With literally hundreds of machines dropping into my inbox every week, it takes something truly special to stop me in my tracks. This is one such machine, a remarkable Ducati 900 SS modified beyond recognition—and with great skill.
The builder, Bernard Mont, calls the bike a “TT3 Difazio”—an imagined collaboration between the engineers Fabio Taglioni and Jack Difazio. And thanks to the Belgian photography collective True Biker Spirit, we can examine this unique motorcycle in detail.
Jack Difazio was a bike builder living in England who specialized in hub center steering. By the time he died earlier this year, he’d built up a small but very loyal following.
Bernard is one of Difazio’s biggest fans, and spent seven years creating this tribute to Difazio’s engineering prowess. Starting with a Ducati 900 SS as the donor bike, he shortened the frame, fitted a custom subframe, and heavily upgraded the engine.
The front wheel comes from a Guzzi V11 and received the Difazio hub. The front suspension is crafted from steel triangles and two tailor-made Öhlins shocks. The rear suspension is supported by an Extreme Tech shock with a custom spring designed by Bernard.
The exhaust pipework is a Lazer GP, modified to receive SuperTrapp mufflers. A beautiful Aermacchi mono-seat has been mounted on the custom subframe, and the front has been treated to a TT fairing to echo Taglioni’s era.
It’s a classic prototype in the traditional sense of the word, with a vision brought to life by inspired engineering. Head over to Bernard’s blog for more images, including spreads from the excellent French magazine Cafe Racer.
Many thanks to Fred from True Biker Spirit for the information and images.
