SAVED BY THE CRAFT: GABRIEL’S 2006 DUCATI MONSTER
Pure escape. Gabriel Pereyra & the Monster S2R 800 in its natural element.
No workshop, no ego—just a self-taught build that reshaped a life from the ground up.
Some builds are measured in dyno charts and titanium hardware; others are measured in resilience and transformed lives. For Gabriel Pereyra, a native of Uruguay living in Spain, his 2006 Ducati Monster S2R 800 represents the latter.
THE DUCATI MONSTER S2R 800 CUSTOM
„If you can’t buy it, I encourage you to build it... it is the most humble, accessible, and liberating hobby there is.“
Gabriel
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Purchased as his very first motorcycle during a period of severe depression, the air-cooled Monster became Gabriel's ultimate mental escape and creative outlet. Working without a formal workshop, welding experience, or background in composite materials, he undertook a radical transformation in communal garage spaces and small vacant lots. Learning every skill through sheer trial and determination, only the engine, fuel tank, and core frame section remain from the factory bike. Today, working at the Montmeló race circuit and surrounded by the family he found through riding, Gabriel stands as living proof that passion requires no ego—only the willingness to create.
THE RIDER
Name: Gabriel Pereyra
Base: Spain (born in Uruguay)
Garage / Life: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya professional, outdoor self-taught builder, advocate for ego-free motorcycle culture.
THE MACHINE
Model: 2006 Ducati Monster S2R 800
Spec & Mods: Heavily customized build; stock engine, tank, and main frame retained. Custom bodywork and components fabricated outdoors and in communal spaces through self-taught fiberglass and mechanical work.
IN CONVERSATION WITH GABRIEL
RWN MOTOZINE: Tell us about yourself, your background, and how motorcycles shape your daily life.
Gabriel Pereyra: My name is Gabriel Pereyra, I was born in Uruguay and moved to Spain about 22 years ago. Usually, when I'm not riding my motorcycle, I'm upgrading it; my whole hobby revolves around it. If I'm not with It, it's because I'm working, and I do it at the Montmeló circuit, so my life is always connected with engines.
RWN MOTOZINE: What machine are you riding, and was it your entry point into two wheels?
Gabriel Pereyra: It's a 2006 Ducati Monster S2R 800 and I bought It as my first motorcycle ever.
RWN MOTOZINE: Modifying a bike without a professional background or shop is a huge challenge. How did you transform this Monster?
Gabriel Pereyra: Currently, the only parts remaining from the original motorcycle are the engine, the fuel tank, and part of the frame. Everything else was replaced, and the biggest challenges I faced during the process were my own limitations: I had never worked with fiberglass, I am not a mechanic or a welder, and I don't have a workshop. All the modifications were carried out in a small vacant lot near my home or in a communal garage area. My mindset has always been that if someone else can do something, so can I, and this motorcycle is a testament to everything I have learned.
RWN MOTOZINE: You mentioned this build represents much more than a hobby. What impact did this motorcycle have on your life journey?
Gabriel Pereyra: This motorcycle has completely changed my life. I'd never been involved with motorcycles before, and after suffering from severe depression, I bought it as a mental escape. Thanks to it, I met my current wife, my best friends, and got my current job. For some, it might be an old motorcycle, but for me, it was the starting point of a new life, one I'm very proud of and love living.
RWN MOTOZINE: What advice or philosophy would you share with anyone looking to get into motorcycle culture?
Gabriel Pereyra: From the age of 30 onwards, it’s impossible to talk about my story without talking about motorcycle culture; I always recommend that everyone get started—and above all, do so with their dream bike. If you can’t buy it, I encourage you to build it. If you steer clear of ego and prejudice, you can enjoy any bike like nothing else, and it is the most humble, accessible, and liberating hobby there is.
RWN MOTOZINE: Gabriel, thank you for the craft, the time, and for keeping the raw spirit of the culture alive.
Photos by Gabriel Pereyra - Story by Sascha Köhmstedt