The 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally officially kicked off on August 4, 2023. It’s celebrating its 83rd anniversary this year, and will run all the way through August 13, 2023, in and around Sturgis, South Dakota. One of the many annual events that makes up the annual Sturgis festival is the Motorcycles as Art exhibit at the Buffalo Chip. That’s where Royal Enfield and Roland Sands Design officially unveiled the first-ever Super Meteor 650 custom build to be shown anywhere on the planet.
The new Royal Enfield x RSD chopper made quite an entrance, which you can see in the Instagram video that both Enfield and RSD shared on social media. Those present at the event saw a massive wooden crate marked with the Royal Enfield logo on the outside. No light show, no fog, just a plain wooden crate.
That is, until Roland Sands decided to generate his own smoke show with a burnout to knock the walls of the crate away from the bike. (Who needs a smoke machine when you have burnouts, right?) The front wall fell off the crate, leaving the three remaining walls standing intact to surround the bike as Sands showed it off and posed for photos.
The chopper build is predominantly black and gold, featuring a number of hand built elements crafted by the RSD workshop. Custom engine covers, foot controls, bar rises, and more set this Super Meteor 650 apart from the crowd. This machine will undoubtedly be released in the US, but as of August 7, 2023, an official release date has not yet been set. It is already available in other markets worldwide, including India and the UK.
There’s an Öhlins front fork and rear shock setup, no front brake, and a mostly matte finish on all the paintwork. The frame features a glossy black finish, as does the top of the tank surrounding the gas cap. The engine cases, side covers, tail piece, and bar risers are all matte black. Matte gold pinstriping and flames call attention to the design, while a small gold pinstripe design sits under a glossy clearcoat finish on the top of the tank.
If you’re attending Sturgis 2023, you’ll be able to see this bike up close and in person if you head over to this year’s Motorcycles as Art exhibition at the Buffalo Chip. The exhibit opened on Saturday, August 5, and will run through Thursday, August 10, 2023. Daily hours during its run are 3 p.m. to midnight every day, so be sure to check it and some other great motorcycle art out if you’re nearby.
