With Royal Enfield expanding its presence in the Japanese market, there’s no better time for Nagoya-based garage AN-BU Custom Motors to showcase its own style. The shop started out with a stock Continental GT 650. It didn’t stay that way for long. AN-BU builder Koichi Fujita had more than surface-level changes in mind too.
Adhering to the endurance racing forms of the ‘80s, Fujita stripped the factory-direct café racer to its frame and refashioned the top tubing. The frame’s new slanted angle not only captures the iconic retro style but Fujita’s hand-crafted aluminum fuel tank exposes the detail for all to see.
He then shapes a blocky tail unit to match the modes of the day and streamlines the profile with a classic full fairing. AN-BU's own style doesn’t get lost in translation, however, with a single offset headlight conforming to the custom shop’s signature look.
Beyond the aesthetics, Kayaba suspension buoys the front and back ends with rider-oriented adjustability. Fujita even sharpens the build’s geometry for race-worthy handling with a custom set of triple trees. In one final stroke of style and substance, AN-BU adds a snaking two-into-one exhaust pipe to open up Enfield’s 648cc parallel twin.
Gallery: Kai: Royal Enfield Continental GT 650
Affectionately named Kai, Fujita already debuted the build at the Osaka Motorcycle Show on March 17, 2023. The customized Continental will then do the rounds at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show on March 24, 2023, before heading to the Nagoya Motorcycle Show on April 7, 2023.
“Even from the perspective of us, who have developed projects with custom bike builders around the world, we believe that Japan is an attractive country with excellent custom bikes and many talented custom bike builders who build them,” admitted Royal Enfield Asia-Pacific Business Manager Anuj Dua.
You can say that again.
