Kris Reniers clearly has a way with Ducatis. The last bike we featured from his Deep Creek Cycleworks shop was a Ducati 750SS bitsa of the highest order, and now he’s turned his attention to the Ducati ST2.
Except he hasn’t transformed the 944cc L-twin sport bike into a classy cafe or endurance racer. He’s come from way out the left field… and built a street tracker.
“The customer is a close friend of mine,” says Kris. “He’s a good rider who used to do dirt track and enduro bikes for fun. He’s just sold his Yamaha XS650 flat tracker and wanted a lighter but slightly bigger machine. One that would perform on both gravel and the road, for normal everyday use.”
“’Keep the thing within budget and have fun,’ he said.”
The donor needed to be a punchy twin that would also work as a daily runner, but not break the bank. “I knew he liked Ducatis,” says Kris, “so I suggested using ST2 as a base to start from. They are amongst the cheapest Ducatis, and they’re as reliable as a Ducati can be.”
Kris’ friend sourced a low-mileage 2000-model in good (and original) condition, and dropped it off at the Deep Creek workshop in Deepenbeek, Belgium. Step one was stripping it down; step two was figuring out how to execute the ideas that were floating around.
“The first obstacle was the fact that the bike needed to be low. The customer wanted to be able to sit close to the handlebars, to be able to slip and slide the rear of bike while cornering. Therefore the classic airbox needed to go, the big tank needed to go, and the battery and so forth needed to go.”
If you’re seeing shades of Alex Earle’s M900 tracker here, you’re right on the money. Kris is an admirer, and drew inspiration from the Earle bike—opting to construct a monocoque body in a similar style.
Kris started with a foam model, before shaping the final body out of polyester. But his design differs from Earle’s in a couple of key ways—like its fuel tank, for example.
Since the lightweight polyester body isn’t strong enough to support a rider’s weight, there’s a custom-made fuel tank underneath running from front to back, acting as extra support.
Filling up means lifting up the monocoque to access it. The 13-liter tank was fabricated from steel, and features the stock Ducati filler cap, fuel pump and filter.
With the airbox gone, there’s now a K&N filter poking up through the new bodywork. It’s partnered up with a killer two-into-two exhaust system, welded up by a local exhaust builder. The engine’s wisely been left alone—though Kris has switched up the gearing with a 14t/45t sprocket combo (rather than the stock 15t/42t setup) for more kick off the mark.
Kris has also left the ST2’s adjustable Showa suspension attached—but decided that the wheels and brakes didn’t have “the magic we were looking for.”
On went a set of Ducati 999 hoops, with the bearings and bushings modded to fit the fork and swingarm. The wheels were an inspired choice: they’re a dead ringer for flat track items, except in street-friendly 17” sizes. Tires are Shinko (front) and Heidenau (rear) rubber.
The back brakes got a boost with a bigger master cylinder, and a front brake disc adapted to the 999 rear wheel. Since flat trackers typically run no front brakes, Kris decided to change the front from a two to one disc affair to simplify the look.
The control area has been appropriately flat-tracked, with wide LSL handlebars attached to a new top yoke from ABM. A tiny Motogadget speedo hides away just behind the neck, with a number board and LED combo lighting the way up front.
The rear light is pretty subtle: two LEDs embedded in the back of the tail section.
The ST2’s new livery is an exercise in good taste through restraint. A plain white paint job is punctuated only by green and gold striping, all covered in a matte clear coat. Motokouture Leathers handled the seat upholstery, covering it in a diamond stitched Alcantara. And just under the OEM-style Ducati logo on the tank is the bike’s new designation: ‘FT2’ (from ‘Sport Touring’ to ‘Flat Track’).
Looks like fun, doesn’t it? We reckon it’s just the ticket for a quick grocery run, and then tearing up your nearest country lane on the way back home.
Deep Creek Cycleworks | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Raf Leuris
