Bandit9's stunning custom Ducati Monster is almost unrecognisable
Vietnamese custom builder Bandit9 has transformed the Ducati Monster 821 into a hand-built work of art, with just nine examples set to be produced worldwide.
At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking this futuristic machine rolled out of a concept design studio rather than a motorcycle workshop. But underneath the polished aluminium bodywork and sculpted body panels lies something far more familiar, a Ducati Monster 821.
Vietnamese custom house Bandit9 has revealed its latest creation, a made-to-order special that strips the Monster back to its core before rebuilding it into what the company describes as a single flowing form. The result is a bike that shares very little visually with the naked roadster it started life as, despite retaining Ducati's 821cc Testastretta V-twin engine and trellis frame architecture.
Power comes from the donor bike's 821cc eight-valve V-twin, producing 110bhp and 65.8lb-ft of torque. Bandit9 claims a 0-60mph time of 3.3 seconds, a top speed of 125mph and a dry weight of around 175kg, meaning the performance should remain much the same as the standard Monster despite the extensive redesign.
The biggest talking point is, unsurprisingly, the bodywork. Almost everything you can see has been hand-fabricated, with polished aluminium blending into MotoGP-grade carbon fibre panels to create a seamless monolithic look. Even the exhaust, mirrors, mudguards, fork covers and fuel filler cap have all been redesigned specifically for the project.
Lighting is fully LED throughout, while the bike also gets custom rearsets, bespoke footpegs, a single-sided swingarm left proudly on display and a high-density foam seat integrated neatly into the flowing bodywork.
Suspension is carried over from the Monster 821, with 43mm Sachs forks at the front and a preload and rebound-adjustable Sachs rear shock. Brembo radial monobloc calipers bite twin 320mm front discs, backed up by a 245mm rear disc, with the standard two-channel ABS remaining in place.
As with most Bandit9 creations, exclusivity is part of the appeal. Production will be limited to just nine examples worldwide, with each bike built to order over a period of around six to eight months. Buyers are assigned a dedicated project manager and receive regular build updates before the finished motorcycle is shipped anywhere from the UK to Japan, Australia or the United States.
One thing prospective owners will need to bear in mind is that Bandit9 doesn't guarantee road registration or homologation. While the company supplies import paperwork and shipping documentation, ensuring the bike can legally be ridden on the road, sorting that out is left to the customer and will depend entirely on local regulations.
Whether you see it as a rolling sculpture or an outrageously expensive custom, there's no denying Bandit9 has succeeded in making one of Ducati's most recognisable naked bikes almost impossible to identify. And that's probably the biggest compliment any custom builder could hope for.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
