Ducati’s 900SS has become an increasingly popular platform for building customs, and despite having seen quite a few bespoke builds of the air-cooled, 80hp classic, this build from CC Racing Garage has to be my favorite. Apparently I’m not alone in my enthusiasm as this one-off example took home first place at the Ducati Garage Contest at the 2016 World Ducati Week as well as being crowned with the prestigious Rider’s Award selected by a panel consisting of Davide Giugliano, Danilo Petrucci, and Eugene Laverty.
This example started its life as a 2001 Ducati 900SS. Marco Graziani of Rome’s CC Racing Garage picked up the SS and had been utilizing the short-stroke 904cc-powered scoot as a trackday toy before deciding to transform the Italian machine into a modern cafe racer. Like many elaborate builds, this example became increasingly ambitious as time went on and by the project’s completion had become far more involved than Graziani had originally intended.
Starting at the heart of the bike is an air-cooled, two-valves per cylinder V-Twin that was torn down and rebuilt for the project with new bearings, bushings, polished and ported cylinder heads, gaskets, and seals. The bottom of the engine was also fully rebalanced, coated, and given new bearings and a lightened flywheel. Next a Ducati Performance slipper clutch was added to the mix, along with upgraded throttle bodies off a Ducati ST2.
The electronics suite from a 916 was also borrowed and patched in before the bike’s key ignition barrel was relocated to under the tail. A new custom battery box was also fabbed up, located towards the middle of the frame, and a brand new ECU was specially programmed for the build and then fitted to the bike. A new LED headlight was dropped into place and then capped off with a one-off headlight shroud.
The SS’s stock radiator is quite the eyesore, so for this build a new custom unit was created. Another important component of this Ducati is its gorgeous handmade two-into-one exhaust made by Italian exhaust manufacturers Ajko. The impressive system – made up of lobster-cut sections – is rounded out with a handmade slash-cut muffler complete with a stainless-steel mesh cover, a la Rossi and Vinales’ current MotoGP bikes.
Next came the backbone of the build. The 900 was completely stripped down to the single tubular chrome moly steel trestle frame before the entire two-up sub-frame was lobbed off. A small subframe was created that conveniently bolts right into the main chassis. The Ducati’s stock tail and tank were replaced by a bespoke aluminum monocoque, and the stock steel swing-arm was chucked aside in favor of an aluminum unit to cut down on weight.
The SS’s inverted Showa forks were taken apart, overhauled, and modified before being married to a bespoke set of CNC machined triple trees. The stock rear shock was jettisoned and in its place a top-shelf, adjustable Ohlins unit from a 1000SS was added. Marco somehow managed to source a set of genuine WSBK Marchesini magnesium rims off a Ducati 888 super bike from the 1988 season, which were then wrapped in the Pirelli rubber.
Next Marco got his hands on the Brembo braking hardware from a 999S consisting of dual 320mm drilled disks and twin quad-piston calipers. A set of aftermarket CNC machined reservoirs were fitted up front, married to the build’s hydraulic clutch and Brembo master cylinder. A set of adjustable levers were also tacked on, as were a new pair of clip-ons and rear-sets complete with heel guards. A nifty set of top-shelf bar-end mirrors double as lever guards, keeping the build track-oriented while remaining (somewhat) street legal.
Finally the bike was ready to be painted. Graziani first had the engine painted black, before hitting the subframe, swing-arm and rims with a black textured crinkle coat. From there the front and rear suspension was anodized in black, as were the clip-ons, levers, rear-sets and heel-guards. Next came the main coat adorning the chassis and aluminum monocoque which are adorned in a coat of genuine Lamborghini Orange – the exact paint used on the elite auto-manufacturer’s latest supercar lineup. Silver accents were laid down and then outlined with black pin-striping. A race-oriented saddle was specially made and then finished off with orange accent stitching.
In total, this build – entitled the “Grit 944” – took two years to complete. That sounds about right when you consider the exquisite attention to detail throughout the entire build. The use of elements such as only using titanium nuts, bolts, and fasteners speaks to how meticulous of a project this was. The fabrication and welds are also pretty damn gorgeous. In addition to its success at the 2016 WDW, Grit 944 was also invited to be displayed at a handful of other noteworthy events and shows such as Expobike Verona 2017, Eternal City 2017, the Bike Shed London 2017, and EICMA 2017.
I normally try not to comment on price but this one is hard to leave alone. While I do think this bike is deserving of a steep price tag, the asking price sounds pretty optimistic to me, albeit this build does have some cred amongst Ducatistas who tend to be on the wealthier side. Price aside, I really dig this one. You can find this award-winning, one-off 2001 Ducati 900SS for sale here on The Bike Shed in Rome, Italy with a price of $56,500 (or £40,000).