Shooting Bryan’s 1980 Ducati Pantah for Shannons Insurance
I recently had the chance to work with Shannons Insurance to capture photos and create a social media reel for their Member Spotlight series, this is a motorcycle I had photographed before with the builder of the bike Purpose Built Moto. Seeing it again and capturing it in a different location was a pleasure.
Bryan Simpson’s 1980 Ducati Pantah is basically a two-wheeled Ferrari. It’s the kind of bike that stops you in your tracks. We met up on the Gold Coast, where Bryan told me the full story behind this machine, which goes back more than 30 years.
He bought the bike in 1991 as a gift to himself for his 21st birthday. Back then, it was a bright red 500cc Ducati Pantah sitting in a shop window in Campbelltown, and it became his daily ride around Sydney for years. But like a lot of classics, it ended up parked and forgotten for a while — first in a mate’s warehouse, then later in his parents’ shed near Maclean, where salt air took its toll.
Fast forward to the Covid years, and Bryan decided it was time to bring the old girl back to life. He took it to the legends at Purpose Built Moto in Burleigh Heads. They didn’t just restore the bike — they reimagined it. The result is stunning: clean lines, gold wheels, and every detail done right. Even the saddle was re-upholstered to match the bike’s style.
I loved hearing why this bike still means so much to Bryan. It’s not just metal and rubber it’s memories of mates, Friday night rides to Bulli Pass, and good times that never really fade.
As an automotive videographer and photographer, shoots like this one are what I love to do — capturing not just the bike but the story behind it. For this shoot, I delivered a gallery of stills and a short social media reel that Shannons featured on their Instagram and blog.
If you’ve got a car or bike with a story to tell, and you’re looking for high-quality content for social media or editorial features, I’d love to help.
