Works of Walt Siegl has appeared on the pages of Bike EXIF since the early days of publication. Based in New Hampshire, USA, the Austrian-born custom motorcycle designer and builder specializes in high-end Ducati customs, demonstrating fine taste and expert craftsmanship.
With over a decade of Motorcycle Walt Siegl sifting through content, narrowing his portfolio down to just five motorcycles was no easy task. We could fill a book with our favorite WSM bikes — and we could write lyric for hours about what makes them so compelling. From one-off specials to limited-edition ‘series’ models, Walt’s machines often wow us.
WSM Ducati Leggero If there’s one thing Walt Siegl is more famous for than anything else, it’s his custom made Ducati ‘Leggero’ bikes. Few custom motorcycles strike the same balance of form and function as Walt Siegl Motorcycles’ Leggero, and a few are immediately recognizable.
Easily combining classic looks with modern performance and finished to Walt’s typical standards of precision, the Leggero is the stuff of dreams. Then what’s better than WSM Leggero? How about four Leggeros, each built to Walt’s own specifications, to store as inventory for potential buyers?
Walt built these four bikes with the same mold he uses for all of his Leggero Ducatis. Each has a chrome WSM frame, fitted with Öhlins suspension, forged OZ Racing wheels and Brembo brakes. It then received a special Ducati engine built by Bruce Meyer—a renowned Ducati expert and Walt’s engine builder.
Two of the cars built in this production run run the Ducati 900 SuperSport sports engine, while the other two use the GT1000 engine. As is customary, they boast an upgrade list and are backed by state-of-the-art custom electronics packages.
On the surface, Walt’s Leggeros are love letters to the late ’70s and early ’80s Ducatis he loved. The bodywork is characterized by equally muscular and lithe parts, drawing a graceful line from the bib to the tail. The finishes are well thought out, highlighting the craftsmanship at work here.
Building four motorcycles at once was a unique set of challenges for Walt, but he overcame them. If there’s one motorcycle that exudes performance and style with ease, it’s the WSM Leggero. [More]
WSM Ducati SBK series Most modern superbikes leave us cold, but Walt’s idea of a superbike warmed our hearts. His ‘SBK’ series builds are made-to-order Ducati superbikes, combining modern performance and timeless style. Pictured here is Walt’s fourth SBK build and one of the best.
SBK’s philosophy is not the same as Leggero’s. Every WSM SBK starts with an aircraft-grade chrome frame, powered by a custom engine built by Bruce Meyers. Then there’s the carbon fiber bodywork and a host of parts that perform at (or above) the level you’d expect from a high-performance motorcycle.
The engine of this SBK is special, including a Ducati 848 crankcase and a large 1,040 cc kit with Pistal racing pistons. Gate and flow head, titanium connecting rod, light and balanced crank; The specification sheet of the motor is complete. Other performance mods include a WSM airbox, a custom programmed ECU, and a quick shifter.
Wheels are carbon fiber items from BST, Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes. Finished with a Ferrari-inspired paint job, the SBK #4 is truly a monster. If only all superbikes looked this good. [More]
Ducati 900 SS 1980 ‘beveled’ When the late Bobby Haas ordered a custom bike from Walt for the Haas Moto Museum in Texas, Walt responded with an ambitious idea. He wanted to use the often-maligned ‘square case’ Ducati engine, “to demonstrate that one can still build a charming machine around that engine design.” And he successfully.
Walt started with a 1980 Ducati 900 SuperSport and turned it into a pure racing machine. Although the bike was intended for a museum, he wanted to know it could work if needed, so the engine was given to Bruce Meyers to do a series of upgrades. It now comes in between 85 and 90 hp, runs with a 40 mm Dell’Ortos and a free-flowing stainless steel exhaust system.
The sculpted bodywork feels classic, but it’s all made of very modern materials; specifically carbon fiber. Everything is assembled around a custom-built chrome frame, with upside-down forks, monoshock at the rear and MV Agusta wheels completing the chassis package.
Finished in Paul Smart-inspired silver with red accents on the bezel, this square box is sure to look good on the track as well as in the Haas Museum. [More]
MV Agusta Brutale 800 ‘Bol d’Or’ Walt may be best known for his Ducati style, but he’s not a one-trick pony. In this project, he applied his signature style to the MV Agusta Brutale 800—proving that he is both versatile and talented.
Dubbed the ‘Bol d’Or’, the car is inspired by classic endurance racers. To enhance the aesthetic, Walt used a mixture of modeling foam and automotive clay to form the new body of MV Agusta, then had a third party fabricate the final components using Kevlar composites. The weight savings are substantial; A 5-gallon fuel tank, for example, weighs only 3.5 lbs.
While the new chassis is standard on the WSM Leggero build, Walt left Brutale’s frame alone, citing that he “didn’t want to cancel something so good.” Small performance modifications include an ECU flash and a new SC-Project exhaust, with an aluminum subframe and a WSM rear set that saves even more weight.
Walt has perfected the design, finishing off the shirt with skewed headlights and ram air vents that aren’t just for show. The vibe is part endurance racer, part road bike, with paint colors that are both simple and impactful. And according to Walt, it is also a ferocious animal on the track. [More]
Redshift Alta ‘PACT’ If you think that all electric motorcycles are dry, lifeless machines, this glamorous custom offers evidence to the contrary. Walt teamed up with industrial designer Mike Mayberry, one of the co-founders of Ronin Motorworks, to build it. They started with a powertrain from an Alta Redshift – the company’s lauded electric bike that is now defunct.
Almost everything else is built from scratch, including the new chrome frame with a street-oriented geometry. The swingarm has also been customized and the car rolls on custom machined 17-inch wheels, with Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes.
Then there’s the PACT’s tantalizing bodywork. Walt prototyped it all using cardboard and paper instead of a computer so he could get a feel for its real-world dimensions. Prototype parts were shaped from carbon fiber sheets, but the final parts were built using forged carbon fiber and compression moulds.
Complete with more appealing features, such as a carbon fiber subframe, the PACT looks like no other motorcycle out there — electric or otherwise. [More]
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