Royal Enfield lays declare to being the “oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production” they usually know a factor or two about cafe racers. Back in 1965, they launched the first-ever manufacturing cafe racer, the Continental GT 250. Forty-nine years later they did it once more with the Continental GT 535, which on the time had the biggest displacement of any motorbike of their vary. They then accomplished the trifecta 3 brief years later with the discharge of the massively profitable 2017 650cc parallel twin Continental GT 650.
As you’d count on these fashions have all been standard amongst cafe racer followers however with the discharge of the 650 twin we’ve seen an enormous enhance within the variety of Enfields being customised by fanatics {and professional} builders alike. Here’s a take a look at 10 of one of the best Royal Enfield Cafe Racers, to grace these pages (in no explicit order).
The Jaeger Continental GT 650 cafe racer was constructed via a collaboration with Royal Enfield and Vietnam’s Bandit9 workshop. For the venture, Enfield tasked firm proprietor and lead designer Daryl Villanueva with making a bolt-on equipment for the GT 650 to showcase its potential for customisation.
In typical Bandit9 fashion, the Jaeger has a distinctly futuristic look due to the hand formed surgical-grade metal bodywork. Each element bolts on to an unmodified GT 650 chassis permitting homeowners to revert the bike again to inventory in the event that they so desired. Accompanying the bodywork on this bike is a whole LED lighting system, clip-on handlebars and rear set footpegs, matching surgical metal grips, swap blocks and mirrors and a {custom} stainless-steel 2-into-2 internally baffled exhaust system.
The solely dislike we now have relating to this cafe racer equipment is that solely 9 have been produced; and as you’d count on, they’ve all already been offered.
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2. Rogue Motorcycles Project RE Continental GT 650
When Royal Enfield Australia introduced the Busted Knuckles Build-Off Perth’s MotoMAX workshop enlisted the assistance of Billy and the group at Rogue Motorcycles to understand their imaginative and prescient.
Nicknamed ‘Project RE’ this GT’s most distinct function is its custom-made entrance cowl. Rogue primarily based the design of it loosely on Honda’s iconic 250cc sportbike, the MC22 CBR250R and realised it in FRP. Billy additionally created a set of {custom} facet panels and topped issues off with a suede-covered saddle that options body colour-matched turquoise stitching. There’s far more happening right here than just some visible tweaks although.
The GT now rolls on Benelli TNT 1130 operating gear. The new configuration is made up of 58mm Marzocchi entrance forks, the TNT wheels, a Brembo brake meeting and the TNT swingarm. There’s additionally a {custom} exhaust system and loads of small particulars that wowed the judges and resulted within the bike taking out the Busted Knuckles ‘experts choice’ award. Most impressively nonetheless is that this whole venture was accomplished in a mere 6 weeks.
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If you’re sufficiently old to recollect the Hanna-Barbera cartoon it’s possible you’ll be pondering this motorbike would look proper at dwelling in a live-action adaptation of The Jetsons. Well sadly that’s not why it exists. Rest assured that’s precisely what the bike’s builder would really like you to suppose although.
Through one other Royal Enfield collaboration, Andika Pratama of Indonesia’s Kromworks constructed this otherwordly Bullet 500 primarily based cafe racer. Andika’s idea for the Bullet was closely impressed by Nineteen Fifties American automotive design. The result’s a motorbike that has little or no in frequent with the Bullet’s conventional classic styling. As far as how a lot of the unique motorbike stays, it’s just about simply the engine since every thing round it was constructed completely from scratch. All of the bodywork was hand-formed after which chrome plated. The body and its unorthodox suspension setup is a one-off design and the wheels are matching 21-inch rims wrapped in classic rubber.
The Kromworks Bullet is a brilliant clear minimalistic motorbike however regardless of its spartan look, there was nothing easy about creating this rolling murals.
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4. Royal Enfield Lock Stock GT 650 Drag Bike
The Royal Enfield ‘Lock Stock’ is a GT 650 primarily based drag bike constructed by the producer to participate within the European Sultans of Sprint drag race sequence. It’s not what I’d usually label as a restaurant racer, however I’ve a comfortable spot for stripped-down, naked important, high-performance bikes, particularly ones that look this wild.
