Toshiyuki Kozaka doesn’t have an enormous profile outdoors of Japan. However within the Land of the Rising Solar, he’s established himself because the go-to man for engaged on classic bevel-driven Ducatis. Taking a look at this achingly stunning Ducati 900 SS restoration, it’s simple to see why.
Kozaka-san runs his enterprise, Change Stance Using, from a small workshop in Amakusa. It’s a metropolis within the Kumamoto Prefecture that’s unfold throughout a number of islands off the coast of Japan’s most southwesterly island, Kyushu. And the one purpose we all know who he’s is as a result of now we have a mutual pal; the German photographer, Marc Holstein.
“I’ve recognized Toshi since we met at Wheels and Waves a couple of years in the past,” Marc tells us. We grew to become associates, and since then we’ve hung out visiting one another, going to motorbike festivals, using, and browsing collectively.”
The final time Marc visited Change Stance Using, Toshi had simply completed up the Ducati’s year-long restoration. Which turned out to be serendipitous for us, as a result of Marc was capable of {photograph} it and fill us in on its backstory.
Again in 2016, a devastating earthquake hit Kumamoto—inflicting vital human casualties and leaving trillions of yen value of property injury in its wake. It additionally did a quantity on this late-70s Ducati 900 SS, wrecking the bike’s fairing, facet covers, gas tank, tail cowl, and muffler within the course of.
Just a few years handed earlier than the beat-up 900 SS finally made its solution to Change Stance Using. Toshi was tasked with returning it to its former glory—however we’d argue that he took it a step additional. The traditional Tremendous Sport appears to be like higher than manufacturing unit, with not a touch of the state it was in when Toshi began.
Toshi began by stripping the Ducati right down to its nuts and bolts and giving all the pieces an intensive clear. “We targeted on each single element on this bike,” says Yoshi, “even right down to the screws used. And we tried to enhance the general situation by solely utilizing real elements.”
A part of Yoshi’s job was discerning which elements may very well be saved, and which needed to be binned. He managed to restore the fairing, facet covers, and tail cowl, however the gas tank was too far gone. So he sourced and fitted an aftermarket aluminum Imola-style unit as a substitute.
Plenty of the elements that you simply’d assume are model new are simply unique bits which were meticulously restored. That features the shiny Conti mufflers, which had been repaired, re-chromed, and re-fitted. Toshi refurbished the OEM suspension too, however he swapped the wheels out for the alloy hoops from a later mannequin Tremendous Sport.
The engine was rebuilt to its manufacturing unit spec, with a brand new wiring harness to make sure reliability. The lights, flip indicators, and controls are all interval appropriate.
For the paint job, Toshi known as in Orvis One—a Kumamoto-based paint store that focuses on classic bikes. They slathered the bike in an impossibly deep jet-black end, with hand-painted gold graphics all through. Toshi picked one of many classic Tremendous Sport’s much less widespread liveries, however one that’s nonetheless indicative of the period.
“The colours had been combined to tone down the general exterior look and provides it extra of a uniform look,” he tells us. “The body was painted matte black, offering contrasting black tones to create a way of playfulness.”
Mitsunaga Auto Inside Design upholstered the seat, replicating the unique stitching design, however choosing a closely textured cloth that has a extra luxurious look. A model new seat zipper does responsibility on the again and each final fastener has been cleaned and re-plated.
The entire thing actually is clear sufficient to eat off of, with simply the tiniest little bit of patina to remind you that that is, in actual fact, a traditional motorbike.
“It’s a well-built machine that focuses on taking conventional design to the intense,” Toshi confidently provides. “We hope that it’ll recreate the kind of pleasure that may make you wish to purchase the Tamiya fashions out of your childhood.”
Since we are able to’t personal the actual factor, we’d simply have to do this.
Change Stance Using | Fb | Instagram | Photos by, and with because of, Marc Holstein
