Ducati Leggero by Walt Siegel

Are you in the market for a limited edition, custom built Ducati from one of the world's top builders? Me neither, but wouldn't it be cool to drop a chunk of cash in the hands of Walt Siegel in exchange for one of these beauties! Mr Siegel is hand building a series of Leggero (Italian for 'light') 900cc Ducati's for a handful of lucky customers with this bike being his first demonstration model. His Leggero isn't simply a rebuild of an existing Ducati though, Walt has pretty much designed and built this one from scratch.

Starting with a 900cc power plant (in whatever setup the customer desires) he's designed his own series of light weight chrome molly frames (8.6kg vs 12.7kg stock Ducati trellis frame), stainless steel exhaust systems and unique bodywork made of, you guessed it, carbon fibre. Everything is top of the line and created with the lightest materials available to maximise the impact of every single horsepower the air cooled twin can produce.





Customers will also have the ability to choose between a mono or dual shock suspension setup with this bike featuring the latter. Top of the range Ohlin shocks provide dampening at the rear while the front forks come from Showa. The engine, although fastidiously rebuilt has not undergone extensive internal work, instead the bulk of the bikes extra power comes from the tuned exhaust and a set of 39mm Keihins FCR carbs.

To ensure each Leggero is unique Walt offers customers the ability to define their paint scheme and to choose from several different bodywork options including a half-fairing on the front. In order to produce multiple versions of his Leggero in relatively short time frames elements of the bike have been mapped out on computer and can be machined on a CNC mill. While I'm not a big fan of the finish on milled parts I doubt many people (myself included) would complain after seeing the finished result.

Walt Siegl Motorcycles

Ducati Monster MS4Rs custom

There are many amazing, readily available secondhand bikes to choose from when finding a donor for a custom build, but if I was to predict which bike would be the next big thing in the custom scene, my pick would be the Ducati Monster. It's been 20 years since Ducati released the Monster and as a result there's plenty of them around and you can pick up some great looking examples for bargain prices. There also happen to be some clever builders out there who are producing some pretty amazing custom kits for the Monster making the task of customising one even more appealing. Canadian Nelson Gonclaves saw the MS4R kit by Paolo Tesio and was lucky enough to get hold of one for his own custom Monster project.

When I featured Paolo's Monster MS4R back in May 2012 his kit was still in the concept stages but it is now available in high quality, laminated fiberglass form. Nelson acquired an MS4R kit and set about transforming his '07 Ducati Monster S4RS using his own personal mix of performance and design modifications.

The MS4R kit includes bodywork for the tail section, fork shrouds and headlight shroud which Nelson has finished using his own paint scheme, applied by local painter Dublu. Other aesthetic mods include a selection of Speedymoto bolt on parts such as the clutch cover, triple clamps, water pump and crash protectors while Rizoma provided new levers, master cylinder reservoirs, grips and oil filler cap.

The stock bars were removed to fit Ducabike clip-ons with CRG bar end mirrors finished in black. An NCR titanium sprocket cover/hub and DP carbon fiber accessories also add to the extensive list making the Monster even more unrecognisable next to a stock S4RS.

Performance mods include a full brake upgrade using Brembo RSC master cylinders on Braketech AXIS iron rotors with Ferodo sintered pads. The wheels are Carrozeria forged aluminum helping to shed a few extra kilos from the bike and the Ohlins suspension has been modified for better performance.

An Ohlins steering damper helps to keep the front end in check with the extra power that Matthews generating out of his S4RS's 999 motor (134bhp simply isn't enough for some people!). A DP Performance kit, Akrapovic muffler and Dynojet PC3r with custom tune by Sport Cycle make up the list of power mods that make this Monster one hell of a beast.

The gold and black paint scheme looks as good on this modern Ducati as it did on the mid seventies 900SS, which Matthew Vieweger from Bergwerk photography has captured beautifully in these shots. To see what Paolo's original MS4R looked like you can check out the full feature here.

Ducati 1198 Matador Racer

Subtle this bike ain't, but what else would you expect from Radical Ducati? Their latest build uses a donor bike that we know for it's incredible performance (and it's steep $40k price tag!) the Ducati 1198 SP, but you'd have to have a good eye to recognise it. In fact the "Matador Racer" is so heavily stripped back and spec'd up that I doubt even the 1198's designers would recognize it. This bike isn't about looks, even though it does look pretty amazing, RAD are always function focused and the Matador's performance potential is mind blowing.

After stripping away the bodywork and frame from the 1198 RAD got to work on improving the Ducati's performance. In stock form an 1198 SP weighs in at 168kg and produces 170bhp, a very impressive power to weight ratio, but RAD saw plenty of room for improvement. The engines heads were ported, the flywheel lightened and a trick EVR 'anti-hooping' clutch was added. A race spec radiator, specially designed carbon air box and a magnificent Super Mario 2-into-1 exhaust with a RAD design "tail fish" megaphone muffler completed the power upgrades.



