Who says a Monster can't be a beautiful thing!

The day was dull and overcast. Dark grey clouds were overshadowed with ominous swirls of black spirals raging through the atmosphere above. Riding season was approaching but the chill in the air was enough to re-affirm that only thrill seeking daredevils would venture out on two wheels this day.

There was a cold lazy wind that would rather go through you than around you and sent chills down your spine. In a strange kind of way it seemed a perfect day for the Monster to emerge from its lair.

A nitrous breathing Ducati Monster

When the owner of the monster, Chris Nicolaou, had originally thought of having a head turning show stopper built he was thinking of an American V-Twin. Chris approached builder Steve Hicks at Terminal Velocity, in PortPerry, ON, to discuss his options about a custom built bike and shortly thereafter Chris went to the aftermarket parts books that display the many thousands of parts for the American V-Twin market. "Chris thought that if you wanted to customize a bike it had to be a Harley," Hicks said. Steve likes to do things a little differently than most others and convinced Chris that in order to have a custom it didn't have to be an American V-Twin. Chris was a little more than skeptical when Steve began telling him about a Ducati Monster design that had been brewing in his head for some time. Everyone has different tastes in hardware and Chris considered the Monster to be a less than appealing bike to begin with. After further discussing Steve's ideas, Chris was convinced that Steve was indeed ready and capable to bring the Monster to life.

Steve is the first to admit he can't draw so the whole vision of the Monster was in his head. He had been thinking about this project for a long time and knew in his mind what every piece would look like. "One thing I did want to keep is the original look of the Monster, the trellis frame, the air-cooled Ducati engine. It had to be recognizable as a Monster," Hicks said. "I think about 50% of the added parts are bolt-on and the remaining 50% were made by me. I don't have a CNC machine or any high tech stuff like that. All the parts are one-off, done the 'old fashioned way', on my lathe, milling machine and drill press," he says smiling and obviously proud of his accomplishments. And proud he should be!

This past winter Ducati North America held a Monster Challenge competition at various consumer shows in the States and Canada, Montreal being the only Canadian date. The bikes were judged and Chris' bike took first place at the Montreal show. That first place win garnered a ticket for Chris and his Monster to Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida, as did all the winners at each consumer show, for the final Monster Challenge. Competition was stiff, out of a field of 12 Monsters, Chris' bike took second place in the North America Monster Challenge finale.

Next time you see a dark and sinister spring day brewing, be weary of the Monster. It may be ready to set forth from its lair once again.