There?s a definite trend towards the sleek and contemporary in the custom scene right now. We see it in the smooth metallurgy of builders such as Auto Fabrica, JvB-Moto and Vagabund, and the CAD magic of guys like Paolo Tex.
But this Swiss-built Ducati is a reassuring reminder that old school craft is still alive and well, and to be found in the most unexpected locations.

?Hector? is a Ducati Hypermotard 796, probably the last machine you would expect to get the old-school treatment.
It comes from the oddly named workshop Be Unique 2.22, a collective of six petrolheads based in the small town of Magden, about an hour?s drive from Zürich, the largest city in Switzerland.

Lead mechanic Adrian Frommherz has been working on bikes since he was five years old, we?re told. At Be Unique he?s joined by a metalworker, a boat builder, a leather worker, the custom bike builder Tobi Doppler, and a photographer?Markus Edgar Ruf. Markus took the shots you see here, and filled us in on the details.

So where did the spark for this most unusual build come from" It?s a commission from Tresor Contemporary Craft, a fair in Basel that promotes traditional techniques and design in the 21st century. Which explains the rough-hewn appearance of this modern Hypermotard, as well as the numerous obvious welds.

?We deliberately kept a hammered finish and the traces of the metal working tools,? says Markus. ?This bike has been designed without a computer.?
?We got inspired by old race car...