Royal Enfield Bullitt GT 865 Is an Incredible Custom Spin on the Continental GT

Based on a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, the project drew a ton of well-deserved attention to Skunk Machine, more than Carl could have initially anticipated. He therefore decided to turn it into a limited series, while making plans to equip his workshop with cutting-edge technologies for 3D printing and rapid prototyping. Oh, and of course, it wasn’t long before the Aussie delivered yet another fantastic build.

For what he calls the Bullitt GT 865, the foundation was once again a Continental GT, this time from the model-year 2022. As a matter of fact, the project’s donor was brand-new when purchased by Skunk Machine’s client Stu, but that didn’t stop Carl from upgrading its performance in several ways. Following a year-long transformation process, the end result is a neo-retro cafe racer dripping with elegance and visual appeal.

Some of the most significant changes took place in the chassis department once the Enfield had been torn down. Let’s start by analyzing the suspension upgrades characterizing the Bullitt GT 865, because our protagonist really went to town here. At the front, he used bespoke CNC-machined triple clamps to mount the inverted Showa forks of a Triumph Thruxton R, offering full adjustability for a smooth ride.

The suspension setup at the back has also experienced a complete overhaul, and it now comprises adjustable aftermarket shock absorbers from Ikon’s range. Improved front-end stopping power is the product of radial Brembo calipers and large floating brake rotors. These are worn over a 17-inch Excel hoop, accompanied by a similar but slightly wider spoked wheel down south. Both rims are shod in grippy Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rubber.

Carl brought everything full circle with stainless-steel spokes and custom wheel hubs made of billet aluminum. As the motorcycle’s nickname suggests, a whole load of aftermarket wizardry took place in the powertrain sector. Skunk’s mastermind called in reinforcements to ensure the best possible outcome, getting in touch with his regular collaborators at Revelry Cycles and tasking them with a major rebuild of the bike’s parallel-twin mill.

Its air- and oil-cooled powerhouse gained an S&S big bore kit, raising its displacement all the way up to 865cc. Various bits and pieces have been upgraded to handle the additional grunt, but there are no available details regarding the new power output figures. Air makes its way in through premium pod filters and billet aluminum throttle bodies, while the exhaust gases are expelled via short custom-made pipework.

Although you will still find the factory fuel tank and side covers on the Bullitt GT 865, all the other stock garments were promptly deleted during the initial teardown. The subframe was then shortened and topped with a gorgeous cafe racer tail unit made of carbon fiber. At the back, the carbon fiber tail houses a long LED lighting strip complete with sequential turn signals.

We see a minimalistic license plate holder a bit lower down, but that handsome seat placed up top demands a closer look, as well. It is the work of Sam over at Majestic Moto, employing an Alcantara patch at the rear and standard black leather elsewhere. The only other piece of bodywork besides the tail is a slim front fender, once again built from scratch by Carl’s capable hands.

A bright LED headlamp can be spotted higher up, secured in place by way of custom mounting hardware. The Skunk Machine treatment made its presence felt in the cockpit area, too, bringing a whole load of top-shelf aftermarket paraphernalia along with it. We see a Motogadget ChronoClassic gauge installed in the center, and it’s flanked by a pair of clip-on handlebars with Brembo control levers.

There is a Domino throttle on the right-hand side, while the grips, mirrors, and bar-end blinkers have all been sourced from Motogadget’s catalog. Rounding out the Bullitt’s cafe racer ergonomics are CNC-milled rearsets manufactured in-house. Inspiration for the bike’s sobriquet and base color scheme came from the same source, that being the iconic Ford Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 movie Bullitt.

The metallic dark green hue adorning the tank and tail is a perfect match for the gold forks, joined by a black stripe outlined with gold up top. Other goodies were painted black for the most part, using a mixture of gloss and matte finishes for visual depth. Stu was left utterly speechless upon seeing the completed project for the first time, which is just the sort of reaction you’d expect a head-turner like the Bullitt GT 865 to get.