Source: Bike Bound
DNF: Street-Legal Nürburgring-er from XTR Pepo…
While owning and operating a custom motorcycle workshop may seem like an absolute dream from the outside of the fence, if you talk to any custom bike builder, you’ll soon come to understand the many, many challenges of running such an operation. Often, the most challenging aspect is dealing with the customers themselves. Even if the client agrees to put down a deposit, it’s something of a leap of faith to build a bike on commission, and make sure the customer pays what they owe…
Pepo Rosell of XTR Pepo is one of the world’s most respected “master constructors,” but he’s no stranger to such issues. His original workshop, from which he built a global reputation and following, was Radical Ducati.
After many years of hard work, Pepo shut the doors of Radical Ducati and took a long sabbatical from custom bike building for his mental health. When he stepped back into the field in 2014-15, it was to open the doors of XTR Pepo, and things seemed a bit different in the bike world:
“I am going to be honest, the first stage of my life with Radical Ducati I never had a single problem. Later when I returned in ’14-’15 I started to meet a lot of strange people that, I do not know how to explain it, people who do not honor their word…it was another world.”
The ’93 Ducati Monster 900 was built for a Dutch client who managed a large company and wanted a bike to take to the Nürburgring and be the envy of his friends…and Pepo is the perfect man to build such a bike. He’s well-known for his builds inspired by the history and heritage of endurance racing: high-performance track machines with just enough lighting and accessories to be street-legal.
They spent months going back and forth about the project, and finally the Dutchman shipped the donor bike in pieces to Pepo’s workshop, along with various parts he’d already bought for the project.
They agreed on a design render and a budget, and Pepo got to work building the endurance-inspired carbon fiber Monster you see here. The bike is now running a set of Ohlins forks from a Ducati 1098 with CNC-machined yokes, OZ Piega forged wheels with Continental rubber, fully adjustable YSS rear shock, and high-performance brakes with parts from Brembo, Discacciati, and Frentubo.
The L-twin engine was disassembled, blueprinted, and fully tuned with ported heads, high compression, lightened flywheel, Keihin FCR 41 carbs, Wolfman 2-into-1 exhaust with Spark silencer, and a slipper clutch.
Then there’s the bodywork, most of which was molded from carbon fiber and mounted on bespoke aluminum brackets, including the front fairing, 749-style tank, and rear solo seat with integrated LiPo battery box. The fenders are also carbon, and the seat was upholstered in house. Meanwhile Artenruta handled the paint — one of Pepo’s trusted partners.
The cockpit is decked out with an Aviacompositi dashboard, CNC-machined clip-on bars, and Domino grips and quick-turn throttle.
Unfortunately, after all of this work, the client went incommunicado:
“This is one of the risks that builders have when they do this because over time people are very capricious, they can change, they can change their opinion as it has happened to me, something can happen to them, for example, some story that leaves them without financing, and you are also on the hook. Well, I have no idea what happened, the fact is that the motorcycle practically ended in 2022…”
So the bike, originally dubbed “Quantum,” earned a second nickname, DNF (Did Not Finish).
Instead of putting the finishing touches on the bike, Pepo decided to let it stand where it stopped, missing a drive chain, license plate, and a few other parts. Says Pepo:
“It even has a horn, as we must not forget that this motorcycle was meant to go on the street… I already told you what the client’s requests were, that he wanted the motorcycle to be able to run fast on the Nürburgring, and that it could go down the street, registered, and give a lot of envy to his colleagues, that was part. A beautiful motorcycle, which I hope that one day will end up on the road with someone…”
It’s something of a sad end to an incredible build, but it’s also a powerful demonstration of the challenges that even the most high-profile builders face in this industry.
“It was so much money I lost, that since this bike, I decided not to make bikes anymore for customers. I retired and only make bikes for my pleasure at my home.”
It’s sad that we won’t see more customer bikes from Pepo, but it’s hard to blame him…and at least he’ll still be building bikes at home. What’s more, we have hope that someone will fall in love with the bike and have it for themselves. In fact, maybe the right owner of this bike is reading this very article… If so, reach out to XTR Pepo to learn more!
Build Sheet: Quantum by XTR Pepo
Aka DNF (Did Not Finish)
Bike commissioned in 2021, made in 2022/23, and unpaid since…so not finished!!
- Donor Bike : Ducati Monster 900 (1993)
- XTR Modified Frame: New Subframe Construction
- XTR Carbon Fiber Front Fairing
- XTR Windshield
- XTR Endurance Light With Aluminium Brackets
- XTR Front Fairing Support
- Aviacompositi Dashboard
- XTR Carbon Fiber Fuel Tank (749 R Type)
- XTR Endurance Gas Caps Quick Filling
- XTR Carbon Fiber Solo Seat With Battery Box
- XTR Upholstery
- LiPo Battery
- Koso Led Blinkers
- Louis Led Rear Light
- 1098 Ohlins Fork
- S&P CNC Machined Special Yokes Triple Clamp
- S&P CNC Machined Clip-ons
- Domino Quick-Open Throttle
- Domino Grips
- XTR Carbon Fiber 1098 Front Mudguard
- XTR Carbon Fiber Rear Mudguard
- Discacciati 330mm Floating Rotors
- Oz Piega Forged Aluminium Front and Rear Wheels
- Continental Front and Rear Tires
- Duraluminum CNC Machined Rear Sprocket
- S&P Adjustable Pilot Footrests
- YSS Adjustable Rear Shock Absorber
- Brembo Rear Rotor
- Brembo Rear Caliper and Brake Pump
- Frentubo Brake and Clutch Kevlar Lines
- Engine Tune: Sandblasting, Dismounting, Shims, Bearings, Ported Heads, High Compression Pistons, Blueprinted, Remounted
- Antihooping Clutch
- Silent Hetkit Electronic Ignition Kit
- Lightened Flywheel
- Keihin FCR 41 Carburetor Kit
- K&N Airpods
- Wolfman 2 in 1 Exhaust
- Spark Megaphone
- RC Racing Big Oil Radiator
- XTR Bellypan
- Artenruta Painting
Build Story Video (in Spanish)
Full Gallery
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Pictures: @cepas_mad
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