The new Royal Enfield twins are a godsend for custom builders. By modern standards, they are simple on both the mechanical and electrical fronts: you don’t need a degree in Electrical Science from MIT to change the instrument panel.
They’re also affordable. In the US, prices for the Interceptor start at a mere $5,799, which is well over $3,000 less than a Sportster Iron 883 or Triumph Street Twin.
There’s also a lot to be said for starting with a new rather than used motorcycle—because you’re not dealing with tired or worn-out parts and hidden nasties.
A late-model R-series BMW in good condition might be a couple of grand less than a new Interceptor, but it’s still a quarter of a century old.
Not surprisingly, custom builders are starting to tear into the Enfield twins with gusto, and one of the first is Thrive Motorcycles of Jakarta in Indonesia.
Fabricators Indra Pratama and Barata Dwiputra are no strangers to the Indian brand: two years ago, they built a gorgeous little scrambler based on the Bullet 350.
“Royal Enfields have always intrigued us,” says shop spokesman Putra Agung. “They’re tough motorcycles that you can rely on when conquering the Himalayan mountains.”
“But the beautiful new parallel twin gives the bike more performance and capability. We knew we’d expose the engine as the heart of the bike, and bring out its character and spirit.”
Thrive didn’t want to go down the conventional retro route, though—they wanted to mix things up with a blend of old and new. “We wanted to keep the DNA, but elaborate on it and find a new form for the bike,” says Putra.
So they started by stripping the Interceptor of its gas tank, battery box, fenders and side panels, plus a boxful of brackets and guards.
Then they fired up the grinders, reshaped the rear frame, and converted the twin shock mountings into a mono shock arrangement adapted from a Suzuki GSX-R600—along with the swingarm. That meant reworking the sprockets, to correct the alignment of the new EK chain.
For a vintage racer vibe, they’ve installed a set of replica Ceriani GP38 forks, hooked up with custom CNC’d triples.
The 17-inch forged aluminum Enkei wheels come from a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, and are a size down from the stock spoked wheels—which should save a useful few pounds. They’re fitted with super-sticky Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa rubber: 120/70 in front and 150/70 at the back.
The brakes have been upgraded to Brembos to match the extra traction available, with dual discs and M4 calipers at the front, and a twin-piston setup at the back.
The clutch has been upgraded to a hydraulic system, and a pair of Brembo RCS master cylinders now sits on the custom bars. These are from Thrive’s own T/H/R/V catalog of aftermarket parts, along with the bar-end blinkers and footpegs.
The few bought-in parts are high-end: the Interceptor’s twin analog dials have been replaced by a discreet Motogadget Motoscope Tiny display, and the foot controls are from the iconic Italian brand Tarozzi.
The engine now breathes more easily thanks to K&N filtration upstream, and a beautifully hand-bent stainless steel custom exhaust system, terminated with flared megaphone mufflers.
The crowning glory is the new bodywork, fashioned entirely out of aluminum. The tank, side panels, fenders, and tail unit are all expertly hand-shaped, and there’s a tiny bikini fairing with concealed LED lighting too. The seat, with a pronounced upkick, is from the T/H/R/V catalog.
More conventional lighting (and a touch of irreverence) comes from the big circular ‘Daylighter’ lamp made by the Arizona company KC HiLiTES, mounted low down on the left side under the tank.
After more than 600 man-hours of work, Thrive finished this stunning Interceptor with a teal green and champagne color combo, which reminds us of Aston Martin and Lotus racing colors.
We’re already quite taken by the factory version of the Interceptor 650, but Thrive have elevated it to a new level. If this is the start of a new wave of customs coming from Royal Enfield, we’re all for it.
Thrive Motorcycle | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Ilham Nuriadi, edited by Aulia Karya Nugraha