Bobbed Royal Enfield Classic 500 Is One Thrilling Custom Sight to Behold

Royal Enfield’s humble Classic 500 is obviously no speed demon, but there’s something very alluring about its simplicity and retro-looking silhouette. As such, the model can act as an excellent base for a custom project infused with vintage styling, so long as making a fast machine isn’t part of the build criteria.

The gorgeous one-off shown above was commissioned by a client named Dave and executed by Tom Gilroy’s Purpose Built Moto (PBM). In fact, Dave is a friend of Tom’s and the two ride together regularly, meaning they have a pretty good idea of one another’s preferences when it comes to motorcycles. The Classic 500 was to gain a lower stance, some bobber design cues, and a healthy dose of bespoke equipment.

First things first, the Aussies got rid of the donor’s factory wheels, subframe, and rear suspension units, as well as both its fenders. They fabricated new mounting points and obtained a classy pair of progressive shock absorbers from YSS, then used stainless-steel spokes to replace the stock wheel hubs to aluminum hoops measuring 21 inches at the front and 19 inches at the opposite end.

Mind you, the Enfield wasn’t completely unmodified upon arrival at PBM’s headquarters, as Dave had previously deleted its side covers and relocated the electrics. Many of these are now stashed beneath the throttle body, and Tom’s specialists fashioned a stealthy box to conceal them out of sight.

The battery dwells below the swingarm, and there are stainless-steel brackets holding a new rear fender that’s been crafted in-house. What lies atop this module is a spectacle in and of itself, as the round LED taillight and turn signals look all business thanks to their interesting mounting system and internal wiring.

In addition, a slender license plate holder can be found at the southernmost tip, while a hinged solo saddle is above the whole setup. One may also find a minimalistic custom fender up north, and the bracket it’s attached to, forms the shape of a forward-facing arrow. As far as paintwork goes, a dark green hue from Citroen’s color palette was chosen as the base, joined by tasteful Royal Enfield graphics on the fuel tank.

Things remain mostly standard in and around the cockpit area, the only changes being fresh mirrors and an aftermarket handlebar which had been installed prior to PBM’s makeover. Last but not least, Tom’s bike-modding artisans ditched the Classic 500’s original pipes in favor of a curvy, tailor-made exhaust built from scratch.

Following the addition of DNA air filtration technology, the guys were finally happy to call it a day and hand the bike over to Dave. This happened during the summer of 2022, but we’ve got no idea how much Purpose Built Moto charged their customer for the bobber-style transformation.