A Fresh Look for an Old Friend

Some motorcycles come and go.

Others become part of your life.

My Ducati 1098 is one of those motorcycles.

I’ve owned this bike from new, and despite all the newer, faster and more sophisticated superbikes that have appeared over the years, I’ve never seriously considered letting it go. It has become part of the family.

Over the years, I’ve gradually made it my own. The suspension has been upgraded, the ECU remapped, performance silencers fitted, along with a number of other carefully chosen modifications. Nothing outrageous—just the sort of improvements that make an already brilliant motorcycle even better to ride.

Recently, I decided it deserved a fresh new look.

Rather than restoring the original graphics, I chose a livery inspired by one of Ducati’s most iconic machines—the Troy Bayliss 1098R.

I’ve always admired both the motorcycle and what Troy Bayliss achieved aboard it. The Bayliss Edition remains one of the most desirable Ducatis ever built, and this wrap is simply my own tribute to that era of Ducati racing. My bike is still very much a 1098, just wearing colours that celebrate one of the legends of the marque.

The transformation exceeded my expectations.

It still looks unmistakably like my motorcycle, but now every time I walk into the garage it reminds me of everything that made me fall in love with Ducati in the first place.

Motorcycles become personal. We all leave our own fingerprints on them. Some people chase horsepower, others polish them to perfection. For me, it’s always been about building a motorcycle that reflects my own taste while remaining true to what made it special in the first place.

People often ask why I still keep a bike that’s now almost two decades old.

The answer is simple.

In an age where every new superbike arrives with another layer of electronics, rider aids and horsepower, the 1098 still feels wonderfully honest. It demands respect, rewards smooth riding and reminds you that the rider is still the most important part of the equation.

Some motorcycles never stop making you smile.

This is one of them.

Ironically, while the Ducati has just received its new look, it won’t be the motorcycle accompanying me on my next adventure. In a few days I’ll be heading to Mongolia for what promises to be the ride of a lifetime, aboard a very different kind of machine and across some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth.

The Ducati will stay safely at home.

But when I return, it’ll be waiting in the garage—looking better than ever, and ready for the next ride.

The photos below show the before and after. Same motorcycle. Same soul. Just a fresh new look inspired by the legendary Troy Bayliss 1098R.

The before above