 in its class. Due to the fact that the Gladiator pickup is designated for off-road driving, its on-road performance doesn’t score well in terms of the road test due to some primitive handling issues. 

However, the 2021 Jeep Gladiator earned a 5/5 for predicted reliability and a 5/5 for predicted consumer satisfaction. In general, owners love their gladiators. Additionally, Consumer Reports scores project an expectation that owners will continue to love their Gladiator trucks down the road for years to come. So what are the complaints about? 

According to the reports on CarComplaints.com, owners submitted a number of complaints about the 2020 Jeep Gladiator for steering issues. The 2021 Jeep Gladiator is reported to have steering issues as well. The 2021 model year is still new, so there aren’t a lot of complaints filed for the problem. 

What are the most common Chevrolet Silverado problems?

The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado is a pickup truck that’s been going strong for decades. It’s an iconic American pickup truck that competes directly with other segment standouts like the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150. Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 the second-best road test score of all the full-size pickup trucks it tested, a 78/100. 

It’s a popular truck that offers a range of trim levels and good towing strength for heavy jobs. Additionally, the 2021 Chevy Silverado offers both 2500 and 3500 models for those that need even more brute strength in their pickup truck. While it’s a good all-around truck, it gets low scores for predicted reliability (1/5) and predicted owner satisfaction (3/5). Plus, the 2021 Chevy Silverado is the most complained about 2021 pickup truck model of CarComplaints.com. 

Owners submitted complaints about problems with interior accessories for the 2021 Chevy Silverado. There are also owners that have electrical and engine problems. The 2021 Chevy Silverado in all its forms makes a good truck depending on the buyers’ needs. However, there might be some problems already showing up in the latest model. 

The most complained about 2021 pickup truck models 

It’s certainly important to note that just because it’s the most complained about 2021 pickup truck model doesn’t mean it has a high number of complaints so far. The number of complaints is still very few, but most trucks in the 2021 model year don’t have any complaints published on CarComplaints.com.

So, most new models don’t have any complaints this early. That said, it’s worth our attention that the Gladiator also has issues already being complained about. The 2021 Jeep Gladiator is one of the most complained about 2021 pickup truck models. It’s a fun truck and great for off-roading, but steering problems may occur. 

These two trucks are the most complained about 2021 pickup truck models. We definitely get the draw of each of these trucks. But while other trucks have zero complaints, these trucks are already building those numbers.

RELATED: The Least Satisfying Car Brands According to Consumer Reports

The post The Most Complained About 2021 Pickup Truck Models appeared first on MotorBiscuit.