It’s often said that life is fleeting, and that it isn’t about how many days or years you have in your life, but rather the life you have in your days and years. In the wonderful world of motorcycles, bikes have always been extensions of the individuals behind them—be it the owners, builders, and manufacturers. When it comes to manufacturers with soul and character, I’m sure many of you would agree that Ducati is one of the best.
Growing up, I’d always been enamored by the Ducatis of the early 2000s (yes, I’m a lot younger than you may think). Machines like the Ducati Monster S4 and Streetfighter 1098 were the bikes of my dreams. As it turns out, these bikes, along with the majority of Ducati’s street bike lineup were all released by one man: then Ducati project manager Giulio Malagoli. He had been with Ducati for more than 20 years, and was largely responsible for propelling the brand to global stardom, as far as its street bikes were concerned. He was project engineer for the Ducati Monster since 2001, the period when naked bikes were beginning to gain popularity.
Among his projects included the Ducati Streetfighter model range, as well as the radical and sometimes controversial Diavel. As much as Malagoli was a businessman and director in one of the world’s most prestigious motorcycle companies, he was even more passionate about motorcycles in general. Edoardo Licciardello of Italian motorcycling publication Moto.IT described Malagoli as a passionate man capable of brilliant humor. He saw each of the bikes he released as children of his own, in particular, the Monster S4, a bike that continues to be popular among modern-classic collectors and Ducatisti alike.
Giulio Malagoli’s latest model release came in the form of the Ducati Monster 1200 back in 2014. Following this, he moved up the ladder and became Product Marketing Director. A year ago, he advanced even further and became the Business and Product Strategy Director. Malagoli spent his entire professional life with Ducati, entering the company fresh out of a mechanical engineering degree. On the night between April 3 and 4, 2022, he passed away due to an undisclosed illness. He is survived by his wife Sandra, children Alessandro and Carlotta, and his brother Fabio.
