This Royal Enfield Rider Mania winner is more elegant and less macho.
Think of Royal Enfield and you think of macho machines with a penchant for testosterone breakfast. But that’s not that’s there is to it. The bike also has a softer side to it which includes beautiful curves and delicate body work. Born out of this need for elegance was Barood.
Here’s a closer look at this winning machine built by one of Mumbai’s most established custom bike builders Bombay Custom Works:
Name: Barood
Style: A retro machine
“The aim was to design a good looking bike. Bike was built to see the elegant side of Royal Enfield. Most Enfields are macho, but there is a beautiful side to it as well and we wanted to capture it.”
Chassis & Engine:
Chassis is custom built from scratch; at its heart beats a ’86 Royal Enfield engine.
Handlebars:
Custom built pullback handlebars to keep that retro upright stance to the rider. The grips are hand woven rubber strip and to maintain clean look of the front end, Bombay Custom Works have done away with all kinds of dials – the bike doesn’t have any speedo or fuel guage.
Tank:
Custom designed tank to give it a nice singular flow into the seat. The tank cap is tooled out of brass.
Ignition:
Keeping the retro theme in mind, the ignition is kick start only.
Air filter and exhaust:
The straight bent pipe, which features an exhaust wrap, offers a no-nonsense frame to the side profile of the bike. A standard K&N air filter is fitted for added grunt.
Suspension:
The rear has a standard monoshock but at the front you’ll find classic girder suspension.
Lights:
The bike has a singular yellow tinted round headlamp while the tail lamps are custom tooled.
Seat:
When it comes to seat, form takes precedence over function. The bike features one-of-its-kind hand-graved wood.
Tyres and Wheels:
Nothing less than spoke wheels would do for this retro beats. The rubber’s Ceat Vertigo 100/90 – 18 – front and rear.
Paint:
As if its unique looks weren’t enough, the bike’s candy red metal flake paint job makes it hard to miss on the street. And check out that beautiful pinstripping to accentuate the tank’s sleek lines.
And while a few Royal Enfield purists might frown upon the adjective “elegant”, majority of the junta gave their nod of approval to Barood. It is for this reason that the bike went on win the award for the Best Custom Built Enfield at the 2015 Royal Enfield Rider Mania.
