DUCATI 860 GT

DUCATI 860 GT BY MADE IN ITALY MOTORCYCLES


In the sleepy English country town of Stowmarket you’ll find one of the world’s top Ducati specialists: Made In Italy Motorcycles. For thirty years John Fallon has been buying, selling and restoring Ducatis—and we’ve finally snared a set of images that show the incredible quality of his work.
It’s a heavily customised 860 GT, inspired by Ducati’s beautiful 1970s Super Sport machines. The man responsible for the metallurgy is Fallon’s workshop guru Neil Ridgewell, who’s also a qualified Ferrari, Bentley and Maserati technician.


Most Ducatisti will be scratching their heads looking at this bike, so it’s worth digging into the backstory a little. It starts with Giorgetto Giugiaro, the world’s most lauded car designer in the 1970s.
Giugiaro drew sensuous curves for Alfa Romeo, De Tomaso and Maserati, and posters of his cars adorned millions of teenage bedroom walls.






So you can’t blame Ducati for asking Giugiaro to design the 860 GT. But Giugiaro suddenly changed tack, and ditched the curves for what became known as the ‘folded paper’ look.
It worked for the Lotus Esprit and the VW Golf, but left the angular 860 GT looking awkward and out of place in the Bologna factory’s line-up.



The 860 GT is not a bad bike, though—apart from a slight tendency to weave at high speed. And this one has the looks to match its capabilities.

It’s a 1977 model owned by Tom Craig, who’d set his heart on a ‘green frame’ 750 Super Sport. “I was living in Monaco and wanted a bike for day trips into the mountains and over to Italy,” he reports. “But I ended up with an 860 GT.”



Tom decided to give the bike an extreme makeover. So he briefed Made In Italy Motorcycles to restyle his GT with a classic Ducati vibe. It’s effectively a monochrome version of a green frame bike, but obviously a custom build.
“I felt uncomfortable doing a straight copy of the green frame,” says Tom. “But I think the result is pretty good. Everything is as it should be, and it goes as well as it looks.”\\
“The red leather saddle is confirmation that this bike never sees wet days—not that there are many in Monaco!”
Head over to the Made In Italy Motorcycles website to see more fine Italian machinery, including Moto Guzzis, MV Agustas and Laverdas.




CONDOR: THE OTHER BOXER MOTORCYCLE





Unless you’re a military enthusiast or a Swiss army conscript, you probably haven’t heard of Condor-Werke AG.it’s one of Europe’s sleeper marques, and started building motorcycles for the Swiss military in 1893. (Yes, that’s a year before Hildebrand & Wolfmüller launched the first true production motorcycle.)


The machine captured here by photographer Marc Schneider is a Condor A580 that rolled off the production line in 1953 in Courfaivre, a small town in the watchmaking canton of Jura. It’s owned by a collector who wishes to remain anonymous, but is happy to share images and a little history.

The similarities between the Condor and contemporary BMWs are obvious. The Condor is not a direct copy, but it’s a bulletproof, well-engineered air-cooled boxer with shaft drive.

The Schweizer Armee coveted the BMWs used by German troops during World War II, so Condor got the job of designing a Swiss equivalent. Blueprinted in 1944, the A580 has telescopic forks, plunger-style rear suspension, hydraulic self-adjusting valve lifters and aluminum cylinder heads. It’s clearly inspired by German flathead boxer models—such as the BMW R71, R6 or R12, and the Zündapp KS600.
The bike we’re looking at here spent a decade in service before being auctioned off. When the 1970s arrived it was locked away, and forgotten till the 21st century.

It’s now been treated to a classy restoration job, but retains some of the battle scars it earned during military service—including a few broken cooling fins on the cylinder heads. The tires are a period-correct Metzeler Block C pattern—hard to come by nowadays, but a neat finishing touch for the restoration.
The subdued military paint is gone, replaced by a red color that Condor used for its civilian models, which sold for twice the price of contemporary BMWs. But the unusual gear ratio reduction lever (below) remains, mounted on the right side of the transmission.
This lever gives the Condor eight gears—four for the street and four for hard terrain, which reduces top speed from around 110 to 50 kph (31 mph).

The Condor may not be the most exotic of classic motorcycles, but it’s virtually indestructible. And who doesn’t like the idea of an older bike that won’t break down every five minutes, and is simple to maintain?

Maybe it’s time to start trawling the classifieds in Zürich and Geneva.




