A pair of Royal Enfield Interceptor 650s are ready for next month’s ‘Great Malle Rally’ that will take the motorcycles across 1,250-mile (2,000 km) of mainland Britain over five days. The Interceptor 650 bikes in the photographs will act as support vehicles to carry engineers who will look after the 100 custom and classic motorcycles participating in the rally. The two support bikes are called ‘Rally Royale’ Interceptors.
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The company responsible for the modified Interceptor INT 650, Malle, worked with the Industrial Design team at Royal Enfield in the UK. The team at Malle also worked with friends and collaborators for creating parts for the modified motorcycles.
The modified Interceptor 650 motorcycles feature several visual and hardware upgrades that make them off-road ready. The fascia, for example, drops the retro-style round headlight for a twin-pod setup sourced from PIAA. The headlamp grille further enhances the rugged persona of the modified Interceptor motorcycles. A pair of auxiliary lights, mounted on the crash guards near the engine, further improve the illumination department.
A body-coloured flyscreen adds to the unique look of the off-road focussed Interceptor 650 bikes. Moreover, an off-road style unit that gives the fascia a typical beak design replaces the conventionally positioned front fender.
The cockpit retains the twin-pod instrument console from the standard motorcycle. However, an aftermarket unit, sourced from Mule Tracker, replaces the stock handlebar. The clutch and brake levers have been repositioned too for enhanced ergonomics while standing on the footpegs. Speaking of footpegs, the standard units from the stock Interceptor INT 650 have been replaced by British Customs’ heavy-duty Grabber footpegs.
The stock fuel tank has been retained on the Great Malle Rally support bikes although they receive custom livery. A matching paint scheme is given to the side panels along with the support vehicle numbers. The hand-painted designs are maps of favourite roads in the Rally.
The saddle has also been tweaked for better comfort, while the rear section has dropped the factory-installed tail light and blinkers for an aftermarket stop light. Similar to the front, the tail light also gets a grille.
The engine is protected by an aftermarket, aluminium bash plate that is sufficiently wide to also protect the twin pipes. The motorcycles also get custom, slip-on exhausts.
The revised suspension includes upside-down WP telescopic forks at the front instead of conventional units on the standard Interceptor INT 650. Both, the WP front forks and extended rear shocks offer added suspension travel. Royal Enfield’s subsidiary, Harris Performance, helped integrate the new suspension setup onto the modified motorcycles.
The wire-spoke wheels are wrapped in off-road spec tyres with a knobby design for better traction on the loose surface.
The saddlebags carry 20 kilos of tools on each side, while the duffel at the back holds checkpoint kit, spare cables, zip ties and duck tape among other required parts. Moreover, the tank pack is used to carry five USB charging parts, first-aid kit, water and food.
[Source: Bikeexif.com]
