While most custom motorcycles are fully functional, most of them don't get ridden very far or hard. Custom bikes are generally works of art more than motorcycles built to ride. That's what makes Revival Cycle's Royal Enfield Desert Runner 650 truly special. It earned its name by actually racing across the desert.

The basis of this project is an unusual suspect, a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. It may seem like an odd choice, but the idea is a throwback to the desert sleds of the 1950s and 60s. They were often based on British road bikes with air-cooled 650cc parallel twins, just like the Interceptor 650—except for being British, of course. Royal Enfield began as a British company, though, so the ancestry still applies.

Of course, a classically styled road bike has to undergo some major changes to race in the desert. Revival ditched the stock suspension and installed a set of upgraded Suzuki DR-Z 400 forks. That's the first sign that this build is about "go" as well as "show," as the DR-Z is a highly capable bike in the dirt. A pair of custom Icon shocks hold up the back end, and between them, the bike sits considerably taller than the stock road bike.

The transition continues with custom 18-inch wheels wrapped with Michelin AC10 knobby tires. An enormous skid plate protects the engine, as well as a custom exhaust. LED lighting, a custom leather seat, and IMS footpegs intended for a Honda CRF450 complete the build. All things considered, it's not a particularly extensive list of modifications.

Nonetheless, Revival entered and ran this bike in the 2019 LA-Barstow to Vegas race, which covers around 500 miles of desert across two days. This bike doesn't just look the part of an off road racer, it legitimately is one. Do you like the idea of a Royal Enfield desert stormer? They'll build you one, too.

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