Walt Siegl’s work has graced the pages of Bike EXIF for the reason that publication’s early days. Based mostly in New Hampshire, USA, the Austrian-born designer and {custom} motorbike builder makes a speciality of high-end Ducati customs that exemplify good style and professional craftsmanship.
With over a decade of Walt Siegl Bikes content material to sift by, narrowing his portfolio down to simply 5 bikes is not any simple job. We may fill a e book with our favourite WSM bikes—and we may wax lyrical for hours about what makes them so interesting. From one-off specials, to ‘sequence’ fashions which can be in-built restricted numbers, Walt’s machines usually depart our jaws on the ground.
WSM Ducati Leggero If there’s one factor that Walt Siegl is understood for above anything, it’s his made-to-order ‘Leggero’ Ducatis. Few {custom} bikes strike the stability between kind and performance in addition to a Walt Siegl Bikes Leggero, and few are as immediately recognizable.
Effortlessly mixing classic appears with fashionable efficiency, and completed to Walt’s typical exacting requirements, the Leggero is the stuff of goals. What’s higher than a WSM Leggero then? How about 4 Leggeros, every constructed in line with Walt’s personal specs, to retailer as stock for potential patrons?
Walt constructed these 4 bikes with the identical template he makes use of for all of his Leggero Ducatis. Every contains a chromoly WSM body, fitted with Öhlins suspension, solid OZ Racing wheels, and Brembo brakes. It then will get a particular Ducati motor constructed by Bruce Meyer—a recognized Ducati specialist, and Walt’s go-to engine man.
Two of the bikes constructed on this manufacturing run sport Ducati 900 SuperSport engines, whereas the opposite two use GT1000 mills. As is customary, they boast a laundry listing of upgrades and are aided by fashionable custom-specced electronics packages.
Visually, Walt’s Leggeros are love letters to the late 70s and early 80s Ducatis that he loves. The signature bodywork is equal components muscular and flowing, tracing a swish line from the fairing by to the tail. The finishes are well-considered, serving to intensify the craftsmanship at work right here.
Constructing 4 bikes without delay offered a novel set of challenges for Walt, however he overcame them. If there’s one motorbike that effortlessly embodies efficiency and elegance, it’s the WSM Leggero. [More]
WSM Ducati SBK Collection Most fashionable superbikes depart us chilly, however Walt’s concept of a superbike warms our hearts. His ‘SBK’ sequence builds are made-to-order Ducati superbikes that mix fashionable efficiency and timeless fashion. Pictured right here is Walt’s fourth SBK construct, and the most effective.
The SBK philosophy just isn’t not like the Leggero’s. Every WSM SBK begins with an aircraft-grade chromoly body, powered by a bespoke engine constructed by Bruce Meyers. It then will get carbon fiber bodywork and a bunch of parts that function at (or above) the extent you’d anticipate from a high-end efficiency motorbike.
This SBK’s motor is especially particular, that includes a Ducati 848 crankcase and a 1,040 cc large bore package with Pistal race pistons. Ported and flowed heads, titanium connecting rods, and a lightened and balanced crank; the motor’s spec sheet is exhaustive. Different efficiency mods embody a WSM airbox, a custom-programmed ECU, and a quick-shifter.
The wheels are carbon fiber gadgets from BST, the suspension is Öhlins and the brakes are Brembo. Completed in a Ferrari-inspired livery, SBK #4 is an absolute beast. If solely all superbikes seemed this good. [More]
1980 Ducati 900 SS ‘Bedeveled’ When the late Bobby Haas commissioned a {custom} bike from Walt for the Haas Moto Museum in Texas, Walt hit again with an formidable concept. He needed to make use of the oft-maligned ‘sq. case’ bevel Ducati engine, “to show that one can nonetheless construct an attractive machine round that engine design.” And he succeeded.
Walt began with a 1980-model Ducati 900 SuperSport and turned it right into a pure monitor machine. Although the bike was destined for a museum, he needed to know that it may carry out if it ever wanted to, so the engine went off to Bruce Meyers for a smorgasbord of upgrades. It now makes between 85 and 90 hp, operating with 40 mm Dell’Ortos and a free-flowing chrome steel exhaust system.
The sculpted bodywork feels classic, but it surely was all made utilizing very fashionable supplies; particularly carbon fiber. All the things is assembled round a custom-built chromoly body, with upside-down forks, a mono-shock rear finish, and MV Agusta wheels rounding out the chassis package deal.
Completed in a Paul Sensible-inspired silver with a pop of pink on the body, this sq. case would certainly look simply nearly as good on the monitor as it might within the Haas Museum. [More]
MV Agusta Brutale 800 ‘Bol d’Or’ Walt is perhaps finest recognized for his Ducati customs, however he’s no one-trick pony. On this challenge, he utilized his signature fashion to the MV Agusta Brutale 800—proving that he’s as versatile as he’s proficient.
Named ‘Bol d’Or,’ the bike was closely impressed by classic endurance racers. To nail the aesthetic, Walt used a mixture of shaping foam and automotive clay to kind the MV Agusta’s new bodywork, then had a 3rd social gathering construct the ultimate components out of Kevlar composite. The burden saving was appreciable; the 5-gallon gasoline tank, for instance, weighs simply 3.5 lbs.
Although a brand new chassis is customary subject on a WSM Leggero construct, Walt left the Brutale’s body alone, citing that he “didn’t need to undo one thing that’s so good.” Small efficiency mods included an ECU flash and a brand new SC-Challenge exhaust, with an aluminum subframe and WSM rear-sets including additional weight financial savings.
Walt nailed the design, ending the fairing off with an offset headlight and ram air vents that aren’t only for present. The vibe is a component endurance racer, half monitor bike, with a livery that’s each easy and impactful. And in line with Walt, it’s a ferocious animal out on the monitor too. [More]
Alta Redshift ‘PACT’ Should you assume that every one electrical bikes are sterile, soulless machines, this alluring {custom} presents proof on the contrary. Walt partnered up with industrial designer Mike Mayberry, one of many co-founders of Ronin Motorworks, to construct it. They began with the drivetrain from an Alta Redshift—the now-defunct firm’s lauded electrical dust bike.
Virtually every little thing else was constructed from scratch, together with a brand new chromoly body with street-biased geometry. The swingarm is {custom} too, and the bike rolls on custom-machined 17” wheels, with Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes.
Then there’s the PACT’s tantalizing bodywork. Walt prototyped all of it utilizing cardboard and paper fairly than a pc in order that he may get a way of its real-world dimensions. Prototype components had been formed out of carbon fiber sheeting, however the closing components had been made utilizing solid carbon fiber and compression molds.
Full with extra tasty goodies, like a carbon fiber subframe, PACT appears like no different motorbike on the market—electrical or in any other case. [More]
Walt Siegl Bikes | Fb | Instagram
