Assembling an Avengers-style team of builders with a crazy 6-week deadline sparks chaos and camaraderie. Briefly, this Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 cafe racer. Here’s the improved text: ‘Challenge RE’ – The Collaborative Masterpiece of Western Australia’s Rogue Bikes and Ric Steele of MotoMAX. Ric approached Billy with an intriguing proposal: would he like to form a team for the prestigious Royal Enfield Australia Busted Knuckles Construction Challenge? Ric proposed a straightforward temporary arrangement, which Billy agreed to.
Now I find “comparatively” complex for any cause. A crucial constraint forced us to finish the bike by the end of October’s last week. Within a remarkably short six-week timeframe, Billy and his team were tasked with an ambitious project: disassembling, modifying, painting, and reassembling the bike from scratch. As a ruggedly handsome adventurer, I traversed the dusty trails on my trusty steed, capturing the raw beauty of the great outdoors.
Established in Perth, MotoMAX proudly serves as the northernmost Royal Enfield dealership. As soon as the agreement was finalized, Ric promptly dispatched a brand-new, straight-from-the-factory Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle to Rogue’s headquarters. The motorcycle’s unique combination of components includes 58mm Marzocchi entrance forks, pilfered wheels, and a salvaged swingarm originally sourced from a totaled Benelli TNT 1130. With the Benelli sitting idle in Ric’s workshop, covered in mud, it was an opportune moment to salvage high-quality components and breathe new life into the old bike.
As the Continental GT’s speed increased, components began to detach with alarming rapidity. The heavy manufacturing unit’s exhaust system was fully dismantled, accompanied by the removal of all inventory lighting, instrumentation dials, and various other components. Billy’s attention shifted to integrating the Benelli’s rear suspension components with the Enfield’s frame. “This was the primary bike-building surgical procedure,” he explains.
“The most straightforward aspect of the entrance was its finishing touches.” Billy notes that the swingarm required substantial and detailed transformations. To accommodate the one-of-a-kind axle design, we had to streamline both sides of the swingarm, then install custom bearings for optimal performance. The bike’s transformation to a twin-shock setup, characteristic of Continental designs, necessitated additional modifications to accommodate the new suspension configuration. To accommodate the innovative 6-inch wide rear wheel, we modified the bike’s frame by shifting the front sprocket outward and the rear sprocket inward, ensuring ample space for the chain.
While working on the rear end of his vehicle, Doug at DB Customs collaborated with Rogue to create a custom top yoke for the Marzocchi forks. Rogue’s time-strapped team breathed a collective sigh of relief as Doug finished his project ahead of schedule, completing it in just two days. As the construction project accelerated, The Hammer Works’ Clive from Rockingham received a call to tackle the vehicle’s bodywork. With a keen understanding of commercial principles, Clive crafted the fairing from raw materials and designed a complementary cowl to harmonize with the seat’s aesthetic.
As four weeks elapsed, time was running out quickly. At Rogue HQ, operatives initiated a flurry of tasks to conclude the operation. Billy crafted high-performance stainless-steel exhaust headers, meticulously reproducing the originals yet boasting superior efficiency through precise bending and welding techniques. Cone Engineering’s Massive Mufflers deliver a superior soundtrack, boasting an enhancement beyond the factory standard. The original aspect panels are indeed sourced from Rogue Entertainment. The lower-out flutes subtly echo the iconic wing design of the Royal Enfield emblem, an motif cherished by both Ric and Billy.
With his expertise brought back on board mid-project, Doug was tasked with re-entering the fray to ensure seamless integration of the Tarozzi rearsets and the bar finish caps ahead of schedule. The custom-machined caps precisely align with the diameter of the sleek silver Motogadget grips. Doug also created the body plugs to match the same model as the bar’s finished caps. Billy crafted custom fender stay components for his iconic Rogue model. The additional components meticulously align with various brackets and stays on the remaining bike parts, with the fairing brackets standing out in particular for their distinctiveness.
As Week 5 finally arrived, fabrication was now complete. All components were dispatched to Jay at Distorted Paint and Restoration in Neerabup. The vibrant blue-green hue of the sweet teal paint job was carefully applied to cover the entire frame, encompassing both the body and swingarm in a mesmerizing coat of color. With a polished finish on the tank, fairing, and seat cowl, any aesthetic imperfections are elegantly masked, while a glossy clear coat safeguards against oxidation. This palette has lingered on my to-do list for an eternity. Says Billy, “It would’ve been an ideal alternative to have done it that way.” Within just a few days, Jay expertly completed the painting project, an impressive achievement considering its flawless finish. As the paint dried, Lorenzo at Poli Motor Trimming meticulously revised the inventory seat, recontouring and reupholstering it with vibrant teal thread to revitalize its aesthetic appeal.
Meeting was accomplished in only a single day so the bike may very well be wired up by Joel at Customized Bike Electrics & Restorations. With a multitude of aftermarket components to integrate, he found himself immersed in a flurry of wiring work for several hectic days. His work encompassed setting up a SAAS system, configuring Motone switchgear, and installing Highside tail lights. Mike from MotoLoom in Perth has installed the diminutive Kellermann Atto indicators and their accompanying harness on his motorcycle. Over the course of the weekend, Joel dedicated himself to completing the project ahead of schedule, ensuring that it would be ready in time for Rogue’s final touch-ups before the bike could be reclaimed. Shane of Graphic Dependancy designed and printed the decals. Ric chose eight numbers to emblazon the entrance of his bike, a nostalgic nod to his father Mike’s illustrious racing career.
After a long Monday evening spent tying up loose ends, the Continental GT 650 cafe racer project finally reached completion. The bicycle was captured by camera on Tuesday, then carefully packed into a crate early Wednesday to make its appearance at the Australian Bike Exhibition. It’s no surprise that the bike garnered a significant response.
The Busted Knuckles Construction Contest has officially opened for voting, allowing all of you to now cast your ballots. We’ve already discovered ours.
ROGUE MOTORCYCLES
Photographs and narrative by Ben Pilatti
– Billy
