This Royal Enfield is essentially an almost-new motorcycle, it has a completely rebuilt engine, a brand new frame, and a slew of other new or reconditioned parts – and the listing says it’s not been ridden since the rebuild was completed.
The bike started life as a 1964 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700 which was then completely reimagined, turning it into a classic interpretation of the desert sleds that were being built for Southern California desert racing in the 1960s.
Fast Facts – The Royal Enfield 700 GTC2 “Desert Sled”
- Royal Enfield was established in 1893 in Redditch, Worcestershire, England, originally as a bicycle manufacturing company. The brand name “Royal Enfield” was adopted in 1897 after a contract to supply precision rifle parts to the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, Middlesex. In 1901, Royal Enfield produced its first motorcycle, making it one of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world.
- During both World Wars, Royal Enfield played a significant role in providing motorcycles to the British armed forces. The most notable model was the “Flying Flea,” a lightweight motorcycle that could be parachuted from an aircraft, used during World War II. This period saw Royal Enfield expanding its range and increasing production to meet military demand.
- In the early 1950s, Royal Enfield partnered with Madras Motors in India to form Enfield India, initially to assemble Bullet motorcycles for the Indian Army. Over time, the partnership transitioned to manufacturing bikes in India, and Royal Enfield motorcycles became an integral part of Indian motorcycling culture. Meanwhile, the original UK-based company faced financial troubles and ceased motorcycle production in 1970.
- The Royal Enfield you see here started life as a Super Meteor 700 from 1964. It was recently given a comprehensive rebuild into a classic 1960s style “Desert Sled” and it’s now being offered for sale out of Dorset in the United Kingdom.
Royal Enfield: A History Speedrun
Founded in 1893 in Redditch, Worcestershire, England, Royal Enfield began as a bicycle manufacturing business before transitioning to motorcycles at the turn of the 20th century. The brand name “Royal Enfield” was established in 1897, and the company soon became known for its engineering and design, producing its first motorcycle series in 1901.
The original gauges were removed as part of the rebuild and replaced with an all-in-one GPS-based speedometer and tachometer from Speedhut Custom Gauges.
During both World Wars, Royal Enfield played an important role in supplying motorcycles to the British armed forces, with models like the “Flying Flea” gaining prominence for its lightweight design and versatility in the field. In the post-war era, the company expanded its model range and introduced its most famous model, the Bullet, in 1948.
As the company continued its operations throughout the 1950s and into the ’60s, it established a strong foothold in India through a partnership with Madras Motors, forming Enfield India.
This partnership initially aimed to assemble Bullet motorcycles for the Indian Army, but it eventually transitioned to manufacturing motorcycles in India, embedding Royal Enfield in Indian motorcycling culture.
Back in the UK, Royal Enfield faced financial challenges and ceased motorcycle production in 1970. The Indian arm of the operations carried on with production for the South Asian market, and they’re still operating to this day.
The brand experienced a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s as modern classic motorcycles became one of the hottest genres in the world of motorcycling.
The company modernized its manufacturing, improved quality control, and introduced new models that combined classic Royal Enfield styling with more modern engineering, leading to a revival in popularity and sales globally.
Today, Royal Enfield is a global brand with a significant presence in several important regions including Europe, the United States, and Britain – the nation where it all began.
This is the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700 engine. It’s an air-cooled parallel twin with a 700cc displacement, overhead valves, pushrods, and dual carburetors.
The Royal Enfield 700 GTC2 “Desert Sled” Shown Here
As mentioned up in the introduction, this motorcycle started life as a factory-standard 1964 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700. Many decades later it was imported into the United Kingdom from Canada by Hitchcocks Motorcycles of Solihull and a unique rebuild began.
Once the bike had been imported it was inspected and the disassembly process began. The first order of business was to remove the engine and send it off to Andy Berry of Preston for a rebuild that would include a slew of upgrades to both increase power output, and improve reliability.
All the new parts were supplied by Allan Hitchcocks and they included a performance cylinder head and dual Amal MkII Concentric carburetors.
A new design was then laid out for the bike by Jeff Duval of Jets Forever. A new desert sled-style 7/8” chromoly nickel-plated BSA motocross frame was handmade by Mark and the team at Wasp Motorcycles specifically for this bike. The bodywork was significantly customized by Tony Taysom, and the subsequent paintwork was completed by Image Custom Design of Camberley.
All new suspension was fitted to the bike, a set of Ceriani 38mm competition forks are mounted up front, paired with rear shock absorbers supplied by Csaba Kalderal of CR Suspension.
A set of polished alloy rims and hubs from Central Wheels were fitted, with a 21″ at the front and an 18″ in the rear, and the bike has a GPS-based speedometer and tachometer from Speedhut Custom Gauges.
A set of Avon road tires are currently fitted, however some more knobbly rubber could be installed by the new owner if they want to take it off road for some true desert sled-style riding.
It was decided that the original drum brakes weren’t going to cut it, so a new set of Beringer Brakes were fitted. These consist of 2AP11 racing calipers with 11.5 inch mirror-polished stainless discs – there are two up front and one in the rear.
With its new frame, new suspension, new brakes, and high-performance engine, this bike is a complete rebuild in every sense of the word.
Once the bike was completed it was put on show, and it certainly hasn’t had any trouble attracting attention. It is road legal in the United Kingdom, and it’s now being offered for sale with a fresh MOT certificate out of Poole in Dorset, in the United Kingdom.
If you’d like to read more about this unusual Royal Enfield desert sled or register to bid you can visit the listing here on Collecting Cars.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars
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