The Ducati Monster is one of the best-selling motorcycles of recent years. But it isn’t the easiest bike to customize. This one, a 1996 model that’ll be featured in the next issue of Italian Motor Magazine, shows what can be done: it was inspired by 1970s racing Ducatis, and was built to a tight budget in a garden shed. The most expensive parts are the Öhlins shock and the Keihin carbs, which the London-based owner financed by selling his daily ride. ”Everything else was bought slowly over two years—a mix of new, used, converted and fabricated parts. I wanted to keep the project simple and achievable, because I’d never taken a bike to bits before, never mind put one back together!”
The result is evocative of retro-motorsport cool, with a paint scheme and seat design to match. The rest of the bike looks ‘lived-in’, with alloy parts “Scotch-Brited” rather than polished. The bike was completely stripped for powder coating, and the frame was chopped at the tail. Keihin FCR 41mm carbs and a lightened flywheel boost the performance without breaking the bank, helped by new pipes and a modified airbox. Other trick parts include an Oberon clutch upgrade (mated to a Ducati 916 master cylinder), Motogadget instrumentation, and a custom top yoke and clip-ons.
To get the full story, look out for Issue 5 of Italian Motor Magazine. Or better still, subscribe.
