Ducati SportClassic is the most beautiful motorcycle that the Italian brand no longer produces. It remains the benchmark for the modern factory cafe racer, and it easily became one of designer Pierre Terblanche’s biggest hits. But what if Ducati brought back the SportClassic – this time with true superbike power?
When it appeared again in 03, Ducati SportClassic Desmo L-twin 992 cc engine produces 90.7 horsepower. And while that’s more than enough for the SportClassic, Ducati still has a more powerful engine in its portfolio. The new Ducati Monster 937 cc produces 111 horsepower, the 955 cc Panigale V2 produces 155 horsepower and the 998 cc Superleggera V4 produces an incredible 234 horsepower across the entire track.
Lucas Worthing’s favorite Ducati engine is the one at the heart of the Ducati 1198 of the late 2000s. The 1,198 cc Desmodromic L-twin engine produces 87% more power than the SportClassic, with 170 horsepower and more torque. -torque 132 Nm.
“My first real superbike was a basic white Ducati 1198 model,” the Los Angeles, California-based architect tells us. “I did some mods and enjoyed it until it got stolen. The engine has more offline power than anything else I’ve ridden and is in beautiful original condition.”
Luke’s love for the 1198 is matched only by his obsession with the SportClassic and the historic racing cars that inspired it. “I have also always had a love for all things NCR; The New Blue and Hailwood Edition SportClassics are my favorite motorcycles. I bought a black one Sports 1000S and added some NCR bits when I was younger—and then I built a full titanium-framed NCR Paul Smart.”
These two passions collided when Luke began to imagine a SportClassic that would power the 1198 but also be light and agile. But his strategy goes beyond just buying a SportClassic and giving it a bigger engine. Instead, Luke bought the frame, engine and swingarm from a 2011 Ducati 1198 SP and started from scratch.
First, Luke put together the parts he had, mounting the bike on a set of Showa forks, Öhlins shocks and a pair of carbon fiber wheels from Collection. He then took the bike away StradaFab in Kansas, where Randy Martin built an exotic titanium trellis frame that would pair the 1198 powertrain with the SportClassic bodywork.
“The frame was taken from sketches I did,” Luke tells us, “creating a hybrid between the SportClassic trellis frame and the stock superbike frame that came with the motor. The original frame had the same mounting points as the SportClassic, so that’s how it started. But the trellis has to be stronger to handle the increase in torque.”
The frame is very delicate but also quite complex. Accommodations had to be made for the 1198’s larger engine and rear center shock location, and parts such as the footpeg brackets were designed to double as reinforcement points. “It took time to figure it out,” Luke added.
“I made several visits to Kansas from California to see Randy. We have worked together to solve certain challenges. Having a background in structural engineering, I could see where I wanted to add gussets and cut designs from cardboard, showing Randy where I thought they would reinforce the frame.”
The bike’s aluminum fuel tank came from a joint in the Ducati SportClassic community, but it required extensive fitment to fit the bike. The biggest problem is the position of the rear shock’s upper bracket; The tank’s fuel pump mounting plate had to be moved further inside to accommodate it. Other important mods focus on narrowing the airbox and intake box.
The side panels are designed specifically at the front of the tank, helping to keep the area around the frame tidy. The SportClassic Monoposto’s rear end is located at the rear, with the vehicle’s battery hidden in the rear bumper.
Luke and Randy also went back and forth on the exhaust system. Luke had an Akrapovič titanium racing system on hand but it didn’t fit the design. Finally, Randy massaged the head to connect with the pair of SC-Project cans, hidden under the tail.
Moving on to the engine, Luke added a Ducati Race ECU and Dynojet Power Commander V tuner, then put the bike through a dyno test session. The engine is also equipped with a Ducati Performance slipper clutch and carbon fiber fairings. Brian Wellman at Motoclub lent a hand with the electrical work, rewiring the bike to clean up areas that would have been covered by the fairing on the original 1198.
The cockpit features a Zeta Racing top, with Stradafab titanium brackets supporting the Ducati digital unit. The Driven Racing clip-on is equipped with a Brembo controller, complementing the full Brembo braking system that Luke has fitted to the car. Moto Co. Speed Lights located at the front, with Rizoma mirrors hanging at the end of the handlebars.
Titanium details are scattered throughout this aggressive SportClassic-1198 hybrid car. The coolant overflow tank is titanium, as are all engine bolts, clutch cover and NCR Italy rearset. The front fender and swingarm are Bestem carbon fiber parts.
Since this is not a traditional SportClassic color, Luke was free to choose a non-traditional color. So he turned to his high school friend, Adam Fleiner at Fleiner Automotive, who did a beautiful Porsche Oak Green metallic paint job. The only graphics are the subtle stripes running on the bodywork and the Ducati logo engraved on the saddle.
We cannot find anything that fascinates us more; the fact that this is a cafe racer with exceptional performance or the way the titanium, carbon fiber and green details stand out in the California sun.
Valuable classics | Image by Jose Gallina
