Top 10 Ducati Cafe Racer Builds

Whether you’re an inveterate Ducatista or not, the Italian brand has something special. In fact, some hold the Ducati name in such high regard that they compare it to another premium Italian manufacturer, Ferrari. However, unlike Ferrari, Ducati doesn’t just produce incredibly fast (and expensive) vehicles. Their motorcycles cover a wide range of styles and purposes, so no matter what role or budget you have, there’s a Ducati that’s right for you. When it comes to building a Ducati Cafe Racer, models like the new Ducati Scrambler or the iconic Ducati Monster are the obvious choice. But occasionally we see older models like the legendary Ducati 900SS and even newer models from their premium Panigale range getting the coffee treatment. To honor those who have ventured into the world of Ducati customization, we’ve put together this list of our Top 10 Ducati Cafe Racer builds.

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10. john ball gulf racing ducati 748

this impressive ducati 748 dressed in the colors of the gulf races is the work of the professional and ducatista john ball. To complete this project, John towed the bike hundreds of miles to Denton Moto in Texas. there he worked tirelessly for 3 days with his old riding buddies to complete all the fabrication work. once back home he dispensed with the 748’s angular bodywork. instead, more classic-style fiberglass alternatives are installed for street use. The result is an amazing Ducati cafe racer that definitely deserves its iconic paint scheme.

9. south garage ‘kelvara’ ducati s4r

the southern italian garage was inspired for its ducati cafe racer project in the lines of the legendary norton manx. the build started with a ducati monster s4r. after removing the bodywork, they made their own manx-inspired fiberglass alternative tank and tail. The new bodywork has been designed to fit like a glove in the trellis frame and set up a perfectly balanced cafe racer bone line.

The new motorcycle exhaust system is made up of around 70 individual parts carefully cut and welded to achieve the desired look. for a more classic look, the cast wheels were swapped out for spoked alternatives and a round chrome headlight was installed. Despite this s4r’s old-school look, it delivers thoroughly modern performance. a complete suspension overhaul makes the monster drive like it’s on rails. As for the engine, it’s been increased to 113bhp, making the bike complete a 1/4 mile pass in just under 11 seconds.

One of the most unexpected features of the build is the bike’s lairy paint. a very flaky gold base coat and a deep gloss finish add a touch of kustom kulture style that we definitely approve of.

8. marc roissetter ducati monster 1100

for us, the ducati monster seems like the ideal starting point to build a cafe racer. It features stripped-down nude styling, offers solid performance, and has serious street credibility. Interestingly, Ducati Monster Cafe Racers are not as common as you might expect. Fortunately, enthusiastic builders like Marc Roissetter have found that they are doing something about it.

Marc’s “monstrous” Ducati Cafe Racer is equal parts style and performance. He had his heart set on building a modern Ducati café racer, but it had to be a bike that could be competitive on the race track. so after getting a wrecked monster 1100, he set out to make his dream come true. the monster now uses a ducati 996 fuel tank, a super slim led headlight to adjust its proportions. a custom triple clamp and clip-on bars and a custom tail and subframe. The entire bike has been rewired to leave just the essentials for riding and the completely rebuilt engine has been tweaked to unleash its full potential.

7. customs ortolani ducati 1199 s

the 1199 s is a standout model from the last decade of ducati production. it was praised by almost every sports bike journalist around the world. this probably means that the 1199 is destined to be a collector’s item one day and should not be played with. luckily there are people out there who don’t give a damn about such things. this was the case of one of the ortolani customs clients. After seeing an illustration by automotive artist ‘Holographic Hammer,’ the owner commissioned Ortolani to recreate it using his Ducati 1199s. ortolani happily obliged.

Although the holographic hammer design looked great on paper, recreating it was no easy task. Ortolani’s team had to relocate large amounts of electrical appliances and find a way to get an ugly radiator out of sight. they then designed an all-new aluminum body using traditional metal shaping techniques and polished everything to a mirror finish. however, this project wasn’t just about looks. During construction, Ortolani rebuilt the L-Twin superquadro with rear-wheel power up to 210 bhp.

If you’ve ever spent hours trying to polish an engine cover, the thought of keeping this bike shiny will probably make you cringe. however, despite the shine that tennis elbow brings, it’s a standout ducati cafe racer from our archives.

6. ducati 900ss revival cycles

as soon as you take a look at the revival cycles of the ducati 900ss j63, you realize that there is something different about it. that’s because almost the entire bike has been rebuilt from the ground up. What started out as a bright yellow, plastic-covered ’90s sportbike is now a custom-built Ducati cafe racer like no other.

Apart from the engine, almost everything you see here was custom made or selected for this project. however, what gives the bike its distinctive look is the combination of the custom frame and polished alloy bodywork. the frame is surprisingly simple with a single level bone line running the length of the body. While not what you’d call a traditional trellis design, the frame is reminiscent of Ducati’s chassis and does a stellar job of turning the engine into a hero. the slim bodywork looks at home on the new frame and manages to give the impression of speed even when the bike is stationary.

According to the founders of revival cycles, alan stulberg and stefan hertel, they wanted to create a bike that was “better than the original” and we think they’ve done very well.

