We’ve seen our share of wild motorcycle builds, but few come close to the sheer audacity of this one. Straight from BMW Motorrad, this futuristic custom is a fierce drag-racing machine complete with a nitrous oxide canister for an (admittedly theoretical) power boost.
Dubbed the Titan, it’s based on the recently launched BMW R 1300 R. While the stock version is a sporty touring bike, this custom one-off has been transformed into a full-blown drag-strip beast, with a silhouette that the company says “resembles a predatory cat, patiently waiting to sprint off even when stationary.”
Gone is the bulky cladding, revealing the raw aggression of the Wilbers chassis, boxer engine, and extra-long swingarm. The Titan also features an Akrapovič titanium exhaust system, a sharpened front cowling with a razor-thin headlight, and a striking, video game-style livery splashed in all of BMW’s signature colors.
BMW Motorrad
The exaggerated air duct panel dominates the front end, a design choice that appears to shift the bike’s visual weight forward, likely in an effort to keep the front wheel grounded during full-throttle launches. At its core, this build is clearly meant to spotlight the Titan’s powerhouse of a drivetrain.
The bike is powered by the company’s most potent boxer engine to date, a 1,300cc mill that generates 140 horsepower and 110 lb-ft (81 Nm) of torque. It’s mounted on a Wilbers chassis, with exhaust pipes from both cylinders merging beneath the rider before exiting through a dual-flow setup at the tail.
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a literal nitrous oxide canister tucked between the two rear titanium silencers. At the press of a button, the system injects nitrous oxide (or NOS) into the fuel mix, unleashing extra thrust to help rocket you to the finish line.
BMW Motorrad
Just how fast could it go? That’s unclear, but it’s not hard to imagine the Titan easily surpassing the R 1300 R’s top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h) and its 0–60 mph (97 km/h) time of 3.4 seconds.
This radical build wasn’t the product of a boardroom but rather a passion project by a hands-on team including prototype builders Paul Summerer and Thomas Becker, project manager Philipp Ludwig, designer Andreas Martin, and graphics and color specialist Theresa Stukenbrock.
BMW hasn’t indicated any production plans or a specific use case for the Titan. It’s likely a showpiece designed to stir interest in the R 1300 R, especially as the base model is likely to enter the US market later this year.
Too bad it won’t be bringing the NOS with it.
Source: BMW Motorrad
