Simplify, Then Add Lightness: Ducati 748 Track Bike

Championship Cycles builds a Ducati 748 track bike with retro vibes…  

The Massimo Tamburini-designed Ducati 916 remains one of the most iconic sporting motorcycles ever made. Introduced in 1994, the Desmoquattro-powered machine won four Superbike World Championships in the 1990s with legendary riders like Carl Fogarty and Troy Corser, and it would spawn a whole family of related models.

The liquid-cooled Desmoquattro 90° V-twin in the 916 actually began life as a 748cc engine, so the introduction of the Ducati 748 came as no surprise. The 748 was nearly identical to the 916 save for the engine capacity and rear tire size, and the shorter stroke and smaller pistons meant the engine could accelerate more quickly, hitting a higher 11,500 RPM limit.

“Yes, it’s heavy by today’s standards but was more nimble than the bigger 916 and 999 thanks to that narrower rear tyre and smaller engine, which has less rotating mass and inertia.” –MCN

Mike Vienne of Championship Cycles has years of experience building and racing these Tamburini-era Ducatis. His methodology tends toward the “simplify, then add lightness” philosophy of Colin Chapman.

“Championship Cycles began from the idea that less is more — because more is heavy and heavy is slow. Overly burdened by compromises, added weight, and unnecessary concessions made at the factory, most production ‘sport’ bikes are merely watered down versions of their race-bred counterparts. By upgrading the less than capable stock components and distilling the bike down to its core elements, these motorcycles become transformed into agile high performance machines. “

This 748 track bike began as the project of a friend and former Ducati service manager who wanted to build “a competent track bike without breaking the bank.” Unfortunately, the pandemic got in the way, and five years later the mothballed project made its way to Mike Vienne’s shop. The goal? A “simple, naked” Ducati track bike with retro vibes. As a lover of these Tamburini Ducatis, Vienne had to walk a tightrope between honoring the original design while creating something aesthetically unique.

This would be no bolt-on extravaganza, but a build that shows how restricted budgets tend to birth creativity.

“It’s certainly no secret that with a big enough wallet it’s fairly easy to bolt on every available part on a Ducati and hit the track looking like a hero. However, for this build the idea was to choose a select series of upgrades that would make an appreciable difference on the race track and additionally give the overall bike a distinctive look that wasn’t like every other Tamburini-era Ducati superbike.”

This would include a rebuilt engine with light headwork, slipper clutch, lighter forged aluminum Dymag wheels, six-piston calipers with narrow-band rotors, Nitron three-way remote adjustable rear shock, detabbed frame, minimalist carbon bodywork, and a custom race harness that saved four pounds in wiring alone! 

Below, Mike gives us the full story on this half-naked Tamburini track weapon, with more photos courtesy of Jeanne Vienne (@JLVienne — interior shots) and Aaron McKenzie (@AaronMckenzie — exterior shots). 

In the Builder’s Words…

At the beginning of the year I was asked to step in and complete a Ducati 748 that the owner had enthusiastically begun then regrettably mothballed. Long story short: a friend and former service manager at a local Ducati dealership, he had intended to build a competent track bike without breaking the bank.

It was a pre-Covid project that unfortunately got abandoned when life intervened and then sat uncompleted for the last five years. A rolling chassis and motor were delivered to my workshop in January to pick up where the owner left off.

I’ve built (and raced) many 748/916/996 era Desmoquattro-powered Ducatis and have amassed a fairly sizable collection of parts over the years. Digging into my collection of spares, I pulled the missing items off the shelf and by day two we had a functional running machine.

At this point the motor was stock, the wheels were stock, the suspension and brakes were stock, and it wore aftermarket track fairings in primer gray. It was a very typical, very conventional, very sterile looking track bike. All the necessary pieces were present, yet it was still missing something.

Over the course of a few conversations we discussed ways to improve its overall character creatively, (as well as up its performance) whilst maintaining a reasonable budget. It’s certainly no secret that with a big enough wallet it’s fairly easy to bolt on every available part on a Ducati and hit the track looking like a hero. However, for this build the idea was to choose a select series of upgrades that would make an appreciable difference on the race track and additionally give the overall bike a distinctive look that wasn’t like every other Tamburini-era Ducati superbike.

The motor was rebuilt locally with only some light head work to retain long term usability, but we chose to focus the majority of the budget on improving the handling. First by ditching the weighty OE cast wheels in favor of a pair of lightweight Dymag forged aluminum equivalents. Next a Nitron three-way remote adjustable rear shock, a pair of PFM narrow band rotors with six-piston calipers, and a Ducabike slipper clutch replaced their stock counterparts.

The most obvious modification is the lack of bodywork. It was one of those off handed, “what if it was naked?” suggestions that couldn’t be ignored once said. Deceptively straightforward in theory, it had ramifications that cascaded throughout the whole bike. The full fairing hides all of the infrastructure; the battery, the wiring, all the associated electrical systems and the overflow tank — all of it would be obtrusively on display if we chose to go sans fairing.

The solution to hide everything essentially meant that the bike had to be rewired from front to back. A custom-made race harness with an inverted layout deletes every street feature and simplifies the bike down to a single relay and main fuse. (Weight-wise, that’s a 4lb savings in wiring alone!)

The ECU, previously mounted in the tail, is now housed in the front fairing behind the tachometer and temperature gauge. And the Li-ion battery, starter solenoid and regulator rectifier now reside in the rear subframe. The minimal carbon bodywork from Corsa Garage was modified to offer the rider a simple ½ fairing, and the frame was de-tabbed of superfluous mounting points to clean up the lines.

On track, it’s pure 748 — agile and composed through corners with just enough wind protection in a tuck to be very stable on the straights. Ultimately, I believe this build may be a great example of what Jaime Lerner once said, “If you want creativity take a zero off your budget.”

Follow the Builder

Web: championshipcycles.com
Instagram: @championshipcycles

Photo Credits

Interior Shots: Jeanne Vienne (@JLVienne)
Exterior Riding Shots: Aaron McKenzie (@AaronMckenzie)

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