Ducati Hurricane 900
side view
Ducati Hurricane
North Carolina has had more than its fair share of hurricanes; it's also home to some of America's most dedicated gear heads. While most of them would seem to be infected with the NASCAR disease, there are also a few who prefer both their thrills and their hurricanes to be of the two-wheeled form. Norm and Jeff Brown are Ducati fans and like their big Italian V-twins to be light as a cannoli shell, as curvy as Sophia Loren as and as fast as a Ferrari.
Aptly named Hurricane Motorcycles, Norm and Jeff specialize in both building bikes and one-off custom fabrication. Featuring one of Norm's trellis frames, 'Gina' was built using a tuned two-valve 900SS engine and a host of specially fabricated parts to showcase Hurricane's expertise. Although why the bike is called Gina we dunno, as there's never been a hurricane of that name on America's Atlantic coast.
Single-sided swingarm with Ohlins Road & Track shock
Starting with a 1992 SS900 engine, Norm cranked the Hurricane up to a Force 5 with a 944 big-bore kit featuring 11.5:1 high compression pistons, polished and ported intakes, titanium valves and a couple of Vee-Two high-torque camshafts. Making the bottom-end bullet proof was just as expensive with an FBF lightened flywheel and slipper clutch backed up by a Velocity clutch retainer and spring kit.
Complementing Norm's exquisite curved space frame chassis is a modified 996 single-sided swingarm juxtaposed with an hlins Road & Track shock, while the front wears a similarly purloined 996 Showa fork combo with matching Brembo discs, Goldline calipers and radial master cylinder.
Carbon-fiber fuel tank
THE BUYER'S BOX
Ducati Hurricane 900
Front end:Ducati 996 yokes, Showa forks, 996 wheel, Brembo calipers and discs
Rear end:Modified Ducati 996 single-sided swingarm with hlins Road & Track shock, 996 wheel
Motor:1992 Ducati SS900 with 944 big-bore 11.5:1 comp kit, titanium valves, ported and polished intakes, FBF lightened flywheel, slipper clutch, Velocity Mad Duck clutch springs and retainer kit, Vee-Two high-torque cams, Pedrazzini coils, custom exhaust
Paint:Hurricane Motorcycles
Polish/chrome:Hurricane Motorcycles
Bodywork:Ducati carbon-fiber fuel tank, custom seat unit with integral silencer, Ducati 996 mudguard
Builder:Hurricane Motorcycles, www.motomaxy.com
Owner: Norm and Jeff Brown