Lock Stock is predicated on a GT 650 platform however every thing has been completely reworked to attain blistering straight line acceleration. Starting with the engine the 650 parallel twin was utterly reworked by efficiency consultants S&S. When all was stated and performed the facility and torque figures have been double these of the inventory bike. Since the principles allowed it, the engine was additionally hooked as much as a nitrous system to push issues to absolutely the restrict.
By working with their subsidiary firm, Harris Performance, Enfield additionally developed an all new chassis for Lock Stock and upgraded the suspension utilizing Öhlins parts. Lightweight PVM cast wheels assist to scale back unsprung weight and Goldline brakes present all of the stopping energy.
What’s nice concerning the Sultans of Sprint is that the occasion additionally calls for a concentrate on fashion which leads to the creation of some fairly wild machines, reminiscent of this.
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While we’re as regards to drag bikes, right here’s one other superior Sultans of Sprint GT 650 by the UK’s Sinroja brothers. After a profitable collab in the course of the lead-up to the revealing of the 650 twin platform in 2017, Royal Enfield agreed to assist Sinroja out with a GT 650 for their very own dash race aspirations. Similar to Enfield’s personal ‘Lock Stock’ race bike the Sinroja ‘Two Smoking Guns’ GT 650 has undergone some severe efficiency upgrades.
Once once more S&S got here to the celebration to warmth issues up a little bit. The capability of this engine now sits at 750cc and the brothers have supplemented the additional capability by including greater gas injectors, cams, a reprogrammed ECU and a really brief free-flowing exhaust. To prime issues off they teamed up with race professional Trevor Lanford to suit the bike with a nitrous oxide system.
The Sinroja brothers then put the Enfield on a severe weight reduction program. In order to achieve their goal weight of 150kg (down from 202kg) they match the bike with an Antigravity battery, {custom} machined alloy yokes, one entrance disc as an alternative of two and a light-weight trendy sportbike entrance finish. They additionally trimmed and restyled the chassis and added a hard-tailed rear that disbursed with the rear suspension. There’s a tiny 2-litre tank that holds sufficient juice for a few runs down the blacktop, a minimised wiring loom and even light-weight fasteners to avoid wasting as a lot weight as doable.
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Jay Patel of J&D Custom Co. has a comfortable spot for Royal Enfields. He created his personal bolt-on FRP physique equipment for the GT 535 previously, however when the time got here to construct his personal bike he determined to do issues a little bit otherwise.
Jay’s appropriately named ‘Full Metal’ Continental GT 535 wears {custom} bodywork hammered out of 1.5mm aluminium sheet. By mixing clean curves with sharp angular traces he’s created a basic racer styled trip that weighs significantly lower than its donor. At the rear of this bike, you’ll discover a one-off subframe and a {custom} exhaust that passes between a pair of piggyback shocks. The swingarm is {custom} too and extends the GT’s footprint to tailor its dealing with to Jay’s style.
This GT 535 additionally wears a set of alloy parts which Jay turned on his lathe such because the handlebars and footpegs. To end issues off the 535cc single now breathes freely due to the revised exhaust and a Ok&N air filter.
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Inspired by Triumph’s manufacturing facility customs, Jake Yang, editor of Korea’s Motorbike Magazine, created his Royal Enfield model of the Brits restricted version sequence. Jake’s venture began out as a inventory 2019 Continental GT 650 Cafe Racer and the venture grew to become the main focus of a sequence of articles within the journal.
Jake kicked issues off by making a digital idea in Photoshop which was then translated into working parts with the assistance of the native workshop Crazy Garage. Sporting an identical black gold scheme to the TFCs Jakes Continental GT now wears an FRP carbon entrance fairing which is held in place utilizing repurposed elements from a Harley Davidson. The rear finish additionally wears an FRP one-off tail unit and a trimmed-down single saddle.
To ensure his GT was a minimize above the remainder, Jake fitted the bike with an extended listing of premium parts. These embrace Öhlins suspension upgrades, Brembo brakes and Metzeler Racetec RR tyres. Other aesthetic upgrades embrace Zeta clip-ons, a billet prime yoke and sprocket cowl by Riga, Crazy Garage rear units and an LED tail mild.
