FCR Original transforms their first Royal Enfield…
In 2018, Royal Enfield introduced the Interceptor 650, known as the INT 650 here in the States. For a bike that starts at $5999, this retro-styled middleweight has garnered unexpectedly rave reviews. The design harks back to the glory days of the twin-shock British roadsters. Power comes from a 47-bhp air-cooled twin, and the Interceptor tips the scales at 445 pounds — but it’s how the bike rides that’s made such an impression on reviewers.
Kit Palmer of Cycle News named it one of his favorite motorcycles he rode in 2021, going on to say:
“The INT 650 is way spunkier than its specs suggest. It’ll put a smile on your face the first time you open ’er up; at least it did mine…it’s also well-balanced and stable at high and low speeds. It all adds up to one excellent handling motorcycle.” —Cycle News
The folks across the Pond at MCN have been similarly smitten:
“When you take into account the price, it really is a suspension overhaul away from being a five-star bike. I’ve saved the best bit till last too: the average age of an Enfield owner in India is 27. If they can repeat that trick over here, we could be looking at the bike that saves the sport.” —MCN
What’s more, Royal Enfield have been keen to get these bikes in the hands of custom builders, where the classic styling and construction lends itself to retro-inspired builds.
Recently, we heard from our friends at France’s FCR Original, who just finished their first-ever Royal Enfield build, “The Royal Slide”:
“The very first creation of the FCR Original workshop based on a Royal Enfield takes us back to the 60’s on an American flat track. A minimalist creation keeping only the essential.”
The bike has all the hallmarks of a vintage street tracker: solo saddle and rear fender, spoked wheels with Dunlop K180 street-legal flat track tires, aluminum sideboards and front number plate, wide tracker-style bars, and a paint scheme straight out of the 1960s:
“To pay tribute to the giants of the discipline, our workshop wanted to give the tank a 60’s look: intense blue paint, underlined by three stripes in orange variations.”
Below, FCR Original gives us the full story of the build in their own words.
INT 650 Street Tracker: In the Builder’s Words…
It is in a cloud of dust on an oval track that our design office drew the inspiration for this creation. The very first creation of the FCR Original workshop based on a Royal Enfield takes us back to the 60’s on an American flat track. A minimalist creation keeping only the essential.
Created on an Interceptor 650, this compact and playful Royal Enfield classic proved to be the perfect base for such a creation.
The Royal Slide is all about the classics: a more compact look with a one-seat design that follows the codes of the legendary flat track bikes; high handlebars for easy riding; 18-inch wheels with mixed tyres for both off and on road use.
Another characteristic feature of the Royal Slide is the numbered aluminium side plates. While their original function was to identify the rider and his bike, they now display the lucky number of the future owner.
To pay tribute to the giants of the discipline, our workshop wanted to give the tank a 60’s look: intense blue paint, underlined by three stripes in orange variations. Dive into the heart of legendary flat track racing with the Royal Slide.
