Just as the retro/modern-classic craze was reaching a fever pitch in 2015, Alpinestars released its vintage-inspired Oscar gear collection. While favoring classic styling, the range also boasted advanced safety features that has become synonymous with the Astars brand.

Just three years later, in 2018, the Italian gear giant celebrated its 55th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, Alpinestars turned to Deus Ex Machina’s Michael “Woolie” Woolaway for a custom build inspired by the Oscar lineup.

“I found a new 1974 Ducati 750 Sport build race engine still in a crate,” noted Woolaway. “This motor was built to period race spec and would be the perfect Italian heart of the bike, but the bike also had to have current race-spec components to tell the whole ‘new and old’ story of this brand with styling from 1960s Italian GP and a bit of more modern Ducati GP.”

Gallery: Oscar by Alpinestars Tribute: 1974 Ducati 750 Sport

Of course, the air-cooled, 748cc, 90-degree V-twin provides the utmost vintage vibes, but Woolaway partnered with legendary builder Jeff Cole to fabricate an all-new frame. In a similar fashion, the classic carburetors, cooling fins, and kickstarter contrast with the dual Brembo calipers, inverted front end, and piggyback rear shock. The Akrapovic exhaust maintains the modern/retro balance with a simple yet performance-oriented design. The dual pipes also have Alpinestars’ “One Goal. One Vision.” slogan and “55 Years.” inscribed across the silencers.

The flowing yet angular bodywork integrates today’s styling cues while staying true to the café racers of old. A futuristic fascia and headlight add an avant-garde touch while the brown rubber grips, Monza gas cap, and Oscar logo reference much older conventions. Predictably, Woolaway paints his stunning creation in Ducati Red, paying homage to Alpinestars’ country of origin.

“Very importantly, I wanted the bike to remind people of Alpinestars’ Italian roots and heritage in racing,” added Woolaway, “so it needed to look and sound like a real race bike, which it does!”

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