The new Royal Enfield twins are a godsend for custom builders. By modern standards, they are simple on both the mechanical and electrical fronts: you don?t need a degree in Electrical Science from MIT to change the instrument panel.
They?re also affordable. In the US, prices for the Interceptor start at a mere $5,799, which is well over $3,000 less than a Sportster Iron 883 or Triumph Street Twin.

There?s also a lot to be said for starting with a new rather than used motorcycle?because you?re not dealing with tired or worn-out parts and hidden nasties.
A late-model R-series BMW in good condition might be a couple of grand less than a new Interceptor, but it?s still a quarter of a century old.

Not surprisingly, custom builders are starting to tear into the Enfield twins with gusto, and one of the first is Thrive Motorcycles of Jakarta in Indonesia. Fabricators Indra Pratama and Barata Dwiputra are no strangers to the Indian brand: two years ago, they built a gorgeous little scrambler based on the Bullet 350.

?Royal Enfields have always intrigued us,? says shop spokesman Putra Agung. ?They?re tough motorcycles that you can rely on when conquering the Himalayan mountains.?
?But the beautiful new parallel twin gives the bike more performance and capability. We knew we?d expose the engine as the heart of the bike, and bring out its character and spirit.?

Thrive didn?t want to go down the conventional retro route, though?they wanted to mix things up with a blend of old ...