Showing posts with label Royal Enfield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Royal Enfield. Show all posts

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Desert Flower: möto Dubai’s Royal Enfield Bullet


You’re more likely to spot an exotic sports car in Dubai than a classic custom motorcycle. Still, the bustling desert oasis hosts an eclectic blend of people—and a blossoming custom scene. It’s also the home of möto Dubai: a relatively young outfit that recently took top honours in the recent Bikers Cafe build-off, with this unconventional Royal Enfield.
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
möto came together when South African Antonie Robertson and German Marco Möller connected over a Honda CB350, that the former had been working on in his apartment. “I remember Antonie showing up at my house early one day with the frame,” says Marco, “and we set about cutting off the tabs and cleaning the welds up in my front yard. I think it was a week day, and I ended up being late for work. It was total fun.”
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
When Bikers Cafe Dubai and Royal Enfield UAE donated three Royal Enfield Bullet 500s for a build-off, the guys were invited to compete. At the same time, Marco and fellow German Frank Ortmann were in the process of setting up ‘möto space’ (a workshop and general moto-enthusiast hub), but it was far from ready. So, for three months, möto worked their day jobs and spent nights in a dusty, half-finished workshop. “It was a tough stretch,” says Marco. “Work the day job, wrench till late, sleep a couple of hours, rinse, repeat!”
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
möto achieved a lot in those three months, reworking every aspect of the Bullet from the ground up. The bike was stripped down and the frame detabbed and redesigned. The backbone was extended, and an exquisite subframe built that now houses a recessed tail light, number plate light and turn signals. The frame was also tweaked to take the new fuel tank—a “new old stock” 70s Honda unit, sourced from the US. A panel was fabricated on top of it to house a Motogadget Motoscope Mini speedo, along with the “idiot lights.”
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
The guys also ditched the Enfield’s EFI system and installed a Hitchcocks Motorcycles Amal carb conversion kit—allowing them to tidy up the wiring significantly. The new TCI was tucked into a custom-made housing between the swingarm and engine, and the battery moved to a new hand-made battery box. The stock, bulky ignition switch was retained though—just to keep the original Enfield-branded key in use. The engine’s exterior received a significant refresh too, with the fins being hand filed to a perfect edge, painted and polished again. The unsightly starter motor was hidden behind a hand-shaped cover, before Marco spent the better part of sixty hours engraving various bits. A stunning, stainless-steel exhaust was welded up to top it off.
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
A Royal Enfield Electra front-end was fitted to give the bike a more scrambler feel, while keeping things brand-focussed. It’s matched to a set of new rear shocks from Dime City Cycles. The wheels are new too: they’re a pair of 18” Excel rims, laced up with stainless spokes by Buchanan’s in California and wrapped in Shinko rubber. möto polished up the hubs before sending them over, then polished the rims afterwards for a mixed, gloss-and-matte finish. Up front, the original, boxy rear license plate mount was re-purposed to house the headlight and front turn signals. The cockpit’s finished off with refurbished Honda CB350 controls, internal wiring, Biltwell grips and a Nissin master cylinder with a Goodridge braided brake line.
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
When it came to the last few parts, Marco and Antonie’s attention to detail began bordering on obsessive. The rear wheel hugger is a completely custom affair, the foot controls consist of off-road parts welded to the stock mounts, and there’s even a hand-made bash guard, mounted on extended engine mount brackets. And if you look really closely, you’ll notice various bolts, caps and bushes—each machined from either aluminum or stainless steel, and each serving a specific purpose. The final piece of the puzzle is the one-off seat—upholstered in locally-sourced camel leather.
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
It’s no surprise that möto took first place in the build-off, but Antonie and Marco’s pride in their project runs deeper than just a trophy. On the left hand side of the engine, the Royal Enfield now carries the initials “NSK”—a tribute to Nelson Suresh Kumar. “Nelson was the Godfather of the UAE Royal Enfield scene,” explains Antonie, “and sadly passed away unexpectedly two years ago. He was a close friend to the growing alternative motorcycling scene in Dubai, and is widely missed by all who knew him.”
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
möto’s ‘NSK’ is fitting homage, and a worthy winner. Pat yourselves on the back, gentlemen. Antonie and Marco would like to extend their thanks to the Dubai community who supported them, particularly Djalal from Gecko Motorcycles and Frank Ortman.
Follow möto Dubai on Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Antonie Robertson
Desert Flower: möto Dubai's Custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500
First published on bikeexif.com

