Glynn Kerr #1

Il post di oggi è nato con la collaborazione di Glynn Kerr, designer internazionale di motociclette da oltre 20 anni, che desidero ringraziare moltissimo per aver gentilmente risposto alle mie domande. Questo post avrebbe avuto ben altro "sapore" senza la sua voce.

Dopo aver lavorato presso l'inglese TVR, produttrice di splendide auto, e in BMW, Glynn dal 1987 lavora in pianta stabile nel mondo motociclistico. Dal 1987 al 1990 Glynn è Chief Designer presso la GK Design Europe, studio che si occupa dello stile delle moto Yamaha. In questo periodo dal suo estro (coadiuvato dal team di ragazzi della GK Design) nascono moto di grande successo come la TDM 850 e la TDR 125, e successivamente contribuisce alla realizzazione della GTS 1000, della Supertenerè e della XT 600.

Yamaha TDM 850 1991:

Yamaha TDR 125 1988:


Yamaha GTS 1000 1993:

Come consulente indipendente lavora presso le principali case motociclistiche mondiali, come Ducati, Honda, Triumph, Aprilia, Harley Davidson, Kymco, Voxan, Kawasaki e Bajaj. Oltre a questi nomi importantissimi del motociclismo mondiale, Glynn lavora anche con costruttori più piccoli quali Midual, l'americana Fischer, e anche con la Boxer Design di cui ultimamente vi ho parlato.

Oltre ad aver svolto queste attività, è stato docente universitario all'Art Center College of Design ed è stato anche il co-fondatore e presidente della Motorcycle Design Association, di cui potete trovare il link nella sezione apposita.

In basso allego le domande che ho posto a Glynn, che come si scoprirà sin dalle prime battute è un convinto guzzista!
Piccola curiosità: nel caso in cui conserviate le riviste "Motociclismo" dei primi anni '90, sappiate che i disegni che anticipavano i futuri modelli erano realizzati proprio da lui.

Buona lettura e ancora un sentito ringraziamento al gentilissimo Glynn Kerr!

Francè

PS: se volete saperne di più su questo designer e sui suoi lavori e progetti consultate il sito a lui dedicato.

PPS: le risposte di Glynn le ho lasciate nella lingua originaria per lasciare intatto il senso delle sue frasi. Ho preparato la traduzione, che pubblicherò prossimamente e che non allego in questo post per problemi di spazio.

F: Glynn sei un motociclista? Se si, che moto ci sono nel tuo garage?

G: Yes - I think it would be impossible to design motorcycles without being a biker yourself.

My current bikes are a 1969 Moto Guzzi 750 Ambassador ("V7 Special" in Europe) in LAPD trim, a 1973 Moto Guzzi 750 V7 Sport (in original condition with 9,800 miles from new) and a 2008 Ducati Multistrada 1100S. As you see, I like Italian bikes! One day, I would like to add a Laverda Jota or 750SFC, but there's the small matter of money.....

F: Quali sono i tuoi più importanti principi guida quando inizi a disegnare una moto?
G: Proportions are everything. They tell you what a motorcycle is trying to be, and set the stance and aggressivity of the bike. Form and line come later. Think in terms of a profile in silhouette. A sport bike will have most of its weight at the front, with plenty of lightness at the rear. To achieve this, it will try to connect the visual mass of the front wheel to the main mass, leaving the tail high and pushing the rear wheel out away from the rest. This automatically gives it a forward slant. A custom bike is exactly the opposite, with a heavy rear wheel connected to the central mass, and a light, airy front - so logically it has a rearward slant. A cruiser has a more equal balance front and rear, with a roughly horizontal stance, looking low and heavy everywhere. A dirt bike is also fairly balanced front to rear, but high and light everywhere. And so on.

F: Cos'è la moto per te? Qual'è il messaggio che vuoi esprimere quando disegni una motocicletta?

G: I guess that depends on the type of motorcycle, but I want to make each one as exciting as possible. Even a scooter or small commuter should create a feeling of pride in the owner.

F: Qual'è il primo elemento che disegni?

G: The "package" comes first - i.e., the wheels (relative size, tyre thickness and wheelbase), the engine position and angle, and riding position (seat height, handlebar & footpeg position). Together, these will set the basic style of motorcycle before you even start to draw any bodywork.

F: Quali sono i primi importanti elementi che una tua moto deve avere? Esempio: dettagli, forme particolari, ecc.

G: After deciding the package, the next step is to decide the basic proportions of the bodywork - tank size, seat, side panels and rear body. Again, we're looking first at how these elements relate to each other in size and visual dominance rather than their style.

F: Glynn, parlaci di come un designer come te riesce a catturare l'ispirazione quando disegna una moto.
G: A designer can draw inspiration from many things, and new ideas are constantly appearing. This is not only in motorcycles, but also in automotive design (especially important, as bike design is usually a few years behind cars), product design, architecture and furniture. Nature also give us plenty of inspiration, and many vehicles try to capture the spirit of certain animals. Again, this is most noticeable in the proportion or stance of a vehicle rather than the forms. But whatever the inspiration, it is important that a designer develops it in their own style. If you can recognise the source too clearly, it can be seen as plagiarism rather than inspiration.

