You can be hundreds of metres away and still know the motorcycle you see in the distance is a KTM, such is the strength of the brand’s design language. It’s more than just the orange paintwork, it’s their signature style with scalpel-like lines and exposed mechanicals that make picking one a breeze. Sure it can be a love/hate relationship amongst consumers, but sales figures don’t lie. In the custom world, Bulgaria’s Tossa R have one of the most instantly recognisable styles and it’s ensured that the Sofia-based outfit are always flat out producing one slick stunner after another. One customer loved what he saw so much upon seeing the firm’s BMW R nineT ‘Carbon’, that he’s commissioned bike No. 2 in the series and it’s even more spectacular than the first iteration.

The main man behind the Bulgarian brand is Asen Zahariev, and he’s made a name for himself by building super stripped-down and aggressive motorcycles. His bikes almost always have an absolutely minimalist rear end, focus on centralising the visual mass and in addition to the beautiful paintwork he always turns out, no bike leaves the Tossa R workshop without getting a serious suspension makeover. There is no point in having a bike that looks like a razor blade, if it can’t cut through corners like one.

Asen has applied his style to bikes from all the big Japanese manufacturers, but over the years, various machines from the BMW catalogue have become a favourite amongst his client base. Having seen what he can do with a nineT, one customer wanted a near replica of a previous build, only even more extreme. And it all starts by stripping the new bike back to its bare frame and then removing the entire rear end back to the centre post. This is not uncommon on older motorcycles but takes some increased prior planning on a modern motorcycle with endless wiring and electronics to hide. An old hand at the technique, Asen works out the loom first, and for this build the ignition is relocated under the seat.

That seat sits on an all-new subframe, which rather than extending behind the main frame, sits above it. This is part of what helps to create the Tossa R signature style, and the new round tube design is expertly fabricated to achieve maximum strength, all while using the least number of pieces possible. The tubes are also pre-drilled to allow them to hide wires internally and the front section is customised to serve as the rear tank support. The seat itself is made from a carbon fibre base, a relatively simple design which weighs next to nothing. Over the top, two separate foam pads are first shaped and then covered in black with a white stitch.

The major piece of bodywork then sets the stage for the full look of the build, and like many, neither Asen nor his client are big fans of the factory nineT offering. So, with a little clever thinking, a Tossa R carbon fibre tank intended for a BMW K is adapted to fit over the nineT frame. And what a tank it is, ultra-lightweight, aggressive lines and a sculpted-in race filler for an extra touch of bling. The tank isn’t the only carbon part that helps to give the bike its name, with stunning front and rear fenders that not only look super tricky but are surprisingly practical. Even the engine gets a set of carbon rocker covers.

But the high-end material is not left in its raw finish, in many areas it’s had a glossy layer of clear applied for extra protection and pop in the sunlight. But catch the bike at the right angle and you’ll see the sparkle of the brandy wine candy paint that has been beautifully laid down, with small-sized metallic flakes mixed through so that it’s only visible when enough amount of light strikes. To help break up the colour from the carbon, neat gold graphics are used and a painstaking amount of time has been taken to apply the look to the front and rear wheels.

But BMW afficiandos will quickly have spotted that those wheels are not in fact the mag option offered from the factory for the nineT. Instead, Asen has chosen to use a set of K1200 items for both their striking appearance and for the rear’s ability to support that big 190-section Pirelli Super Corsa tyre.

It’s here that the rear has a cafe racer meets street fighter appearance and to give the front end the same, the traditional headlight is swapped out for the futuristic look of one from a Yamaha MT-03. To keep that big rubber planted to the road, the stock shock is replaced as well, this time with a high-end Ohlins item which is perfect for the colour scheme too.

The engine doesn’t miss out either, and it’s easy to forget that with a little help, the 1200cc boxer can be a real torque monster. To give it that extra push, the exhaust is replaced with ceramic-coated headers that spit out of a side exit pipe, with an internal actuator to control the sound. The intake gets an equally wild upgrade, with long velocity stacks, which assist low torque, with bell mouths and internal filters.

The minimalist electronics package is almost exclusively from the Motogadget catalogue, with the company’s lighting package and speedo delivering a fantastic result. The Tossa R ‘Carbon’ No. 2 will always stand out in any pack, but thanks to the right modifications, it’ll also keep up with them on any wild dash through Sofia’s back streets.

[ Tossa R ]