We don?t see many customs from Russia. But Moscow-based Birdie Customs and their founder Ilya are doing their best to remedy that, with a slow but steady stream of classy performance customs.
Birdie?s Ducati 900 SS knocked us out a year ago, and they?ve just returned with an even faster 900 SS, built in a different style and taking on board lessons learnt with the previous Duc. It?s sleek and stylish, and there?s nothing else quite like it?especially in the Federation.

?Sadly, Russian custom culture is far behind the international community,? Ilya tells us. ?Clients mostly ask for Harleys with long forks and engraving; customization of a Ducati or BMW R nineT ends with a catalog.?
?Bike EXIF has made us rethink our projects and create something new and much more ?technological?.?
This bike is called ?SS 1100 Carbon.? Ilya and his crew started with the frame of a Ducati 900 SS i.e. from 1999 and little else?which complicated the build somewhat. But it did at least give them a clean sheet of paper.
?Our core idea was futurism?customized carbon parts, combined with Ducati superbike parts, the classic air-oil engine, and high-end electronic Motogadget components.?

The core of the bike is Ducati?s biggest air-oil engine, the Desmodue 1100. After squeezing it into the frame, Birdie grafted on Showa adjustable upside-down forks from an 848, using the bottom yoke from a 1098 and the upper yoke from a 999.
The heavily modified back end is now suspended with the monoshock f...