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Royal Enfield Tailgunner Interceptor



As of late, Royal Enfield has been in the news for all the good reasons. The Indian owned British-marque is grabbing the limelight and chewing into newsprint for their massive expansion plans, and of course, for their exciting launches up ahead. However, now we have got a hold of a piece of news that speaks of an all-original 1A Interceptor bike from the 1960’s.
Royal Enfield Tailgunner Interceptor0007
To the uninitiated, the Interceptor was made by Royal Enfield from 1960 to 1970 and during that period they even tinkered with the powerplant—kicking it up to a 750cc unit. The 1A Interceptor was launched back in 1967 and is still a rare piece of classic bike machinery to obtain. Those who succeed in finding one will always be inclined to restore it to its previous glory.
READ MORE: Royal Enfield Now Sells More Bikes Than H-D | RideApart
So when Charlie Giordano, who owns Tailgunner Exhausts, found one such 1A Interceptor in desperate need of some tender love and care, everyone hoped to see the bike getting a thorough restoration job. Well…it did get a new lease of life, but it wasn’t what everyone expected to see. The result was mind-blowing.
Royal Enfield Tailgunner Interceptor0006
Giordano chose to get a fresh sheet of paper and start from scratch in terms of the styling. It did have to feature one of the finest of his Gatling Gun-inspired rotating exhaust systems, which we think is the one of the most ridiculously awesome things that can be retrofitted on to a motorbike. It’s more like Pacific Rim – dumb, but rad!
READ MORE: 8 Signs You're a Biker N00B | RideApart
But the sheer lunacy of this 1A Interceptor doesn’t end with its tailpipe that will surely make the cars behind you swerve off the lane. Giordano has borrowed cues from England during that era where this bike belonged once. Sample this: It has a wax-sealed “Boston” liniment bottle attached to the fork leg—filled to the brim with “a sailor’s daily ration of rum” per old Royal Navy Tradition.
Royal Enfield Tailgunner Interceptor0005
The battery box is made from wood cigar boxes and embellished with hand-hammered copper strips. It also has a pedestrian slicer on the front number plate. This bike has café racer genes written all over it—from the fender devoid wheels to the Manx-style fuel tank. And that gorgeous tail section! All of it was crafted using old techniques with the help of hand tools.
When asked about choosing to go all-out mental with this build instead of doing a more composed restoration, Giordano said, “I felt like a politician: No matter which way I vote, I’m going to displease about half the constituency.”
We are the half that is very pleased.
Royal Enfield Tailgunner Interceptor0004
Royal Enfield Tailgunner Interceptor0003
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Royal Enfield Tailgunner Interceptor0001
 First published in rideapart.com/

Saturday, October 11, 2014

El tractor


Royal Enfield Bullet 500cc -Scrambler Rat-



To this we call ... The Tractor is a Royal Enfield 500 efi , this engine has a feeling ... a tractor! low rpm torque ... feels awesome can tow a house! therefore needed better wheels, aluminum wheels , a front suspension WP inverted a KTM 450, Progressive rear suspension , exhaust tailored departing Royal star , aluminum tank XT 500, and of course, relocating the pump gasoline into a secondary tank .. new front fender subframe ... handmade gingerbread ... all to keep a look Scrambler / MX / Rat ... so there is a Rat fink hand illustrated on one side of the tank! and ... well ... another endless details that complement this construction.









Monday, September 29, 2014

Royal Enfield 350: the bike that time forgot

Chris Chappell's meticulously restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350.

For most pro builders, personal projects usually draw the short straw—relegated to the back of the shop by a steady stream of client work. Just like the “rusted out junk pile” that Californian Chris Chappell picked up a few years ago.
It’s a Royal Enfield Bullet 350, and it did a stint in Chappell Customs‘ front lobby before Chris finally tore into it. But when he did, it was a project free of deadlines, briefs or budgets. “The original plan was to build a radical bobber,” he says. “But with the little 350cc engine, it made more sense to keep it as an upright, fun-to-ride city bike.”
Chris Chappell's meticulously restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350.

The actual model year of this Enfield is a mystery: the original number plate indicated 1955, but no paperwork was filed prior to 1973. “The VIN numbers on old Enfields really don’t mean much, and there are no good records we can find to verify the year,” says Chris. So, to get the bike on the road, he went with 1973.
Given its age and the state it was in, the Enfield 350 needed a full, bare-bones strip down. Which started with a total rebuild of the engine using all-new, original Royal Enfield parts. A completely new top-end sorted out poor compression—”A combo of a bad cylinder and even worse valves,” Chris reports.
Chris Chappell's meticulously restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350.

