Pro bike photographer Chippy Wood took these fantastic shots of the bike this week.
My DB1 project finally finished just in time for the Bike Shed show in London last weekend.
The Storik stand at the show. Laurent and Stuart were displaying their metal bashing skills all weekend.
Stuart and Laurent giving away all their trade secrets.
Laurent doing what he does best.
One he made earlier.
Swing arm is a modified 888 item now cerakoted titanium grey, rear hugger is a carbon fibre item painted matt black so that it doesn't stand out from the tyre too much.
The very minimal and light frame just back from paint.
The bodywork is really taking shape in Laurent's workshop now for the tank design I decided on something that's halfway between a Ducati imola and an MV 750 sport as I love the way that tank flares out at the bottom.
My original idea for instrumentation were these period items but the cockpit's incredibly tight so have gone for a motogadget unit now, this not only gives a really stylish well made clock but enables me to get away with just one unit and give me some warning lights all incorporated.
Front mudguard from a DB1SR from Airtech in America, fast service and great quality.
A lovely Wilbers shock which I have on my other DB1 will replace the aging and leaking white power unit.
A new pair of Marvic 17 '' streamline wheels just delivered, designed in 1983 I'm hoping these will give it a clean period classic look.
A lovely stash of genuine DB1 parts just arrived from Bimota classic parts in Italy.
M1R forks back in now with original DB1 yokes and handlebars.
New alloy battery box made.
Rear frame rails modified to take a more classic looking seat and raised up to the level of the base of the tank.
Silencers are NOS Ducati 851 kit items which I think will look the part as well as sound the part!
Styling and ideas are mostly out of my head the fabrication work is done by Laurent at Storik, he has a fantastic eye for detail and his craftsmanship is second to none, if you're looking for excellence in aluminium fabrication he's your man. Next he'll create the fuel tank, you can see here he's formed the shape in wire first. www.storik.co.uk
Believe it or not this started life as a Bimota DB1.
Having been converted into the above in Germany some years back. The engineering on it is excellent and very well executed. The styling however, leaves something to be desired. Very little of the DB1 is actually left, in fact its just the frame, the engine is now a 900SS unit as are the forks. Wheels I think are Yamaha, swing arm is a modified 888 item.
The idea now is to build a bit of DB1 back into it but in a style Bimota may have used had it been designed a few years earlier than 1985; but still keeping their famous attention to detail and use of top quality components.
Watch this space!