In Cafe Racer magazine’s latest August/September issue, we cover the global custom bike building competition taking place during July’s massed World Ducati Weekend in Italy. The firm invited ten of the best Ducati custom wizards to joint his annual affair that draws over 120,000 Ducatisti to the Misano racetrack in the beautiful Adriatic region.
There were stretch choppers(!) race replicas and some truly weird Italian bikes entered into the show, but we noticed a distinct trend. For evidence, look no further than a wicked, all-black 600 Monster done up by entrant Luca Pozzato. The veteran bike designer has spent several years honing his Ducati chops and the trellis-framed special – named Lucenera or “Light To Black” in English- won him a spot in the contest’s top ten. This was a modern cafe racer style at its finest, right down to the missile-shaped front bikini fairing and stark gold frame. The top prize went to American custom impresario Ronaldo Nasso Ferretti who’s entry bore an undeniable likeness to Ducati’s short-lived Sport Classic of the early 2000s. His British Racing Green ride was named Verde and based on a Monster S2R naked. Its lines copied the now-revered retro factory cafe racer right down to the long, flat-topped fuel tank, bulbous half-fairing and wrist-stretching riding position.
