Like any good racer cafe factory, Ducati SportClassic Don’t beg to be customized. It’s gorgeous in stock form — and, with its 992 cc Desmo L-twin engine mounted in its trellis frame, there’s just too much to match the show. It’s a bit of a surprise then that it’s so sought after on the second-hand market.
If you manage to get your hands on one, you can happily leave it as it is — or personalize it with a select few mods. Or you can follow Jeff Soucek’s example. His SportClassic looks almost original at a glance, but it actually packs more mods than your garden variety cafe racer.
All you need to know about Jeff is that he lives in California, loves Ducatis and has a background in aerospace engineering. He bought his 2006 model SportClassic in 2010 and has been improving it ever since — performing subtle image edits and dialing performance up to 11.
Jeff likens those tweaks to salt and pepper on a great steak. “The best steak I ever had was in Kobe, Japan,” he explains. “The chef is quiet and extremely thoughtful in his presentation, and when the steak comes out, he simply adds a pinch of salt and pepper, touches the hot iron for three seconds, then serves it.”
“It’s not topped with sauce and garnish — just an empty plate with steak front and center. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever had.”
“This is how I’ve always seen SportClassic — a stunning masterpiece that only needs a little improvement to bring it to near-absolute perfection. My intention when building this bike was to keep its lines, design and taste intact, and bring back the front and center instead of overshadowing it with aftermarket bolts, Striking colors or striking trophy parts. “
Jeff’s SportClassic is a true sleeper, starting with its engine. It was bored with the 1,080 cc capacity courtesy of DucShop in Georgia, with upgraded heads by CR Axtell. Inside you’ll find Carrillo bars, DP cams, an alloy flywheel and a lightweight three-stage crank from Ben Fox. The intake and exhaust valves are larger, the intake manifolds have been moved, the throttle bodies have been revised and the intakes new.
Other upgrades include alloy belt pulleys and EVR slip clutches. The car is also tuned with a Microtec ECU and dual lambda controllers. It now produces 104 hp and 97.6 Nm – 13.3 and 6.4 more than before.
Up front is a black painted Öhlins fork, with an Öhlins rear shock with matching black springs. The discerning eye will notice that the SportClassic’s pyramidal wheels are gone. Instead, there are cast wheels from Ducati 999, with custom billet aluminum tensioners at the rear.
The brakes feature Brembo brake calipers, discs and master cylinders, with 3D printed fluid reservoirs and Spiegler tubes.
In the cockpit are Öhlins Blackline steering damper and raised clamps from a Ducati ST3, fitted with racing-style switches and a Motogadget mirror. There is also the appearance of carbon fiber headlights and carbon fiber front fenders.
The lighting is complete with stealthy Motogadget LED turn signals and custom taillights using 80s Bultaco lenses. Below that is an NCR oil cooler, NCR rear forks and a black exhaust system with Spark silencer.
All the cosmetic changes were subtle, but they had a big impact. If the SportClassic really has a weak point, visually, it’s that the saddle is too tight. Jeff fixed that by fitting a slim tail section from Airtech Streamfining and covering it with a synthetic resin racing pad.
The real genius here is in the new bike. Jeff’s keeps it simple with its jet black body and turquoise frame. They’re colors Ducati previously bestowed on the SportClassic, but never put together – and they feel a bit more luxurious than the factory offerings.
In addition to the coat of paint, Jeff goes through long hours of painstaking work to ensure that each finish coat complements the next. He used titanium screws or clear black re-plated, and a range of parts have been treated to either a black Cerakote or powder coated finish, with varying degrees of matt and gloss.
Every detail is subtle and nothing catches the eye. Jeff even mentions small details – like reworking the speedo case in black and treating the oil cooler to a matte finish with contrasting glossy logos. A few carbon fiber trim details add flair.
Jeff’s SportClassic may not be as radical in terms of external visuals as some of the custom examples we’ve seen, but we couldn’t stop staring at it. Elegant and restrained, it embodies the virtues of modern classics.
And in case you were wondering, yes: Jeff drives it regularly, on the track and on the street.
Pictures of Alexander Soria
