Red Hot: deBolex’s Ducati Scrambler Racer
There’s always some trepidation when you meet a custom motorcycle builder for the first time. Is their work really that good in the metal" Or do they rely on expensive photographers and Photoshop to hide hack-jobs and shortcuts"
I’ve been lucky enough to hang out with Calum Pryce-Tidd of deBolex Engineering in south London a few times now. But it wasn’t until he took along a couple of his bikes to the Wildays festival in Italy that I finally saw deBolex’s work in the clear light of a crisp Mediterranean day.
When Calum rolled this alluring Ducati racer out of the van, I was gobsmacked. And I wasn’t the only one?the Duc stopped passersby in their tracks, all weekend long.
It started life as an 803 cc Ducati Scrambler, booked in by a very relaxed client. ?We had full freedom on the project,? says Calum, ?so it was a chance to build a bike that was true to our style.?
?We found a distinct style while building our Ducati 749 project. Since then, we?ve honed in on this, and carried some of the fundamental design elements through to our Thruxton build, and now onto this recent Ducati.?
Calum and his partner, Des Francis, are methodical and traditional in their approach. Their bodywork is always hand-formed from aluminum using age-old metalworking techniques, and they even do their own paint and upholstery.
?We?re forever inspired by classic race machines,? says Calum. ?And we always had one direction planned for this project: a full...
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May is Motorcycle Awareness Month
07-05-2024 08:33 - (
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