If the name Mike Salek sounds familiar to you, you?ve probably been with us for the long haul. Because seven years ago, when retro Honda CB café racers were all the rage, Mike built an incredible example of the type that melted our servers. Then all went quiet.
A few days ago, Mike got back in touch. ?It was about time I built something else, after my CB made such a splash,? he tells us. And so we have this very sporty Ducati 848 cafe fighter, built in two countries.

Mike runs a company that makes pumps for the oil and gas industries. He regularly makes the 1,500-mile trip between Calgary in Canada and Palm Springs in the USA?but he doesn?t let the travel get in the way of bike building.
?It seemed logical to fly it back and forth, since there are so many amazing resources in Southern California,? he explains.
It helps that the Ducati is stripped down to the basics. ?I wanted to make a lightweight modern cafe racer that wasn?t black, white, or silver,? says Mike. ?I feel like all I see these days is colorless bikes.?
He started out with a lightly used 2008 Ducati 848: a 168 kilo (370 lb) pocket rocket that delivers a mighty 116 rwhp when it leaves the factory. But Mike has been riding and racing bikes for nearly three decades now, so he went in search of even more power.

The desmodromic L-twin is now hooked up to a Power Commander, which takes advantage of the modified airbox and K&N filter.
There?s also a custom exhaust with a stubby muffler from MotoGP sup...