You could certainly say that the Ducati XDiavel is one of the most polarizing motorcycles in the Italian motorcycle manufacturer’s lineup. Designed as a power-cruiser, the XDiavel is often seen as the bike for someone looking for sheer, unadulterated power, but with the comfort and relaxed riding position of a cruiser. Out of the box, the XDiavel’s looks are undoubtedly worthy of a second glance—but what about when you customize it?
The Ducati XDiavel is perhaps one of the least customized machines in Ducati’s model range, simply because of how aggressive it looks out of the box. Plus, it may be difficult for some customizers to stomach the notion of cutting into one of the House of Borgo Panigale’s masterpieces. Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts, a custom workshop based in Taiwan, isn’t your run-of-the-mill bike builder. Anyone who’s passionate about custom motorcycles will have, at one point or another, come across Rough Crafts’ work. The latest creation to come out of its workshop is called the “Flatout Titan”, and it breathes a whole new life into the already menacing Ducati XDiavel.
At a glance, it’s hard to determine that the Flatout Titan started life as a 2016 Ducati XDiavel. It’s been so extensively modified, in fact, that it features a completely bespoke frame. Winston Yeh, the mastermind behind the build, had to find a way to keep the bike stable despite altering the riding position so drastically. To do this, he had to relocate the shock mounts, as well as fit a different triple tree to mount the inverted Marzocchi front suspension system to. The Flatout Titan rolls on super fancy BST carbon-fiber wheels, the same company who supplies Ducati’s Superleggera and Streetfighter V4SP with their carbon-fiber rollers.
As for the bodywork, it gets more and more interesting the longer you look at it. Up front, it features an off-road-esque front plate which houses stacked LED lights. When looking at the bike from dead center, you could mistake it for a custom flat-tracker build. As you move on to the side, however, we see a touch of retro cafe-racer styling via the edgy fuel tank and high saddle assembly. The boxy design accentuates the build’s retro and sporty styling, with a tall scrambler-like handlebar suggesting that the Flatout Titan is more than willing to be flogged around a twisty road.
