The Arkitekt Is a Custom BMW R75/6 Bobber That Leaves No Stone Unturned

Operating out of Graz, Austria, Titan is the brainchild of Michael Siebenhofer and Thanh Ho Ngo. The two joined forces several years ago and have delivered a steady stream of incredible projects ever since, working at a pace that only the finest bike-modding artisans can match. They don’t stick to a particular style or motorcycle brand, instead opting for diversity and different styling approaches from one build to the next.

What we’re about to look at is one of the raddest and most complex machines these guys have ever worked on. The Arkitekt started out as a BMW R75/6 from the model-year 1977, and many intricate mods were required to make it look the way it does today. As their main source of inspiration, Michael and his teammate turned to the principles of Bauhaus architecture – hence the creature’s nickname.

In stock form, the ‘77 MY R75/6 can summon up to 50 hp and 44 pound-feet (60 Nm) of torque from its air-cooled 745cc boxer-twin mill. These are fairly respectable figures for a machine from that era, but the Titan duo knew there was more potential to be unlocked here. So, once the classic airhead had been taken apart, they turned to aftermarket solutions in order to make it happen.

The donor’s twin-cylinder engine was torn down, cleaned up where necessary, and ultimately rebuilt with a Siebenrock kit boosting capacity to 1,000cc. Siebenrock’s performance package included forged pistons and Nikasil-coated cylinders, but there’s no word on the resulting power gains. The motor also benefits from a larger oil pan and Silent Hektik electronic ignition hardware, as well as fresh breathing equipment at both ends of the combustion cycle.

High-end aftermarket pod filters are present on the intake side of things, while exhaust gases are expelled through handmade pipework with heat-wrapped headers. All the powertrain-related upgrades are top-notch, and Titan’s specialists haven’t toned things down when it came to the structural aspect of this build. Gone is the R75’s factory subframe, chopped off in its entirety to make way for a custom setup worthy of the bobber label.

A stunning brown leather saddle is attached to the main frame via a hinge and suspended on a leaf spring at the back. Lower down, we find a pair of long aftermarket shocks taking care of suspension duties in that area, and a tailor-made rear fender with accompanying struts can be spotted in between them. Hanging off the swingarm on the left-hand side, there is a bare-bones license plate holder keeping things road-legal.

At the front end, you will now encounter a classy set of girder forks developed by Sven Denker of Custom Corner. The arrangement looks absolutely phenomenal on this bobbed R75, as do the laced aftermarket wheels and corresponding Avon Safety Mileage MKII tires. It’s the front brake that’ll really steal the show in the unsprung sector, though, with its distinctive perimeter design clearly pointing to Buell origins.

To be exact, the braking system was taken from an XB12S and heavily tweaked to suit The Arkitekt – a strenuous and time-consuming endeavor, for sure, yet one that was totally worth it in the end. Peek a bit higher up, and you’ll notice a Bates-style headlight measuring 4.5 inches in diameter, along with more snazzy equipment in the cockpit.

A chromed low-profile handlebar takes pride of place in this area, wearing custom leather grips, Kellermann bar-end turn signals, and Motogadget switches. Further back, we’re greeted by a handsome fuel tank topped with a digital Motogadget speedometer and a leather strap. Its design was penned by Thanh and then translated into physical form by Bernhard Naumann of Blechmann.

With the project nearing completion, Titan Motorcycles proceeded to address the final touches. They sent the fuel tank and rear fender to i-Flow's talented Wolfgang Kuzma to get painted, while executing that stunning finish worn by the frame and girder forks in-house. It was achieved with some extensive cleaning, galvanizing, and brass-plating – one of the hardest parts of this entire build, according to Titan’s gurus.

The result is nothing short of drool-worthy, so all the elbow grease certainly paid off! Needless to say, The Arkitekt is far from your run-of-the-mill custom airhead, breaking the mold in more ways than you can shake a stick at. It’s the polar opposite of conventional, and that’s precisely what makes it so alluring to begin with. Michael and Thanh really went to town here, sparing no expense on their quest to build something different.