For Walt Siegl, performance and beauty go hand-in-hand. The bikes in his Ducati Leggero series are drop dead gorgeous, but they’re also light, quick and handle well. And that puts them in high demand.
This newest build was commissioned by Jamie Waters, one of the leading lights behind the REV’IT! and Rizoma brands in the USA. Jamie owns a significant collection of race bikes, European sports cars and American muscle cars, but they’re more than just show pieces: he regularly pilots his rare factory racers at AHRMA events.
That makes him the perfect client for Walt. “I’m thrilled that I could build this bike for Jamie,” says Walt from his New Hampshire workshop, “because I know he will ride it and enjoy it.”
Each Leggero is hand made to order with room for customization, but the building blocks are always the same. It starts with a Walt Siegl Motorcycles 4130 chromoly steel frame, created in-house and weighing just 15 pounds.
Walt slots in a two-valve Ducati motor, rebuilt and blueprinted by Bruce Meyers Performance. It’s then finished with top-shelf components, and custom Kevlar bodywork.
On this build, the donor motor came from a Monster 1100. It’s been blueprinted and bumped to 1125 cc with Mahle pistons, warmer cams, ported and flowed heads, and titanium valves. The carbs have been ditched in favour of the fuel injection system from a Hypermotard, and the bottom end has been lightened too.
The Ducati also sports a close-ratio transmission with lightened gears, and a Yoyodyne slipper clutch. There’s a completely new wiring harness, and an ECU programmed to squeeze the most performance out of this particular motor. And the engine cases are finished with a sublime ceramic coating.
Since Jamie’s pretty serious about actually riding the Leggero, he wanted top spec chassis and suspension components too. The lightweight chromoly Leggero frame is matched up to an aluminum subframe, and a Ducati S2R swing arm.
An Öhlins TTX rear shock is mounted up to a relocated lower shock mount, and sprung specifically for Jamie. Up front is a set of forks running Öhlins Nix internals, also sprung to spec. And this particular Leggero rolls on BST carbon fiber wheels, shedding even more precious weight.
Up top you’ll find the signature Leggero bodywork, starting with an aluminum fuel tank. Walt offers his bikes with and without fairings, and Jamie opted for this classy twin headlight number. It’s made from a Kevlar composite, just like the tailpiece.
It would take days of careful study to spot all the details on this Ducati, so we’ll just run through the highlights. The custom-built, ceramic-coated stainless steel exhaust is stunning, right down to its carefully placed heat shields.
The cockpit’s pretty slick too, and includes a racy Motogadget tacho bearing the WSM logo. And there’s a sprinkling of carbon fiber and Rizoma bits, to drive the performance ethos home.
When it came to the final livery, Jamie’s hobby provided all the inspiration needed. “Jamie wanted to incorporate elements from the early muscle car era in my Leggero design,” says Walt, “which is decidedly European, if you will.”
So the white ceramic coating on the exhaust system references early Shelby Cobras, and the frame’s been nickel plated, as a nod to the 1960s and 70s.
The primary paint color was sampled from a car in Jamie’s collection. “Jamie has a 1966 Corvette in Laguna Blue,” says Walt. “For that series Corvette, it was a one-year color only—painted by Peach Pit Racing.”
“It’s a beautiful color, and looks fantastic on the Leggero. Jamie also picked the graphics, with the gold pin-striping, which adds a classic touch.”
“Working closely with someone who is so passionate was a real pleasure,” says Walt. “And the fun is continuing, because we’re in the process of completing a WSM Adventure for him.”
Now we’re really jealous.
Walt Siegl | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Daniela Maria
