913 Ss

[ST4s4SF]

Year: 2009
Model: 913 SS - designed & built by 13 Choppers in Escondido, CA
Eng size: 916
Pipes: 1098 - modded by 13 Choppers
Seat: Pan by 13 Choppers, leather by Vic
Wheels: Marchesini 5-spoke
Accessories: Power Commander
The story: ...and there I was, recovering in the hospital in '07 from being run over by a Prius while riding my old 2002 Triumph Daytona 955i, when I phoned my wife and asked if she could please bring my laptop so I could begin shopping for a new bike. Can't say the nurses really liked that too much, seeing me sitting there all casted and bandaged and shopping for a new death machine.

After much shopping and recovering, I finally bought an '05 ST4s (hence my username, which now needs changing), but that is not the point of this story. After riding the ST for a year-ish, I got a check from the insurance company of guy who ran me down, and began to think about spending some of it.

Enter 13 Choppers.

Moto Forza in Escondido has this little black binder sitting on the counter. Says "13" on the front of it. I flipped it open one day while waiting around to talk to Kris, the excellent Parts Manager (and, coincidentally, partner in the madness that is 13 Choppers), and what I saw there was moto-porn like you wouldn't believe. To extend the metaphor, I instantly had a strong case of bike-lust, and I don't even remember if I talked to him that day or not, because all I could think about was a fully custom ducati-powered chopper of my own....

This bike took a bit over a year to build. Part of that was because my uncle did the leather, and he's goes back and forth between being a perfectionist and a procrastinator. But in the end, his skill & experience were definitely worth the wait. Mat and Kris of 13 Choppers were great to work with throughout the entire process. Guided, steered, built, fabricated, adjusted, designed, collaborated, and did everything humanly possible to make sure I was happy with the finished product.

And I assure you, I most certainly am. This bike is absolutely amazing to ride!

Other Info:
Engine: Ducati 916 S4R (2002)
Weight: 418 lbs. (approx)
Swingarm: 13 Choppers
Bars: 13 Choppers
Frame: 13 Choppers
Forks: 43mm Showa inverted
Suspension: Progressive linkage w/ Sachs fully adjustable monoshock
Clutch: Dry multiplate Veicolo
Seat height: 26”


Pics:

[RAD02]

Absolutely AWESOME!!!!!

Not a chopper fan but I can see all the work you have put in designing this, much prefer home built then of the shelf.

Love the recycling of the 1098 pipes by the way !

[Spezjag]

Originally Posted by RAD02

Absolutely AWESOME!!!!!

Not a chopper fan but I can see all the work you have put in designing this, much prefer home built then of the shelf.

Love the recycling of the 1098 pipes by the way !

I concur - while I am not into choppers as a rule, this is a great home-brew solution, and probably amazes the Harley clone riders.

Except that they can still give you grief over having been run over by a Prius . . .

[corks67]

errrr diffferent, not my cup of tea, ut kudos for the werk

[ST4s4SF]

Thanks folks. We took this bike to Laguna Seca last year, and parked it and 2 others like it on Ducati island. The reaction we got was amazing - 95% of folks really appreciated the craftsmanship and the uniqueness of the concept. There was even some video footage shot of the builder and the bikes for the World Wide Ducati Dealers meeting. 13 Choppers won the Ducati Garage Challenge in Italy in 2004 for one of their first full builds.

Harley produces sporty models and Japanese manufacturers produce cruisers. It is my opinion that Ducati could sell a lot of bikes like this (economic times not withstanding) without a ton of extra effort. There are a LOT of stock Duc parts on this bike. (including the instrument cluster and computer/immobilizer/wiring harness)

If you're interested in build pics, here's a link. (WARNING, there is graphic violence depicted on a 2002 Monster on that page. hehe)