California’s Stephen Brisken transforms this Ducati 900 SS Cafe into a silver beauty
I do not remember exactly what I was doing when I was 21 but it definitely was not owning an amazing workshop with an impressive bike collection. California’s Stephen Brisken has spent years grinding in the custom motorcycle scene and his products never fail to make us speechless and the ’97 Ducati 900 SS fared cafe- The 900- is the proof to all that.
“I am a retired guy with lots of time to waste building custom bikes and maintaining a small collection. My shop is part of a large metal barn. I have been able to insulate, drywall and heat a good portion of the space. The shop is divided into two areas. One is for the messy work of cutting, grinding, polishing and the like. The other area is closed off from the first and is my assembly area with two bike lifts and hand tools.” And what you’re looking at right now is the latest progeny of this very cool little set-up; a ‘97 Ducati 900 SS fared cafe which Steve calls ‘The 900’
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Stephen made a purchase for the bike through Craigslist and had the mindset of turning it into something much more spectacular. “It was perfect for me; I purchased it through photos and phone conversations without actually seeing it in person and unbelievably, it was just as described and completely disappointment free.”
“I purchased it through photos and phone conversations without actually seeing it in person and unbelievably, it was just as described.”
“Once I settled on the 900SS Ducati as a basis for the build I spent a bunch of time scouring the web for photos of other customs using the same starting point. I came across a few bikes that stood out. What they had in common was a very straight-line layout of the frame, seat, tank and fairing.”
The bike was then stripped down to the frame, motor and running gear, and the trellis was modified to fit a new bodywork. “The bike was delivered to Evan Wilcox, an amazing West Coast metal worker, for the hand-made aluminium fairing, tank, seat and fender. When I got it back, I tore it down to the bare frame. All unnecessary brackets and tabs were removed and the frame was smoothed. The new brackets were added where needed and the frame was powder coated. All the other parts were re-anodized, polished, painted or replaced, including the fasteners.”
“Once the engine was back in the frame, assembly began. An enlarged exhaust and flat slide carbs were mounted on to short manifolds. Almost all of the components were upgraded from stock including the hand controls, triple clamps, wheels, suspension, electrical and ignition system, lighting… It is fast and really fun to ride.”
“The most difficult part of the build was organizing the various outsourced tasks and components to keep the project from stalling. Waiting for parts or outside processes to be completed and delivered would stop progress for weeks at times. I tried to keep a balance between urging shops to make it happen and letting them work without interference. During the wait, I sourced obscure parts and polished everything stainless or aluminium.”
“I had decided on many of the components before starting, but I didn’t know if they would make a cohesive-looking and performing machine. Of course, there were parts that didn’t give the desired look or function and needed to be replaced. This included the rear-sets, grips, electrical components and some colour combinations.
Michelle Liew
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