With a legacy spanning more than three decades, the Ducati Monster occupies a special space in Ducati lore. Miguel Galluzzi’s design was not only credited with saving the marque and bolstering the fledgling naked bike market at the time, but also it went on to spawn innumerable variants of itself.
With so many models to choose from, navigating the waters of the second-hand Monster market is something of a dark art. The mid-2000s Ducati Monster S2R 1000 is a solid choice though. You get the looks of the highly coveted S4R and almost as much torque, but with a more classic look, thanks to the lack of liquid cooling.
This 2007-model Ducati Monster S2R 1000 is the third Monster café racer from Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles in Prague, and the third custom motorcycle that they’ve built for this particular client. But since shop boss Matěj Sysel is serious about the ‘Bespoke’ part of the company’s name, this Monster bears zero resemblance to the ones that came before it.
“The instruction was to make something almost like a neo-retro,” Matěj explains. “A modern bike with all the comfort it brings, but with a classic and classy design.”
Gas & Oil sourced the donor bike from Belgium, and immediately treated it to a full inspection and service to ensure that the 992 cc L-twin engine was running strong. The S2R came specced with upside-down Showa forks, Brembo brakes, and the iconic combination of a single-sided trellised swingarm with a five-spoke rear wheel. So the crew opted not to mess with the running gear.
What they did change, was the S2R’s traditional Monster bodywork. And although that might irk purists, it’s hard to argue with the sculpted café racer vibe that Gas & Oil has created here.
The handmade aluminum fuel tank recalls older, sportier motorcycles, while the new tail bump adds the requisite café racer flair. The two parts complement each other beautifully, with the tank’s knee indents echoed in the tail section’s scalloped sides. The underside of the seat pan features a lip that traces the contour of the frame and hides bits like the regulator/rectifier; a subtle consideration that’s easy to miss.
Up top, you’ll find a small pop-up gas cap and a stylish brown leather seat. Out back, a custom tail tidy holds the license plate and a pair of Kellermann taillights. A custom-made trellis subframe sits quietly underneath it all.
Moving to the front, Gas & Oil fabricated a set of stays to hold the abbreviated front fender. Higher up, a custom-made bracket attaches a Koso LED headlight to the bottom yoke, negating the need for the OEM headlight ears. A tiny subframe sits just behind the light, propping up a digital dash from Motogadget.
The crew also liberated the top yoke of its handlebar mounts, favoring clip-ons instead. The bars sport aftermarket levers, custom switches, and Motogadget grips, bar-end mirrors, and turn signals.
Elsewhere, Gas & Oil installed a clutch and full foot control system from CNC Racing. They also exposed the L-twin motor’s belts and ditched the bike’s airbox for a pair of Uni Filter air filters.
Handmade stainless steel exhaust headers sashay their way around the front of the engine, coming together to terminate in a high-mounted Sharon muffler. Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tires round out the spec sheet.
An enchanting black and gold color scheme ties everything together. Gas & Oil treated the Monster’s frame to a coat of gold, then covered the bodywork in gloss black, punctuated by gold pin-stripes and retro Ducati logos. Blacked-out wheels are contrasted by the silver forks and swingarm.
If there’s a better livery for this perfectly proportioned café racer, we can’t think of it.
Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Jakub Frey
