Cream of the crop: A Ducati 749 café racer from Estonia

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Similar to any historic marque, Ducati has had its justifiable share of divisive bike designs. The Ducati 749 and 999 spring to thoughts. Penned by the legendary Pierre Terblanche, they had been a daring step away from the design language established by the enduring 916.

The sharp fairing and stacked headlight design shared by the 749 and 999 divided opinion. But it surely in the end didn’t matter; each finally proved to be extremely succesful sportbikes. Even the smaller 749 made a decent 108 hp in inventory trim, with the upgraded S and R fashions good for 116 hp and 121 hp every.

This practice 2005 Ducati 749S has strayed removed from Terblanche’s unique design, but it surely hasn’t sacrificed an iota of that efficiency. In reality, it truly goes higher than earlier than.

Hardcore Ducatisti needn’t weep; the donor bike was wrecked when the proprietor, Kaspar Ilves, acquired his palms on it. Kaspar relies in Estonia, the place he builds customized bikes as a passion beneath the moniker of Kalapea Storage. This café racer was a private venture, constructed on-and-off over the course of six years.

Kaspar’s been tinkering on bikes since he was a teen, and used to purchase, repair and flip no matter he might get his palms on. For the previous decade he’s taken on extra severe builds (and commissions), up-skilling alongside the way in which. So all the pieces you see on this bike, from the engine work proper as much as the paint, was performed by Kaspar.

“I constructed it for myself, so there have been no restraints,” he tells us. “The roadworthiness was irrelevant, so it was only for enjoyable. I acquired the donor and had at all times needed a Ducati SportClassic, noticed some cool Sultans of Dash drag bikes on the Bike Shed present that I preferred, and likewise had the proper elements on the shelf—in order that’s the way it took place.”

Kaspar dragged the broken 749S into his storage, and proceeded to bin something he wasn’t planning on utilizing. The one recognizable 749 elements are the trellis body, sculpted gas tank and L-twin engine.

The engine’s hardly inventory although. It now sports activities ported heads, lighter rods, a lightened flywheel, 12-point injectors, a Ducabike slipper clutch, and a programmable ECU with launch management. The exhaust system options customized pie-cut headers, terminating in an aftermarket muffler.

Up entrance, Kaspar repurposed the 749’s entrance wheel and twin Brembo brakes. However the upside-down Öhlins forks are from an Aprilia RSV, held in place by a set of CNC-machined yokes.

Eager eyes will discover that the Ducati’s wheelbase is somewhat longer than traditional. Kaspar tailored the single-sided swingarm (and rear wheel) from an MV Agusta Brutale to suit, including 10 cm to the swingarm size. It’s hooked as much as the 749’s OEM Showa shock.

The rear tire’s a curious selection; impressed by dash racers, Kaspar opted for a Shinko drag tire. Then he added white lettering to attract much more consideration to it. “To be sincere, it was extra for the ‘WTF’ impact than an precise want for it,” he admits.

In his protection, it’s in all probability the one nonsensical selection on this bike. Kitted with carbon fiber fenders at each ends, it’s a surprisingly sensible construct for one thing that’s not highway authorized.

But it surely’s the customized bodywork that basically shines on this good-looking café-slash-dragster. The fairing comes straight from a Ducati PaulSmart 1000 LE, but it surely’s been massaged to suit the 749. It additionally incorporates a detachable headlight cowl, with an LED unit tucked behind it.

A twin radiator setup additionally hides behind the fairing. Kaspar constructed a customized bracket that not solely holds the fairing, dashboard and radiators, however doubles up as an growth tank too.

The floating tail part’s one other slick element. Kaspar first created a hand-shaped prototype, then 3D-scanned it and tweaked it digitally. That allowed him to CNC reduce the rear’s hidden subframe, and produce a mould to form the fiberglass tail unit over.

The design enhances the inventory 749 gas tank completely. Plus it matches so snugly, that it might simply be mistaken for a monocoque physique from a distance.

The bike is affected by neat little elements—just like the customized battery tray and foot controls. Kaspar went all-out on the controls too, choosing carbon fiber clip-ons, Ducabike race-style switches and a Speedhut GPS-based speedo.

The livery is an intoxicating mixture of an off-white base coat and a crimson body, with a couple of refined variations thrown into the combo. Including a contact of gold to the wheels was an impressed selection too.

Unsurprisingly, Kaspar’s Ducati has already began racking up accolades. He debuted it at Estonia’s native AMD World Championship affiliate occasion, the place it took residence the gold. (It additionally secured an invitation to the principle occasion, which has sadly been postponed.)

However regardless of its recognition, Kaspar says that he’s not sure concerning the 749’s future.

“It’s clearly not a each day commuter, however it could possibly trip. It’s not an precise drag bike, but it surely has potential. It’s not furnishings, but it surely seems to be good.”