MAIN PIC: Danny Mitchell’s spotless Ducati 750 Sport was a highlight, at a show peppered with highlights.
2026 Moto Italiane Ovest – Ascot, Western Australia
Shady trees, Spring-time sunshine and a superb display of some of history’s most memorable bikes welcomed patrons at this year’s Moto Italiane Ovest, on the banks of Western Australia’s Swan River.
With an estimated 200 machines on display, some reaching back to the early days of Italian motorcycles and others giving a glimpse of the future to come, this year’s event was perhaps the best yet. This year coincided with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Ducati Owners Club of WA, and marked 22 years since the first biennial Ovest.
We soaked up the sunshine and the vibe, catching these shots on our trusty Nikon.
CAPTION: Italian motorcycle manufacturers have produced many magnificent machines. The 888 was one of them, and the SP4 variant is extra special. This beautiful example of Greg’s went home with the People’s Choice trophy.
CAPTION: Lex McKinley showed off his latest Moto Guzzi – this stunning bronze 850 – and collected another trophy for his substantial collection.
CAPTION: Willie Dick’s heavily modded Ducati 999 was a head-turner. It won the trophy for Best Custom bike.
CAPTION: MV Agusta released just 300 of its special Senna model, a tribute to car-racing great Ayrton Senna who died in a tragic crash in 1994. Senna was a personal friend of MV chief Claudio Castiglioni, and the special model raised money for disadvantaged children. John Svensson’s Senna is number 285 of those 300, and was judged Best Original bike.
CAPTION: We all remember the movie, The Matrix, right? Trinity aboard that green 996, in a high-speed freeway chase? Corey Dowler’s Matrix tribute recaptures the movie bike beautifully, and was rewarded with the silverware in the 1985-2005 class.
CAPTION: Many machines have been claimed by their designers to be “race bikes with lights”. Few have deserved the description with the credibility of Ducati’s Desmosedici RR. Dave Walker brought his out into the sunshine and took out best bike in the 2006-2026 class.
CAPTION: Most of the bikes on display were well known classics and classics-to-be. This one? It fell into the What the Heck? category. Yes, it’s Italian, but it’s lacking one or two components common to most Italian bikes. Pistons. Yup, it’s electric … with 169 horsepower, 222 Newtons of torque, speed limited to 240kmh top speed, 0-100kmh in 2.5 seconds, and a range of up to 400km city riding. Ladies and gentlemen, the future has arrived. Learn more here: https://energicamotor.com/models/ego
CAPTION: Not all the bikes had been polished to within an inch of their life. Guzzi above, an Eldorado we think, and Mondial below wore their age with pride.
CAPTION: We all have at least one “wish I’d never sold that one” bike, right? Mine was a black MkV LeMans 1000, not quite as nice as this one but pretty nice nonetheless. A beautiful thing.
CAPTION: If you were starting a collection of Italian bikes, these three would give you a top-shelf start of credibility. Guzzi LeMans, Ducati Pantah, Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica.
CAPTION: Most-photographed bike was this stunning green-frame 750 Super Sport. It wasn’t an entry in the show-and-shine because, well, that wouldn’t be fair would it …
CAPTION: After the film Easy Rider redefined motorcycle style in 1969, every manufacturer had a crack at building a chopper. Few were as courageous as Italian firm Fantic, which made these cool-as-cucumber 125cc two strokes. They pulled as much attention as the stunning Mike Hailwood alongside. Maybe more. That’s it, below.CAPTION: Near-perfect MHR900 was wearing a for-sale sign and a big ticket price. (Click here if you’re interested.)
CAPTION: In 1998, Ducati made a run of just 800 of the FE (Final Edition) 900SS. It was a single-seat-only model and the last SS to run carbs. Sweet.
CAPTION: Heavily customised Ducati Monster was stunning.
CAPTION: Before Ducati started making hotrod twins, it made hotrod singles. The twin-filler Mk3 350 was one of them. Rob Emery restored this beautiful example.
CAPTION: Dave McPhee’s XK won coolest-car-in-the-paddock, despite being quite not-Italian.
