On this planet of classic Ducati restomods, few names resonate as profoundly as Toshiyuki Kozaka. Working as Change Stance Driving from a workshop in Amakusa—a collection of small islands off the coast of Kyushu, Japan—Kozaka-san has a selected affinity for bevel-driven Ducatis. Extra so, he has a expertise for turning them into masterpieces.
Toshi’s newest restomod shouldn’t be solely a testomony to his talent, however his supreme style, too. It’s a 1981 Ducati 900 MHR, reimagined with private inspiration and reverence for Italian design.
The genesis of the venture traces again a couple of years, when Toshi frolicked with a good friend at Lake Garda in Italy. Driving a unique 900 MHR, one which he had simply fielded on the European Sultans of Dash occasion, he was captivated by the shimmering water and the gradient of the sky. This vivid colour palette caught with Toshi, successfully changing into the cornerstone of his imaginative and prescient for this bike.
However earlier than Toshi may execute one of the impressed liveries we’ve ever seen, he wanted an acceptable bike to use it to. So he sourced one other 1981-model Ducati 900 MHR donor, and set about massaging it into a surprising restomod that, though it deviates from the unique MHR formulation, nonetheless feels very very similar to a manufacturing unit Ducati.
This machine’s secret sauce is the even handed mixture of components that comprise its bodywork. The entrance fairing is an authentic Ducati Mille S2 half. Toshi smoothed off its authentic flip sign mounting factors to create a sleeker impact, earlier than adapting it to suit the MHR.
As any Ducatista will inform you, the MHR was constructed as a road-going duplicate of the manufacturing unit particular Ducati 900 NCR that Mike Hailwood piloted to victory at his legendary 1978 Isle of Man comeback. For the reason that MHR was a manufacturing machine, it traded the NCR’s one-piece physique and slim racing pad for a separate tank and tailpiece, a cushier seat, and a detachable rear cowl that hid a pillion perch.
To regain a few of that NCR magic, Toshi swapped the MHR’s remaining bodywork for a duplicate NCR monocoque. He then added a classic gasoline cap, a taillight, and a license plate bracket to the combination. Mitsunaga Auto Inside Design was referred to as in to upholster the seat in charcoal Alcantara with silver stitching.
Toshi’s work on the 900 MHR goes past only a beauty refresh. He overhauled the engine too, earlier than treating it to a pair of 40 mm Dell’Orto carbs with velocity stacks. The wiring was refurbished and enhanced with a brand new AS Uotani CDI.
Toshi retained the Ducati 900 MHR’s 18” wheels and Brembo brake calipers, however added floating discs and Bridgestone BT46 tires. He ditched the OEM Marzocchi suspension, opting as an alternative for a set of 38 mm Forcella forks and 310 mm Öhlins rear shocks. The MHR’s lanky twin exhausts have been traded for a two-into-one system that bears the patina of years of use.
Different particulars embrace rear-set foot controls from Energy Home MC, a brand new chain guard, and a chromed entrance fender. Tiny LED flip indicators cover below the entrance fairing and tail cowl, providing practicality with out disrupting the bike’s streamlined vibe.
Toshi collaborated with Orvis One in Kumamoto on the Ducati’s jaw-dropping paint job. The blue hue evokes Toshi’s recollections of Lake Garda, with a deep metallic end that relishes daylight. The inexperienced bits recall the unique MHR colour scheme, the hand-painted graphics are straight out of the classic Ducati handbook, and the intense pink body and gold wheels pay homage to the marque’s racing heritage.
This pitch-perfect restomod is the proper marriage of Toshi’s character and Ducati’s wealthy lineage. It’s additionally among the best therapies of the enduring Ducati 900 MHR that we’ve ever seen.
Change Stance Driving | Fb | Instagram | Photographs by, and with because of, Marc Holstein
