Although Ducati is now owned by Automobili Lamborghini, the Bologna company is regarded as the Ferrari of the motorcycle world. Since the 1950s, its sporting motorcycles have been a favorite target of racers, tweakers and customizers.
In the custom world, the SportClassic is regarded as the archetypal modern-day café racer. Designed by Pierre Terblanche and launched in 2003, the SportClassic was way ahead of its time and sold poorly until its demise in 2010. But nowadays, values of Ducati models are rising rapidly and the styling is uniquely pleasing to the eye.
The Pantah and Monster have always been popular Ducati bikes with builders, but we’re now seeing the purer sportbikes creeping into the scene—often with ‘retro fighter’ builds—and a huge number of Scrambler customs.
I’ll admit, my knowledge of vintage Ducatis is rudimentary at best—so I always feel a little out of my depth when talking to Mike Watanabe. He and Luke Ransom run Union Motorcycle Classics out of a barn in Idaho, where they specialize in charming classics and restomods. And their knowledge runs deep. Mike put that…
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We’ve always had a thing for the machines that roll out of the deBolex Engineering workshop: they’re sleek, fast and exceptionally well made. Unfortunately for most of us, perfection at this level takes a long time to create, and deep pockets to purchase. Shop founder Calum Pryce-Tidd and his right-hand man Des Francis have now…
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We’ve got a major surprise this week, with Italdesign revisiting its controversial Ducati 860 for an electrifying update. Elsewhere in Europe, Honda has sanctioned two new custom projects—a pair of Rebels from FCR, and a reworked CB1000R from 5Four.
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Not all custom motorcycles built for reality TV are bad. Anthony Partridge is the bike guy on Discovery Channel’s Goblin Works Garage show, and his bikes are aggressive and purposeful, rather than goofy and clichéd. This Ducati Scrambler 1100 is solid proof—even if Ant almost got the brief wrong. Ant secured the donor bike from…
Read more »It’s all about nostalgia this week, with a special Brough Superior SS100, a new exhibition at the Petersen Automotive Museum, and a…
Read more »We’re not precious about which motorcycles shouldn’t be customized. But we still feel a pang of sadness when a classic is butchered—and…
Read more »When a new custom builder hits the scene, there’s no way of knowing if they’re a one hit wonder, or if they’ll…
Read more »Paint is the last thing that happens on a custom job, but it’s the first thing that people notice. And the livery…
Read more »The custom scene in Brazil doesn’t get much recognition on a global scale, which is surprising. Last year, a whopping 900,000 bikes…
Read more »MV Agusta updates the Superveloce, while Ironwood Custom Motorcycles partners with a US-based shop. Plus we’ve got a handsome Yamaha SR400 from…
Read more »Some would say the 750 SS was not Ducati’s finest hour. The podgy, plasticky styling has always been divisive, and the engine…
Read more »The Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE is special on so many levels. It’s not only one of Ducati’s greatest hits, but also…
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