South Garage Kelevra is a Dynamite Ducati Monster
The Ducati Monsters have never been about blending in with the herd. Their naked styling proudly shows off their trellis frames. Ducati’s signature desmodromic-valve V-twins provide an unmistakable soundtrack. And their overall vibe just says, “Don’t mess with us, capisce?”
Naturally, seeking to alter this vibe can be a dangerous game. Customizers run the risk of turning these stripped-down Ducs into caricatures of their stock selves. Thankfully, the gang at South Garage has not fallen into this trap. Instead, they’ve turned a roughly decade-old Monster S4R into a toned, EICMA award winning retro cool café racer called the Kelevra.
The Monster’s stock bodywork (such as it was) has been removed, as has the gas tank. In their places are a fiberglass tank and seat/tail section patterned after the ones on the ageless Norton Manx, painted in metalflake white and orange. The frame is finished in black, the stock wheels are replaced with wire wheels, a Lucas headlight fitted, the stock suspension replaced by an upside down Showa fork, Sachs shocks and a Tarozzi rear set, and a shorter aluminum front fender is installed in place of the stock unit. The proportions and shape are classic café racer, but details like the Desmo V-twin and trellis frame keep it firmly grounded in the modern era.
That engine, by the way, has been shorn of some of its covers, including the one for the cam gears, so you can see that 996cc thumper do its thing. And thump it will, thanks to that gorgeous 2-into-1 exhaust system, which the Italian artists at South Garage fabricated by hand from 70 separate pieces. It probably adds a little to the stock 113hp figure, but even if it doesn’t, the claimed 10.8 second quarter-mile times are plenty swift.
Want a Kelevra of your own but aren’t in Europe to pay South Garage a visit? Not to fear! South Garage will be offering custom parts for late-model Ducatis and Triumphs via its online shop to customers worldwide. How much farther you want to take your creation beyond a custom tank, seat and other bits is, of course, up to you.
Source: South Garage