Every nut and bolt on the Enfield was replaced, along with a host of other parts—except for the fuel tank, fenders and toolboxes, which Chris opted to keep. He blasted off the old paint and powder coated them in a creamy Oyster white, along with the frame. (“I left a few small dings here and there.”) Once the powder coating was done, green accents were added and the parts clear coated.
Chris Chappell's meticulously restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350.

The bike is now roughly five or six inches longer than a stock Bullet 350. “We relocated the rear swingarm, from its original position to what used to be the passenger footpeg area. Our friends at Works Performance made us a custom stainless swingarm bolt with tapered aluminum spacers, to fit the funky taper of the rear foot peg holes.”
Works also supplied a set of longer, dual-rate aluminum shocks to help the Enfield negotiate urban potholes. The rear fender struts were lengthened to fit the new geometry of the rear end.
Chris Chappell's meticulously restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350.

With the major work out of the way, Chris started poring over the smaller details: a handmade seat, grips and saddle bags in a rich leather with a cream stitch. “Seemed only fitting for a classy look to accent the cream and green color scheme,” he says. “I made the saddle bags myself … that was a first!”
The seat mount is a hand-made part too; Chris CNC-routed a Royal Enfield logo into the aluminum, before mounting the seat on 3” springs. The CNC router was also put to work on the bespoke front number plate and fork badge. All the aluminum bits were then meticulously polished, “to bring back the original luster that was buried under years of oxidization and corrosion.”
The Enfield was then re-wired with updated components—including a smaller regulator and rectifier unit, and a new coil. Chris installed new gauges, lights and a set of “M” bars—with adjustable steering stops to prevent them from connecting with the tank.
Chris Chappell's meticulously restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350.

Despite the extensive mods, the little 350 is still not quite the perfect ride. “The drum brakes are poor, the right-side shift is odd, and you feel like you’re wide open on the throttle most of the time.”
“But regardless of its lack of power, you somehow feel like you’ve gone back in time. And it’s just fun as hell to ride around. The long, baffled muffler and the sound of the single cylinder thumping along always makes you smile!”
Chappell Customs website | Facebook
Chris Chappell's meticulously restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350.
The post Royal Enfield 350: the bike that time forgot appeared first on Bike EXIF.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Royal Enfield AVL 350 – Bull City Customs

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Written by Ian Lee.
Royal Enfield motorcycles make a great platform for building custom bikes. Old school Brit styling, reliable single cylinder engines and factory spoke wheels. This is exactly what New Delhi based Bull City have done with their latest build, putting their skills to work on a Royal Enfield AVL 350cc, and producing something far removed from your everyday Enfield. With a build brief calling for an “old school thumper”, the Bull City workshop decided the idea has been done alot, and needs some special touches in order to stand out. That is why there is a rhino-skin inspired paintjob on the tank for instance – which I’m pretty sure is a first for Pipeburn.
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Stripping the mid sized thumper back to basics, the clunky factory fenders were replaced with shorter ones, and the frame shaved of all superfluous bracketry. The toolbox is gone, replaced with a leather carrier bag mounted above the shorty pipewrapped exhaust. New framework has been mounted on the bike, and the battery box is sheet metal unit fabricated up by Bull City themselves.
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At the front end sits a set of custom built T riser bars, adorned with a unique headlight surround enveloping the Yamaha RX100 headlight. The handlebars are Proracer items, mounted up with aluminised grips. Rolling stock is made up of 18 inch rims, with 120 profile at the front and 130 profile at the rear.
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An impressive aspect of the build is the metal work carried out. The 22 litre fuel tank is a one off special, along with the ‘lightweight’ side plates. The foot pegs have been made from Royal Enfield engine internals, adding to the overall metallic touch to the build. This is matched with the fuel tank cap fashioned from a main shaft sprocket.
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From the front to the back, there is little that hasn’t been aesthetically touched up over the course of the build. With much of the metal work coming from Bull city’s own workshop, this Royal Enfield is definitely a fun looking ride. We’ll leave the last word to Bull city: ” We wanted to build something you’d imagine riding across the Himalayan foot hills and also something you could take out for a beer without a second thought.” We’ll drink to that.
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First appeared in http://www.pipeburn.com19_08_2014_bull_city_07

