I’m a fan of the Spanish tuner Radical Ducati: their bikes are invariably well engineered and good looking. And they seem to know what to change and what to leave alone. This latest bike is nicknamed ‘Rad to Hell’, and it’s based on the Monster S2R 1000. Radical Ducati has wisely left the excellent suspension mostly alone, retaining the standard Showa front fork but installing an Öhlins shock at the back. The rear subframe has been modified, but it’s the engine that has received the most attention. In stock form, Ducati’s 992cc air cooled twin pumps out 95 bhp—pretty good for an all-rounder weighing a relatively lithe 178 kg (390 lbs). But Radical Ducati has gone one further, adding ported heads, improved breathing via racing-style filters, and a Wolfman exhaust system. The ECU is upgraded to an EVR item, and an EVR slipper clutch helps get the extra power to the ground.
The bodywork is Radical Ducati’s proprietary fiberglass Montjuich kit, with carbon fiber fenders front and back. The triple clamps, clipons and rearsets are all lightweight aftermarket items.
The result is a machine that’s probably not quite as practical as the factory Ducati S2R 1000. But it’s lost the somewhat ubiquitous Monster ‘look’, and gained a serious edge in the performance stakes. Fantástico!
Images by Del Perro.
