Ducati Desmosedici RR trike

As the Ducatista await the arrival of the Multistrada 1200, here's something to mull over -- a three-wheeled 200hp exoti-trike.

Looking like the munted offspring of a Can-Am Roadster and a Ducati Desmosedici RR, the design comes from Nicolas Petit, a motorcycle mechanic who lives in France and who has an entire website devoted to his creations.

The chances of something like this being manufactured by Ducati are about as likely as Tiger Woods kerbing his proclivity for tattooed cocktail waitresses, but the idea has merit. The trike's aesthetics are intriguing, with an elevated motorcycle seat and most of the frame and tail end from the Desmosedici RR.

With the Desmosedici RR's engine cranking out around 200hp (147kW), the concept would certainly give Can-Am's Spyder Roadster a run for its money.

Petit says the front end was modeled on that of an ATV, with the standard motorcycle's front forks binned in favour of a couple of fixed wheels, which is a bit of a shame. A cantilever system like the Piaggio MP3 would have been a much cooler idea rather than the fixed independent suspension setup seen on this concept, allowing the concept to 'lean' through corners like a two-wheeler.

Anyone who's ridden a trike will know how much of a challenge they handle and how much effort they take to guide through corners.

Nicolas Petit says: "This project is a mix between a motorcycle and a street quad. The base is without its Desmosedici fork, the rear is slightly restyled. The ATV-type front is grafted directly on to the engine chassis -- simple and effective, spartan and light."