Welcome to another edition of Pipewrapped, this week we check out a Ducati Sports Classic from the collection of one of the model’s biggest fans, get the first look at a wild Wankel from Mr. Hageman, find out if the all-new MT10 has what it takes for a Yard Built Yamaha, witness a win for an ex-MotoGP star on a very different machine and watch as an Indonesian workshop puts all the welfare rules to the side as they fab up a new custom creation.

Slaying the Socials
The Ducati Sport Classic was a beautiful bike when released and with the 1000cc version inspired by the Ducati 750 Imola Desmo of the 1970s it was bound to find fans. Now 20 years later and you’ll need to pay a premium to get your hands on one. Owners like @206_ducati_sportclassic love them and this custom example, with one-off paint, built engine and incredible leather seat is part of his collection. They deliver beautiful good looks with plenty of performance to keep you entertained, and it’s easy to see why few will part with their delicious Desmo.

Hercules was a German motorcycle company and one of the oldest in the world, to add another feather to their cap they became the first company to offer a rotary-engined motorcycle in 1974. So who do you call if you want to give your rare German a café racer makeover? Greg Hagemen of course, one of the original builders of the custom bike revival. He’s only just completed this Wankel-powered wonder and it’s instantly one of the most unique customs you’ll ever lay your eyes on.

‘To be or not to be’
The rumour mill is a wonderful thing, often delivering nuggets of gold amongst all the false information, but this week it’s proven a winner. I wouldn’t have selected the new 2022 Yamaha MT10 to examine, had it not been confirmed to me that a popular workshop is set to tackle the stripped-down R1 for a big dollar build. And when you think about it, it makes sense. A number of early Panigales dominated our Bike of the Year awards previously, proving a modern sportbike can be a great custom donor.

Well, with the MT10, Yamaha has already removed the fairings for you and this year’s model retains the R1 chassis, gets most of its power from the crossplane engine, and finally adds a 6-axis IMU. Yamaha has also heard the complaints loud and clear, the brakes on past models were terrible, and the radial master cylinder delivers a positive feel to solve the problem. So, all that is left to do is transform the looks of this factory delivered neo-fighter and you’ll have a custom killer that can slay any foe.

Race Wrap
The US market is always different from the rest of the world and right now what’s flying off showroom floors are Baggers. They’re a big deal in the custom scene too, with endless workshops dedicated to the semi-trailers of the bike world. So, as Moto America attempts to rebuild road racing in North America, they’ve made the wise decision to add these beasts to the travelling circus and the “King of the Baggers” held their first race of the year at the Daytona 200.

To show how seriously they’re taking their assault on the championship this year, Indian top dog Tyler O’Hara has been joined for 2022 in the number one team by ex-MotoGP wonder whizz and all-around great guy Jeremy McWilliams. It proved money well spent with Tyler taking out race one of the weekend and McWilliams winning race two. He might be 57 years old, but McWilliams has adapted quickly to the American V-Twins and will prove tough to beat for the title.

Must Watch Moto
Most of us will need to switch the subtitles on, but it’s well worth it, to get the start to finish inside look at the way Indonesia’s Katros Garage builds a bike. Their latest creation is a Honda CB400 Neo-Racer and as good as the bike is, it’s watching the guys work that is the real treat. Safety equipment is not a priority, but as we’ve seen over recent years, the Indonesians do brilliant fabrication and this high-quality video gives an excellent insight into their unique approach.