Miguel Angel Galluzzi is the artist who gave us the Ducati Monster, but unlike Frankenstein, he is loved for the Monster he created. But the Monster isn't the only cool motorcycle designed by Miguel Galluzzi; he's credited with designing many motorcycles, some of which have become icons in their own rights, including numerous Aprilia, Cagiva, Moto Guzzi, and naturally Ducati motorcycles.
Born in Buenos Aires, raised in the States, and currently heading Piaggio's Advanced Design Center in California, Galluzzi is a mythical entity in the motorcycling community, but he's very much real. His design philosophy is quite unique compared to his peers: he's always aimed at designing functional bikes that push the boundaries of innovation without sacrificing performance. For him, the looks must complement the bike's performance, which is evident in his best designs.
Looking at various reliable sources and manufacturer websites, we've put together this list of ten best motorcycles designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi.
10 1998 Cagiva Planet 125
Rossi's First Bike
The Cagiva Mito, Valentino Rossi's first bike, looks suspiciously similar to the Ducati 916, and it's no surprise that its naked variant, the Planet 125, bears a resemblance to the Ducati Monster — not surprising, considering both motorcycles are designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi. Despite the bare basics design, the Planet 125 was a breath of fresh air back then, thanks to its beefy front end, a big headlight, bright aluminum perimeter frame, and a peppy engine. But where it excelled in design and performance, it demanded a bit of your time and money in maintenance — owning it was a pain. Hey, at least it was pretty to look at, right?
9 2007 Aprilia Dorsoduro
A Stripped-down Beast For The Streets
The Aprilia Dorsoduro isn't easy on the eyes, but it doesn't need to be. It's a supermoto based on the SL 750 Shiver, but it's an extreme motorcycle. It's meant for experienced riders who can extract the fun it offers without being intimidated. The design speaks the same language — gone are any panels or parts that don't serve a purpose, giving this bike a stripped-down look that exposes the components that matter the most: the engine and the chassis. Even the passenger pegs were optional! The no-frills approach may not be for everyone, but it serves the function where it counts most — street hooliganism.
8 1991 Ducati 900 SuperSport
A Boxy 90s Ducati Sports Bike
The 1991 SuperSport maintained its predecessor's legacy of performance but repackaged it in a more practical outfit and cheaper upkeep, which is saying a lot for a Ducati. This '90s sports bike was watered-down for the masses, and so was the design. It was designed to be simple, functional, and sculpted, and while it may not look as sharp as other Ducati sport bikes, it was still a gorgeous motorcycle to behold. The wide, boxy dimensions, THAT red paint, and Ducati's attention to detail still make this a gorgeous collection bike for those who appreciate the good ol' times.
7 2009 Moto Guzzi V12 X
The Ultimate Collab
Alright, this is not a production motorcycle, but it is still one of the coolest motorcycles designed by Miguel Galluzzi and Pierre Terblance. This drool-worthy motorcycle is designed for a pure riding experience and is a testament to what can be crafted when two of the best automotive designers come together. This prototype model pays tribute to Moto Guzzi's heritage of innovation and unique character. The V12 X is aggressive, modern, and radical, and we know it will never see the factory floor, but who will stop us from dreaming? This is the bike you'd purchase if you purely wanted to show off your sweet ride — if only it was ever launched!
6 2011 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer
An Italian Café Racer
Retro motorcycles, especially cafe racers, are already some of the most beautiful bikes on the market. So, making a bike stand out in this stunning lineup is a challenge that perhaps only Moto Guzzi can take up. The Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, a cafe racer designed by Galluzzi, is a sight to behold, leaving the likes of the Triumph Thruxton and Royal Enfield Continental GT miles behind in terms of visual appeal. The hand-finished frame, the chrome fuel tank, retro-cafe racer-inspired panels, and the transverse-mounted engine make the V7 Racer perhaps the most beautiful modern cafe racer. The bike is spirited yet easy-going, and it's meant to be enjoyed at a slower pace, like fine wine, not like a glass of cold water on a hot summer day.
