Royal Enfield Continental GT 650: Café Racer Cool
Words by Jeff Ware Photography by Zane Dobie
Dave, the owner of the TFC we featured, bought a GT for a simple reason, “I like the looks and the price. I bought it a year ago, it was brand new and just $9,990 on the road”.
“It’s a 2022 model and the engine is basically standard, I just wanted to focus on the response, smoothness and getting the most of what was there, but it is now making 54-horsepower at the back wheel and 56Nm of torque, with the stock 78mm x 67.8mm bore and stroke as well as the standard 9.5:1 compression ratio,” says Dave… Who in the past has built race winning top alcohol engines!
“The internals are all standard, but I’ve carefully done the valve clearances myself and fitted NGK Iridium spark plugs. I also fitted a Sprint airfilter, Stratos Performance billet CNC radius inlet and Verex big bore stainless-steel headers matched to custom built Moto Torpedo mufflers, as I liked the look of the Verex headers but not the mufflers, so I matched the two up together…”
The ‘box is stock but the final gearing has changed. “I run the standard front sprocket but I dropped two teeth at the back. I fitted a 7075 billet alloy Talon 36-tooth rear with Titanium sprocket bolts. It just takes the edge of the rpm in top”… Dave runs a Hitchcocks Air Injection Delete Kit as well, and an Aeroflow billet crankcase breather, plus an Anti Gravity 900g lithium battery.
The standard 41mm Gabriel forks are retained, but feel firmer on the road due to the reduction of unsprung weight moment and sprung weight, so feel like a firmer upgrade, as do the shocks. The brakes are original ByBre (By Brembo) with Brembo sintered pads ex factory, a 320mm ByBre rotor at the front and aa 220mm at the rear….
A huge change to weight, dynamics and looks are the stunning Excel wheels. These feature a tubeless kit at both ends as well as top shelf Metzeler Racetec RR rubber… “The tyres and wheels make a huge difference to the handling of course,” says Dave, “Particularly the tyres. Dave has reduced the weight of the bike by a staggering 25.4kg through the exhaust, wheels and extensive use of Titanium fasteners and alloy.
Overall, Dave’s Conti GT is just the perfect mix of subtly and show-off. To appreciate it, you need to look at it for a while and take it all in. There are more trick bits hiding in the dark colours than meets the eye…
Custom Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 Specifications
Engine: SOHC air-cooled 648cc parallel twin four-stroke, eight-valve, 78mm x 67.8mm bore x stroke, 9.5:1 compression, 270º firing order crankshaft, Bosch EMS/EFI, NGK Iridium plugs, Sprint airfilter, Stratos Performance Billet CNC radius inlet, Hitchcocks air injection delete kit, Verex big bore headers, Moto Torpedo mufflers, Anti Gravity lithium battery, Aeroflow billet crankcase breather, Outex tubeless tyre kit
Gearbox: Six-speed constant mesh
Clutch: Wet multi-plate slipper clutch, cable actuation, Talon 36T rear sprocket
Chassis: Double-cradle tuned tubular steel frame
Rake: 24°
Trail: 106mm (INT), 105mm (GT)
Suspension: 41mm forks, 110mm travel, twin shock, 88mm travel, rear preload adjustment
Brakes: 320mm stainless steel floating rotor (f), ABS, two-piston sliding ByBre caliper, Bosch ABS, conventional master-cylinder, 240mm rotor (r), ByBre caliper
Wheels & Tyres: 36 spoke Excel alloy rim 2.50 x 18in, 36 spoke alloy rim 3.50 x 18in, Metzeler Racetec RR K1 100/80-18, 130/80-18. Titanium fasteners throughout, Stratos Performance chain adjuster, Royal Enfield alloy accessories – various, single seat cowling, cafe racer leather seat, leather sidecover bag, cafe racer bar end mirrors, top cowling
Performance: 172.6kg (wet), 54RWHP, 56RWNm
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