“No Diana harmed”
The Michael Jackson song “Dirty Diana” seems to fit this little mongrel as a theme song quite well.

Customer bought a 1965 Ducati 250 scrambler and brought it to the shop and commissioned a patina custom similar to the black and white bike featured by BikeEXIF (Singles Party: Two vintage Ducati restomods from Union) a few years back.

Bike was stripped down to a roller and Luke vetted out the mechanicals and carburation. We installed a new electronic ignition system.

I made alterations to the rear of the frame to accommodate the “one of a kind” seat and number plates. I fabbed the number plates up a few years back for another project and repurposed them to this bike. Rear set mounts were added to the frame.

I then started searching for patina/wabi-sabi parts. Found an original paint Diana tank that had some work done around the fuel taps. That red tank set the tone for the rest of the body work. Ebay provided a modified Ducati fender in red. I used the Union style rear mudguard that GFTP makes for us. I had to paint and age to match. Interior Revolutions covered the one-of-a-kind fiberglass seat.

The seat has been raised to make ergos better for taller humans. The bike is a riot to ride.

I took on the original project as a fund raiser at that time. The customer bought all the parts. All money paid for time and labor went to help a children’s home in Thailand.

The person who commissioned the build is regular customer with a stable of Italian singles. He decided to pare down his collection and wanted help selling some of his bikes. I wanted to purchase this little wabi sabi gem for myself. Then I thought about the need for a fund raiser bike. I struck a deal with the owner to purchase the bike at a price well below market value with the condition it be used as a sweepstake bike. In its own way, this little red wabi sabi bike is doubling down to do good.

All funds (not just the proceeds) will go to re:ACTS Ministries based in San Fransisco, CA. re:ACTS partners with teams in Northern Thailand and Cambodia strive to help marginalized children get educations, shelter, food, medical care and much much more.

I personally live on both sides of the Restored vs. Patina conversation. I have pristine bikes and patina bikes that I relate to regularly. I also have a nice Porsche 912 and a Patina 356. I find a place for both philosophies on two wheels or four.

The case for Patina: There is zen and freedom that comes with a well maintained and prepared bike that you can interact without concern for paint and polish. They can be operated and parked anywhere and in any weather. Each wear mark tells a story. Sometimes that story is yours and sometimes that story is left to the imagination. Some would say that good patina/wabi sabi machines have more soul.

The case for Restoration: For many people a pristine machine is a must for ownership pride. It is a record of a commitment to perfection and an opportunity to showcase skill. There is a distinct joy that comes with bringing a restoration to life. Restoration can create the feeling of a goal fulfilled and a newborn full of potential at the same time.

Both philosophies can honor a bike. Both philosophies can dishonor a bike. I believe it is a situational decision that must be carefully weighed before moving forward in restoration/preservation. Don’t get me started on how to make this decision when originality and rarity is brought into the picture……

My most basic and (way too simple) summary of the two philosophies is that a pristine restoration looks to a machine’s future and a patina machine reflects on its past.