Wow, so I read this whole posting from beginning to end, sorry I'm late to the party.
First, the Duc is pure sex. You don't have to love it but appreciate it for what it is. Why would Ducati make such a beast? Because they can.
Second, the design is a complete rip off of the Suzuki B King from a few years back. Not sure if they still make it or not but that bike was funky and cool and pretty much had the same fan following from the press as this one does. The mags loved it, they didn't sell very many.
Last, JT Nesbitt is a Douche Bag. Including your address and phone number in your school boy rant? Really now, are we down to the "come and say it to my face" mentality?
Perhaps Ducati is stretching a bit with this design but at least they are trying to put a little flavor out there. Our beloved BA's have caught flack from their original release for not being "triumph enough" and just following the HD crowd. So which is worse, to try and put out a bit of art on two wheels or be accused of following in someone else's tracks?