What happens when you stuff a 618 cc L-twin engine into a hardtail built entirely of custom, one-off parts?
An ‘impractical’ beauty of a project with the devil in the details – and apparently it’s a common sight to the Aussies at Machine1867.
“Machine1867 is a one man operation,” cites their website.
“Everything is created in-house from raw materials, nothing is outsourced.”
Sydney-based custom builder and owner of Machine1867, Edi Buffon, is a fan of the builds that push his limits – and this particular brainchild apparently pushed all the right buttons.
“The goal was to reveal the potential of a Ducati engine in a traditional style rigid frame,” says Edi in a report on BikeExif.
“My last KTM bobber build was, by my definition, a conservative project. I decided to do what I love best, and make something over the top and impractical.”
For Buffon, ‘over-the-top’ means the heart of an early-2000’s Ducati Monster 620, showcased beautifully inside a custom chromoly frame and seasoned generously with elements of motocross and a Triumph America.
“The 15-inch rear wheel is from a Triumph America and was initially for my personal Bonneville T100 project, but when I sat it up on the bench and stood back, it looked awesome,” he says.
“I also have an old, drum-braked 21-inch motocross wheel that I use for mock ups—but that looked the part too, so I used it for the build. ”
“With a wheelbase of 1,500 mm set, I went for a rake of 38 degrees and started bending some tube. I know what works—now that I have built a few of these—so the frame was built easily and quickly. Then came all the details and adding the functionality.”
Where’s the impracticality, you ask?
Apart from the obvious, let’s start with the right-hand shifter and the footpegs directly welded to the frame and go from there.
Form decides to sync up with function as we move on to the peanut tank; half is a gas tank – the other half apparently houses the electronics.
The climax of the build? We’re going with the carb, since Ducati’s air intake is legend and Buffon wanted to make his own version.
“I wanted to use a Weber carb for the aesthetic,” says Edi, “and decided on a downdraught type. I made the intake headers from mild steel and had them ceramic coated in black to blend in with the engine.”
Despite the end product being ‘not yet perfect’, the aesthetic is, we think, bang-on – and that’s the dream, isn’t it? To have access to a shop where you can make a mess with the best of them and be able to say ‘Ma, I made this,’ with pride.
We wish Buffon the very best in his custom experiences; in the meantime, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, Behind The Visor, where our main man Cameron Martel curates the best of the best for you, twice a week.
No junk stuff, we promise.
Be sure to also touch base with other recent newsies in our archives, take a peek at the photo gallery below, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
No Comment