Motorcycle News - Caffè Nero: Lossa Engineering’s Ducati 900SS
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After a stint building hot rods and custom trucks for export around the world, Jay returned to his first love: two wheels. Since 2007 he’s been running Lossa Engineering in Signal Hill, California—and carving out a rep for fast, focused customs designed more for performance than posing. Like this highly tuned and very rapid Ducati 900SS.
“I bought this 1991 Ducati in 2009 from a guy who had powder coated the frame and wheels, but couldn’t figure out a few things,” says Jay. “I scooped it up dirt-cheap.”
Scott gave the cylinders new Nikasil coatings before slotting in a pair of high compression pistons. He also ported and polished the heads, fitted oversized valves, and ‘degreed’ the cam. Even more power comes from new Dell’Orto 38mm carbs and Malossi intakes.
The transmission has been upgraded as well, to fix another known 900SS weak point. The goodies include a Nichols lightened flywheel for an instant horsepower boost, an STM clutch slave cylinder, and a billet clutch basket and race clutch from Barnett.
The motor was fresh and ready for action, but sat out of the bike for about three years. “I moved into my new shop, and just stuffed it upstairs,” says Jay. “Then I started to miss this bike: I’ve had a handful of Ducatis, but I really loved this one.”
“I scored a 999 front end and bought a new Öhlins rear reservoir shock and steering damper.” The forks are anodized for a more low-ley look than the usual gold.
Some 900SS frames are prone to cracking up front, so Jay welded in a Nichols frame gusset kit too. Then he scored a set of Ducati Sport Classic spoked wheels, mocked the bike up with them, installed the suspension, and squeezed in the motor. And then the Ducati sat for another three years.
It was the motivation Jay needed. With just two months to finish the Ducati, he whipped out the grinder and chopped off the whole back of the frame, reconfiguring it to be slimmer and cleaner than the factory item.
Ian Halcott from Twinline Motorcycles is a good friend of Jay’s, and flew down to help make a one-off tank and tail section out of aluminum. “He came up with a design to mimic the old Ducati Imola race bikes,” says Jay.
Jay then hid the coils and electrics under that tank: “I wanted the least bit of wiring on the bike, and none of it visible.”
Clary’s Custom Colors applied the flake, and then a gloss black for the bodywork—plus a stripe using the colors of the Italian flag. He also downplayed the 1990s carbon fiber elements with another coat of black. Revs Custom Upholstery created a seat to match, using a subtle black suede.
Jay now puts Beringer brakes on all his personal bikes, and for the 900SS he’s chosen the black Aerotec six-piston calipers up front and a four-piston setup out back, with gold stainless rotors. (Since this bike is a mash up of different Ducati parts, he had to custom space all the wheels and calipers.)
The electrics consist of Dyna coils, aftermarket igniters, an Antigravity 16-cell battery, and a gauge and a RFID m.lock unit from Motogadget. The wiring harness is new and made from scratch.
Jay made it to the Golden Bolt Show at the last minute, with only just enough time for a few passes up and down his street for testing.
Well, we ‘get it.’ Totalmente. Lossa Engineering | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Paul Rivera Motorcycles via Bike EXIF http://www.bikeexif.com August 15, 2018 at 12:25PM Leave a Reply. |
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8/15/2018
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