5 2009 Aprilia SL 750 Shiver
A Different Monster
Galluzzi's design language is all about the experience of riding a motorcycle, and it's most evident in his naked motorcycles, like the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver. This gorgeous motorcycle is muscular and aggressive, yet it keeps the design language minimalistic, like the Ducati Monster. The bike was about function, with the powerful V-twin engine suspended within the trellis frame, aluminum-alloy swingarm, and exposed shock absorber. The panels only served these functional bits on the bike, giving this bike an aggressive yet functional appearance — what a good naked motorcycle should look like. And let's not forget, the underseat exhaust cans only added to the appeal!
4 2009 Aprilia RSV4
One Of The Purest Superbikes
The 2009 Aprilia RSV4 was a tricky motorcycle to recommend back then, given its lack of rider aids, substandard specs, and reliability concerns, but look past that, and you have a raw and formidable bike. The design followed the same principle — it was designed for raw competition. From the front cowl to the rear end, every corner on this bike is designed for the racetrack, except for the funky headlights. It's still a minimalistic design that doesn't distract from the performance but is muscular (and compact). Even when parked, the RSV4 looks ready to pounce — if only it starts.
3 2013 Moto Guzzi California 1400
The Art Nouveau Italian Power Cruiser
The Moto Guzzi California 1400 is an Art Nouveau-style cruiser that challenges the conventions set by Harley-Davidson and Japanese cruisers. Galluzzi designed this cruiser to be radically modern, akin to fast-paced cruisers like the Ducati Diavel and the Harley-Davidson V-Rod. Yet, it retains the charm of the seven California generations that came before it. And might we say, the California 1400 looks so gorgeous — this modern take on a traditional genre was missing in the cruiser segment. The motorcycle is unmistakably Italian, inspiring performance, exoticism, and beauty, and the transverse-mounted V-twin engine only makes the entire package all the more ravishing. This is the only cruiser that deserves the "Made in Italy" tag.
2 2017 Moto Guzzi MGX-21
What A Stunner
Most concept motorcycles are beautiful, but they rarely retain the same design in their production avatars but the Moto Guzzi MGX-21 is an exception. When its prototype was shown, no one expected the production-ready version to retain the same charm, and the brand surprised everyone, albeit with bigger dimensions. This luxury bagger is sleek and seductive, and one look at it, and you won't find any other cruiser prettier than this one. The sweeping lines, the transverse-mounted V-twin engine with bold red head-covers, the red calipers, and the blacked-out paint scheme — this bike looks like something that Batman would ride on his day off.
"And, of course, we thought about infinite spaces, with straight roads heading to distant horizons, to speed records snatched on the expanses of salt lakes, to traveling aimlessly and freely. In this way, a blurred image started to take on a definite shape, and so the MGX-21 was born." — Miguel Galluzzi
1 1993 Ducati Monster 900
Miguel Galluzzi's Legacy
Miguel Angel Galluzzi is known for many bikes, but his Holy Grail is the Ducati Monster 900. What started as the parts-bin-special for Ducati has turned into a bike that popularized the naked motorcycle segment and Ducati's most popular model line ever. Galluzzi began working on the Ducati as a styling exercise; it was a cocktail of Ducati components. This, along with the minimal yet muscular bodywork that prioritizes function over form, has come to define the naked bike segment.
At first glance, the Monster 900 does not look like an exotic superbike, but it doesn't need to be. It still displayed the Ducati heritage with its sporty yet approachable character, which was what Galluzzi was going for. It's still drop-dead gorgeous, with its exposed trellis frame (which we miss in the newer Monsters), the Desmo L-twin engine, a sculpted tank, and round headlamps. Numerous magazines and automotive authorities credit the Monster for being one of the most beautiful and important motorcycles ever created.
Flying in the face of every contemporary motorcycle design rubric from Tokyo to Munich, Galluzzi recreated stripped-bare suburban specials in a production motorcycle. The result, a brilliant piece of pop-culture interpretation, was the M900, nicknamed "the Monster." — The Art of the Motorcycle, the New York Guggenheim Museum, 1998