DNA Filters is among the world’s leading aftermarket brands when it comes to air filtration technology for both cars and motorcycles. Their products have been used in tuning and custom bike projects extensively over the years, always providing the best quality you can get your hands on. DNA operates out of sunny Greece, but they serve customers all around the globe and have thus garnered tons of worldwide recognition.
The firm is led by the father-and-son duo of Dino and Marios Nikolaidis, with the former’s experience in the motorcycling industry stretching all the way back to 1985. He founded DNA in 2002, was joined by his son many years later, and the rest is history. What you may not know is that Dino and Marios also like to indulge in a good bit of motorcycle customization from time to time.
We’ve featured their incredible KTM 1190 RC8R (aka the Brain Eraser) here on autoevolution some time ago, and the bike pictured above is no less intriguing! It calls itself The Billet Sting and was put together in 2018, right after DNA stunned the world with their beastly RC8R. This time around, they picked a BMW R nineT to act as the project’s basis.
It would now be a stretch to call this thing an R nineT, though, because the only factory part still present here is the air- and oil-cooled 1,170cc boxer-twin engine. All the OEM bodywork and frame tubing got taken out of the equation, making room for a sublime monocoque structure that’s been fabricated in-house. It was meticulously crafted using ten blocks of CNC-machined billet aluminum, with a rad honeycomb pattern on both sides.
The unibody is topped with a blue saddle at the back and home to integrated LED lighting inside the tail, while its front end connects to a pair of hexagonal billet air ducts. These bad boys feed two premium pod filters from DNA’s proprietary range, both encased in see-through Lexan covers and linked to the boxer engine via handmade titanium plumbing.
Photo: Mattia Negrini
We’ll get to the other powertrain-related mods a bit later on, because there’s more for us to talk about concerning the BMW’s new attire. The aforementioned air inlets support a custom blue-tinted windshield, too, along with some potent LED headlights right behind it. Front-end suspension duties are assigned to 43 mm (1.7-inch) Hyperpro forks featuring full adjustability, progressive springs, and 110 mm (4.3 inches) of travel.
Besides the forks, Hyperpro supplied a top-shelf piggyback shock absorber for The Billet Sting’s rear end, and it was mated to an intricate swingarm built from scratch by DNA’s specialists. We find spoked Kineo wheels down in the footwear department, sporting track-only Michelin Power Slick Evo rubber on both ends. In addition, Dino and his son spared no expense whatsoever when it came to the brakes.
They installed a full suite of ISR goodies fore and aft, including lightweight discs, high-end master cylinders, and a trio of four-piston calipers. As for the R nineT engine, it is now capable of delivering 122 hp at the rear wheel, thanks to the intake setup we’ve mentioned earlier along with some aftermarket exhaust plumbing. The titanium pipework hails from Akrapovic, with its mesh-covered tips echoing the honeycomb design of the billet bits.
Photo: Mattia Negrini
A fresh ECU is also present, hooked up to a shifter sensor and programmed with automatically pause ignition when gear changes occur. This whole setup allows the rider to shift without engaging the clutch, and it’s a true testament to DNA’s bike-modding prowess. As you’d expect, The Billet Sting’s cockpit area is dripping with custom charm we can’t get enough of.
CNC-machined triple clamps hold the Hyperpro forks in place, flanked by a pair of clip-on handlebars with Purpose Built Moto switchgear. The top clamp is engraved with the same honeycomb pattern we’ve seen in various other places, and it fronts a multi-function TFT display from Plex Tuning. This 4.3-inch dash lives atop the fuel tank inside a tailor-made encasement, while a side-mounted Hyperpro steering damper aids with stability at high speeds.
Heck, even the oil cooler on this creature is custom-made, flaunting a finned design as opposed to the hexagonal motif found elsewhere. It would’ve been a shame to cover the beautiful CNC-milled garments in any paint, so DNA simply added pinches of blue on other bits and pieces to match the seat upholstery and windshield. With that done, the bike was finally complete after countless hours of painstaking labor.
The Billet Sting is still among the wildest and most complex R nineT-based customs out there, even if several years have passed since the project’s completion. DNA may be known for its top-shelf air filters, but the brand would most certainly find success in establishing a full-time custom motorcycle division. I mean, can you imagine getting treated to the sight of such marvels on a regular basis?
A bit of an artist himself, Silvian sees two- and four-wheeled machines as a form of art, especially restomods and custom rides. Oh, and if you come across a cafe racer article on our website, it’s most likely his doing. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News