Jim’s Royal Enfield GT650: Building a Wider Brat
Jim’s GT650 came to us with a few changes already made by its previous owner, but he had a clear idea of where he wanted to take it next. The clip-ons had to make way for handlebars, the ignition needed a new home, and the wheels, tyres, exhaust and rear end were all on the list. He also wanted new indicators and rear shocks.
The interesting part of the brief was the stance. Jim wanted the front to look as wide as possible while keeping the original yoke width. He also wanted the forks brought up through the top yoke to lower the front, without compromising suspension travel.
We started by stripping the bike and sending the wheels away. The original hubs would be re-spoked into 17 × 3.50-inch rims, giving us time to concentrate on the front end while they were gone.
Our solution was a new top yoke, designed and machined in-house with holes for our fat bar risers and no ignition mount. It let us fit the handlebars Jim wanted, with the fork tubes protruding 30 mm above the top yoke. We also machined mounting holes into the front of the yoke for a new clock mount. Bringing the clocks closer helped fill the space left by the ignition, which we relocated beneath the injector bodies using our Sold Out Motorcycles bracket.
At the back, the previous owner had already cut the tail loop. Jim’s new seat needed the rear hoop moved back by 2½ inches, so we machined an internal joiner to connect the original frame to the existing loop and set the hoop in its new position.
The wheels came back with their new rims powder coated black. We fitted TT Classic tyres in the supplied 17 × 4.50 front and 17 × 5.00 rear sizes. That tyre choice gave the front the broader look Jim wanted without fitting wider yokes. From behind, the rear tyre fills the swingarm neatly too.
The donor bike already had aftermarket exhaust cans, but Jim had bought a complete Diabolus system, so the existing setup came off. He also asked for Sold Out Motorcycles lettering on the tyres. That was new territory for us: we sourced rubber-cut logos and bonded them to the sidewalls with the recommended adhesive. It took some care to get them right, but they suit the finished bike.
Final assembly meant sorting the cables and wiring, then fitting Kellermann Atto indicators. At the rear, the three-in-one units handle the indicators, brake lights and tail lights. We also fitted the number-plate bracket, Biltwell Thruster grips, stand bobbins, mirror plugs, a stainless steel chain guard and bar-end mirrors. A pair of YSS Z-Series Black Edition shocks completed the rear suspension.
Written down, that sounds like an afternoon’s work. Anyone who has built a bike knows how much time lives in those last few lines.
Then came the part that matters most: getting on it and taking it for a ride.
If you would like more details on this build or any others please do not hesitate to email us