Last weekend, the center of the custom universe was the bustling, sweltering city of Jogjakarta, on the island of Java. It’s the Indonesian home of Kustomfest, which is now firmly established as one of the world’s top custom shows.
Kustomfest has proved that Indonesian builders have world-class skills. And this this, our eyes were caught by this lithe and elegant Royal Enfield Continental GT 650—from Andika Pratama of Krom Works.
Andika has inherited his bike building skills from his father, and plies his trade in South Jakarta. That’s a nine-hour drive from Kustomfest, but we’re glad he made the trip.
The show theme this year was ‘Back to The Roots,’ so Andika has crafted a classic café racer with a mix of 1960s and modern-day styling cues. He’s called the GT 650 ‘The 30’—a reference to his own age and a marker for his personal journey over the years in the workshop.
Honda dominates the booming Indonesian motorcycle market, so it’s rare for a builder to work on a Royal Enfield—especially one of the new twins. Not surprisingly, Andika is smitten with the GT 650.
“From my perspective, the engine is one of the most special parts,” he says. “The sound and ‘beat’ are extremely nice… and with 650cc, it’s very comfortable to ride, whether in the city or long-distance.”
The new bodywork is visually much lighter than stock, highlighting the engine, which has been given a coat of glossy black powder powder to match the frame.
The new exhaust system frames it too, with simple two-into-two swoops echoing the lines of the engine cases and crafted from stainless steel. At the intake end, classic velocity stacks sit atop the EFI system.
The wheels drop down a size both front and back to 17 inches, and Andika has selected wider-than-standard Akront rims—which meant designing and fabricating custom sprockets with extra offset for the new DID chain.
He’s fitted sticky Michelin Power RS sportbike rubber to make the most of a pretty serious suspension. At the front end, a set of 43mm KYB upside-down forks have been grafted on, and at the back, the stock twin Gabriel shocks have been ditched in favor of a Sachs adjustable nitrogen monoshock.
This called for extensive work on the back frame of the bike, which is now slimmed down and sitting higher up, and the standard tubular swingarm has been heavily modified to suit the new monoshock setup.
In keeping with the sporty theme, Andika has installed a complete new brake system. The front wheel gets a 310mm Brembo dual disc setup, with Tokico six-piston caliper. (There’s a Tokico four-piston caliper at the back.) The brake and clutch masters are from Nissin.
The all-new bodywork is hand-beaten galvanized steel, which weighs more than aluminum but is stronger and more dent-resistant.
Andika has shaped a new tank, fairing and front fender, plus side panels under the new seat unit and air scoops above the engine. It all flows together beautifully, helped by copper pearl paint with silver leaf striping.
With new clip-ons slotted in, and foot pegs fabricated from aluminum, ‘The 30’ was ready to roll—and hit the road to Jogjakarta for Kustomfest.
We love it because it treads a very fine line, with an equal balance of retro and modern cues. And it’s one of those rare bikes that looks even better with a rider on board. Nice work, Andika!
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