A Ducati what? I hear you say. This is a 1987 Ducati Indiana 650, or at least it was before Tony Prust of Analog motorcycles got his hands on it. Only 240 if these were imported into the US, and they were only made for one year. But all that is history, as the bike has now been transformed into what Tony describes as a Muscle Bobber.
The bike belonged to a customer who picked it up ‘damaged in transit’ from the previous owner and brought it to the Analog shop to see if Tony wanted a crack at customising it. He was initially considering a bobber with forward foot controls but Tony thought it might suit a more vintage muscle-bike look and feel.
The rear of the bike was raised two inches using a pair of Gazi Spot Lite shocks, while the front was lowered an inch. Clip-ons and a custom dash were fitted with a Magura radial master cylinder and bar end turn signals., which took care of the front-end upgrades. It looks seriously tidy.
At the back the subframe was chopped and a custom seat pan was fabricated to support the rear fender and hump. Custom aluminium side-panels were fitted to cover some of the electrics still on show. All the lighting was replaced with aftermarket parts, and the hydraulic lines were replaces with new Hel items.
The engine was refreshed by TJ at Ducati Milwaukee and some engine cases were stripped of their pitted finish (same as mine – thanks Ducati!) and treated to a black wrinkle powdercoat finish. The custom one-off exhaust was ceramic-coated black, and fitted with internal baffles to keep the back-pressure and reduce the bark of the 650cc Ducati L-twin. The airbox was left on the bike as it’s part of the backbone of the frame, and so were the Bing carbs with their unique intake rubbers.
For the hoops, Dunlop Qualifiers designed for the Yamaha V-Max where a perfect fit. It terms of the finish and logos Tony wanted to pay homage to the original Ducati vibe, so he had the bike painted in late ’70s graphics, reminiscent of the Ducati 900ss, in grey and black.
For the hoops, Dunlop Qualifiers designed for the Yamaha V-Max where a perfect fit. It terms of the finish and logos Tony wanted to pay homage to the original Ducati vibe, so he had the bike painted in late ’70s graphics, reminiscent of the Ducati 900ss, in grey and black.
When this bike was originally built, clearly no-one liked it. Not even Ducati. It didn’t sell and it didn’t later achieve any kind of cult status, unlike the Sport Classic 1000 of 2005, but this ugly duckling has been transformed into an extremely unique machine that Tony and the bike’s new owner are extremely pleased with.
We love all of the builds coming out of Analog Motorcycles, so we’ll try to keep up with all Tony’s up-coming work. Cooking in the workshop right now are a 1971 Triumph Trailblazer 250, 1949 Indian Scout 249, and a 1958 BMW R50. So plenty in the works for 2014. Thanks to Tony for sharing with the Bike Shed.
Bike Description
Rear Lifted 2″ with Gazi Shocks
Front lowered 1″
Aftermarket Clip ons
Magura radial Master Cylinders
Hel custom made SS brake and clutch lines
Subframe removed
Custom fabricated seat pan and hump
Upholstery by Rod’s Designs
Paint by Kiel of Crown Auto Body
Graphics design and layout by Analog
Custom made pegs by Free Form Design
Aftermarket gauge with custom fabricated mounting bracket and bezel
Custom made exhaust with internal baffling
Exhaust ceramic coated by Hy Tech coatings
Engine refresh by Travis at Ducati Milwaukee
Custom made side covers
Engine case De-chromed and powder coated wrinkle black
All electrical re-worked
Aftermarket headlight, taillight, and signals
Modified aftermarket headlight ears
Dunlop Qualifier tires
Lots of powder coating
Carbs rebuilt and floats upgraded
Custom relocated key
