A pearl of thunder, Vajra 612 by Cycle City Customs

Prologue:

Royal Enfield Classic 500 & 350, aka CL500/350, have been the primary bikes of their portfolio since the very beginning. Through the lifespan, the model has gone through a variety of upgrades and updates in terms of the engine, but the styling is evergreen and never dying. With ample torque at disposal, the bike has been a favorite of the cult following in India and abroad.

The Design & Process:

The only department where the RE lacks is the power department, and that where Cycle City customs, Ludhiana, decided to change the things in their mod, and what a cafe racer it has turned out to be.

The bike christened as Vajra, a word derived from the Sanskrit language, literally means Thunderbolt, which to date is quite a unique name. The motorcycle is quite distinctive with its aluminum finished body

When the team, Baljit Singh and Sukhkaran Singh started the work on the motorcycle, the main motto was to create a fast, practical, and a beautiful cafe racer, with a minimum amount of weight. The idea was to create an Enfield, which matched the go with the show. The team started by taking apart the entire motorcycle, including the engine.

The Engine was the first to receive the treatment. An increase in power called for a modification to the heart of the bike. The engine was totally rebuilt with a bigger piston from Hitchcock’s Motorcycles. The engine capacity now stands at 612 against the 500 on the stock. In addition, high lift cams were installed which allow the bike to rev till almost 6500 RPM as against 5000 on the stock setup. 

All these changes meant the fuel ratio had to be altered. The team also managed to plug in a Power commander 5 with autotune to match the increased capacity of the engine, along with a quick shifter which is bi-directional. The intake to the bike has been given through a K&N filter and the stock exhaust has been replaced with a custom made free flow conical exhaust. All this resulted in an increase of power to over a whopping 40 BHP! Which is more than double what the stock bike produces.

The chassis needed to undergo strengthening to account for the drastic increase in power, and for this, the team replaced the conventional twin shock setup of the bike, with a unit from the FZR 600. This allowed the team to install a single shock unit, along with a disc brake at the rear as against the conventional drum brakes. The front side receives a USD setup from the KTM series, with a disc brake and clip-on. The gear and the brake levers were relocated towards the rear along with the footpegs to allow for a racing stance. 

The paint scheme was finalized as gloss aluminum finish (as all the parts are made of aluminum) and the subframe was painted gloss red

All of these modifications allowed the bike to shed about 43 Kgs, which brings the weight of the motorcycle down to 154 Kgs against the 197 Kg stock bike!!

The Verdict:

Customization of motorcycles is not just a matter of work, it’s a way of expression for your passion, reflection of your persona. Every time a bike is customized it is in some way an echo of the identity of the customizer and owner. And in this process, the team at Cycle City Customs has transformed the bike from a docile cat into an aggressive beast.! It’s a fine amalgamation of the conventional motorcycle, with a modern powerhouse! One can only imagine how the bike leaves the competition in the dust when the beast is unleashed.!!!