We all dream of building our very own proper custom yet many of us don’t possess the skills, resources and budget to see a true custom to life. It really takes a combination of all the above, along with hours upon hours of blood, sweat and more blood to pull of many of the finished products we see more and more frequently these days. If you can’t do it yourself, you can always commission one from your favorite builder, assuming he has the time and you have the budget. Every now and then, one of those builds you drooled over on BikeEXIF might actually go up for sale. Well, today is one of those days.
Custom builder and friend of The Bullitt, Bryan ‘Super B’ Heidt has created a desmo masterpiece with his Ducati 860 cafe racer. It graced the proverbial pages of EXIF and was featured here, among plenty of features and shares. Bryan recently let us know he was going to part with his handcrafted beauty.
The bike started its life as a 1975 Ducati 860 GTE. Much has been done to bring this classic up to date. The Ducati bevel motor has been livened up with high compression pistons and mild head work to put out roughly 80hp. With a newly built engine, tunable digital ignition, a significant weight reduction, and modern suspension; you can keep up with modern bikes on the straights and twisties.
The motogadget components and electric starter means its as easy to live with as a modern bike as well. The tank, tail and seat were hand made to suit the theme of blending modern and classic. Paint is a Mercedes Benz Dark Grey and Alpine White and all graphics are pinstriped by hand. Apart from the tank, tail and hubs, all of the finishes are powder coat or anodized and all hardware is stainless steel, so time and the elements won’t hurt the good looks over time.
The bike has been built with maintenance in mind as well. The seat and tank can be removed without tools and, from there all components can be easily accessed. No corners were cut or compromises made in the building of this bike. It was designed for both function and style without giving up everyday usability.
In addition to the features on BikeEXIF and The Bullitt, Bryan and the 860 were invited to last year’s Handbuilt Show in Austin, TX, it took second in the Pro Custom class at the Garage Brewed Show in Cincinnati, OH and will be featured at the upcoming Forged Invitational in Jekyll Island, GA.
So here’s your chance. Asking price is $30k USD which is cheap considering the level of craftsmanship in this build. It’s also cheap considering that’s basically the going price for a stock Paul Smart SportClassic these days. Shoot us a note if you’re interested in getting in touch with Bryan.
Specifications:
1975 Ducati 860 GTE
GSXR 750 Front forks and brake calipers
R6 rear shock
Ducati sport classic front hub and brake rotors
KLR650 rear hub and brake rotor
Custom PMP sprocket
Ducati 1098 rear caliper
17” Warp 9 aluminum supermoto rims
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires
Motogadget m-Unit solid state fuse box
Motogadget m-Lock
Motogadget Motoscope Pro digital dash
Motogadget m-Switches
Ignitech tunable digital ignition system
Antigravity Lithium Ion battery
Dominio throttle
Upgraded stator
Motor just rebuilt by Desmopro with high compression pistons and mild head work
Custom tank, tail, seat and subframe
Images by Matthew Jones
