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Massimo Tamburini

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It has been exactly two years since we lost Massimo Tamburini, the father of iconic motorcycles like the Ducati 916 Superbike and the MV Agusta F4.

Despite his passing, the Italian designer’s influence can still be felt in the motorcycle industry today, and his creations continue to be highly coveted pieces for motorcycle collectors around the world.

Many know that Tamburini was the “ta” in Bimota, which saw The Maestro team up with Valerio Bianchi and Giuseppe Morri, and together the three pillars of the industry would create countless exotic two-wheeled examples.

In essence, Tamburini’s name can be linked to the most lust-worthy motorcycles in the modern era, and we are about to add one more machine to that list.

It would seem that Tamburini apparently had one last design up his sleeve before he departed this world, and it is debuting today. Giving tribute to his name, the Tamburini T12 Massimo is a BMW S1000RR powered superbike that is meant purely for the race track, and maybe the museum.

It is our unfortunate task today to report that Massimo Tamburini, 70-years-old, has died this weekend, succumbing to his battle with cancer. A maestro of design in the motorcycle industry, Tamburini gave motorcycling two of its greatest treasures: the Ducati 916 Superbike and the MV Agusta F4 – two of the most iconic sport bikes in modern time.

It almost doesn’t do the man justice to list all of his accomplishments and creations, as surely some would fall through our words, but Tamburini is best known for his contributions to Cagiva, Ducati, MV Agusta, and Bimota — with the last two letters in “Bimota” standing for the first two letters in “Tamburini”.

If you’re a lover of all things Italian (MV Agusta‘s in particular), and near the Midland, Michigan area, then you should stop by the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art before April 10, 2011. A part of the Midland Center of the Arts, the museum is showing an exhibit on Italian art that includes a gallery full of classic and modern MV Agusta motorcycles, along with photographs of Italian cars, and 17th century Italian sketches.

Showing the merger of form and function, MV Agusta motorcycles easily top our list as some of the finest-looking two-wheeled machines ever made. As much as we slog the Italian company for going to the well on its most recent creation, the 2012 MV Agusta F3, its predecessor the MV Agusta F4, whose lines were penned by the master Massimo Tamburini, has to be the most gorgeous modern motorcycle ever produced by mortal man.

A video of the exhibit is embedded after the jump, along with a gallery of the MV Agusta F3. If any A&R readers go to the exhibit, we’d love to post your photos of the MV’s on display.

Tamburini Corse has done their magic on the MV Agusta Brutale in what they call the Tamburini Corse T1, which sounds like something out of The Terminator, but looks more like pure carbon sex to us. Massimo Tamburini’s son Andrea has the reigns at Tamburini Corse, and he builds off his father’s designs, appealing to a new generation of MV riders with the Tamburini Corse T1. Photos and more after the jump.

The 2010 MV Agusta F4 has been hyped extensively by MV, but after seeing the Brutale release, we were skeptical about what the new F4 would bring. Expectedly, the 2010 MV Agusta F4 is based of Massimo Tamburini’s iconic design, and is updated to fit more with modern tastes. But MV has also changed the bike underneath the hood. More on that, photos, and technical specifications after the jump.

On December 31st, Massimo Tamburini will be retiring from his position of design chief at MV Agusta. With this news it will be interesting to see who at MV (or should we speculate Harley-Davidson?) will step in to fill possibly the most important role to MV’s future. 

Massimo Tamburini has been the hand behind some of the most cosmetically important motorcycles in the industry’s history, those are some big shoes to fill, and it will be the first test of Harley-Davidson’s management of their new brand. Read more for MV Agusta’s official press release.