This week we?ve got Ducatis old and new: a German-built custom 848, plus the latest factory race bike?the electric V21L. We also take a look at the 21 Helmets show from the US, and a BMW R nineT with vintage rally theming from Munich.

Ducati 848 redux by Motocrew We?re always fascinated to see bikes that are developed and tweaked over time. A year ago, German builder Chris Scholtka wowed us with his super-clean 848, clad in minimal silver bodywork.
He?s since revisited the 848 to give it a classic race bike look?and he?s managed to get it past the very fussy TÃœV regulators, too. ?The old school racer style was in my head since day one,? he explains, ?but the costs and the regulations were horrible.?

The fairing is a 1980s race job from a Kawasaki. ?It took a lot of time to get it nearly symmetrical on the bike, because the old fiberglass stuff isn?t perfect,? Chris says. ?I also had to build a strong and complex ?cage? to install the fairing?an instruction from the TÃœV to get it street legal.? The headlight is now hidden, and so is a new, custom-made radiator that cost ?1000. ?It was hard to find someone who could build it?the old craftsmanship is nearly gone.?

There?s a new shock from Black-T at the back, and the forks have been refinished in black and upgraded internally with new springs. Chris has also revamped and hidden the electrical system, which now gets juice from a tiny NOCO lithium battery and is wired up to Motogadget lighting.

After finishing the ne...