Resplendent in mint green parked up casually outside a coffee shop, you might assume this Ducati’s mid-life transformation was the work of an Italian. However, its striking styling was, in fact, mastered in chilly Stockholm…
The brainchild of Johan Orrestedt – owner of Swedish ‘wheels and waves’ shop 6/5/4 Motors – this Ducati really is a breath of fresh sea air. Bringing together the leisure pastimes of riding and surfing, the bike was intended to be a simpler and lighter version of the original 860 GT, albeit retaining the ‘alien’ V-twin engine, the iconic tank, and the horizontal frame line.
Scandinavian pick-me-up
After searching Sweden for the perfect donor bike – a mid-70s GTS variant that had been laid up in a barn for many years – 6/5/4 set to work stripping, lightening, overhauling and painting. The chosen colour? Well, the inspiration came not from a sophisticated mint tea, but a good old beer can. The look was completed by adding diamond-quilted leather from Swedish tannery Tärnsjö, along with retro-look Coker Diamond tyres and simple flick-switches for the lights. Who’d have thought the Swedes could do Italian elegance?
Photos: Simon Hamelius (outside) / Johannes Helje (studio) / David Gonzales (board) for 6/5/4 Motors
You can find numerous classic Ducatis for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
