Ducati US sources said this morning that their famed/embattled designer Pierre Terblanche has left the company effective immediately. Terblanche told Ducati US that he left the company on good terms to pursue other projects.

Terblanche became Ducati's head designer when the TPG/Cagiva/Ducati split happened in the 1990s and Massimo Tamburini stayed with Cagiva/MV Agusta.

While at Ducati Terblanche designed bikes like the 999 series and also the Hyper Motard.

There's a brief discussion of Pierre Terblanche in our interview with Michael Lock, head of Ducati US.