Restyled Ducati Monster S2R 1000 Is Dripping With Antique 750SS Charm

More specifically, the project started with a Ducati Monster S2R from the late 2000s and was commissioned by a guy named Jon. The lad got in touch with Purpose Built Moto (PBM) after finding one of the juicy Monster body kits designed by Paolo Tex on the web. Once he’d placed an order, Jon started pitching his ideas to Sir Gilroy and the S2R 1000 soon found its way onto PBM’s workbench.

Following a few discussions with the client, the Australian custom bike doctors had a clear idea of what their patient needed. Things got underway as soon as the Paolo Tex body kit arrived on their doorstep, and the first step involved taking the motorcycle apart for inspection. During this initial teardown, all the factory bodywork besides the fuel tank was promptly removed, along with the standard exhaust system and lighting hardware.

To everyone’s delight, the donor came with upgraded Ohlins suspension instead of the original Showa forks and Sachs monoshock. The Ohlins goodies have obviously been retained, as were the replacement Marchesini wheels taken from a later Monster variant at some point during prior ownership. Before installing the new aftermarket overalls, Tom and his boys busied themselves with a comprehensive engine rebuild.

The Duc’s 992cc desmodromic L-twin motor was blessed with a full top-end refurbishment, while its stock pistons got pulled aside to make room for high-compression substitutes. For greater airflow, the mill gained a premium MWR intake and some custom pipework at the other end of the combustion cycle. Fabricated from scratch using stainless-steel, the exhaust headers run a two-one-two layout toward dual ceramic-coated under-seat mufflers from Termignoni.

An ECU remap was also performed by the specialists over at Cube Performance, enabling the Monster’s engine to make the most out of the aforementioned mods. Now, let’s talk about the snazzy bolt-on bodywork components found throughout this machine. The kit from Paolo Tex included a pointy tail section perfectly complementing the lines of the fuel tank, and PBM had it fitted with an LED taillight from their own aftermarket catalog.

Moreover, the angular side panels were part of the package, too, but so was the cafe-style fairing now located at the front. Encircling a seven-inch LED headlight, the said fairing got topped with a custom aluminum wind deflector made from scratch. As for the front fender, it was also manufactured in-house and then secured in place via bespoke stainless-steel brackets.

We still find the S2R 1000’s original handlebar up in the cockpit area, but it now carries billet aluminum switches, new Brembo control levers, and underslung mirrors. CNC-machined fluid reservoirs make an appearance, as well, and instrumentation comes in the form of a multi-function Velona W dial from Daytona’s range. All the electronics have been rewired through Purpose Built Moto’s proprietary Black Box controller.

Rounding out the additions made by Tom’s crew are fresh exhaust heat shields and a swingarm-mounted license plate bracket. A number of regular PBM collaborators took over from here. The specimen’s Ohlins suspension was serviced and tuned by Ride Dynamics, while Justin Holmes of Popbang Classics took care of the paint job. Clearly inspired by Ducati models like the Paul Smart or the SuperSports of yore, he applied a glossy silver base all over the Monster’s attire.

It’s joined by light teal accents on the front fairing and side covers, with the same hue also making its way onto the bike’s trellis frame. The Ducati logos on the gas tank simply ooze vintage 750SS vibes, and so does the black stripe running vertically right behind them. With the paint job out of the way, it was onto Jamason of Timeless Auto Trim to fabricate a saddle fit for this breathtaking one-off.

He made a simple, yet handsome solo seat out of comfy padding and black Alcantara upholstery, ensuring it was slightly thicker than the standard saddle from Paolo Tex. With the seat fabrication ticked off the list, Tom Gilroy and his accomplices were happy to call it a day and perform a few test rides before handing the Duc back to Jon.

These revealed an extremely fun and highly responsive package, with everything running in perfect order. As such, the motorcycle was all buttoned up and good to go, so Jon was called in to take home his new pride and joy. He had a great vision for this project right from the very start, but we bet that Purpose Built Moto’s overhaul exceeded his expectations on many levels!