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.
Few shops know Italian classics quite as well as Brooklyn’s Moto Borgotaro. Owner Peter Boggia has been wrenching on Italian machinery for over two decades, having cut his teeth at the Moto Guzzi Chuck House in New Orleans, Louisiana. Peter’s custom Guzzis have graced our pages before, but Moto Borgotaro builds much more than just…
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If you’d like a snapshot of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the motorcycle industry, this year’s EICMA trade show is it. It’s clear that budgets have shrunk over the past two years, and it’s even clearer that major OEMs have found more cost-effective ways to release motorcycles to the public, than to splash out…
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The Ducati Monster might have been a parts bin special, but it was also a sales hit—and it’s easy to see why. Riders were enticed by its stripped down design, comfortable riding position and great engine. Designed by Miguel Galluzzi way back in 1993, the Monster all but saved Ducati from financial woe. Ducati’s brand…
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Walt Siegl has built everything from 50s era Harley panheads to modern KTM enduros. But if there’s one thing his New Hampshire-based shop is known for over anything else, it’s custom Ducatis. Specifically, his vintage-inspired Ducati Leggero builds. Ducati Leggeros are emblematic to the Walt Siegl Motorcycles brand. They are equal parts form and function,…
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Movie star bikes, limited edition factory specials and fantastic customs—this week’s Speed Read has it all. There’s a Ducati Desmosedici RR from…
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If you’re a student of Ducati racing history, you’ll know the Supermono—one of the most tingle-inducing singles of all time. In the…
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Like any good factory café racer, the Ducati SportClassic doesn’t beg to be customized. It’s stunning in stock form—and, with a 992…
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A few years ago, a café racer was usually a classic bike, modified with sleeker bodywork, a tuned engine, and a stubby…
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For most pro custom bike builders, working to a brief is the norm. So any opportunity to take on a carte blanche…
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Most customs are driven by aesthetics. A handful are defined by engineering, and this very strange Ducati from St. Petersburg is one…
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At first glance, the world of custom motorcycles is all about breaking with convention—stripping away the constraints of manufacturer ‘design language’ and…
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It’s not always pretty when the worlds of fashion and motorcycles collide, but some companies know how to do it right. Vietnamese…
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