What makes this bike significantly particular although is the extent of match and end Jake has achieved. From the present high quality paint to the mirror polished engine circumstances this Royal Enfield cafe racer is all class.
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This Continental GT 650 is the primary Royal Enfield to roll out of Pepo Rosell’s XTR Pepo workshop in Spain. In typical Pepo fashion, he’s utilized an endurance racing aesthetic to the Enfield.
The greatest problem Pepo confronted with this venture was the client’s request to retain the bike’s capacity to hold a pillion. He resolved this by referencing what Moto Morini did with their Sport 350 and constructed a full-length padded seat that mimicked the look of a racing cowl on the again. To full the edurance styling he then added a fibreglass tank with a racing fashion gas degree window and a half cowl sporting twin headlamps.
Not happy with merely making a motorbike look quick Pepo has additionally upgraded the efficiency of this Continental GT 650. Starting with the dealing with there are premium YSS shocks, Brembo brakes and the wheels have been changed by lighter 17-inch gadgets. As for the engine, the parallel-twin now inhales through a DNA filter and exhales through Turbo Kit mufflers.
To full the racing look there’s a spattering of race-style livery over the brilliant crimson bodywork and the engine has been given a facelift utilizing finned case covers by Ok-Speed workshop in Thailand.
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It’s nice to see a producer who isn’t afraid to change their very own bikes. Already on this listing, we’ve seen a GT 650 drag bike constructed by the Royal Enfield group, however right here’s an much more engaging basic racer styled trip. The ‘Nought Tea’ is Enfield’s interpretation of a contemporary basic racer. It’s primarily based on a GT 650 platform and was accomplished by the group at Harris Performance.
Harris Performance are consultants in chassis improvement and labored carefully with Royal Enfield in the course of the improvement of the manufacturing bike. After the discharge of the 650 twins, the two corporations acquired collectively as soon as once more to construct a motorbike that showcased simply how a lot efficiency potential their newest motorbike had.
The Nought Tea should be dressed for road use (other than some mirrors and a muffled exhaust), nevertheless it options every thing it could must be extremely aggressive out on a monitor. The suspension is an Ohlins method which has been tuned particularly for this bike. Premium Brembo stopping gear makes slowing down no subject and Harris added their very own yokes to drop some weight. As for engine efficiency, the parallel twin now has a capability of 750cc due to the addition of an S&S huge bore equipment.
The most noticeable change right here is the bike’s full fairing and I’m positive many Continental GT homeowners wish to get their palms on one. The one-off full fairing was constructed particularly for the GT 650’s geometry and is held in place by purpose-built bracketry. Harris additionally tweaked the bike’s subframe to tighten up its proportions, built-in an LED brake mild into the rear cowl and swapped out the inventory gauges for a single Daytona dial.
We’re positive if Royal Enfield launched one thing like this as a restricted launch mannequin they wouldn’t have any drawback transferring them.
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The curiously named ‘Arthur’ is one other off-the-wall Royal Enfield Continental GT cafe racer venture by Vietnam’s Bandit9. This bike nonetheless was primarily based on the sooner 535 model of the Continental GT. Although it was commissioned by Royal Enfield, Badit9 got carte blanche with this venture. As a end result, Daryl and his group pulled out all of the stops to create one thing actually distinctive.
It’s immediately apparent that this Continental GT isn’t operating a inventory body. Built completely in-house by the Bandit9 group the body was designed utilizing a parametric mathematical equation. Adding to the body’s putting look is its chrome plated end and there’s no scarcity of different chrome particulars to enrich it. Arthur’s bodywork is all chrome-plated hand-formed metal. The USD externally sprung forks are all chrome too as is the horizontally mounted mono-shock on the rear. In truth, there’s little or no of this bike that isn’t chrome plated or polished to a mirror shine.
After constructing the primary Arthur Continental GT 535 Bandit9 constructed a restricted 9-bike run of the mannequin. They offered for a really cheap $19,800 USD – and yep they’re all gone.
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Source: www.returnofthecaferacers.com