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.
MV Agusta updates the Superveloce, while Ironwood Custom Motorcycles partners with a US-based shop. Plus we’ve got a handsome Yamaha SR400 from Vietnam, and two videos to end your weekend with: a Honda Hawk build, and an interview with Pierre Terblanche.
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Some would say the 750 SS was not Ducati’s finest hour. The podgy, plasticky styling has always been divisive, and the engine is rated at a somewhat underwhelming 65 hp. But this Duc is light—a mere 403 pounds (183 kg) dry—and the handling is good on smooth asphalt. The trellis frame is a work of…
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The Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE is special on so many levels. It’s not only one of Ducati’s greatest hits, but also one of the best looking modern classics ever produced. And since only 2,000 were ever made, it’s as rare as hen’s teeth—so good luck getting your hands on one. This isn’t lost on…
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There are a few motorcycles in Ducati’s back catalog that would ruffle feathers if they were customized. Depending on how much of a purist you are, the 998 might just be one of them. It was the last model to carry the iconic 916’s aesthetic, but was powered by Ducati’s new, and much improved, Testastretta…
Read more »We’ve been lucky enough to ride most of Ducati’s extensive Scrambler range. Of all of them, the Desert Sled is the one…
Read more »The spotlight falls on Ducati this week, as they reboot the iconic Monster. Plus we have a hot-rodded Buell XB12S from the…
Read more »When Ducati launched the Scrambler line in 2014, it did so promising a template. A kind of 750cc, air-cooled blank slate, ripe…
Read more »There’s no doubt that the Ducati 999 is set to become a future classic. Pierre Terblanche’s aggressive design polarized opinion when it…
Read more »The first generation Ducati Multistrada is one of the under-appreciated gems of the custom world. It’s got a well-earned reputation as a…
Read more »The word ‘iconic’ gets thrown around a lot, but only a handful motorcycles truly deserve the title. We doubt that anyone would…
Read more »In this week’s Speed Read, we’re looking at a Ducati 749 from Romania, a two-stroke KTM flat tracker from the UK, and…
Read more »There’s a definite trend to stripping the bodywork off modern Ducatis. And we’re all for it. The superbike engines may not have…
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