How do you wedge a Buell Cyclone engine into a Ducati Pantah frame? According to Tom Simpson of England’s Foundry Motorcycle Workshop, you don’t. Which is exactly why almost everything on this scintillating Buell-powered café racer is scratch built.
Let’s rewind: almost six years ago, Tom was busy building a Ducati 600 TT2 replica, using parts scalped from a Pantah. “The customer showed up asking what we could do with the leftover parts from his donor bike,” says Tom. “He had a thing about trying to shoehorn a non-Ducati engine into the Ducati frame, and we had numerous conversations about what may or may not fit.”
“Foolishly at some point I mentioned the word Buell, knowing full well it wouldn’t be even close to fitting.…