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Ducati Monza 250 Custom by Dave Hartleip

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1965 Ducati Monza 250 by Dave Hartleip

Another comment here brings us this bike put together by Dave Hartleip. This time, the bike is a 1965 Ducati Monza 250. This bike has a unique exhaust treatment which is very understated but extremely cool, it works into the overall design like it was supposed to be that way. The whole bike looks really well done. Here’s what Dave has to say:

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 cafe 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!

If you look at the before and after photos below you’ll see how far this bike progressed and it underscores the fact that you do not need to find some perfect specimen of your target bike to end up with a beauty.

Lots of photos below:

1965 Ducati Monza 250 by Dave Hartleip

1965 Ducati Monza 250 by Dave Hartleip

1965 Ducati Monza 250 by Dave Hartleip
This is after the first rebuild.

1965 Ducati Monza 250 by Dave Hartleip
This is how the Monza 250 looked at the very start.

Dave also worked his magic on a 1969 Ducati Scrambler 350. Like the red Monza, this bike made quite a transformation from rough start to finished bike. Here’s Dave again:

I did heavy frame mods, made the seat and rearsets (with crossover shift linkage), modified the exhaust header, used fenders from a Suzuki street bike. Most of the rest of it is stock Ducati, but from various models. Tach, speedo, etc are all functional. 6V sealed battery is in a box (with regulator) tucked under the seat. I built this one for my wife so she couldn’t get mad at all the time I was spending on it!

1969 Ducati Scrambler 350 by Dave Hartleip

1969 Ducati Scrambler 350 by Dave Hartleip
This is the starting point for the scrambler.

You might also check out the very neat cycle loader and ramp he has over on his web site. I like it. Nice work Dave!

Link: Moose Lake Motorwerks

Posted on Filed Under: Motorcycle Builders, Vintage Motorcycles

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Comments

  2. Both those bikes are the total hottness. I really like the exhaust on the 250 — it almost looks like part of the frame (which, apparently, is the whole point). Love it.

    cl

  4. The bike’s design, stance, simplicity, & fit are awesome. And, I can’t get over the coolness of that color red.

    Ducati should consider hiring you for a Monster makeover…the air-cooled one.

  5. That’s a very clean looking bike. The exhaust disguising itself as part of the frame is tremendously good looking. The pipe exits also look fantastic from the rear 3/4 view.

  6. What I like about this Ducati is that it looks like a factory model that should have existed. Take note folks, the design was refined without reinventing the whole chassis/swingarm combination. Straightforward mods / part swaps to build and the bike is completely functional without excess ornamentation. Bravo!

  9. Start out with a beautiful bike and you’ll usually end up with a beautiful bike. I think a real challenge would have been to make a Ducati single look bad.
    Nice work Dave, great attention to detail.

    -todd

  10. Anthony;

    Your not offering up a Ducati are you?
    ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

  12. Wow… thanks everyone for the kind words! It has been a very fun hobby.

    Mayakovski: Back off!! Anthony wants to give ME the MK3! 🙂

    Anthony: I have no plans to do any more builds… but I never planned to do these before they happened. You might as well tell me more about the bike and what you have in mind!

    DucatiDave

  15. I’m not sure why, but I like the black one better too….

    maybe I’ll come to my senses after I get some sleep. 🙂

  16. I’ll have to be careful – these bikes are close(ish) to a few of my sketches for the tt500 re-do – assuming I have enough talent, I might sway this way direction-wise while thinking to myself “I’m so unique, this bike will be sooo cool because no-one has seen ANYTHING like it!” very nice, very clean and exactly what the custom/classic world needs – more bikes that look like they could have actually been produced years and years ago. too many look like a backyard attempt at making a cool bike cooler…..

  17. DucatiDave,
    Bravo, Bravo, Bravo. Very beautiful peice of art you have to ride. I now have a new wallpaper for insperation.
    Thanks,
    HotRodTroy

  19. Hey, Dave, how’d you do the exhaust? Did you just fab that yourself with some very careful pipe-bending work, or did you get it done somewhere?

    cl

  20. Chris: Both! I made the large radius bends on a roll-type bender. The tighter bends were purchased pieces (mandrel-bent), cut to length and welded together. I ground most of the welds down for aesthetic purposes.

    DucDave

  21. If Ducati had done the Monza the way Dave did it, it would have sold millions. One of the most beautiful machines I’ve ever seen.

  22. The Lines on that Benelli Tank are simply beautiful with a perfect continuation to the seat and back.

    Outstanding work!

  23. I stood in the store staring at the cycleworld article on these bikes for an hour dave. I was mesmerised. Then I bought it and use it inspirationaly in my own project. I have a 65′ monza, a 66; scrambler and many pieces collected over the last 6 years. My monza will be a hard tail bobber with a custom seat, handlebars, and fwd pegs for a cruiser feel. A bar hopper w/ italian styling.
    Thank you for bringing the duc single back to the limelight with your your stunning pair.