Paul Milbourn is one of the most technically ambitious custom motorcycle builders working today. His Moto Guzzi titanium custom, known as the Titanium V, is built around a V11 platform and constructed almost entirely from aerospace-grade titanium. The result is a 155 kg motorcycle that won the MCN London Custom Building Championship and the AMD Bike Show award, an extraordinary combination of engineering precision and visual drama.
Why Titanium? The Engineering Challenge Behind the Build
Titanium is one of the hardest metals to machine and weld. When heated above 400 degrees Celsius it reacts with atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen, making fusion welding nearly impossible without an argon shield purging the weld zone. Most custom builders never attempt to work with it at all. Paul chose it as his primary structural and bodywork material, which meant fabricating specialized welding setups and spending considerable time resharpening cutting heads and replacing tool tips throughout the build.
The frame backbone uses Grade 5 Titanium, an alloy containing 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium that improves workability while retaining strength. The hangers, subframe, and swingarm are CP3 Grade 2 Titanium, which is softer and more malleable, allowing Paul to bend and shape these components by hand.
Bodywork: Aluminium Shaped by Hand
The bodywork is fabricated in 5251 and NS5 grade aluminium, both harder and more difficult to form than the softer sheet alloys typically used in custom fabrication. Paul shaped every panel in his workshop, creating a body defined by precise curves and dramatic silhouette lines. The finish is not paint: surfaces were worked with Scotchbrite pads and polished with standard metal polish to produce a subtle, non-mirror sheen that reveals the material underneath.
Suspension, Brakes, and Drivetrain
The front end uses Ohlins forks sourced from a Ducati 1098, paired with Harrison Billet six-pot caliper brakes. At the rear, a single-sided swingarm from the same Ducati 1098 is mounted to a modified hub connected via machined splines to the 45-degree Guzzi shaft drive. A TTX shock absorber matches the Ohlins specification at the rear. The exhaust system is, of course, titanium, with blue headers angled aggressively upward from the engine cases.
The V11 motor was rebuilt and fitted with titanium intakes and filters. Titanium bell mouths were added to Lectron carburetors, and Sport 1100 rocker covers dress the top end. According to Bike EXIF and covered in detail by Rocket Garage Magazine, the finished bike weighs just 155 kg wet.
Award Recognition
The Titanium V won the MCN London Custom Building Championship and later claimed the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building award. These are the most competitive custom motorcycle contests in the world, judged by industry professionals and drawing entries from every major custom tradition. Winning both with a single build confirms Paul Milbourn's position among the most technically capable builders anywhere.
A Rare Kind of Custom Motorcycle
High performance and low weight rarely coexist in the custom world. The Titanium V achieves both while remaining visually coherent from every angle. Paul Milbourn completed the entire build in his own workshop, a detail that makes the precision of the finished motorcycle even more remarkable.
Explore Exceptional Custom Motorcycles
If this level of craft resonates with you, explore TheArsenale's motorcycles collection for similarly exceptional builds. The Hazan Ducati 860 GT Turbo and the Ducati 848 Evo Racer by NCT Motorcycles represent the same intersection of extreme engineering and custom artistry.