5. valtoron the impetuous 1262 diavel x

The brothers Pablo and Carlos Delgado are called Valtoron motorcycles. From their studio in Spain, they build motorcycles that are the definition of rolling works of art. that’s because the techniques they use to build each one are the same as those used by sculptors. Each Valtoron motorcycle features nearly entirely handcrafted parts that are shaped, molded, and cast to create a truly unique finish.

For this project, Ducati Spain commissioned the Delgados to demonstrate the Diavel X’s responsiveness to customization. the result was this radical aesthetic transformation that still possessed the standard diavel x fundamentals.

The entire bodywork of this diavel has been sand-cast at the Valtoron foundry. then the brothers meticulously sanded each part to achieve the desired finish. the entire tank and tank are a single casting that sits higher up in the rear and levels things out. Clip-on handlebars, rear pegs and a front fairing give the bike a sportier feel and set the quintessential cafe racer riding position. but it is the smallest details that make this build truly exceptional. to make sure everything fit together perfectly, valtoron took molds of many of the smaller parts of the bikes, such as the engine covers. they then added their own styling touches before reshaping them in place of their factory equivalents.

Although the Valtoron Diavel X may not be a quintessential cafe racer version, it is one that certainly left a lasting impression on us.

4. italian style ducati mhr1000 caracchi tribute

the italian italy stile team knows a thing or two about building beautiful bikes. however, what makes their work truly special is the bodywork they fashion from aluminium. they are the masters of the monocoque and build millimeter-perfect one-piece bodies that are often astounding.

for this project, stile italiano paid tribute to rino caracchi, one of the founders of ncr. During the 1960s, the NCR Performance Shop managed Ducati’s racing efforts, which led to many great successes. Following Caracchi’s recent death, Stile Italiano purchased a Ducati MHR 1000 and set out to build a bike that would celebrate the styling and performance characteristics of NCR’s race bikes.

the mhr 1000 now sports a one piece alloy bodywork on a double cradle daspa frame. the completely rebuilt 1000cc l-twin engine is a beauty with its polished cases and clear beveled transmission sight gauges. Italian style also upgraded the carburetors with phm 40 dell’ortos and designed a custom exhaust with virex exhausts.

Aspects of this build pay homage to previous years of ncrs, like the body shape and gold Marvic replica magnesium wheels. others are more reminiscent of ncr’s later years like the ohlins suspension setup and if caracchi were here to see this bike we sure would approve.

3. thornton one hundred motorcycles ducati panigale 1299

jody millhouse of thornton one hundred motorcycles of england says, “if i’m going to build something, i’m going to build a show stopper” and that’s exactly what he did with this ducati cafe racer. Debuting at the 2019 Bike Shed Show in London, this wild build had everyone sitting up and taking notice. That’s right. jody not only started with a spectacular donor bike, a 205 hp 1299 panigale, but also built a bike that was unlike anything anyone expected.

There’s a lot to behold on this bike, but there are a few standouts worth mentioning. light up the road is a custom headlight assembly designed in cad then 3d printed. A pair of LED lamps provide illumination and openings in the design return air to the airbox. Custom streamlined side panels merge with the Panigale tank, concealing a host of electronics and adding a touch of GP styling. however, the icing on the cake is the unique rear end and subframe. the polished alloy part was designed in cad, milled in 2 parts, then welded, sanded and polished to a mirror finish.

we think jody’s panigale is the epitome of what a modern cafe racer should be.

2. walt siegl ducati leggero

no ducati cafe racer top 10 would be complete without at least one version of walt siegl. mr siegl has built countless amazing custom ducati, but this bike made its debut here way back in 2013. this 900cc ducati cafe racer was built as a demo model for an extremely limited run of bikes. In typical Walt fashion, no stone was left unturned during the rebuild, resulting in a bike anyone would be happy to call their own.

Each of the bikes in the walt siegl leggero (Italian for “light”) series offers a long list of customizable options built around the same frame design. Weighing around 4kg less than the Ducati Effort, the frame is Siegl’s own design and made from 4130 chrome-molybdenum steel. In keeping with the bikes name, the bodywork is carbon fiber. , built with the help of matt at tannermatic.

Other highlights of this ducati leggero walk siegl are the showa/Öhlins suspension setup, a pair of 39mm keihin fcr carbs, a conti-style stainless steel exhaust system, and the understated grey/cream paint scheme. . As for the engine, Siegl starts with a 900cc twin-valve unit that can be tuned by the customer to the specifications they require. like all siegl constructions, this ducati cafe racer has an impeccable finish.

1. benjie ducati 900ss cafe racers

We’ve been fans of the bikes built by Benjie’s cafe racers for years, but this reimagined ’96 Ducati 900 Supersport SP definitely stands out. benjie has somehow managed to combine vintage styling with modern racing gear with this build to create a cohesive looking modern ducati cafe racer.

The 900ss is packed with delightful handcrafted details, but the tank and tail are the icing on the cake. the fuel tank is a hand-shaped aluminum element, while the rear end is a carbon fiber piece set on a custom subframe. a collection of custom-made stainless steel brackets secure things in place and a circle-cut exhaust, inspired by the medusa slide hairstyle, weaves its way around the desmodromic l-twin. then little touches like a pedestrian cutter on the front fender, padded tank pad, and a classic 900ss-inspired gold/black paint scheme tie it all together for a perfect finish.