Vesta, the Interceptor 650 Custom Cafe Twin at Wheels&Waves 2023 for the Busted Knuckles
We went to Wheels&Waves 2023, but not as mere tourists! In Biarritz we unveiled an official custom build and now we’re telling you all about it!
The Mecca of specials. That’s how the link between motorcycle Custom Culture and the city of Biarritz can be summed up, known for the waves that tempt surfers from all over the world and for Wheels & Waves, the world’s most famous event when it comes to one-off motorcycles.
Founded in 2012 from the passion for custom bikes of a group of friends, Wheels & Waves soon became a benchmark on the global scene, attracting the world’s most famous customisers and even boasting editions in California and, since last year, in Italy.
Over the years, the beaches of the French city have hosted the creations of custom geniuses such as Roland Sands, Go Takamine ( Brat Style), Ola Stengard and El Solitario, establishing them as true stars of custom culture. Now we can add ourselves too to the list of customisers who have received an invitation to this hugely important event!
Landing at Wheels and Waves 2023 is another piece added to our journey, especially because it was Royal Enfield that invited us, commissioning us to build a special to be unveiled during the French event itself.
The only rule was to amaze, and Vesta – the name given to the scrambler created on a Royal Enfield Interceptor basis – did just that in style, since once the work was completed, an invitation arrived from India for the Busted Knuckles Build-Off, the expo dedicated to the 6 best Royal Enfield-based specials in the world, which took place at Wheels & Waves 2023 within the Artride event.
The bike
There are various ways to achieve this kind of milestone: some build extreme dragsters, some completely transform the bike compared to its stock version, some focus entirely on engineering. We did not leave the path we’ve been following for years and instead bet everything on style: the result is Vesta, a scrambler with timeless charm yet truly one of a kind. We drew inspiration from 1970s enduro bikes, while adding that touch of elegance which, we like to think, has by now become our hallmark
The lines are exceptionally clean, thanks above all to two elements: the fibreglass tail section created specifically for this bike with the white leather seat, and the choice of a High 2-in-1 Exhaust, the result of the collaboration between Cafe Twin and aftermarket manufacturer Mass Exhaust, which enhances the lines of this one-off.
Heidenau Ranger knobblies, a Biltwell Cross handlebar, a Bates headlight unit and chrome mudguards - “borrowed” from one of the many Triumphs coming and going through the workshop - complete the vintage enduro look, while still retaining a strong Italian identity thanks to the choice of colours. The base is in fact a teal shade recreated with inspiration from Italian cars of the ’60s and ’70s, which enhances the two-tone yellow and red details, a tribute to the Eternal City and the Roman god of fire who lent this special its name.
Craftsmanship is an important element in this special: in addition to the tail section and the seat, the foot levers were also made specifically for Vesta, as were the side panels – one in hand-worked aluminium, the other with the bag from the Cafe Twin X Trip Machine collection - and the billet intake trumpets. And, to heighten the romance, there is also a genuine piece of the workshop on this special: a bolt from the sign was sacrificed to finish the knob on Vesta’s lever. A truly poetic way to tie this bike to its birthplace.
There’s more than just looks to this scrambler: the exhaust-intake combination delivers around a dozen extra horsepower to Royal Enfield’s Twin, the chassis has undergone a major upgrade thanks to the adoption of YSS fork cartridges and Bitubo rear shock absorbers, and the original front wheel has been replaced with a 19” item, able to provide greater agility off-road.
A radical transformation, but not an irreversible one, for our Royal Enfield Interceptor: all the components are in fact plug & play and the bike could be returned to its original state with a few hours in the workshop.
Would you like to come and see it and perhaps find out how to turn your bike into a special? Come and visit us at via Mesula, 12 in Rome. We look forward to seeing you!
