Legend has that Brabus was started in 1977 because Bodo Buschmann’s father wouldn’t let him park his Porsche 911 outside the family’s Mercedes-Benz dealership until he replaced it with a Mercedes-Benz. Buschmann dutifully replaced it with a W-116 S-Class but, because it didn’t scratch his performance itch, he modified and tuned the S-Class to give it the oomph he was looking for.
The response to what he had done with his Mercedes showed Buschmann that there was a gap in the market and, in partnership with a friend, Klaus Brackman, he established Brabus, the name coming from the first three letters of their respective surnames. Brackman later sold his stake in the business to Buschmann and, in the subsequent decades, until his passing in 2018. Buschmann built Brabus into the prestigious, highly respected and global luxury automotive tuning company it is today.
While it focused primarily on Mercedes-Benz, and by extension, Maybach (in later years), Buschmann’s son, Constantine, who took over the business after his father died, has started to expand the business beyond Mercedes-Benz, including motorcycles.
In 2022, collaborating with KTM, Brabus took its first steps into the world of motorcycles with the Brabus 1300 R, limited to 77 units of the Magma Red and Signature Black colourways each. They followed this up with the Brabus 1300 R Edition 23 in 2023, limited to 145 units of Superblack and Stealth Gray colourways each. Also in 2023, they launched the Brabus 1300 R Masterpiece edition as a super limited motorcycle with only 50 units available. All three motorcycles are built around the KTM 1290 Super Duke EVO 1,301 cc V-twin engine, with the primary differences being design and parts used.
And now, for 2026, comes the Brabus 1400 R Signature Edition, a “luxury hyper-naked” motorcycle. Based on the KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo with its 1,350 cc LC8 V-Twin engine that puts out 140KW power and has torque of 145Nm, Brabus has elevated the design of the motorcycle to another level, making it distinctly a Brabus vehicle.
The powder-coated trellis frame is made from chromium-molydenum-steel (chromoly). The design of the LED headlight unit with daytime running lights is inspired by Brabus’s signature stripes. Carbon fibre was used widely for everything from the Widestar carbon fibre bodywork (which includes carbon ignition lock cover, front fender, fuel tank fairing, brake ventilation, side spoilers and side panels) to the chain guard, heel protector, side frame triangles cover and swingarm cover. The brake and clutch levers, adjustable footrests, the oil tank cover and the reservoir for the brake fluid and clutch are all CNC machined.
It has the latest in Brembo Hypure brakes, adaptive WP Apex Semi-Active Technology (SAT) suspension, which allows the rider to select the level of comfort and damping they require depending on where the ride takes them. It sits on customised three-spoke 17-inch Brabus Monoblock II Evo “Platinum Edition” rims, a design synonymous with Brabus, and Michelin Power GP tyres. The dual-pipe exhaust pops up beneath the carbon undertray of the seat.
The 1400 R has five driving modes, namely Street, Sport, Rain, Performance and Track (the last two of which are customisable), which covers all eventualities when it comes to conditions and riding style, enabling one to manage throttle response, power delivery, traction control and damping, amongst other things. It also has a quick shifter and cornering and Supermoto ABS.
There is a TFT colour display, a Sign of Excellence badge which states which number of the 100 limited units you are riding, and a beautiful “Brabus Masterpiece leather” and Dinamica microfibre seat with Brabus’ logo embossed in the centre.
To top off what is a striking beast of a motorcycle, Brabus’s unique Midnight Veil factory paint is blended with the carbon elements in a way that makes it look even more aggressive and a tad intimidating. Brabus describes Midnight Veil as “a deep, extravagant black infused with subtle blue undertones; it captures the quiet intensity and beauty of an endless midnight sky.”
This is a motorcycle for which there are not enough words to describe. Truly a creature of engineering beauty that fits in perfectly with Bodo Buschmann’s legacy.
