Quick Read: A Ducati Streetfighter Inspired by The Mandalorian and More

Sci-Fi Themed Motorcycles Racing bikes are often a visual disaster, but we love this Mandalorian-inspired custom Ducati Streetfighter from Jerem Motorcycles. We also feature a sleek Moto Guzzi Le Mans from the UAE, a modern Sportster with a vintage look, and the new Moto Morini Calibro and Calibro Bagger.

Ducati Streetfighter 1098 by Jerem Motorcycles If you’re passionate about motorcycles and Star Wars, Jérémie Duchampt of French manufacturer Jerem Motorcycles has an idea for you. His latest café racer, based on a Ducati Streetfighter 1098, pays homage to the popular Star Wars TV series, The Mandalorian.

Custom themed bikes are often clichés, but most of the Mandalorian-inspired details on this custom Ducati Streetfighter only become apparent when examining the bike up close. From a distance, the bike adopts the same aggressive lines we’ve seen on previous Jerem Ducati builds.

The Streetfighter retains its stock fuel tank, but replaces the rest of its bodywork with a series of hand-crafted sheet metal parts, including a café racer-style tail section and a pair of side fairings. The parts are painted with a chrome finish, mimicking the beskar armor worn by the titular Mandalorian, Din Djarin. Leather and ceramic accents, all in brown, echo the aesthetic of the series.

Jérémie also made a headlight cover that mimics the Mandalorian’s helmet and had Yaya Brush Sellerie replicate that design in the seat cover. There are several other nods to the series scattered throughout the bike, but this Streetfighter is more than just a motorcycle cosplay: it also sports aftermarket parts.

There are a myriad of carbon fiber finishing pieces, Brembo brake calipers, Pirelli Supercorsa tires, and ISR brake and clutch controls. The cockpit is equipped with a unique steering damper mount, custom clip-ons, and CNC-machined aluminum bar-end mirrors.

Jérémie also made some thoughtful modifications and fixes, such as refurbishing the radiator, re-routing the plumbing, and relocating the voltage regulator for better cooling. Take a look at the engine and you’ll notice the requisite open clutch cover and a CNC Racing hydraulic clutch slave cylinder.

Sure, Jerem’s Ducati Streetfighter might appeal more to geeks than to the average person. But if you look past the Star Wars references, it’s still a pretty cool cafe racer. (Jerem Motorcycles)

Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000 by Sheriff Motorcycles Moe, from Sheriff Motorcycles in the UAE, loves custom bikes and Moto Guzzis. So when the opportunity to purchase a retired 1984 Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000 presented itself, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to finally build a custom Moto Guzzi.

When Moe discovered the Le Mans, it had been well and truly used for its intended purpose. The bike had been campaigned in Spain and had also competed at Spa, Le Mans and other European circuits. Although it could ride like a racehorse, it had originally been designed for endurance racing and had no road-going accessories fitted, making it easy for Moe to strip it down and redesign it.

A custom fairing was hand-built, apparently taking inspiration from Agostini and Magni’s racing parts from the 1980s. The round headlight is an LED unit, as are the Motogadget handlebar turn signals. Motogadget also supplied the speedometer and switchgear, with Tommaselli clip-ons and custom CNC mirrors completing the rebuilt front end.

The saddle and rear cowl have been handcrafted and finished with diamond-stitched leather, which also matches the new grips. The bodywork has been finished in a stunning green and silver livery, reminiscent of Moto Guzzi’s early racing successes. The gold accents are a nice touch and are reminiscent of the gold detailing that Moto Guzzi themselves added to their Centenary special editions in 2021.

Since this was a race bike, all the electronics on the big Guzzi had been stripped, so Moe had to install a new alternator, voltage regulator, and custom wiring harness. Fed by 44mm Mikuni racing carburetors, Moe says this machine really flies.

The entire project took Moe six months to complete, but we bet he’ll be enjoying the fruits of his labor for the rest of his life. (Source)

Tribute to the 1957 Harley Davidson Sportster by Bleeding Heart Customs Cheyenne “Shiny” Keogh, the talented creator of Bleeding Heart Customs, owes her passion for motorcycles to her father Mark. Fresh from the family porch/workshop, here is Cheyenne’s latest creation: a 2009 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883. Heavily inspired by the original 1957 Sportster, Cheyenne transformed her EFI Sporty into a stunning recreation of the original bike.

“The 1957 Sportster is a classic, the first of its kind, and I was immediately drawn to it,” Cheyenne says. “Not too low, great paint line on the tank (especially that two-tone color scheme), and a classic-looking exhaust and seat.”

The classic steel fenders have been wrapped around new wire wheels and painted a beautiful metallic blue. The tank is from a Superlow model and bears a striking resemblance to the original Sportster, especially with the two-tone paint.

The factory seat was replaced with a solo seat and the rear was raised with longer Hagon shocks. This gave the bike a few more inches of clearance and set its stance exactly like the Grandfather Sporty.

The 7-inch Lucas headlight is mounted on custom brackets that Mark built in his shop, using his go-to setup: an 80-year-old leg drill, a vise, a hacksaw, and a few files. A set of black Highway Hawk Beach road bars were slid into the handlebar clamps, and a set of classic crash bars were bolted to the down tubes. The final piece of the puzzle was a custom dual exhaust, designed to mimic those found on the original 1957 Sportster.

Even the most devoted HD owners would be hard pressed to notice that this is a modern motorcycle, a fact that Cheyenne and his father both love. The Motor Co. has been re-releasing modern versions of its classic line for years, but it’s sorely lacking a reinterpreted Sportster. And with the recent demise of the air-cooled Sportster, it looks like we’ll never get one. (Source)

New Moto Morini Calibro and Calibro Bagger Have you ever looked at the modern Honda Rebel and thought it needed to look more… American? That’s what Moto Morini seems to have done with their brand new cruisers: the Moto Morini Calibro and Calibro Bagger.

The Moto Morini name dates back to 1937, when it was founded in Bologna, Italy by Alfonso Morini. Morini’s nimble single-cylinder racing bikes of the 1950s and 1960s paved the way for their stunning 72-degree V-twins of the 1970s. Moto Morini was doing well until the company fell prey to the financial difficulties that plagued many Italian motorcycle companies at the time.

The company has changed hands several times and is currently owned by the Zhongneng Vehicle Group. The Moto Morini X-CAPE adventure touring motorcycle was launched in 2021, along with the Seiemmezzo naked bike. In 2024, the Calibro range will be Moto Morini’s first foray into the world of cruisers.

Powered by a 700cc inline-twin, the Calibro features a low 28-inch seat height and a dry weight of 440 pounds. It also looks like someone accidentally put a California Club-style Harley in the washing machine on hot.

That’s not to say we don’t like it, though. At first we wondered why anyone would want a 700cc bagger, but the more we looked at the Calibro, the more we liked it (like a mushroom).

LED lighting, 41mm forks and 18F/16R wheels are all up to par. The engine makes a respectable 68hp and even features a slipper clutch, while Bosch ABS controls the 320mm front brake and 255mm rear brake. Wide-profile tyres give the bike a chunky, custom look.

While the stripped-down Calibro looks decent, we’re more taken with the Calibro Bagger. While the engine looks like it came from a Kawasaki Vulcan, the miniaturized batwing fairing and five-gallon saddlebags fit the bike perfectly. The Bagger also gets a sleeker rear fender than the standard Calibro.

At $5,999 for the Calibro and $6,799 for the Calibro Bagger, both make a compelling case if you’re looking for a mid-size, yet maneuverable, custom cruiser. And for all the criticism we lob at it, when has Italian styling made anything worse? (Moto Morini)