Dashingly Monstrous: Bolt Motor Co. Custom Monster S2R

That’s some next level craftsmanship right there.

When it comes to the iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer, Ducati, three things come to mind: red, fast, and expensive. Known the world over for producing sport motorcycles that exude elegance and style, the Italian marque also has a wider range of motorcycles that doesn’t exactly bask in the same glory as its heavily popular sport bikes do. These bikes, however, are ultimately more responsible for keeping the company afloat. The reason behind this is simple. Sport bikes are gorgeous to look at. Yes, their lines and curvaceous body work are absolutely stunning, but they’re more likely to stun your wrists and lower back, especially if you ride them on the poorly, if at all, manicured roads of basically any city in the world. 

In 1993, Ducati introduced a controversial line of motorcycles which detracted heavily from their main offering of sport-oriented, race-replica motorcycles. Dubbed the Monster, it ultimately gained mass appeal in the years to come, cementing its namesake as the best selling model in the entire arsenal of Ducati’s motorcycles. Probably key to the Monster’s success is the fact that its recipe remains greatly unchanged to this day. Embodying the gold standard of what a true naked motorcycles should be, it comes sports slightly aggressive upright ergonomics, a trellis frame, and Ducati’s iconic Desmodromic L-Twin engine in a vast array of displacements ranging all the way from 399cc to 1200cc, all of which produce that iconic guttural exhaust note when paired with the right exhaust system. The Ducati Monster, regardless of its displacement, boasts an aggressive and muscular stance, with angular yet rounded bodywork, making it stand out in terms of styling. This meant that the Ducati Monster would become popular in the custom bike scene. 

True enough, when a client of Bolt Motor Co. in Spain, took a 1996 Monster S2R in for modification, they were in for an amazing treat. Bolt Motor Co., based out of Valencia, Spain, manages to turn already gorgeous bikes into one-off masterpieces. Their builds have a tendency of going against the norm in terms of classic design, and yet, somehow, they produce superbly pure motorcycles full of character. Mind you, their work isn’t merely superficial. They pride themselves in rolling out custom bikes that perform as well as they look. 

The owner of this Ducati Monster S2R had three specific objectives in mind for this build: comfort, performance, and style. The team at Bolt Motor Co., went straight into the mechanicals of the bike, boosting its 1000cc L-twin to more than 100 horsepower. To ensure a refined and comfortable ride, they smoothened out its power curve by way of a Motogadget Mo.Unit. Tasteful add-ons such as a Motoscope Pro dash, m-Blaze bar end indicators, and Motogadget switch blocks were also installed. Another element that really stands out and gives the bike a ton of character is the spiked set of wheels by JoNich. Each wheel sports 24 beefy spokes, and the rear tire was upsized to a 200 width, adding a touch of retro-modern flare. 

Rather than boring you by blabbering away at the simply stunning bodywork, and almost completely bespoke tank and rear section, I’ve included a few stunning photos of this one-off S2R care of the guys at Return of the Cafe Racers. After all, no words can thoroughly encapsulate the essence of true art. 

Source: Return of the Cafe Racers