Ti Terrific

Photography by Jeff Allen

Last Fall, Don Atchison told his wife and Ecosse Moto Works CEO, Wendy, that he wouldn't cut his hair until they delivered the initial four-bike batch of the Ti Series RR, a supercharged, titanium-framed spin-off of the Heretic V-Twin ("Refined Dynamite," April, 2005). As of August, all four of the exotic street-fighters were finally finished and two had been handed over to their respective owners along with matching French BRM wristwatches.

To be fair, the Ti RR ($275,000!) is not all Atchison has on his plate; he's also working on derivatives of said machine. The Titanium Series ($230,000) is likewise supercharged, intercooled and fuel-injected, but a watch is not included. The Titanium Race Series ($195,000) is fuel-injected and features a naturally aspirated, race-spec G-Squared engine. There also is the Iconoclast Series, a blacked-out, matte-finish Heretic with a special engine, exhaust and paint. It is limited to 11 units and only available through London-based luxury e-tailer 20ltd. Further, Ecosse (www.ecossemoto.com) continues to develop its lightweight X-6 crossover and Formula One-inspired X-7/ES1 superbike.

While the Ti Series RR borrows from the Heretic gene pool, it is an altogether different animal. Chrome-moly frame and swingarm tubing joined by machined steel lugs has given way in all areas to U.S.-sourced TIG-welded titanium; the two-man build of the backbone/trellis frame is a 30-day endeavor. At center stage is a 2150cc engine, a brutish air-cooler carved from billet. Atchison claims 200 horsepower and 200 foot-pounds of torque, big gains coming from the complicated EFI and supercharger systems. Boasting carbon-fiber bodywork and wheels, the RR weighs-in at a claimed 440 pounds.

Atchison expects to complete the full 10-bike run of Ti Series RRs by next summer. In the meantime, anyone have the name of a good barber?