Ok, I realise the last few posts have been a bit of a rambling storyline, so I thought I’d put together one post that summed up just what was done as part of the Royal Enfield 865 conversion for all those contemplating doing something similar. Here goes nothing…
What was done to the bike:
Performance:
- S&S 865cc piston kit, with the original barrels machined out to accept the new pistons (read: there’s no going back)
- S&S Stage 1 performance cam
- Throttle bodies bored out 2mm and matched to head intakes
- Head ported by Trevor Birrell Racing
- BS Exhaust Revolution full 2-2 exhaust system (saving around 16kg over the stock boat-anchors – seriously)
- Lithium battery (saving around 3kg over stock)
- DNA air filter and airbox derestrictor plate
- Powertronic ECU with dual-map switch and (up only) quickshifter, tuned by Trevor Birrell Racing
- Rekluse heavy duty clutch
- 16 tooth front sprocket, +1 from stock
Handling:
- Bridgestone BT46 rubber, including a 140 section rear
- YSS fork internal upgrade
- YSS rear shock upgrade
Aesthetic:
- Royal Enfield single seat conversion
- Tarmac Speed Racer bar-end mirrors
- Rogue Motorcycles tail tidy with Motone Eldorado brake light
- Micro-LED indicators
- Various genuine RE bling bits like oil cooler caps and brake fluid reservoir caps
What has it done to the fuel efficiency?
Very little – it uses about as much as it did when it was a 650 – BUT – it does need to run on 95 now due to the higher compression.
Cost:
Thousands, I lost count of how many. South of ten. Well north of five.
Dead Lord, why?
To have something different and to make the most of the base platform Continental GT (without going to Carl Cerra levels of magnificence). Yes, I know I could have spent the same money on a Triumph Bonneville and got the same levels of performance for less, but where would the fun have been in that? If life isn’t about the lols then why bother?
What’s the end result like?
Like a Continental GT with 50% more peak torque at 1000rpm lower and 40% more horsepower than stock, enough to easily hoick the front wheel in the first and second (and in third with a little effort) on the stock gearing (hence the +1 front sprocket). Pulls properly hard from low in the rev range and makes a glorious sound while it does so, but it doesn’t change the underlying characteristics of the bike – it just gives you a lot more of everything. The upgraded suspenders and tyres get rid of the wobble at 100kmh that it had before, and make it feel much more sorted when pushing through the twisties.
Yeah but wots it do mister?
Sigh. A bit north of 200kmh at full chat nudging the redline. Could do more with different gearing but for me that misses the point anyway. Trying to make an air-cooled parallel twin into a top speed blaster seems a bit pointless to me – the beauty in this build is the meaty midrange starting at 3000rpm and hitting peak at just 4000rpm, meaning it will pull like a train from low down out of corners with the quickshifter blipping away through the gears.
Are there cheaper ways to make my GT go faster and handle better?
Absolutely. Get some aftermarket slip-ons, a DNA air filter kit and junk the stock tyres in favour of either BT46s or Michelin Road Classics. Boom – less weight, better breathing, better sound and better road holding for between $1k and $2k depending on your choice of exhaust. And for goodness sake ditch those mirrors.
So that’s that. Doing an 865 conversion isn’t for anyone who cares about sensible expenditure of funds, return-on-investment or even getting the most bang-for-the-buck out of money spent. After all, a stock MT09 would cost less and be a better bike in any metric you could ask to pick, which is why there are about a million of them on the road in all their samey glory. No, an 865 project is for those who pure and simple want to do one – and to have a talking point at any Royal Enfield meetup about having something truly different.
