This is a Brawler GT-R that was built by Darwin Motorcycles of Oklahoma City for actor and comedian Tim Allen in 2015.
Allen is well-known for his love of both cars and motorcycles, he has a large personal collection, he also competed as a racing driver for Saleen in the 1990s including racing in the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona. He owned the Brawler GT-R for a number of years, and it was displayed at the world-famous Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
Fast Facts – The Darwin Motorcycles Brawler GT-R
- This Brawler GT-R was built by Darwin Motorcycles in 2015 for Tim Allen, its design was inspired by the Harley-Davidson FXR. It combines performance and engineering, showcasing Allen’s passion for motorcycles with his significant input into its development.
- Powered by a 124 cubic inch (2031cc) S&S T-124 EFI V-twin engine, the Brawler GT-R delivers immense torque through a 6-speed Rivera Primo transmission. It incorporates lightweight components like BST carbon wheels and custom aluminum and carbon fiber parts for a lower curb weight, and less unsprung mass.
- The Brawler GT-R’s suspension includes Öhlins adjustable USD forks and rear piggyback shocks, ensuring a blend of comfort and superbike-like handling. It has hand-formed metalwork that was painstakingly made for this specific bike.
- Previously owned by Tim Allen and displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum, this unique motorcycle is now offered for sale in Buford, Georgia, complete with its Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin, representing a standout example of modern American custom bike building.
Building The Brawler GT-R
The Brawler GT is a handmade sport cruiser by Dar Holdsworth and the talented team over at Darwin Motorcycles, it was designed from the ground up as an all-American motorcycle that could be used as a daily rider, a canyon carver or a continent crosser – depending on the mood of the owner.
American performance cruisers like the Darwin Motorcycles Brawler GT-R have been growing in popularity in recent years, with major manufacturers now releasing their own factory-built examples.
After having built a Brawler GT for Usher, Dar received a call from Tim Allen – a significant figure in the world of American motorcycling, the voice of Buzz Lightyear of Toy Story fame, the author of Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man and of course – Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor from the popular TV series Home Improvement.
Allen minored in design whilst at college, and still takes an avid interest in the subject – especially when it comes to motorcycles, cars and anything else with an engine attached.
After discussing this Brawler GT with Dar and tossing ideas back and forth, the two men decided to collaborate on creating a new R-spec version of the GT – they decided to call it the Brawler GT-R, and work began immediately.
Dar had been developing another Brawler so the team had a slight head start.
The Brawler GT-R – Specifications
The basis of the Brawler GT series is a custom frame developed by Holdsworth with design influence taken from the iconic Harley-Davidson FXR. The engine chosen was the twin-cam, V-twin S&S T-124 EFI – a power unit with a capacity of 124 cubic inches (2031cc) and enough torque to crumple the Earth’s crust.
This engine is mated to a 6-speed Rivera Primo transmission, which feeds power to the rear wheel via a chain final drive. With the Brawler GT-R, Dar wanted to focus on using the best possible engineering practices to create a cruiser with many of the characteristics of a superbike – so he used lightweight BST carbon wheels, Avon Storm tires, ISR callipers and EBC floating rotors.
Power is provided by an S&S twin-cam V-twin T-124 EFI with a displacement of 124 cubic inches (2031cc) producing 132 bhp and 133.5 lb ft of torque.
Suspension is provided by Öhlins both front and back, with adjustable USD forks and a pair of piggyback shocks on the rear. In order to further reduce unsprung weight, the swing-arm was custom made from aluminium by Trac Dynamics Aluminum, the front fender was molded from carbon fiber, and the side covers were made bespoke from carbon with a slightly concave outer face.
All of the metal work on the Brawler GT-R was hand-formed by the Cooper Smithing Co, and that distinctive fuel tank cap was made by Crafty B. As with any bike intended for long periods of time in the saddle, the materials used for the seat were carefully chosen.
A modern foam compound was selected to allow the seat to be relatively thin without sacrificing comfort, it was then upholstered in thick American bison leather by the talented Kyle Hix of Hix Design.
The completed bike is a great example of 21st century American bike building, it references classic bobber design cues but blends them with a function-first design ethos to make sure the bike can both cruise for hours on end, or spend an afternoon at Laguna Seca.
The Ex-Tim Allen Brawler GT-R Shown Here
As noted above, this motorcycle was built specifically for Tim Allen with a lot of input from him on the final specification. He would own the bike for years, and loan it to the Petersen Automotive Museum at one point for public display.
This bike was owned by Tim Allen for years, and displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. It’s now being offered for sale out of Buford, Georgia.
It was bought by the current owner in 2021 and it’s now being offered for sale by the selling dealer in Buford, Georgia with its Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin.
If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing on Bring a Trailer here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
