Online classifieds The world is filled with boxes that may or may not be good sponsors of custom motorcycle projects. But how often do you come across a rolling chassis with a custom titanium frame, a Ducati 1000 DS engine and some racing accessories? And how often is it a bike that was previously featured on Bike EXIF?
The first When we got our eye on this Ducati, Icon Motosports turned it into a wild race car for their design director, Kurt Walters. Now, more than a decade since the first rebuild, Tony Prust at Similar motorbikes gave it a second lease in life.
Rumor has it that the bike spent some time on the track, before eventually getting under the knife again. That project was abandoned, the core of it was put on Craigslist, and longtime Analog client Del Thomas grabbed it.
“He bought with the intention of doing a custom build of Analog Motorcycles at some point,” Tony told us. “After all, the parts on it alone are worth the price he paid. Some ideas were thrown around what to do with it, but we never settled on anything.”
Del is not only Tony’s customer but also his friend and racing teammate. Both of them used to drive an Analog ‘Hyper8’ Ducati Hypermotard in the AHRMA Battle of the Twins race, in the under 900 cc ‘2’ category. Since this sponsor bike had so many race-ready parts, they decided to turn it into another race bike—but first, they had to figure out what it looked like.
“Earlier in our discussions, I tried telling him about a copy of Mike Hailwood with an all-aluminum bodywork,” says Tony. “Del has several Ducatis and knows the pros and cons of owning and driving them, and knows that the lack of comfort of an MH replica will prevent him from driving it. So it was decided: create a Hailwood replica racing machine, to compete in the larger Battle of the Twins tier.”
Tony started by unloading the Ducati onto its rolling chassis. The titanium frame was originally built by Arc Fabrication, and is paired with a Ducati Supersport 1000 DS swingarm, Öhlins suspension and adjustable yoke from Attack Performance. All of that is worth keeping—but the Kawasaki wheelset that came with the bike had to go.
Analog offers a set of SuperSport 1000 DS hoops for use as a spare and rain wheel, with aftermarket forged aluminum parts for the main setup. The rear is a straight swap, but the front needs a custom buffer to match.
A full Beringer brake setup is also part of the deal, but the rotors don’t match the new wheels. Beringer sent in a new set of propellers, Free Form Design offers custom spacers and Analog put it all together with Beringer master cylinders and Spiegler tubes. In the cockpit, the Beringer brake and clutch control system is combined with the Vortex gripper and gripper.
Analog also specifies a full set of protection bits from R&G Protection, because, as he puts it, “not if, but when, you have a problem.” Kit includes impact bobbin, motor cover and lever guard.
This philosophy also extends to the bodywork. If Tony had gone ahead with his idea of hand-formed aluminum parts, a crash would have meant hours of repair work. What the guys needed, was an easily replaceable bolted solution.
“I called Frank from iOne Moto,” Tony told us, “and they built a replica MH body kit in light track trim for us. Now I just need to make a tank that fits snugly under the visor. It has to be the hardest tank I’ve built so far.”
“It needs to fit the body as tightly as possible, as you have to press your knees into the gas tank a lot when racing and don’t want the ‘loose’ feeling of the body having nothing behind. The tank itself is a work of art that no one will ever really see.”
The bodywork is attached to custom mounts via a set of quarter-turn screws. Tony also built a seat and structure to hold it, the tail section and the battery. Final touches include carbon fiber front and rear fenders, and luxurious upholstery by Dane Utech at Plzbeseated in Chicago.
Ducati’s two-valve 1000 DS engine was brought to the Moto Corse Performance workshop in Florida for a rework and increased capacity to 1,123 cc. It currently runs with a Corse Dynamics loader and K&N filter, Microtec ECU and two H20 Performance oil coolers, fitted with Wirecare coolers. This car also has an STM anti-slip clutch and a quick shifter.
The exhaust is a custom piece, with a Cone Engineering silencer sticking out below the tail. It’s a classy homage to the original Ducati MH900e. The bike is also wrapped up, with a Wirecare sleeve that keeps things tidy.
Wrapped in Krossover Customs gray paint, with graphics by Enamel Brand, Analog’s ‘Ducati MH11’ looks absolutely stunning for a race bike. But is it suitable for the program?
“We weren’t crazy about the engine at first, because we weren’t sure how well the car would perform on the track or how comfortable I would feel driving it,” says Tony. We can always upgrade the engine down the road. With a light tune on it, we hit just under 100 hp at the wheel and 340 lbs when wet.”
“We’ve taken it to a few races and while it’s a bit different from the Hyper8, it’s a pretty cool machine and I look forward to racing it more. And with the successful conclusion of the 2022 season as the Battle of the Twins 2 National Champion, the future looks bright for Analog motor racing.”
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Analog Motorcycles would like to thank their sponsors: Del Thomas, Wirecare, Spectro Oils, R&G Protection, K&N Filters, Beringer Brakes, Bell Helmets, Rev’It! and Brand Men.