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Custom Royal Enfield Bullet | Sideburn


Custom Royal Enfield Bullet | Sideburn  Based on a 2009 Royal Enfield Classic, only the frame and engine was used custom made fuel tank, Paoli front fork, 19-inch wheels, Tractor headlamp, Rear wing Indian Sport Scout, Rear 4-piston caliper Performance Brake, Rigid Chassis by Lowbrow Customs, Custom Stainless steel Muffler, New battery Bobbed Indian Sport Scout Leather saddle, replaced fuel injector with mikuni Carburetor. Custom Paint job.
Custom Royal Enfield Bullet | Sideburn
Based on a 2009 Royal Enfield Classic, only the frame and engine was used custom made fuel tank, Paoli front fork, 19-inch wheels, Tractor headlamp, Rear wing Indian Sport Scout, Rear 4-piston caliper Performance Brake, Rigid Chassis by Lowbrow Customs, Custom Stainless steel Muffler, New battery
Bobbed Indian Sport Scout Leather saddle, replaced fuel injector with mikuni Carburetor. Custom Paint job.
Royal Enfield Performance Muffler.


Custom Royal Enfield Bullet | Sideburn  Based on a 2009 Royal Enfield Classic, only the frame and engine was used custom made fuel tank, Paoli front fork, 19-inch wheels, Tractor headlamp, Rear wing Indian Sport Scout, Rear 4-piston caliper Performance Brake, Rigid Chassis by Lowbrow Customs, Custom Stainless steel Muffler, New battery Bobbed Indian Sport Scout Leather saddle, replaced fuel injector with mikuni Carburetor. Custom Paint job.


Custom Royal Enfield Bullet | Sideburn  Based on a 2009 Royal Enfield Classic, only the frame and engine was used custom made fuel tank, Paoli front fork, 19-inch wheels, Tractor headlamp, Rear wing Indian Sport Scout, Rear 4-piston caliper Performance Brake, Rigid Chassis by Lowbrow Customs, Custom Stainless steel Muffler, New battery Bobbed Indian Sport Scout Leather saddle, replaced fuel injector with mikuni Carburetor. Custom Paint job.


Custom Royal Enfield Bullet | Sideburn  Based on a 2009 Royal Enfield Classic, only the frame and engine was used custom made fuel tank, Paoli front fork, 19-inch wheels, Tractor headlamp, Rear wing Indian Sport Scout, Rear 4-piston caliper Performance Brake, Rigid Chassis by Lowbrow Customs, Custom Stainless steel Muffler, New battery Bobbed Indian Sport Scout Leather saddle, replaced fuel injector with mikuni Carburetor. Custom Paint job.


Custom Royal Enfield Bullet | Sideburn  Based on a 2009 Royal Enfield Classic, only the frame and engine was used custom made fuel tank, Paoli front fork, 19-inch wheels, Tractor headlamp, Rear wing Indian Sport Scout, Rear 4-piston caliper Performance Brake, Rigid Chassis by Lowbrow Customs, Custom Stainless steel Muffler, New battery Bobbed Indian Sport Scout Leather saddle, replaced fuel injector with mikuni Carburetor. Custom Paint job.
First read on www.way2speed.com
Sideburnmag

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Sideburn Royal Enfield Bullet

Royal Enfield Bullet
After 50 years of production in India, Royal Enfield had worked hard to update their range, first with a unit construction engine, then fuel injection and after all that the only thing on Sideburn magazine’s mind was making the 2009 Bullet Classic look like a mid-‘60s flat track racer.

Only half the frame and the engine remains from the original bike that was supplied to Sideburn by UK Royal Enfield specialists, Watsonian-Squire.
Royal Enfield Bullet
Lots of parts came from friends or we already had and were waiting for the right bike to come along. The alloy tank was custom-made for a friend’s dirt track race bike, but he was never happy with it, so we bought it for a fraction of having one made. The Bimota YB9 triple clamps and Paoli forks were £120 off eBay.

The wheels, Excel 19-inch rims with Honda CRF450 hubs and Maxxis tires, were bought from a friend who was selling his dirt tracker. The tractor headlight was a gift; so was the bobbed Indian Sport Scout rear mudguard and the rear four-piston Performance Machine caliper.
Royal Enfield Bullet
The hardtail loop is by David Bird from Lowbrow Customs, but we had Co-Built shorten the bottom rail to retain the stock wheelbase. Co-Built also made the stainless exhaust.