THE ‘BRAND NEW’ DUCATI DARMAH




If Ducati Darmah looks as good as new, that’s because it almost is. It’s a ground-up build from the Dutch restoration wizards at Back To Classics, one of Europe’s top Ducati specialists.
There’s a story behind this bike, and one we can all relate to. “We were contacted by a guy who’d recently sold his business, and was getting ready for retirement,” says shop owner Harné Heuvelman. “Browsing through old photographs, he found himself back in 1980, on his recently purchased Ducati 900 Sport Desmo Darmah.”

“So he asked us if we could build him the exact same bike: red and white color scheme, large dual seat, FPS wheels, a kick start lever, and so on.”

Harné didn’t have a Darmah for sale at the time, but it wasn’t long before he came across a frame and engine. After checking his huge stock of Ducati parts, he realized that he had everything he needed to make an exact copy of his client’s long-lost bike.

The frame and engine were from a 1979 Darmah, so Harné decided to replicate a factory-fresh model from that year, right down to the last nut and bolt.

In his workshop in the tiny town of Bergambacht, the bevel engine was torn apart and rebuilt—with a new con-rod kit, pistons, valves and camshafts. The casings were salvageable, so they’ve been wet-blasted and returned to as-new condition.

Harné has kept the original Bosch ignition system, resisting the temptation to upgrade it with modern components, however better they may be. After all, the brief was to create a ‘new’ Darmah just as it left the factory.

The only non-standard parts on this machine are Ikon shocks to improve the handling, and wiring for a TomTom Rider GPS unit. The result is stunning—and suggests that Darmah designer Leopoldo Tartarini should receive more credit for his work.

“The Darmah isn’t a sought-after classic, compared to a 900 Super Sport,” Harné admits. “But it’s one of the best classic Ducatis from the user’s point of view. It has a very good riding position, electric start and, one can argue, it’s still a very good looking bike.”

classic motorcycles

SUNBURST: NYC NORTON’S DAZZLING 1972 COMMANDO

If you live on the east coast of the USA and you need work doing on your Norton, there’s only one person to call: Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton in Jersey City, just outside Manhattan.

Kenny’s a household name on the global Norton scene. It’s not hard to see why—his builds are an exquisite blend of performance and style. And, as with most old British iron, there’s usually a good story too.




“Sunburst started with a call from an overseas number on the shop phone,” Kenny tells us. “On the other end was a pleasant voice with an unidentifiable accent. It was Joe, calling from a small country in the middle of the Mediterranean.”
Joe had just bought a pristine Norton Commando in the States, and asked Kenny if he could add some performance and reliability mods. “We love that kind of work,” says Kenny. “But Joe’s Commando was just too nice to tear down.”




A new concept was required, and a ratty 1972 Commando appeared on the radar. It had lived a rough life: the crankcases even had a sloppy weld on the drive side half, a telltale sign a rod had broken through.
Kenny decided to use as much of the donor as he could, while fitting some robust and reliable racing parts. He sourced a Maney lightweight crank, alloy cylinders, a Fullauto head, and JE 73mm forged pistons. The crank was balanced to 74%, the same factor used by NYC Norton’s championship-winning Seeley Commandos.

Other goodies include a Webcam racing cam and one of the last Maney exhaust systems ever to be made. “We kept the compression close to 10:1,” says Kenny. “High enough so the bike can be ridden on the street, while still being able to run on hi-octane pump gas.”

Carbs are Keihin FCR35s, with manifolds adapted to the Fullauto Norton cylinder heads. “The heads are the single biggest boost of power you can add off the shelf for your Commando. Proof is in the pudding, and the eating is good.”




Metal-bending artist Roger Titchmarsh supplied a mint Seeley Mk2 replica chassis from the UK, and Kenny started fabbing up custom engine plates. “We spent a lot of time spacing the AMC gearbox over to the left, five millimeters from the motor centerline, to give better chain clearance for the back tire.”
A pair of custom alloy fork yokes went on, set up with a pinch-bolt top for quick geometry changes. Falcon shocks were fitted to the rear.

For the front wheel, Kenny bolted twin Hemmings 11.5-inch disks to a 6-bolt hub using AN aircraft bolts. The fork sliders are Norton Production Racer items and the disks have been drilled—removing 1.3lbs from each rotor. The calipers are AP Racing, pumped by a 16mm Brembo master cylinder.




