Most custom motorcycles are true works of art, and though they are generally fully functional, many of them don't get ridden too often. The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700 "Mistral," a rebuilt and reimagined classic British sports bike, is a rare gem that hasn't been ridden at all since some of the UK's best two-wheeled maestros completed the rebuild.
Desert sleds are an American icon, embodying the spirit of the 60's and 70's off-road bikes. For many riders back then, there wasn't anything more exciting than taking a bike out for a long ride through the desert.
Early desert sleds were not so much about going fast but rather the ability to finish the ride. At least until lightweight British bikes entered the desert sled culture. After a wave of 650cc twin-cylinder British bikes started bashing through the desert, riders eventually recognized the benefits of a lighter, faster sled.
The custom Royal Enfield "Mistral" is a classic interpretation of the Southern California desert sleds that were being built specifically for racing in the 1960s. The project is based on a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700 from 1964 that, decades later, was imported to the UK from Canada via Hitchcocks Motorcycles and purchased by Jeff Duval of Jets Forever. The motorcycle designer set his mind on turning it into a one-of-a-kind sled that evokes the golden days of California motorcycling culture when British big twins reigned supreme.
Photo: Collecting Cars
The first Royal Enfield Meteor 700 was introduced in 1952 and was the largest British twin on the market. Built specifically for export to the United States, the bike competed with models with parallel-twin engines from Triumph, BSA, and Norton. But while the competition made their 650 twins from scratch, Royal Enfield developed their new twin starting from two 350 Bullets with two separate cast-iron barrels and twin alloy heads, thus ensuring that any future upgrades to the Bullet's piston and combustion chamber could be easily transferred onto the new 36-bhp 700cc twin.
In 1956, the company introduced the 40-hp Super Meteor, which became the first Enfield capable of reaching speeds of 100 mph and beyond straight off the production line.
Jeff Duval founded Jets Forever Motorcycles about four decades ago, gathering a team of best-in-class craftsmen to produce motorcycle specials. They rebuild motorcycles of all ages and origins and try to keep the original DNA of the bikes while also modernizing and optimizing their performance.
They did the same with the 1964 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700 GTC2 that became known as "Mistral" after the rebuild. What you see in the pictures is essentially a new motorcycle, as it sports a brand-new frame, a completely rebuilt engine, and various new or reconditioned parts.
Photo: Collecting Cars
After disassembling the machine, Duval entrusted the engine rebuild to an Enfield guru, Andy Berry of Preston, who upgraded it in order to increase power output and improve reliability. The engine we are talking about is a 736cc air-cooled OHV parallel-twin coupled to a four-speed transmission and fitted with dual Amal MkII Concentric carburetors and a performance cylinder head. All the new components were supplied by Allan Hitchcocks.
To accommodate the rebuilt mill, England's legendary Wasp Motorcycles was enlisted to adapt one of their BSA A10 motocross frames specifically for this bike. The chassis was hand-crafted using 7/8-inch nickel-plated chromoly tube.
The bike also benefits from a new set of Beringer Brakes, all-new suspension, a set of Ceriani 38mm competition forks, and rear shock absorbers from Csaba Kalderal of CR Suspension in Budapest, Hungary. It rides on a set of polished alloy rims and hubs from Central Wheels, measuring 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear. These are currently shod in Avon road tires.
Photo: Collecting Cars
The new design of the bike was laid out by Jeff Duval, but for the final assembly, the parts were sent to Tony Taysom's Lamb Engineering workshop near Salisbury. In addition to putting together all the individual components, Taysom also took care of customizing the bodywork, while acclaimed Glenn Moger built the SoCal-style Stockbridge leather saddle and Image Custom Design of Camberley handled paintwork.
The original gauges were also removed, and the bike was equipped with a new all-in-one GPS-based speedometer and tachometer from Speedhut Custom Gauges.
This custom bike is a beautiful sight to behold with its white finish adorned with red, black, and gold striping, "Enfield 700 GTC" hand-painted markings, as well as some scripts reading "Mistral" and "Proudly built by Jets Forever and Tony Taysom."
By the look of things, the best craftsmen in the industry participated in the creation of this desert sled, which only increases its appeal. The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700 "Mistral" is clearly a labor of love and passion and would look great riding around San Diego Bay. It is now offered for sale out of Dorset in the UK.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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