Most of the customs that cross our desks come from Europe and the States, but there’s some really interesting stuff happening further afield. We visited Kustomfest in Indonesia a couple of years back, and were floored by the ingenuity of the local talent.
Based in Jakarta, Thrive Motorcycle are one of the shining lights of the Indo scene. And looking at this rowdy little number, dubbed ‘Moltar,’ it’s easy to see why.
Granted, it’s not the most extreme transformation we’ve seen from Thrive. Pundits will immediately recognize it as a Royal Enfield Bullet 350—except it’s a lot more compact and fun-loving now.
The commission came straight from Royal Enfield Indonesia themselves, with an open brief and only two months to turn it around. So Thrive’s builders Indra Pratama and Barata Dwiputra knuckled down and got busy.
“After a long overnight discussion,” says Thrive’s media guy, Putra Agung, “a classic scrambler felt right. It represents the spirit of young guns who want to ride in the city and also do some cross country.”
“So the main goal was to turn the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 into a scrambler-style tactical vehicle—one that is sleek and functional, and can be ridden on all surfaces.”
Thrive wanted to keep as much of the little Bullet’s DNA as possible, so they focused on refining what was there, rather than ditching it wholesale. After a total strip-down, they decided to keep the stock tank—so they reworked it to be smaller than before.
The Enfield’s trademark side boxes also got shrunk, and the right side got a custom cover. It ingeniously wraps around the new, high-riding stainless steel exhaust system.
Out back, the guys completely redid the subframe and added an oxblood leather seat. The shape seems a bit awkward at first—but makes sense the second you see the bike with a rider on. There’s a tiny little ducktail finishing off the rear fender, along with a minimal license plate bracket and a neatly tucked-away LED taillight.
Thrive reworked the cockpit too, starting with a smaller headlight in a new housing that—much like the original—also holds the clocks and key ignition. New grips, an aftermarket throttle and mini-switches are all fitted to a set of custom, cross-braced bars. A set of off-the-shelf turn signals, and a Daytona air filter, complete the checklist.
Looks will only get you so far, so a few dirt-worthy mods made their way onto the to-do list. The Enfield now sports a new pair of YSS shocks, and a 19F/18R wheel combo with Shinko off-road tires.
The skid plate and high front fender are both one-off pieces, along with little touches like the rear brake and shift levers. The grippy, off-road style foot pegs are from Thrive’s own catalog, and they’re absolutely stunning (and even include adjustable and replaceable pins).
‘Factory scrambler’ was the goal here, and Thrive have hit the mark spectacularly. The simple chrome, black and gold livery drives the point home, as do all the tiny logos and markings that are tastefully spread throughout the build.
More than that, it looks like the perfect whip for exploring Java’s volcanic regions. And the coolest Royal Enfield we’ve seen for a long, long time.
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