CFM of Lincolnshire, UK, did a great job of making all the very disparate parts fit together, fabricating brackets, footrest hangers; finding used Japanese master cylinders, switchgear and footpegs on the cheap; repositioning the battery; making the rear fender struts; cutting down the original twin seat and converting it to act as a sprung saddle. Steve Adams then covered it with a panel of real stingray skin.
Royal Enfield Bullet
The biggest challenge was converting the ignition to work with the Mikuni carb, rather than fuel injection. EFI is good, but we really wanted a simple loom and no fuel pump for this bike. Rupe’s Rewires made the loom.

When this bike was built there was no off-the-shelf kit to convert the ignition from EFI, like there is now, but CFM worked it out. The brake discs were special orders from Discacciati in Italy.
The final touch was the Ornamental Conifer paintwork on the blue base, one of the first customer bikes he painted.
Royal Enfield Bullet
The bike has competed in Sideburn’s Dirt Quake event twice, finishing on the podium in the Street Tracker class both times.

Photos by Paul Bryant Photography. The highly recommended Sideburn magazine lives online here.
The post Sideburn Royal Enfield Bullet appeared first on Bike EXIF.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

The Highest Road of the World- Alex Chacon


The new video of GoPro – The Highest Road of the World – is out, and we have more than enough reasons to be super excited about it!


First, the main video for Hero3+ cameras has already received more than 12 million views. Second, it’s a full video about Royal Enfield touring in India. Third, the video features Alex Chacón, the guy who did 80,000+ miles in 500 days across the Americas. And finally, most importantly, it is the Vintage Rides team who contributed to this mind-blowing video by providing all the logistics for their motorcycle journey across India – yes, exciting!

The article below is from www.vintagerides.com/


Having been contacted during the busiest season of the year, and with very short time to prepare for the trip, we are happy everything went smoothly and according to plan. We assisted the GoPro team by creating a tailor-made tour in Delhi, Jaipur and Ladakh according to their interests, then providing the Royal Enfield bikes, a mechanic and a backup vehicle, booking all the accommodation and transportation for the trip, as well as getting a tour leader for the tour who was no-one else but Alexandre Zurcher, the director of Vintage Rides, himself!


We also have to give huge credits to the GoPro team: Yara, who was managing the project from the US, and James and Zak, who came to India to do the shooting. The two guys were completely rad, yet really really professional and a true pleasure to work with!




As Alex is the main person featured in the GoPro video, we decided to do a short interview with him and share it with our fans – enjoy!


1. Having covered more than 80,000 miles across the Americas, how did you find the riding experience in India?

India is a challenging country to drive through, not because of the rough roads, but because of the people, culture and ideology behind what it means to travel on the road. It was fascinating and challenging at the same time, a wondrous mix of overpopulation, livestock road hazards and everyone in a loud honking flurry of impatience and always being in a hurry. It was unique, amazing, and will change your perception on what driving a motorcycle along with millions of others is all about!




2. Was it your first time riding on a Royal Enfield? How did you like the Indian Bullet?

Yes it was my first time on a Royal Enfield. The bullet was a great, classy looking bike with plenty of power to enjoy the on and off roads of India.




3. What was the most challenging part of this trip?

The most challenging part was having to go home. It was so amazing to be around so much culture, amazing scenery and people that it was difficult to leave.




4. The most memorable experience?

I think being engulfed by the vast expanse that is the Himalayas made me feel incredibly small yet so big at the same time. Looking up at the stars at 6000 meters above sea leave was the clearest I’ve ever seen them my entire life, it felt was if I was traveling into the sky as I ascended up and down the mountains.




5.What’s next on your list?

Africa is next on the list.


6. What would you say to the Vintage Riders?

Enjoy the hassle free experience Vintage Rides will give you, they will allow you to truly enjoy a slice of the true and cultural bomb that is India in a very unique and genuine way you’ll never forget!

- Thank you Alex!



Read more about Alex’s experience in India on his website: Alex Chacon on GoPro hero3+ Launch Video! India by Royal Enfield, and follow him on his Facebook Page: Alex Chacon!

- See more at: http://www.vintagerides.com/en/new-video-by-gopro-featuring-alex-chacon-royal-enfield-and-vintage-rides#sthash.zoAXhMD1.dpuf