To drop the bikes weight down the Ducati frame was swapped out in favor of a RAD lightweight alloy frame, subframe and swingarm. Ohlins forks, Ergal triple clamps, clip on bars and Brembo calipers with Discciati rotors form the bikes new front end. In the rear you'll find an Ohlins shock absorber and Discacciati 4 pot brake holding a 200mm disc and Rizoma components for the foot controls . The wheels are also lightweight alloy, made by ITX and are shrouded by RAD made carbon mudguards. 

The tank is another RAD item made again from light weight aluminiumand the RAD belly pan and "Corsa Evo" seat are, you guessed it, carbon fiber. With all of the modifications, lightweight components and discarded bodywork RAD have shed a whopping 30kg off the 1198 dropping it down to a mere 138kg. Although I wasn't able to get a power figure I can guarantee you that this Duke is pushing out plenty more horses than it did out of the factory and when you start thinking about that power to weight ratio again things start getting a little crazy. 

Ducati 125 TS Radical F3

The small capacity custom bikes just keep rolling in. Here's the latest from Italian outfit Radical Ducati. As their name suggests they do some pretty wild things to their Ducati donor bikes and their latest build, the F3 is a perfect example. Based on a 1963 Ducati 125 TS the F3 is a purpose built track demon, stripped back, beefed up and ready to give even the most seasoned rider a kick in the pants.



Back in '63 this TS delivered a top speed of around 60mph from it's 6.5bhp, air cooled, 4 stroke single. It may not seem like much but these bikes paved the way for the world of small capacity motorcycles due to their solid design and reliable performance. By today's standard though they're not going to be impressing anyone with their performance but they certainly look great. Radical wanted to change that though, their TS was destined to be much more than an admirable vintage, it had to be able to outperform similar capacity, modern motorcycles.

The F3 transformation began with some serious engine modifications. The 125 was uprated to a 250cc  short stroke and treated to ported heads, a high compression piston, lightened crankshaft, a race cam and big valves. Internally gears were lightened and excess electrics were dispensed with to save a few more grams. Oil the oil lines were replaced with higher capacity braided lines and an extra spark plug was added for good measure.  An Amal 32 mm carb now delivers ample fuel and air to the cylinder and a coil taken from a CBR 600 guarantees a solid spark. The humorously name company SUPERMARIO then supplied the tuned exhaust system and megaphone to which the Radical team added a carbon heat shield to avoid nasty pipeburn experiences.

With the motor now ready to race it was time to tackle the bikes handling. Morad aluminium rims, wrapped in Bridgestone rubber, with a Ducati 250 rear hub and drum brake in the rear and a huge 320mm NG disc, AJP caliper and a 900SS brake pump up front take care of any braking concerns. A new subframe was fabricated to mount the RAD carbon fiber solo seat which sits flush up against the classically painted Ducati 160 Sport fuel tank. The bikes suspension also went through serious changes with the rear suspension being converted to a cantilever setup using a Betor shock while up front you'll find a set of Derbi GPR 50 inverted forks. Add to this list, lightweight levers and pedals, carbon guards and a trick aluminium swingarm and there's no denying this little beast is on hell of a Radical Ducati.

Ducati 250cc Mach 1

I'm loving this sweet 250cc '65 Ducati Mach 1 shot by Jose Gallina at a Cafe Desmo meeting. In stock form the Mach 1 was already pretty striking with it's tadpole shaped tank but with the addition of this full race fairing kit it's a thing of beauty.

Although the Mach 1 only had a 250cc displacement it boasted true Ton Up performance out of the factory making it the fastest 250cc production bike of the time. The air-cooled, 4 stroke single with it's Dell'orto SS 29 carb produced 24bhp and topped out at around 170kmh.  Along with it's impressive performance figures the Ducati Mach 1 came complete with clip on bars and rear set pegs so it was always destined to be picked up by professional racers.




In 1969 one eyed racer (he literally had one eye), Alastair Michael Rogers took out first place in the TT 250cc production class. The win gave Mike the historic title of the first man to ever win a TT race on a Ducati. The Mach 1 was produced for 3 short years between 1966 and 1969 and is today a highly sought after collectors item...I would happily give up a eye in exchange for this beauty.

Radical Ducati 900SS Matador

If there's one custom motorcycle workshop whose name is perfectly suited to their style of building it's Radical Ducati. Radical strip each bike back to its heart (the engine) before fitting carefully selected components that only improve upon it's performance, then to make sure everyone knows their bikes mean business they add some of the most extreme styling you're ever likely to see on a Ducati. This is the Matador, a completely redesigned and upgraded 1998 Ducati 900SS IE. To describe the Matador as extreme would be a huge understatement.


