How many times, have you looked at motorcycles
like this one, and thought something like: It looks good, it looks fast, but
it doesn't mean anything to me. I bet this statement, sounds
quite familiar to many of you. On the other hand, what do you
think when you see one of these? I'm sure most would say:
That's the one. Modern, classic, fast enough, full
of character, and personality. In other words, it had everything to be
the best-selling motorcycle in the world. Right? Unfortunately, things are not that simple. And it is precisely at this point, that
today's project, is extremely interesting. And according to the builder,
it is still a work in progress. Welcome, to Racer TV. Before you judge this machine,
allow me to explain a few things. This Ducati, is not exactly the
work of a professional builder. But he could be a professional, if he wanted to. It is not prepared, to be ridden on public roads. But it could, if the builder also wanted to. All this means, the builder and the owner of
this cool project, are the exact same person. His name is Kaspar, and he builds
custom motorcycles as a hobby, under the moniker of Kalapea Garage, in Estonia. One of the things I admire on this Kaspar's work,
is that he built it with some contradictions, in order to play with the
senses, of those who see it. In other words, it carries a certain: "I don't give a damn" atmosphere. And I like that. Especially when I look at this "drag" tire. What if I told you, that Kaspar
shaped this tire, by doing this. I am just kidding.
But here is the story of the project. For the past decade, Kasper has been
building some custom motorcycles as a hobby. But this one, is his personal project. He build it along 6 years, and with no restraints. All He had, was a damaged 749 S model,
and a lot of freedom, to modify it. Kasper always wanted a Ducati Sport Classic. But he also liked, the cool 'Sultans
of Sprint' drag motorcycles, that he saw at the 'Bike Shed Show'. And so he decided to combine these 2 completely
opposite things, in one single project. A very strange combination for sure. But somehow, it looks very cool. As you see on this transition, the rear
wheel, is now much further from the engine. I admit that for some, this new
wheelbase, may seem too bold. But personally, I think the original swing arm
would be too short, for this large fairing. The new mono swing arm, came
from a MV Agusta Brutale, which is about 10cm longer, than the original one. But to keep everything proportionate,
Kaspar opted for a large rear end. But I will explain this in a few minutes. The most obvious sections, that are still original from the donor motorcycle, are the
trellis frame, fuel tank, and the engine. And about this last one, I must
say that it is now very far, from the factory original state.
Kasper did everything he could, to increase horsepower.
It has now sports cylinder heads, lighter rods, a lightened flywheel, 12-point injectors, slipper clutch, and a programmable ECU, with launch control. The exhaust pipes are obviously custom made, using also an aftermarket muffler,
which is indeed a very beautiful item. The front forks, came from the Aprilia
RSV, but using custom made triple trees. Kasper also developed this structure,
to hold one of the 2 radiators, an expansion tank, speedometer,
headlight, and also the fairing. Speaking of it, the fairing came straight
from a Ducati Paul Smart limited edition. But it required some adjustments
to fit on the project. Another interesting detail,
is this headlight cover, giving a more racing look, whenever necessary. This rear section, is definitely the
most surprising part of the project. Notice how slick and clean it is.
Almost as if it was floating. And the connection with the fuel
tank, is absolutely impeccable. The most interesting, is that you don't
see any structure, supporting this section. Kaspar made this, by first
hand shaping a prototype mold. Then, after a 3D scan, he created the entire out
shell from fiberglass, and also the entire sub-frame, made on a CNC cutter machine.
This means the sub frame structure, is entirely hidden inside this fiberglass section. And even more impressive, there is not one single screw visible, around the entire rear section. A very impressive work indeed. The color combination, is
also a very tasteful choice. Something tells me, that Kasper took some
inspiration, from his 'Bell Bullet' helmet. And I'm glad he did that.
Because it looks absolutely beautiful. Almost too beautiful, to be on
a sprint racers competition. But let's now talk about
the project's proportions. I know there are some elements,
which seem out of the ideal size. At first glance, the rear
section and fairing look ok. But the gas tank seems small,
and the fairing a bit too low. I tried to solve this on Photoshop, and it seems
that by rising the fairing, it would look better. But with a bigger fuel tank,
it didn't work as I expected. In a way, I think i am being too picky. Because all this is only
visible, from the side profile. And when Kasper is seated on, or
riding it, it looks simply perfect. So, let's now clarify the enigmatic "Cagiva"
letterings, which I'm sure you are curious about. As you probably know, Cagiva used to be
owner of Ducati, between 1985, to 96. According to Kasper, while
he was working on the engine, he noticed there were more Cagiva
"elephant" logos on the castings, than Ducati logos, which is comically strange. And so he decided to extend the
joke, all the way to the fuel tank. As Kaspar also said: This motorcycle is obviously
not a daily commuter, but it can ride. It s not an actual drag motorcycle, but it has potential. It s not furniture, but it looks good. And so it s a work in progress, to
figure out what he will do with it. Thank you, for watching Racer TV. And as always, I hope to see you on the next video.
