1/8-mile Ducati Sprint Racer from Mike Matamorr…
Our friends at Rocket Race Club have continued in the tradition of the old Sultans of Sprint series, bringing together 1/8-mile sprint racers to run at high-profile European motorcycle rallies. Founded in 2022 by Philipp Ludwig of Kraftstoffschmiede and Krzysztof “Kris” Szews of Man & the Machines, Rocket Race Club has two classes:
- Moon Shot: 2-cylinder air-cooled, Turbos, Superchargers, NOS, all allowed.
- Brand Bash: 2-cylinder water-cooled, Turbos, Superchargers, NOS, all allowed, comparable power to weight ratio. This class is meant for the OEMs to compete against each other.
These custom sprint / drag bikes from workshops all over Europe compete in old-school style bracket racing, launching at the drop of a flag and thrilling spectators with wild creations that blend custom-world creativity and hot-rod ingenuity.
Today’s creation comes from our new friend Mike Briesach, aka Mikematamorr ARTypic, a mechanical artist / builder who builds one wild, “ARTypical” creation per year, including everything from a Super Mario-inspired two-stroke turbo kart to a “Hacker” Ducati with two single-sided swingarms.
For 2023, he’s built the “Streamliner” you see here, based on a ’98 Ducati ST2 944 and built for the Moon Shot class. The ST2 was Bologna’s “Gentleman’s Express” sport-tourer, packing a fuel-injected 83-bhp Desmo L-twin — a bike that put the sport in sport-touring.
Of course, Mike’s creation is a far cry from the original, completely transformed to compete in the 1/8-mile. Gone is the hard luggage, replaced with a custom streamliner-style geometric fairing built from a 55-gallon oil drum, which Mike refers to as the “DUSTBIN.”
Other highlights include an extended swingarm, trick aluminum bodywork courtesy of Paolo Tex at Tex Motorbike, upgraded fuel injection, lightened flywheel, (very) rear-set controls, Zeus Artworks lettering, and more. Though the engine is only mildly tuned at present, Mike has power upgrades planned for ’24.
He says the best part is lining up on the strip alongside friends like Pascal Demeulemeester of Belgium’s GPR Customs…and the “Streamliner” makes quite the impression on fellow road users, too!
“It’s cool to line it up on the strip, and really fast in terms acceleration. I’ve used it a few times on the road, and I like when people turn their heads and their eyes go wide open seeing it…”
Below, we talk to Mike for more details on his Ducati “Streamliner.” Many thanks to our friends at Rocket Race Club for keeping these races alive.
Ducati Streamliner: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Michael Briesach, but all my friends call me Mike. My history as a mechanical builder / artist starts in 2015, when I turned my work to preparing only atypical bikes. The first was the #HACKER Ducati with two mono swingarms.
I build only one bike ultra-modified bike each year: the Vespa Yacco 100th, the RoofBox 2-Stroke Turbo Kart, and the Diblasi R7st California.
But today’s build is my newest one, a Ducati 944 drag bike for racing the 200-metre.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
It’s a Ducati ST2 944 (1998), Millennium Edition.
• For what class of racing was the bike built?
I have built it for the Rocket Race Club’s Moon Shot class, to race the 1/8-mile alongside my friend Pascal of GPR Customs.
• What custom work/upgrades have been done?
I used an upcycled 55-gallon oil drum / DUSTBIN to create the front streamliner fairing, and the rear seat is an aluminum unit from TEX Motorbike. The swingarm was extended +5cm.
It’s an almost stock engine for the moment, with just a modified flywheel and upgraded fuel injection. However, I’m planning upgrades for it for next year…
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Yes, all my builds have a NAME for sure. This bike is the “STREAMLINER.” Built purely for the 1/8-mile, nothing else.
• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?
The bike has not been dynoed, but I think it’s 82 horsepower stock. The weight is approximated at to 200kg. The weight of the DUSTBIN fairing is just 12kg.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride/race this bike?
I have some other bikes like a Ducati 900 Monster, 996s, the Hacker, and this Streamliner — all are different in style. But this one, it’s cool to line it up on the strip, and really fast in terms acceleration. I’ve used it a few times on the road, and I like when people turn their heads and their eyes go wide open seeing it…
• Anybody you’d like to thank?
- I want to thank my friends Tom and Sarah from Celiam Textiles for all my creative clothes over the years.
- The GPR Customs team from Belgium, and my friends Pascal Demeulemeester, Angelo, Rudy, Stephane, and Mike Cornez.
- All the photographers for shooting my build: CLS Photographie, See-You.agency, Mike Cornez Photography…
- The Rocket Race Club team, Kris and Phil, for making me part of the gang.
- Zeus Artworks aka Luigi Morgese for the pinstriping on the Streamliner.
- And for sure my wife and my children for accepting it.
Follow the Builder
Web: www.mikematamorrartypic.com
Instagram: @mikematamorr_artypic
Facebook: Mikematamorr ARTypic
Clothes Partner: www.celiam.fr
Photography Credits / Thanks
MikeC. Photography (@mikec.photography | Facebook)
CLS Photographie (@clsphotomoto | Facebook)
See-You.agency (@see.you.agency | Facebook) by Claude Fischer
Sébastien Lauer Photography (@sebi_seb_photo | Facebook)
Paul haalt Verhaal