In stock form a 1998 900SS IE certainly isn't a show stopper, Ducati's design may have been fancy in the nineties but they have aged badly. To fix this all that remains of the Matadors original bodywork is its tank, but even that has received some custom treatment. The front guard is a one off Radical carbon fibre unit as is the tail unit, also made of carbon with integrated LED lighting and foam seat pad. A V Rod style headlight illuminates the street and a pair of the smallest LED indicators I've ever seen, hang off the Matador's modified tubular frame.



From the front the Matador resembles a charging bull which I like to think means it's name is aimed at it's ballsy rider. A set of Rizoma conical handlebars sit atop a pair of SP Ergal CNC risers and top yoke with a perfectly symmetrical, simplified controls. Dials have been replaced with a Aviacompositi EVO rev counter tucked away in the top clamp and the wiring has all been rerouted to keep things looking clean.



The flow of gases through the engine have been increase with MWR pod filters and a Wolfman 2-into-1 exhaust system with Spark megaphone muffler, but the real power boost comes from the Ducati's freshly worked heads, high compression pistons and lightened flywheel. As you can imagine the Matador weighs a fraction of it's former self so getting off the line wasn't going to be as much as an issue as stopping was. To fix this the 900ss discs have been replaced with O24 rotors and a set of brakes from Ducati's top of the range 1098.



Style wise Radical have given the bike a look that sits somewhere between modern street machines and old school hot rods. Metallic copper/gold broken by white pin stripes and black holo-flake paint, this one isn't for the shy or faint hearted.

Kerozin Ducati Sport 1000 Biposto

And the customised Ducati Sport 1000s just keep on coming! Even though Ducati have ceased production of their Sport Classics range it isn't stopping anyone from customising their factory built Cafe Racers. These bikes will undoubtedly be collectors items in years to come and while concours examples may fetch higher prices these custom versions are just plain awesome. This latest build by French workshop Kerozin was based on a Sport 1000 Biposto donor and she's a real beauty.

As with most bikes the easiest horsepower upgrades come via changes to the intake and exhaust which Kerozin achieved with a set of Termignoni Ducati Performance pipes, air box removal, K&N filters and an injection kit. Then to make sure the Duke could handle the extra power through the twistys, Kerozin got to work on improving the bikes handling with suspension upgrades and weight reductions.  

The Kerozin Ducati weight loss program consisted of replacing the original steel wheels with a set of Alpina tubeless carbon fiber rims, removal of the rear fender and some lightweight belt and clutch covers. Handling upgrades were then achieved by swapping the original forks with a set from a Ducati S4R and a pair of gold Ohlins gas shocks under the tail. Braking was also addressed by upgrading to 999 brakes front and rear.

Finally Kerozin addressed the Ducati's aesthetics. The indicators and stop signals were converted to LED and integrated into the bikes tail. Smaller handlebars help to narrow the bikes profile and a half turn filler cap was implanted in the fuel tank. Kerozin chose a naval blue/grey for the scheme which was applied to the tank and rear cowl before the seat was recovered and a matching tank strap laid in place.

Kerozin have an impressive list of 'in progress'custom bike builds so you'll want to keep an eye on theirwebsite or facebook page for more to notch custom builds.

Ducati 900 Supersport Cafe Racer

This Cafe Racer conversion of a 1992 Ducati 900 Supersport comes from Cafe2Ride in Germany. The Ducati was a daily ride for one of the Cafe2Ride team members who after 4 years of (mis)use, decided it was time to give it a make over.



Performance modifications were tackled with the aim of "getting the most bang for their buck" out of the already highly tuned Supersport.  As with any factory produced motorcycle noise and emissions laws result in restricted fuel and exhaust flow. By fitting a high performance BOS exhaust, rejetting the carbs and attaching K&N filters the guys unleashed extra horses without compromising reliability.



An entirely new frame had to be sourced as the old one "had dents in it" (tsk tsk!) and all the unwanted tabs were ground off before applying a fresh coat of classic black paint. To keep the girlfriend happy the rear loop of the frame wasn't cut and the Bipostoseat was retained. With some basic tools and a couple of minutes the seat swap is done and she is all smiles.



After the removal of the Ducati's fairings rerouting of the cables and simplifying of the electrics was necessary to conceal the tangled mess that lay beneath. The original instrument cluster was replaced with a mini speedo and LED warning light cluster. Low profile, smoked lens indicators and tail light stealthily blend into the body of the bike.



A new front fender, plate holder and exhaust bracket were fabricated along with the custom seat and the bike was ready for painting. A satin/gloss black scheme was chosen with a very nice touch of bare metal silver on the tanks knee dents.

This Ducati Cafe Racer is a very nice introduction to the custom builder scene for Cafe2Ride and it's one that has me intrigued to see what's next.