The Ducati SportClassic is essentially the most lovely motorbike that the Italian marque not makes. It stays the benchmark for contemporary manufacturing facility café racers, and it’s simply one among designer Pierre Terblanche’s largest hits. However what if Ducati introduced the SportClassic again—this time with correct superbike energy?
When it hit the scene again in 03, the Ducati SportClassic’s 992 cc Desmo L-twin motor was good for 90.7 hp. And though that was a greater than satisfactory quantity of grunt for the SportClassic, Ducati has had extra highly effective engines in its portfolio. The brand new 937 cc Ducati Monster makes 111 hp, the 955 cc Panigale V2 makes 155 hp, and the 998 cc Superleggera V4 makes a stonking 234 hp in full race trim.
Lucas Worthing’s favourite Ducati motor is the one on the coronary heart of the late-2000s Ducati 1198. The 1,198 cc Desmodromic L-twin cranks out 87 p.c extra energy than the SportClassic, with 170 hp and 132 Nm of torque on faucet.
“My first correct superbike was a Ducati 1198 base mannequin in white,” the Los Angeles, California-based architect tells us. “I did numerous mods and loved it immensely till it was stolen. The motor has a lot extra off-the-line energy than the rest I’ve ridden and is superbly uncooked.”
Luke’s love for the 1198 is matched solely by his obsession with the SportClassic and the historic racing bikes that impressed it. “I’ve additionally at all times had an affinity for all issues NCR-related; the New Blue and Hailwood Version SportClassics are bikes I fell in love with. I purchased a black Sport 1000S and added some NCR bits once I was youthful—and later, I constructed a full titanium-framed NCR Paul Good.”
These two passions collided when Luke started imagining a SportClassic that may make 1198 energy, but additionally be mild and agile. However his technique went far past simply shopping for a SportClassic and tossing an even bigger motor into it. As a substitute, Luke purchased the body, engine, and swingarm from a 2011-model Ducati 1198 SP, and successfully began from scratch.
First, Luke cobbled the components he had collectively, propping the bike up on a set of Showa forks, an Öhlins shock, and a pair of carbon fiber wheels from BST. Then he shipped the bike off to StradaFab in Kansas, the place Randy Martin fabricated an unique titanium trellis body that may marry the 1198 powertrain with SportClassic bodywork.
“The body got here from sketches I did,” Luke tells us, “making a hybrid between the SportClassic’s trellis body and the unique superbike body that got here with the motor. The unique body has the identical mount factors because the SportClassic, in order that’s the way it began. However the trellis work needed to be stronger to deal with the rise in torque.”
The body is beautiful, but additionally quite sophisticated. Lodging needed to be made for the 1198’s larger motor and central rear shock place, and bits just like the footpeg mounts have been designed to double up as reinforcement factors. “It took time to determine,” Luke provides.
“I had numerous visits out to Kansas from California to satisfy with Randy. We labored collectively to resolve sure challenges. Having a background in structural engineering, I might see locations the place I wished so as to add gussets, and minimize the designs out of cardboard, exhibiting Randy the place I believed they might reinforce the body.”
The bike’s aluminum gasoline tank got here from a connection throughout the Ducati SportClassic neighborhood, nevertheless it wanted in depth fettling to suit the bike. The most important concern was the positioning of the rear shock’s higher mount; the tank’s gasoline pump mounting plate needed to be moved additional inboard to accommodate it. Different key mods have been centered round narrowing the airbox and consumption housing.
Customized-made aspect panels flank the entrance of the gasoline tank, serving to to maintain the realm across the body tidy. A SportClassic Monoposto tail part sits out again, with the bike’s battery hiding within the rear bump.
Luke and Randy additionally went backwards and forwards on the exhaust system. Luke had an Akrapovič titanium racing system available, nevertheless it didn’t match the design. Ultimately, Randy massaged the headers to connect with a pair of SC-Venture cans, tucked beneath the tail.
Shifting to the engine, Luke added a Ducati Race ECU and a Dynojet Energy Commander V tuner, then booked the bike for a dyno session. The engine additionally wears a Ducati Efficiency slipper clutch and a set of carbon fiber covers. Brian Wellman at Motoclub lent a hand on {the electrical} aspect, re-wiring the bike to wash up the areas that may in any other case be lined by fairings on a inventory 1198.
The cockpit contains a Zeta Racing prime yoke, with a titanium sprint mount from Stradafab supporting the Ducati’s digital unit. Pushed Racing clip-ons are kitted with Brembo controls, complementing the total Brembo braking system that Luke pieced collectively for the bike. A Velocity Moto Co. mild sits up entrance, with Rizoma mirrors hanging off the ends of the bars.
Titanium goodies are sprinkled throughout this gnarly SportClassic-1198 hybrid. The coolant overflow bottle is titanium, as are all of the engine bolts, the clutch cowl, and the NCR Italy rear-sets. The entrance fender and rear hugger are carbon fiber components from Bestem.
Since this isn’t a standard SportClassic, Luke felt free to select a non-traditional colour. So he turned to his highschool good friend, Adam Fleiner at Fleiner Automotive, who laid down a surprising Porsche Oak Inexperienced Metallic paint job. The one graphics are the refined stripes that run excessive of the bodywork and the Ducati brand etched into the saddle.
We are able to’t work out what we’re extra smitten with; the truth that this can be a café racer with superbike ranges of efficiency or the best way the titanium, carbon fiber, and inexperienced bits pop within the Californian solar.
Worthing Classics | Photos by Jose Gallina
