Alpinestars 55th Anniversary Special – a celebration of Italian history

Bruno Gomes

May 8, 2018

Alpinestars wanted a special motorcycle to celebrate its 55th Anniversary. And Michael Woolaway did just that!

During the American MotoGP round in Texas, Italian motorcycle brand Alpinestars revealed its latest project on two wheels. This one-off custom motorcycle was built to celebrate Alpinestars 55th Anniversary, and it’s truly a special bike.

The bike was built by Michael Woolaway, the owner of Woolies Workshop in Venice, California, and also design director at Deus Ex Machina there.

The bike itself is a blend of old and new, using a 1974 Ducati 750 Sport engine in a chassis which utilizes some more contemporary parts too, such as modern wheels, forks and brakes. It features special parts to remember the history of the Italian brand in racing, especially the link to some famous riders like Mick Doohan – a thumb rear brake lever – and Nicky Hayden with a seat that is similar to the one he used at Ducati when racing in MotoGP.

Other partners on this project are also known to racing fans: Akrapovic made the special exhaust with MotoGP technology, Michelin contributed with race derived tyres, Brembo supplied the brakes and Rizoma sent their latest accessories.

But the start of the build is a Ducati 750 Sport engine that Michael Woolaway found. The twin-cylinder engine was still in the crate, brand new, and it was built up to spec with racing regulations of the period.

It was the perfect heart to use on this 55th Anniversary Special that Alpinestars wanted, and all it was missing after the parts sorted was the chassis. To get the perfect chassis, Woolaway spoke with master fabricator Jeff Cole from C&J Racing Frames, who built the tubular frame according to the custom specs.

The end result is a truly special bike, a one-off that embodies the Italian and racing history of Alpinestars.