Today’s ‘Special bike’ is once again a Cafe Racer based on a Ducati model, but unlike the vast majority of similar motorcycles we have reviewed on this site it does not come from some renowned boutique of the industry such as Deus, the Wrenchmonkees and the likes.
This awesome machine is in fact the brainchild of one Mr.
Geoff Rossi from the Ducati Sportclassic Forum.
The man also gave the opportunity to the many users of this specialized forum to follow its birth step-by-step, from the first sketches on paper up to the first test of the actual bike on the road, constantly posting regular updates on the project for months in this very long thread.
Even though its Ducati Sportclassic 1000 base is easily recognizable – even with different tank and seat – this gorgeous cafe racer wasn’t put together by the simple addition of some ‘aftermarket’ bits, it was built almost ‘from scratch’, with the starting point being a Ducati 1000 DS engine lifted from a Paul Smart Sport 1000 Limited Edition model.
Mr.
Rossi got rid of all its electronic trickery and replaced it with a pair of ‘flat-slide’ FCR41 carbs with MSD injection.
The entire front end comes from a Suzuki GSX-R (fully adjustable and with radial brakes), while swingarm and rear suspension have been ‘transplanted’ from a Ducati Super Sport 1000 DS.
The frame was initially that of a Ducati 999, which Rossi has modified in a way that – to quote its maker – resembles a cross ‘between a Pierobon and those classy 900s of the 70s‘.
The carbon rims are Black Stone Tek while the rear subframe in aluminum, the custom exhaust system and the vintage fairings were specifically developed for this bike.
Mr.
Rossi decided to call it ‘Moto Brilliance’ and is planning to start selling it in kit form.
We just love it.