Little bikes are fun; little classics are adorable. But little, rare Italian classics are irresistible?especially when they’re as fine as this ‘Honcati.’
Yes, we just made that up, because this fun-sized dynamo is as unique as they come. It belongs to Jeff Gittleson of Kinesis Moto, who built it by marrying a Ducati 160 Monza Jr. motor to a Honda CB175 frame.

?It’s not often I get to work on a project for myself,? says Jeff, ?but when I do, I prefer to create something outside the box.?
?I’ve been wanting to play with a Ducati single for a while now, but every time I see one someone else built, it’s either a 250, 350, or 450. The little guys don’t get any love, so when the 160 fell into my lap, I jumped on it.?
By ?fell into my lap,? Jeff means that he found the 1966-model Monza Jr. motor?just the motor?on eBay. Luckily he had a spare 1971 CB175 frame and front end stashed in his New York workshop…
?I always loved the aesthetic of the Ducati motors?the singles in particular,? he explains. ?So I figured, why not marry it to what I had laying around" Seemed like a practical way to get another bike on the road, and it makes a great little commuter every day.?

Jeff wanted to give the Ducati 160 mill a proper makeover, so he turned to specialist Tom Bailey for guidance. According to Tom, the 160 is the closest motor to the original bevel singles used for endurance racing?and he knew just how they were tuned, back in th...