The rims are 18-inch unflanged alloy, WM3 at the front and WM4 at the back. A neat touch: the rear wheel was built using a two-piece Triumph T140 replica billet hub, along with a Maney cush drive to give the gearbox a little relief from quick shifts and injudicious throttle use. Tires are Bridgestone BT45 Battalaxes.
The primary side of the bike was built using a 30mm belt drive that increases the primary ratio—meaning less torque shock to the gearbox. There’s also a trick high-output alternator, keeping a low profile behind the alloy belt guard cover.




The bodywork is equally divine. “Joe turned us on to FlatRacer in the UK and their Sprint 1/2 fairing,” says Kenny. “It’s heavier than the racing bodywork we often use, but that allowed us to alter the shape of the fairing to get the custom fit we needed.”
The vibrant color scheme is certainly a departure from the more conservative natural alloy or black and gold chosen by most of NYC Norton’s Seeley customers.

“Joe knew he wanted something bold, but he wasn’t sure exactly what. After much back and forth, we seemed to stall a bit.




“Later, while sitting in my home studio, an idea dawned on me as I sat plunking out some parts on my guitar. I realized this was a motif that was very important to me—the cherry sunburst of my favorite vintage Gibson Les Paul.
Joe was 100% on board. “This made it very personal. The last philosophical hurdle had been cleared.”

Kenny’s go-to guy for paint is Brent Budgor from the Vintage Vendor. “As we worked through the shading process of the sunburst motif, I learned that Brent too had a Les Paul that he’d stripped and painted—so he understood the concept from the get-go.”




Brent laid out the Norton logo and pins in a gold undercoat, then sprayed the major color over. Once the bodywork was back, the bike was buttoned up in short order. Kenny called his old friend and fellow racing competitor, the photographer Doug MacRae. It was time to shoot.
“This is a serious bike,” says Kenny. “It’s pretty, but its foundation is a top-spec, competitive 750 racer weighing 300 pounds, adapted for the street.
“The bike starts on first kick and is an absolute blast to ride. It has the famous Seeley handling and Commando torque, without any sacrifice. No, it is not Papa’s Norton, and perhaps the cobblestones of NYC streets might rattle its tight suspension a bit.




“But there’s not a back road in the world this bike can’t eat alive.”

The NYC Norton site has a wealth of riveting detail on this build. But don’t head over there unless you’ve got time to spare—and a firm grip on your credit card.

HEAVENLY HARDTAIL: FACTORY METAL WORKS BSA A65




Classic hardtails aren’t our regular fare, but we can’t resist the subtle beauty of a Factory Metal Works build.



Three years, shop boss Lucas Joyner blew our socks off with an amazing Triumph built for Mooneyes. And now he’s back with a beautiful BSA A65, its lovely engine cradled in a hand-fabricated dual-downtube frame.




Joyner is a metalworker extraordinaire, but his path to the motorcycle business has been somewhat unusual. He’s been a heavy metal promoter in LA, a recording studio owner and a NASCAR chassis builder.



Thankfully he’s now found his true love, and it’s of the two-wheeled kind.




The frame is the showpiece of this perky, chunky-tired build. It’s not stretched, but it’s got a 25-degree rake and a 1.5-inch drop, plus slightly shortened sliders to level out the stance.



The engine is from a 1971 BSA, so it’s the twin carb model. Joyner has completely rebuilt the 654cc twin and it looks even better than ‘factory.’ The exhaust headers are stock, but topped off with slightly upswept ‘cocktail shaker’ endpipes—a perfect match.




The fuel and oil tanks are Triumph items (unit and pre-unit respectively). The classy black leather seat is a Factory Metal Works piece, and there’s an equally stylish ribbed fender from The Baron’s Speed Shop over the rear 18-inch rear wheel, anchored with custom-fabricated struts.

HEAVENLY HARDTAIL: FACTORY METAL WORKS BSA A65

Full Size

Classic hardtails aren’t our regular fare, but we can’t resist the subtle beauty of a Factory Metal Works build.

Three years, shop boss Lucas Joyner blew our socks off with an amazing Triumph built for Mooneyes. And now he’s back with a beautiful BSA A65, its lovely engine cradled in a hand-fabricated dual-downtube frame.

Full Size

Joyner is a metalworker extraordinaire, but his path to the motorcycle business has been somewhat unusual. He’s been a heavy metal promoter in LA, a recording studio owner and a NASCAR chassis builder.

Thankfully he’s now found his true love, and it’s of the two-wheeled kind.

