If the Ducati Monster starts out naked, it often only gets more so, and more stylized, in the hands of the world’s master custom builders. The Monster line covers a range of bikes from the smaller 400cc entry-level version to the superbike version with 160hp. Collectively, they account for a major chunk of Ducati sales.
Designed to offer Ducati performance minus the sport bike aesthetic and rider demands, Miguel Angel Galluzzi’s iconic design has spawned many variations on the theme. The design has also put an endless stream of ideas into the heads of builder everywhere; Monsters have been the basis for cafe racers, street tracker builds, and even a few dark strangers you might see in a Batman movie.
The Ducati Monster is widely credited with saving the Italian marque in the 90s. Part of its success lies in its minimalist brawler aesthetic—and part of it lies in the fact that Ducati has always offered the Monster in myriad engine sizes at varying price points. If you couldn’t quite spring for an M900 back…
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Sacrificing a little comfort for style is not unheard of in the custom scene. But what happens when your goal is to throw comfort out the window altogether? This svelte Ducati Monster 620 from Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles is the answer. Matěj Sysel and his band of custom bike enthusiasts at Gas & Oil…
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At this point in his career, Rough Crafts designer Winston Yeh is almost cheating. He has such an extensive catalog of top-tier builds, that he can pick and choose the best features of each, and end up with something fresh and fabulous. Which is exactly how he designed this diabolical Ducati Monster 821 café racer.…
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It takes a healthy measure of skill and talent to successfully run a custom motorcycle workshop. But even some of the industry’s top shops frequently outsource specialized tasks—particularly things like upholstery and paint. Those that can handle every last job in-house are a rare breed. deBolex Engineering counts themselves among those ranks. The team of…
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The Ducati Monster might have been a parts bin special, but it was also a sales hit—and it’s easy to see why.…
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A few years ago, a café racer was usually a classic bike, modified with sleeker bodywork, a tuned engine, and a stubby…
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There’s a sense of self-sufficiency that’s deeply ingrained in the Batman mythos. Bruce Wayne has no superpowers—just his intellect, combat skills and…
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Word of mouth is a powerful thing. You might not trust what you read on social media or see on TV, but…
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Flat track racing covers a whole spectrum of participation levels—from pro leagues to grassroots ‘run what ya brung’ events. And that’s great…
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Alex Earle broke onto the custom scene emphatically ten years ago, when he designed a monocoque carbon fiber body for the iconic…
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We’d love to take a peek inside Edi Buffon’s mind. The Sydney-based custom builder specializes in bobbers that deliberately eschew practicality in…
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From one extreme to the other: a wild SRAD Gixxer built for classic racing, and a funky little SR250 that zooms around…
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