One day, 3D printing technology will fundamentally change the motorcycle industry. Currently however, companies use 3D printing, or rapid prototyping, to quickly and cheaply build parts for development machines. Enthusiasts also use the technology, though mostly as a novelty, which is the case here.

A glimpse perhaps in how we will one day buy motorcycles, some clever modelers have “printed” a pretty convincing 3D copy of the Ducati 1199 Panigale. Built in CAD, and printed with a Ultimaker, the attention to detail is pretty astounding — note the chain that exactly meshes up with the front and rear sprockets.

Forty pieces comprise the work, which have also been painted and lacquered to look like the genuine article. The lines you see are the limits of the resolution of the printer, which builds each piece a ~0.1mm layer at a time.

While it won’t replace the real thing anytime soon, it’s compelling how close the model looks to the full-size genuine article. If you’re so inclinded, you can get the files to print out your very own, right here.

Source: Redicubricks