Full Size

The frame is the showpiece of this perky, chunky-tired build. It’s not stretched, but it’s got a 25-degree rake and a 1.5-inch drop, plus slightly shortened sliders to level out the stance.

The engine is from a 1971 BSA, so it’s the twin carb model. Joyner has completely rebuilt the 654cc twin and it looks even better than ‘factory.’ The exhaust headers are stock, but topped off with slightly upswept ‘cocktail shaker’ endpipes—a perfect match.

Full Size

The fuel and oil tanks are Triumph items (unit and pre-unit respectively). The classy black leather seat is a Factory Metal Works piece, and there’s an equally stylish ribbed fender from The Baron’s Speed Shop over the rear 18-inch rear wheel, anchored with custom-fabricated struts.

Full Size

The rear hub is a pre-1970 Triumph spool hub, laced to a chrome rim. Up front is a Triumph twin leading shoe wheel laced to a 19-inch rim.

Everything is clean and simple: nothing flashy, nothing out of place. The bars are uncluttered and the pinstriping is low-key, setting off the dark metalflake paint.

If you’ve got a soft spot for understated retro customs based on classic British iron, head over to Joyner’s website. It’s hardtail heaven.

The Factory Metal Works | Instagram | Facebook | Images by Clint Quiz

The rear hub is a pre-1970 Triumph spool hub, laced to a chrome rim. Up front is a Triumph twin leading shoe wheel laced to a 19-inch rim.
Everything is clean and simple: nothing flashy, nothing out of place. The bars are uncluttered and the pinstriping is low-key, setting off the dark metalflake paint.

If you’ve got a soft spot for understated retro customs based on classic British iron, head over to Joyner’s website. It’s hardtail heaven.

THE BLACK DOUGLAS: A TWO-WHEELED MORGAN

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Fabio Cardoni is a man after our own hearts. “Steel is more beautiful than plastic, and simplicity is more appealing than complexity,” he says.
Sig. Cardoni runs The Black Douglas Motorcycle Company, which makes the vintage-styled machine you see here. Called the Sterling, it’s the two-wheeled equivalent of a Morgan car: a coachbuilt vehicle with the charisma and craftsmanship of a bygone age.




Regular readers may recall that we covered Black Douglas a couple of years ago. We’re revisiting the company because the Sterling has been developed into a significantly better bike, and there’s now a dealership network on the way.
There are already showrooms in the UK and Italy, with Germany and Austria set to open soon. Australia is next in the queue, and there’s a kit version of the Sterling available for the USA.




To develop the Black Douglas, Cardoni brought on board a prototyping company owned by an engineer well known to both Ducati Corse and Yamaha Motorsport. Together, they’ve ‘industrialized’ the Sterling for production, creating the Mark 5 version.
“It was difficult and expensive,” says Cardoni, “but also fun. Especially when you’re trying to convince a racebike specialist that you need a girder fork.” The forks are no longer bought in from an outside supplier: they’re hand-made from 7075-aluminum alloy, and individually machined on lathes.




They’re also a little shorter, with one degree less rake to sharpen the steering response. And there’s now a discreet adjustable shock absorber that improves the movement of the forks.
The tank is built using ‘Peraluman’ alloy, bent and welded into shape. You get a choice of two engines: a 125 and a 230, with a 400 on the way. The engine components are produced in Taiwan but assembled in the Italian factory.




The other upgrades are mostly in the detail—improving build quality and the riding experience. The tires are slightly chunkier, the seats are handmade in-house, and the electrical wiring is wrapped in cotton, vintage-style.

The exhaust is now catalyzed, and the Black Douglas has passed homologation tests in Europe. “We can now stamp our own frame numbers, and offer a two-year warranty,” says Cardoni.




Right now, he’s working on homologation for Australia and Japan. Next will be EPA compliance, so that built-up bikes can be sold in the USA.
“We’re also working on a wicker wood sidecar and other extras such as different handlebars, headlights, seats, fuel caps and more,” says Cardoni. 
Also on the slate is an Italian designed and built 350cc engine, which will equip a premium model to be called the Sterling Imperial.

We’d happily take the current Mk 5 Sterling, though. Tipping the scales at just over 100 kilos, it’s considerably lighter than its predecessor, it brakes better, and the riding experience is smoother.
built-up machine.




That’s the kind of money some folks pay out to modify a stock bike. The Black Douglas order book is full for the next couple of months, and we’re not surprised.
Now, where did we put those plus-fours?