Turn Your Gen-1 Ducati Monster Into A Flat Tracker
Have a first generation Ducati Monster and want to re-live the magic of “On Any Sunday”? Earle Motors has just the kit for you. Alex Earle was in just this same situation, and when it came time to spruce up his Monster, he decided to go radical. After thousands of man hours, his final creation is this beautiful flat tracker.
Not wanting to build another cafe racer which is becoming all the rage these days, Earle turned to the dirt for inspiration. “I loved the look of flat track racers and felt this could be the perfect antidote for the current proliferation of cafe bikes,” Earle says on his website.
Taking a standard first gen Monster, Earle built a taller bike using modified 19-inch wheels, then fabricated the long, sloping horizontal bodywork and integrated number plate to sit level with the top triple clamp. A slim, three-gallon fuel tank rests underneath the body work, but because of the tight packaging, the standard airbox is ditched for pod filters on the carbs. A flat track-style handlebar lifts the rider out of the standard, slumped-over Monster riding position.
Earle first conceptualized his flat tracker with sketches, then made a 1/5 scale model of the bodywork. The model, engine and frame were 3-D scanned and that data was used to make female molds for the final bodywork. A custom, stacked exhaust system routes the pipes off to the right side to finish the flat track look. To retain its streetability, a slim tail light and Baja Designs headlight is fitted, with full high/low beam functionality.
The build does require some slight modifications to the frame and swingarm, so is not recommended for the first time builder. Earle says the kit can be adapted to fit other bikes like the Harley-Davidson XR1200 or Triumph Bonneville, also. To help with the build, Earle will offer to supply the fiberglass bodywork, fuel tank, exhaust, wheels, and headlight assembly.
New Australian magazine, Tank Moto, has more details on the build and the builder, while contacting Earle himself at his Earle Motors website will put you in the right direction for pricing, shipping and other build questions.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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