purpose built moto's ducati GT1000 sport classic crowned with spot taillight

purpose built moto are not strangers to customizing models of the famed italian brand, but this ducati GT1000 sport classic brought a new challenge to them. the client had an appreciation of both very beautifully classically styled bikes and more brutal modern customs. the workshop then sought to seamlessly blend these two aesthetics. at the same time, the extensive modifications mean that 25kg was dropped to result in a 175kg total weight.

all images courtesy of purpose built moto

‘it seems that they (classically styled and brutally modern) are two completely conflicting aesthetics, however modern customs can still share design DNA. these bikes are an evolution, not a separate creation. what I had to do was find the common ground between the styles, and work from there,’ explains tom gilroy, owner of purpose built moto, to designboom.

with the original stripped down to its frame and wheels, purpose built moto fitted a single sided swingarm, new slimline subframe and frame trellis design towards the rear of the ducati GT1000 sport classic. an aluminum gas tank sets the tone for the back. its gloss black panels, interrupted by an aluminum strip, is mirrored in the elongated cone-shaped tail cowl. integrated together with a set of chrome hollowtip turn signals, the design is crowned with a central spot tailight. the rear plate was shaped using a trelise that sweeps around the rear tyre, as an alternative to the typically hidden after-thought of the number plate.

‘to my eye, modern bikes carry all the visual weight on the front and have a very light tail – just check out the 2019 ducati V4R for example. to blend the two, I tried to carry visual weight on the front of the bike but used flowing shapes to do it. this added a more classic form,’ continues tom. ‘the pinnacle of that idea shows in the light tail. the seat, tail lights and exhaust merge to a single point. its brutally sharp, but done with flowing shapes with minimal edges’.

the sculpted frame trellis helped merge the visual weight of the front and rear. hand-beaten aluminum side shrouds were added to add more dynamism to its front view – finished off with a set of one-off ducati badges. forks were stripped, rebuilt and polished with a set of upgraded rotors to dress up the aluminum front rim. modified tarozzi clip ons riser bars were used to allow the rider to adjust the height of the handlebars to their preference. the new single 7′ headlight aligns with the bottom of the bars to create a very minimal image. a pair of glowing velona gauges then complete the front.

the new additions helped defined a slim, sharp silhouette that more equally balanced the visual weight of the motorcycle whilst also evoking a character of sportiness. the gloss black body of the bike is interrupted by a shiraz red upholstered seat finished with a polished aluminum insert to carry the top line. below, the exhaust hides a muffler box underneath the swingarm as well as a stainless 2-1 system that sweeps beneath the tail.

as the bike was assembled back together, the engine was sent to cube performance to be rebuilt, cleaned and glossed in black. it was then covered with nickle plated cases and cam covers, mirroring the aesthetic of the nickel-plated brackets on the front fender. with 92hp, the design might look destined for a gallery but it was created to excel on the road.

‘I don’t have an ideation stage, my bikes are never drawn or planned out. I create organically. it’s easy to tell when a motorcycle has been designed beforehand. it can work for a lot of creators but for me, the end results are often lacking that touch of fire and imagination. at that point, it ceases to be art and starts to be your idea of what you think people want to see. the process for this signature series took 18 months to complete,’ concludes tom.

project info:

brand: purpose built moto

model: ducati GT1000 sport classic

original manufacturer: ducati