- A total of seven Royal Enfield custom motorcycles were displayed at the event
- ‘Back to roots’ was the theme for this year’s Wheels and Waves event
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 are the newest additions to the Chennai-based bike maker’s portfolio. In less than a year since the 650 twins were introduced in the domestic and international markets, custom builds based on these motorcycles have already started rolling out of different custom bike shops. Now, among the host of custom vehicles on display this year at the eighth edition of the Wheels and Waves 2019 event at Biarritz in France, seven customised Royal Enfield motorcycles built by different custom shops (some in collaboration with Royal Enfield) were also showcased. Of the seven motorcycles, three builds each were based on the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 and one on the adventure-touring, Himalayan. With ‘Back to roots’ being the theme for this year’s Wheels and Waves event, the following are the seven custom builds on display at the event.
BAAK Motocyclette:
Built jointly by Royal Enfield and BAAK Motocyclette, this custom build is a unique blend of old and new styling using the Interceptor 650 as its base. The attention to detail and the level of craftsmanship displayed has been attributed to a new direction in excellence, mentioned the release. The design of the build harks back to the past featuring a ‘bathtub’ style rear fender concept but through uniquely modern proportions.
Nought Tea GT:
This custom bike has been built using the cafe-racer based Continental GT 650. Built in collaboration with Harris Performance, the Nought Tea GT is a stunning track version of the base motorcycle. The build is a tasteful combination of style and function put together by the team. In order to stay true to its racetrack theme, the motorcycle has been equipped with lightweight parts, slash-cut pipes for the exhaust, Brembo brakes and Ohlins suspension setup. The motorcycle features a vintage styled fairing with a bubble type head finished in a contrasting graphic livery representing the flow of air over the bike.
Two Smoking Barrels:
No custom build event is complete without a stripped down, lean and mean drag racer, which the Two Smoking Barrels from Sinroja Motorcycles is all about. While a drag racer would ideally mean bumping up the power, the custom builders at Sinroja thought of stripping down the weight of the motorcycle to its very limit instead. While a stock Continental GT 650 tips the scale at 198kg, this custom build weighs at only 150kg. That’s an insane 48kg reduction in weight!
MJR Roach:
If you are a fan of the Himalayan, this one is a must-have. Designed to survive anything, the MJR Roach is based on Royal Enfield’s adventure-touring model, the Himalayan, built to take on any kind of dystopian future you can think of. Taking inspiration from video games, this custom build features chunky dual-purpose tyres, inverted front forks, formed aluminium single-sided swingarm and guess what, a Garret turbocharger as well. Go figure!
Midas Royale
This one probably deserves a place in an art gallery. Called the ‘Midas Royale’, this custom build based on a stock Continental GT 650 is an excellent example of carbon fibre and gold. Yes, this motorcycle’s entire body and wheel rims make use of lightweight carbon fibre finished in beautiful gold pinstriping. Built by Rough Craft, the team has stripped away the weight from the motorcycle while replacing the stock components with top-spec Ohlins suspension, Beringer brakes, SC Project exhaust system and custom-made chassis parts. This custom endurance racer build is a definite one-off.
Malle Rally Royale:
Featuring custom-made Harris parts and long travel suspension for jacking up the long-distance capabilities, these pair of Interceptor 650s have been designed and built specifically for competing in an end to end length ride of the UK to be held in 2019, called the Great Malle Rally. Of the two rally interceptors, the black #1 bike will be provided to one lucky winner, through a competition run in collaboration with Iron and Air magazine. The second red #2 bike, however, will be the dedicated ride support vehicle for the rally.
