Walt Siegl has built everything from ’50s Harley locomotives to modern KTM enduros. But if there’s one thing his New Hampshire-based shop is more famous for than anything else, it’s custom Ducatis. Specifically, his vintage-inspired Ducati Leggero was built.
Ducati Leggeros is the symbol for Motorcycle Walt Siegl brand. They are the same in form and function, design and execution, modern performance and classic sex appeal.
Every new Ducati Leggero that emerges from the WSM garage shares a unique and unmistakable design line, yet historically, each new version is distinct from any that have come before. This year, however, Walt is trying something new.
“I’ve been working alone for the past few years, which I enjoy,” he tells us, “but it stretched the waiting list for my bikes by at least two years. This fact frustrates some potential clients and causes a lot of stress for me personally. Since the Leggero is my most ordered model, I first decided to build four identical Leggeros—built to my preferred specifications—as inventory.”
This was a stark departure from Walt’s standards, and therefore required a radical re-imagining of how bicycles were built. Finding a way to replicate the quality and craftsmanship of handcrafted parts was a major challenge, and Walt had to transfer his engineering and design talents to the manufacturing process itself.
Heavy-duty tools for the autoclave system must be hand-built for the carbon fiber bodywork. New jigs must be built from scratch to ensure correct fitting of components that were previously one-off production parts. Concrete molds must be cast for special aluminum tanks.
It was a huge effort, but clearly paid off for Walt. His previous one-off constructions have absolutely demonstrated better quality and finish than the factory finish WSM is known for. Yet somehow, for this new line of bikes, Walt’s ability to reproduce that same level of quality on a scale is almost more impressive than the machines themselves.
Choose any one of the four bikes shown here and you’ll see what we mean. Without any input from the design-directing client, Walt is free to choose finishes that accentuate the surface quality of individual parts and materials, rather than just paint them.
The swingarms, for example, are covered with a semi-transparent semi-gloss finish, which Walt says has allowed him to show off both the intricate welds and the deliberate handcrafted finish applied to the metal. The beautifully sculpted carbon fiber bodywork tells a similar story, with the texture and quality of the weave on full display for the fenders, fenders and rear end.
Like all Leggeros before it, these four latest letters are also a love letter to Ducatis of the late ’70s and early ’80s that Walt took very seriously. The front fascia, narrow rear end and distinctive fuel tank all harken back to a bygone era of the early Ducati 750 and 900 Supersports.
Subtle iconography is elegantly applied in the classic Ducati typeface. Dry clutches clatter satisfactorily beneath their open shells. Walt’s latest Leggeros lack anything in terms of classic charm – but as always, no stone is left out when it comes to equipping these bikes with modern performance.
Each of the four Leggeros is built around a color WSM frame. Their running gear includes full Öhlins suspension front and rear, with forged, gold-coated OZ Racing wheels to match. Brembo brake calipers grip the powerful Brake Tech rotors all around and run through braided Spiegler brake lines to the Brembo master cylinders.
In terms of engine performance, the new Leggeros comes in two flavors. Two of the motorsports are sponsored by the Ducati 900 Supersports, while the other two use the 1000 cc engine from the GT 1000.
The 900 cc engine has been reduced to 944 cc, while the 1000 cc engine maintains its original displacement. Both versions get the full performance treatment by longtime Siegel engine builder Bruce Meyers and finished with immaculate ceramic coating on all exterior surfaces. The list of engine modifications is too long to go into here, but it includes Meyers Performance pistons, and extended greening, shifting, balancing and lightening.
Walt said the electronics for this Leggeros run was also the first for the series. Instead of using the factory performance ECUs that adorned his previous versions, these sporty Leggeros have upgraded Fuel Technology ECUs and custom harnesses from Racespec. These ECUs increase tuning for the twin 90-degree engines and come with the added bonus of a nice touchscreen display.
These pure Leggeros need nothing in terms of style or performance, and if you want one for yourself, we have good news: you can buy one right now. There is no two-year waiting list. No donor bike needed.
If you are still on the fence, we recommend that you do not hang there for too long. Two of the bikes have already been sold, and if the current WSM waitlist is any indication of demand, this could be your last chance to add a new Leggero to your garage in the near future. a long time.
Motorcycle Walt Siegl | Facebook | Instagram | Photo of Gregory George Moore
