Stunning UpCycle Ducati 998 Is A Neo-Retro Sportbike

All the right curves in all the right places.

Enrico Punsalang

By: Enrico Punsalang

Mar 16, 2021 at 2:45am ET

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Few motorcycles in the world exude as much soul and character as a good old Ducati sportbike. Yes I know, you could get a Japanese sportbike for even less money, and it'll keep on ticking without giving you a headache. But, Italian sport bikes just have a different flavor to them, and there's no denying that bikes as legendary as the 998 are drop-dead-gorgeous out of the box.

Designed by the fabled Massimo Tamburini, the Ducati 998, as well as its more sought-after predecessor, the 916, are extremely valuable sportbikes. That said, I'm sure that most if not all die-hard, purist Ducatisti have closed this article by now, as what we have here is a radically redesigned custom build. This Ducati 998 that has been given a life of its own. Executed by renowned custom motorcycle builder, UpCycle Motor Garage, this particular 998 has undergone quite a transformation. In fact, it would be hard to tell that this neo-retro sportbike started life as a Ducati 998.

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The first thing that's sure to catch your eye would be the bike's wide and voluptuous fairing. Bearing a very streamlined appearance, the fairing gives the bike a very purpose-built aesthetic—as if it were really designed to shred the racetrack. Lastly, its off-center cyclops headlight gives the bike a rather unique appearance. Moving on to the rear of the bike, the folks at UpCycle have done a sublime job at tidying the rear end. An exposed subframe which has been meticulously handcrafted tightly embraces a single-saddle upholstered in brown leather.

Moving on to the bike's mechanicals, the Ducati Testastretta L-twin engine has been retained. However, a magnificent full stainless-steel exhaust system which routes into a Competition Werkes muffler has been fabricated to enhance the bike's aggressive growl. To top it all off, a brand new Antigravity lithium-ion battery has been fitted to keep things even tidier out back, and to significantly reduce weight.