There is just something really special about the builds from Walt Siegl. What I see on first glance is quiet perfection. He doesn't need to scream out how great his build is or make it feel over done just to get attention. The details ask you to glance them over and then with a subtle nudge make you realize just how much actual design went into every nuance. Thankfully true craftsmen like Walt exist and we can marvel at their work day in and day out.
View Walt Siegl's Puma build on BikeExif
"I’m a big fan of keeping it simple when it comes to color schemes. Orange for a Laverda, black for a Vincent, yellow for a Yamaha. But this funky Ducati 900 SS from Walt Siegl is an absolute treat.
Meyers is a legend in Ducati circles, and his dealership BCM was home to one of the best racebike preparation workshops in the States. “The bike started its life as a 1993 SS,” Walt says, “and it was turned into a racer three years before I bought it. Race bikes have it hard, and only the engine turned out to be salvageable. Even so, it just needed new pistons, valves and belts.”
The motor is a 989 cc big-bore “fully blue-printed torque monster,” with 41mm flat slide Keihins on custom manifolds. Walt built a lightweight chrome moly frame around it, and installed Showa suspension. The brakes are operated by high-end Magura controls, acting on Brembo Serie Oro calipers and lightweight rotors.
Walt crafted the bodywork in his New Hampshire workshop, using structural urethane that he also painted “to get a better visual.” Once he was happy with the mockup, he had the bodywork scanned and molds machined. The parts were then recreated in kevlar-carbon—an expensive, labor-intensive process that guarantees a perfect fit and finish. “You can hide lots of shortcomings by filling in imperfections with Bondo, but that won’t get you a lightweight, high-end, high-performance result.”
The exhaust is a custom stainless steel unit with an Italian Mivv muffler. The electrical system is minimal, as usual on Walt’s bikes, and built around a Motogadget m-Unit to get rid of all the relays.
For now, this 900 SS has pride of place at the Puma International office in Boston. But probably not for long: “I hope that one day someone will be willing to use it to its full potential,” says Walt. “Believe me, that thing goes like snot. And makes your hair stand up, it sounds so good.”
Images by Michael Rubenstein. Check out Walt’s builds on his website and follow his news via the Walt Siegl Facebook page."
