By now I would imagine that most Ducati Riders with internet access have read or heard the news that Federico Minoli is stepping down as CEO of the company. Whether you loved his decisions or hated them – and there are probably universally held opinions in both camps – the end result is that this is a tremendous loss for the motorcycle community at large.

In a heavily conglomerate controlled world, Federico was a rare commodity. He told it like he saw it regardless of the fallout and always acted like the most important person to please was the end consumer.

Having interviewed him on several occasions for various TV projects, I was always struck by his innate ability to convey his passion and his emotions in every sound bite and every setting. Unlike many other folks in today’s PR manipulated world, Federico never regurgitated stacks of pre-rehearsed answers. Instead he shared what he was thinking and more importantly what he was feeling. And while I never took him to be a knee dragging tire-smoking rider, his love for Ducati was always evident.

His stewardship of the brand has been both heartfelt and economically productive, but more importantly he has been one of the rare voices in the landscape that said the things that needed to be said and helped crystallize Ducati’s presence in the modern marketplace.