Portugal, crippled by the GFC, is not a good place to conduct business at the moment. But nobody told the Lisbon-based custom workshop Maria Motorcycles, which is turning out some very sharp bikes indeed. Like this latest build, a 1994 Ducati 750 SS called “Italian Sniper”. According to Maria’s main man, Luis Correia, working with a modern style of bike was a challenge. But he relished the idea of turning it into a smaller and more aggressive machine, and giving it a distinct personality—“a simple look, almost like a classic street racer.” The biggest change is the more powerful engine,