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Ducati Monza 250 Café Racer by Dave Hartleip

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"This bike was a literal barn find that my brother and I stumbled upon in 1975. The farmer gave it to us, and we spent the next 18 months rebuilding it into a Café racer. We sold it to a high school friend, who rode it a couple times before the bevel drive shaft blew apart. He put it in his Dad’s chicken coop and forgot about it. I saw him at my 25-yr high school reunion and he told me the bike was still in the coop. I bought it from him, and completely rebuilt it with many additional modifications, including: Modified frame to accomodate stainless steel underseat exhaust, homemade rearsets, gas tank from a Benelli Mojave, laser cut stainless tank badges, handmade seat and steel tailcone, etc. etc. I finished it right before the 2005 AMA Vintage Days at Mid-Ohio, where it won “Best of Show - European Motorcycles”. Ducati was the marque brand that year, so it was very special to win. I never planned to show it, mainly I just wanted to see if i could build a custom bike!"

Source Dave Hartleip & 35th Tokyo Motorshow