\\ DUCATI DIAVEL

So, this quick build actually came to me straight from a friend and owner of the McLaren dealership in Marbella back in 2012 soon after I opened our shop in southern Spain. The call came in and I was asked to shoot down to the dealership and meet a client of his. On arrival I was introduced to one of the most shredded dudes I’ve ever seen, with a handshake like the terminator, wearing an outfit that would make Jay-Z look like a bum.

Jean Marc was literally just signing the papers to his brand new McLaren MP4-12C convertible, which was the first ever delivered in Europe. I was asked to jump in, go for a ride and have a chat about bikes. At first I did judge this book by its cover a little and thought this guy has clearly got a lot of wedge but he’s not really a proper car or bike guy.

I couldn’t have been more wrong! Not only did he have good taste in cars but the boy can drive, we must have tore 2 grands worth of rubber off the brand new tires on that car in 20 mins. The whole time while driving like Mario Andretti, he calmly discussed what he wanted me to do to his Ducati. 

Jean Marc clearly loved his new McLaren, especially that solid orangey yellow colour. It was quite a simple custom build he just wanted to “Mclaren-ize” it and asked me to upgrade it to my own standard.

We arrived back at the McLaren shop, I got out, we shook hands and I went straight to the parts department and ordered the same badges that were on his car for the bike.

I then headed back to the shop and called up my good friends at RIZOMA and pretty much ordered all their brand-new range of bolt-on parts (at the time) for that new Ducati Diavel. Brake fluid reservoirs, handlebars, grips and engine sliders, mirrors, bar ends - I had been wanting to see in the flesh anyways! Next stop new rear-sets and for me the only ones to use when it comes to racebikes or trackbikes are the uber tight and well-engineered ones from SATO RACING. I also used their billet frame plugs and frame sliders. 

Last but not least new uprated BREMBO RCS 19 clutch and brake master cylinders n levers and bolted on a full Termignoni exhaust system.

While the bike was in the shop I couldn’t help staring at the front end and headlight housing which to me looked like the front end of a scooter, not something that should have been attached to a now mad 162hp fire breathing so-called cruiser.  So off with the front light assembly, cowling and there it was - a nice fat, front forked, aggressive front end! I’ve always been a fan of the Harley V Rod headlight and just happened to have one in the shop from another build so we fabbed up a bracket for the light and presto! That scooter look was a thing of the past, then I spun a couple of billet devil horn-like bungs to cover the mounting hole from the old light in the bottom tree then it was off to paint.

Now because this bodywork was all carbon I wanted to keep the carbon on show but still connect the paint work or lack thereof to the McLaren. So, I called upon my good friend and one of Spain’s best custom bike builders Ricky Lopez from Custom Flames in Marbella. Ricky started life in the bike world as a custom painter before he became Spain’s most awarded builder.

Ricky colour-matched the pin striping to the car and added a 3D chequered flag into the clearcoat and that was that – simple, clean and done. The only thing left to do was add the McLaren badges and take it for a test ride!