How are you Mounting a Buell Cyclone engine to a Ducati Pantah frame? According to Tom Simpson of the UK Motorcycle Foundry, no. That’s exactly why almost everything on Sparkle Buell is supported cafe racer is the top of the construction.
Let’s rewind: almost six years ago, Tom was busy building a replica Ducati 600 TT2, using miniature parts from a Pantah. “Customers came in to ask what we could do with leftover parts from the sponsor’s bike,” says Tom. “He had an opinion about trying to fit a non-Ducati engine into a Ducati frame, and we had a lot of conversations about what might or might not be right.”
“It was stupid at some point when I mentioned the word Buell, knowing full well that it wouldn’t even be close to fitting. I’ve been a fan for years, have owned a few, but I didn’t expect a phone call to say he’d bought an M2 Cyclone, and it would be delivered directly to me next week.” .
“An abandoned bike later arrived — but thankfully the engine was fine. It was the beginning of a long and arduous but ultimately very rewarding journey.”
Once Tom had the Buell engine in his skeleton, his fear was confirmed: there was no hope of making the idea work, even with substantial modifications. The customer requested a custom framework to respond and Tom agreed – provided there was no time pressure. “I drank milk somewhat forewarned,” he admitted.
Nothing but a 1,203 cc V-twin and Cyclone forks, a set Pantah wheels, Ducati 916 brake calipers and a new set of discs, the project has finally kicked off in earnest.
Using 1-inch stainless steel tubing, Tom built a new frame inspired by the Ducati Pantah, but matched to Buell factory proportions. He also built the swingarm using a mixture of steel tubes, billets and plates, and repositioned the original Pantah modifiers.
“The frame shape is based on the original Buell, but the wheelbase is now about 25mm longer,” explains Tom. On 18” rims with thinner tires than stock, the ride is enjoyable and feels surprisingly relaxing to drive. Either way, it’s possible to relax as much as possible, experimenting with something you’ve worked so hard on for such a long time. “
The chassis is placed on a mixed bag of parts. Tom overhauled the Cyclone fork and modified the reducer to accept the 916’s Brembo brake calipers. The spokes are a heavily modified Ducati 996, and the steering damper is from another 916 sponsor.
The new YSS shocks have a return mission. Combined with adjustable forks and Pantah wheels, they complete Buell’s stance.
However, the frame isn’t the only hand-made product — Tom had to manufacture a number of parts, starting with the gas tank. “The tank wasn’t particularly inspired by any other machine,” he told us. “It was really born out of a desire for it to have an elegant shape, fit in the seating area, fit the owner’s legs, not be too tall, be able to hold a fair amount of fuel, and still look the way it does. I think a cafe style bike should. ”
“For some unknown reason, I decided to see if I could make it out of steel. I could, but not sure I would do it again. Aluminum is definitely a biker’s friend.”
The owner wanted to keep the OEM Buell side cover, so Tom worked that into the design. He also built the front fenders, rear fenders, taillights and license plate holders. The seats are also custom-made and feature gray upholstery from Trim Deluxe, with a touch of Alcantara flair.
Hidden under the saddle is a handcrafted oil tank with a larger capacity than the stock and a box for the electronics. The latter has a Magnetti Marelli Lithium-ion battery, and Motogadget mo.unit is used to rewind the bike.
‘Foundry’ isn’t just a random factory name; Tom has a background as a blacksmith and is well versed in sand casting parts. So that’s how he made the side covers with fins to hide the oil and power boxes. Other handcrafted details include the side rack assembly, chain guard and front sprocket cover.
On the right side is a custom air filter using a K&N filter and a bespoke stainless steel exhaust.
The list of available parts is relatively short, including Tarozzi brake calipers and rear fork, Motogadget starter and keyless ignition, Biltwell Inc. handlebars, Kellermann turn signals and Motone switches. Tom has modified the levers from a Honda CBR600RR and made the headlights himself.
This cafe racer also has an extremely practical mod: a disc locking holder on the left side of the frame.
Tom’s original concept used classic Ducati red – but the customer wanted blue instead. So Tom chose a classic Shelby Daytona color, ‘Guardsman Blue’, expertly executed by S.Jago Designs. The Buell logo was recreated in a period-correct Ducati typeface, and American and Italian flags were added on the fuel tank, as an indication of the mixed origins of the parts used.
AM Metal Polishing added some sparkle to the structure, while automotive coating specialists Freshlayers applied a protective film to the rear half of the tank, to protect it from zippers and buttons.
Given how many hours (and years) it took Tom to complete the Pantah-inspired, Buell-powered beauty, he admits he’s probably forgotten a lot of mods. But the important thing is that it was finally off his bench – and taken steps by its owner.
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