F: Quali sono i più importanti obiettivi che hai quando inizi a disegnare una moto?
G: The customer. We are designers, not artists, and it is our job to create excitement and good function for that particular type of motorcycle that meet or exceed the customer's expectations. Our goal should be a happy customer and a profitable manufacturer, not an opportunity for individual expression. Let's leave that to the custom bike builders.

F: Cosa ne pensi dell'attuale design motociclistico?
G: There is an incredible attention to detail these days - there's hardly a component that isn't styled to perfection, right down to the brackets, wires and weld lines. But I get the feeling we're running out of ideas, and we're becoming drawn into the detail as a distraction. It's almost as if we're trying too hard. The classics are mostly quite simple designs that work in an understated way, while some of the modern designs are getting rather fussy and over-complex. Edge Design was fresh at first, but it's getting a bit predictable now, and they all tend to look the same. It's time to introduce some muscle again.

F: Cosa ne pensi dello stile di marchi come Ducati, Aprilia, Mv Agusta, Moto Morini e Guzzi?
G: Oh, boy - this is a 10-page answer! Briefly, for me, Ducati has found a good level with the 1098 and Monster, although the Streetfighter, while being nicely aggressive, is perhaps less typical of Italian style. It could almost be Japanese. Aprilia designs have always been fresh and modern, and their colour & graphics are way ahead of the game. For some reason though, they lack something in identity, which has been an even bigger problem for Cagiva. MV Agusta led the way with the F4, although they desperately need a new product. Under Harley-Davidson's patronage, the company may now have the finances to do that, although let's hope they can still do a great job without Tamburini. Morini is still finding its way - the designs are okay but slightly uninspiring. Guzzi has finally stopped trying to be a mixture of BMW & Harley-Davidson, with models like the Breva and Griso which have their own identity. Only the Stelvio lets the range down, and some BMW GS feeling is starting to creep back in again.

F: Cosa ne pensi dello stile delle KTM?

G: Kiska has developed a unique style for KTM, and broken many old rules which has been refreshing. The question is, how they can continue to develop this style, and how Kiska can adapt it to suit other manufacturers. Origami is not the answer to everything, and it can be rather lacking in charisma

F: Qual'è attualmente, il marchio motociclistico per cui presti servizio?

G: Much of my work recently has been in India for Bajaj - a large company which produces around 3 million bikes a year. But over the years, I have worked for Ducati, BMW, Honda, Triumph, Yamaha, Aprilia, Harley-Davidson, Kymco, Boxer/Voxan and Kawasaki. I also designed an American sportbike, the Fischer MRX, which has just finally reached production five years after the prototype was first shown.

F: Quali sono per te i 5 migliori design mai messi in produzione? E i peggiori 5?

G: That's very difficult - there have been so many great bikes. The basic look of the early board track racers is hard to improve on - the Cyclone being perhaps the best example. Just an engine, a seat and two wheels - what else do you need? The same minimalist look works on early 'sixties bikes, like the BSA Goldstar in Clubman trim, or the Gilera Saturno. For great modern bikes, I'd chose the Cagiva 125 Raptor and the KTM 690 Duke. But overall, the Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk.1 still does something for me. I've owned three, and I still regret selling my last one.

As for ugly designs, I'd have to list the Morbidelli V8, Luigi Colani's BMW K-100 proposal, Philippe Starck's Aprilia Lama scooter study, the 125 Fazer (a dreadful-looking bike designed by Yamaha in India) and the SCL Voyager - a British feet-forward design that I once described as looking like a two-wheeled urinal.

F: Attualmente, quali moto vorresti avere in garage?

G: The KTM Duke, an MV Agusta F4 or a Ducati 1098R, and a Guzzi Norge. That should cover most eventualities. Only the last one is a real possibility.

F: Quali sono le moto che hai disegnato che ti hanno dato maggiori soddisfazioni? Perchè?

G: The Fischer MRX was a difficult project because it was done on a strict budget and in a ridiculously short time (we had only 6 weeks to build the clay model from a single sketch). I was disappointed by the show bike, but despite many setbacks for production, I think the final product looks surprisingly good. After all, it's a 5-year-old design now. The Yamaha TDR & TDM were quite successful designs, and the bikes I made with Thierry Henriette for Boxer came out quite well - the Aprilia 654 Scrambler, the Voxan B-2 and especially the Boxer VB-1. But some of the smaller bikes I've done with Bajaj recently have been the most satisfying. Even though there are so many restrictions on cost and function, we've managed to come up with some strong designs, such as the Pulsar 220.

F: Ci sono moto che avresti voluto disegnare?

G: I would love to make some designs for Moto Guzzi. As well as being an enthusiast of the marque, that transverse V-twin offers some unique design opportunities. Also some motorcycle projects from famous car companies would be fun. I did a couple of designs for TVR bikes for a magazine article that were fun to do. It's not easy trying to reflect the typical style of a well-known car in a two-wheeler, but a challenge is what makes this job interesting. Most projects have their own individual appeal though, whatever they are, and the best part is not knowing what will come in next.

Foto: Glynn Kerr e Moto Picture