Ian Davis is the founder and owner of ETTO Motorcycles

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ETTO Motorcycles was born of the founder’s passion to become a leading fabricator for sports, race and road motorcycles.  The journey from novice welder to one of the top UK motorcycle fabricators has been a relentless pursuit of excellence.

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As a racer in the Thunderbike Championship (BMRC), Ian learnt to weld and improve his race bike, fabricating parts to improve handling and performance; always with the words of the late Colin Chapman of Lotus, simplify and add lightness, in mind. 

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Having learned and mastered the technicalities of welding, Ian sought out some of the best craftsmen in the UK to learn from them the untaught essence of best practice that only such people know.​ Much was learned from these time served fabricators who’d worked for the likes of Harris Performance, Tigcraft and Spondon.

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A great product does need great technique, but also the right and best materials and the knowledge of where and how to use them. This requires a thorough metallurgical understanding of tensile strengths, ductility, yield points etc., gained from continual research. One crucial reference source was however, difficult to obtain, John Bradley’s unique book The Motorcycle Racer Vol. 2: A Technical Guide for Constructors, which was sadly out of print. Ian spoke directly with the author who put him in touch with a friend who had a copy for sale.

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This proved to be transformative, but not just for the invaluable content of the book. Soon after receiving it, John Bradley called again.  He advised Ian to contact his good friend, another well regarded motorsport fabricator, who may be prepared to help Ian attain the next level. This person is one of the most knowledgeable and skilful aluminium motorsport fabricators in the UK, having made aluminium fuel tanks for a wealth of race teams in the British SuperBike Championship. Crescent Suzuki, Tyco BMW and Honda UK have all employed his talents, to craft the ultimate lightweight racing tanks, for not just short circuit racing, but the famous road racing series, like the Isle of Man TT.

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​Over the next 10 years Ian was mentored on how to shape the aluminium, shrinking and stretching it, how to use the English Wheel, planishing hammers, dollies and shotbags, handcrafting skills dating back centuries.  Learning how to correctly baffle tanks, make internal breather systems, how to correctly make and weld the brackets to the tanks, minimising stress points and the heat affected zone caused by welding….all this and so much more! 

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Today, with his dedication, research and ever growing experience and through the generous and priceless counsel of these distinguished craftsmen, Ian Davis is one of the top UK motorcycle fabricators in the country.

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A recent ETTO project with John Froude, to provide the 8 gallon tank for his extraordinary replica of the great Freddie Spencer’s CB750F 6 Hour Endurance replica shows the range and quality of our workmanship.  Read about it in Ian’s interview in BIKEBOUND,

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https://www.bikebound.com/2025/02/21/cb750f-endurance-replica/

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Follow the link and get the whole amazing story of 3 perfectionists in pursuit of excellence in their respective fields.

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