by Silvian Secara from https://www.autoevolution.com
Who would’ve thought Ducati’s monstrosity could make for such a sexy naked bike?
Jesse Spade’s passion for motorcycles goes all the way back to his childhood. At the age of nine, he was already twisting the throttle of his very first dirt bike and things just went from there. Later on, Spade kicked off his adventure in the realm of custom rides by purchasing a 1996 Honda CBR600F3 and tweaking it to his liking.
Over the years, he undertook an array of two-wheeled ventures as side projects, while his main activity revolved around modifying Jeeps of all shapes and sizes. As of 2016, this ambitious fellow decided it was time to spice things up and turned his moto exploits into a full-time activity. You can probably imagine that a fresh start should prove to be a genuine relief after spending twenty years with Jeep’s behemoths.
Since its foundation, Spade’s workshop stacked up on some truly fascinating creatures, including a brutal 2005 Kawasaki ZZR1200 and one rad 1971 Triumph Tiger, to name a couple. As you browse their portfolio, you will encounter a magnificent Ducati 750SS-based masterpiece that does a splendid job at looking delicious.
In fact, let’s examine this mechanical work of art a little closer. I’ll have to point out the obvious and say that the donor is one competent machine. It is put in motion by a ruthless four-stroke V-twin colossus, with two valves per cylinder head and a generous displacement of 748cc.
The air-cooled leviathan is fed by a Marelli CPU 1.5 electronic fuel injection, complemented by a desmodromic valvetrain. At around 8,250 rpm, this feral piece of machinery is capable of delivering up to 61 hp, along with a solid torque output of 44 pound-feet (60 Nm) at 6,000 revs. A five-speed constant mesh transmission is tasked with channeling this force to a chain final drive. Ultimately, this whole ordeal will produce a top speed of 127 mph (205 kph).
750SS’ powertrain is hugged by a tubular steel trellis frame. Up front, the entire structure is supported by inverted hydraulic forks, coupled with a single shock absorber and a steel swingarm on the opposite end. Braking duties are handled by twin 320 mm (12.6 inches) rotors and four-piston calipers at the front, accompanied by a 245 mm (9.65 inches) disc and a one-piston caliper at the rear.
As to Jesse Spade’s one-off entity, the beast was dubbed Terremoto 3. Besides fiddling with the visual side of things, they also treated its weary components to an extensive restoration process. In some cases, the crew even went as far as replacing these units altogether.
For starters, the 750SS was stripped bare of its stock body panels. In their stead, Spade’s team installed a unique blend of readily available counterparts, such as a Ducati Monster’s front fender and a curvy fuel tank from an early ‘90s Supersport.
Additionally, they crafted several one-off modules to round out the new aesthetic. These include a hand-built tail section that houses a menacing lighting package, as well as a unique fairing with integrated twin headlight assemblies and a gorgeous custom saddle.
The workshop disposed of the stock forks and swingarm to make room for a 900SS’ setup. At the rear, the suspension was honored with a top-grade monoshock from Ohlins. Terremoto 3 crawls on a pair of Sport Classic GT1000 multi-spoked wheels, wrapped in track-ready Metzeler Racetec RR rubber.
Furthermore, you will find a set of Driven clip-on handlebars, a GPS speedometer and a healthy dose of LED goodness from Motogadget’s inventory. To top it all off, the folks over at J Daar Customs were tasked with enveloping Terremoto in a mixture of gloss and matte black paintwork, while its frame received a tasty powder coated finish.
Now, this is what I call a full transformation! If you happen to live in Atlanta, Georgia and own an ageing bike that could really do with a thorough makeover, then you might want to pay these pros a visit.
