The Ducati 748 might not have the legendary status of its big brother, the 916, but it’s a hell of a motorcycle and makes for a brilliant track day machine for those who love raw, analogue Italians. Los Angeles-based Michael Vienne has been quietly carving out his own corner of the custom performance world for over a decade at Championship Cycles. His calling card? Bespoke, track-focused machines steeped in endurance-racing DNA, with a laser focus on handling, performance, and weight reduction. In the words of Lotus legend Colin Chapman: ‘Simplify, then add lightness’, and he’s done that and a whole lot more to this dashing Ducati.

At the start of the year, Vienne was handed a project that had been gathering dust for far too long, a Ducati 748 track build that started with good intentions but got swallowed up by life. Born in the pre-COVID days as a budget-conscious track bike, it ended up spending five years in limbo. What rolled into his LA workshop in January was little more than a rolling chassis with a stock motor, stock suspension, brakes, and a set of primer-grey fairings clinging to it like a bad disguise. No cooling system, no electrics, no controls, just the skeleton of a once legendary machine.

Vienne and the owner quickly agreed on the brief: improve performance where it matters, give it some visual punch, and do it all without torching the budget. Ducati builds and budgets tend not to go hand in hand, but Michael knows just what to change to maximise performance, without breaking the bank. And people tend to forget that the 748 is basically an identical bike to the iconic 916, with the only differences being the smaller rear tyre and shorter stroke on the little brother, which means this Desmo revs to the moon. 

That magnificent motor has been kept relatively mild, to ensure long-term reliability, create a usable package and not instantly blow the budget. But to ensure plenty of time out on the track, it was sent to a local shop for a light rebuild to have it running like new. While out of the bike, the heads got a minor flow job to improve performance, and the whole engine has been beautifully refinished. To assist with hard downshifts out on the circuit, a Ducabike slipper clutch has been fitted, and the open basket sure does look good.

Now the rolling chassis could be improved, and being the experienced builder that he is, Michael knows the value of reducing unsprung mass. So, out went the heavy cast wheels and in their place are the featherlight forged aluminium items from Dymag, which look a million dollars too. Sharpening up the handling is largely about being able to set up the bike for the rider and their weight, and a Nitron 3-way remote-adjustable rear shock makes that a breeze. Then, to ensure the braking has the same prowess, the front calipers have been ditched for huge PFM six-piston items and matching narrow band rotors. 

The real curveball came mid-conversation, with one of those dangerous workshop “what ifs?”. What if it was naked? Once said, it couldn’t be unsaid. That decision kicked off a chain reaction of changes. With no full fairing to hide behind, every component, battery, wiring, overflow tank, would be on display, not a good look! The solution? A full rewire front-to-back with a custom race harness, deleting every road-going feature and slimming the electrics down to a single relay and main fuse. Not only is it ultra neat and ensures all of the components are hidden, but it saved 4lbs too. 

The ECU, once buried in the tail, now lives in the half fairing up front, nestled behind the tach and temp gauge. The Li-ion battery, starter solenoid, and regulator/rectifier now reside neatly in the rear subframe. Visually, the 748 now wears a minimalist carbon half fairing from Corsa Garage, subtly reworked to match the bike’s aggressive stance. The frame has been de-tabbed to remove redundant mounting points, giving the whole machine a lean, purposeful silhouette that’s part factory race prototype, part bare-knuckle streetfighter.

The paint work is a great choice too, avoiding the obvious hue, for a white with red and black finish, that pairs up brilliantly with the wheels and carbon fibre. On track, it’s everything you want from a 748: light, nimble, and willing to change direction at the flick of a wrist. The half fairing gives just enough wind protection in a tuck, while the naked setup sets it apart from the cookie-cutter Tamburini-era crowd. It might raise eyebrows among the purists, but as Vienne puts it, “The naked look definitely stands out in a crowd.” And in a paddock full of red, faired-up Ducatis, that’s exactly the point.

[Championship Cycles | Photography by Jeanne Vienne | Riding photo by Aaron McKenzie]