Saltire Bikes builds an INT 650 to honor the Royal Marine Commandos…
In 2018, Royal Enfield launched the Interceptor 650 (INT650) with a brand new air-cooled 650cc parallel-twin engine. The retro roadster harked again to the British twins of the Sixties, and reviewers gave it excessive marks for its punchy character, worth, and magnificence:
“Design may be very subjective, however primarily based on quite a few random interactions and our personal eyes, the INT650 is a home-run interpretation of a basic design.” –Cycle World
Just lately, we spoke to Calum Murray of Scotland’s Saltire Bikes, whose crew was behind the “At all times Prepared” Indian Scout we featured earlier this 12 months. After raffling off the Scout to lift cash for The Hearth Fighters Charity, Calum and his enterprise accomplice Dave set their deal with one other charity construct.
“We received to occupied with a constructing a motorbike that might honour all those that have served and proceed to serve their nation as Royal Marine Commandos.”
Because it turned out, their timing couldn’t be extra excellent. The Royal Marines Charity (RMA) was “Commando 80” — 80 years because the Royal Marines took on the Commandos function in 1942, and planning a gala dinner on November 30 in London.
The Saltire Bikes crew started working remodeling a 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 right into a customized machine worthy of the Royal Marines Commando legacy:
“Merely put, the design idea was certainly one of delivering practical minimalism, while demonstrating precision and delight.”
Essentially the most placing component must be the Fairbairn-Sykes preventing knife embedded and underlit contained in the bespoke fuel tank, full with a deal with hewn from Achnacarry Oak — the very location within the Scottish Highlands the place WWII Commandos have been despatched to finish their coaching. This component proved harder to drag off than anybody anticipated, as Calum relates beneath.
Different highlights embrace the Royal Marines insignia on the tank, the hand-stitched leather-based saddle with nods to Commando 80 and Falklands 40, and the title “Bootneck” — the nickname given to Royal Marines after the observe of carrying leather-based collars (“shares”) to guard their necks, just like US Marine “Leathernecks.” Legend has it, British Marines would minimize a strip of leather-based from the highest of a boot to put on whereas guarding officers on British crusing ships.
To the pleasure of Calum and his crew, the “Bootneck” Interceptor was an absolute hit on the RMA gala, elevating a head-spinning quantity for the charity:
“This one-of-a-kind construct was auctioned on the Royal Marines Charity Gala dinner on thirtieth November at London’s Guildhall, elevating an astonishing £60,000 for the RMA trigger.”
The Bootneck earned some extremely excessive reward from the Royal Marine Charity CEO:
“I can’t start to thank Saltire Bikes sufficient for all their time, hassle, and expense in designing, constructing, and donating the improbable Bootneck bike. It’s simply an superior machine with magnificence, type, class, and energy which actually fitted effectively the model of the Corps in understated British excellence – Craftsmanship at its finest. Thanks for offering fairly probably the most uncommon and jaw-dropping public sale prize we’ve ever had, merely unforgettable.”
Beneath, we speak to Calum from Saltire Bikes to be taught extra of the story behind the construct.
In regards to the “Bootneck” Interceptor
A really particular customized Interceptor 650 constructed by Saltire Bikes to help the wonderful work carried out by the Royal Marines’ official charity — the The Royal Marines Charity.
This one-of-a-kind construct was auctioned on the Royal Marines Charity Gala dinner on thirtieth November at London’s Guildhall, elevating an astonishing £60,000 for the RMA trigger.
The present piece of the construct is a one-of-a-kind Commando “Fairbairn Sykes” preventing knife, embedded and underlit inside the bespoke gas tank — the deal with of the knife is hewn from Achnacarry Oak, sourced from the very location within the Highlands the place Commandos have been despatched to finish their primary coaching.
The hand stitched leather-based saddle, with subtly etched nods to Commando 80 and Falklands 40, is completed with stitching in Royal Marine colors, which is carried on by the customized paintwork with the Royal Marines’ insignia taking delight of place on the tank.
The given title of the construct, “Bootneck,” is after the nickname given to the Marines, denoted within the late 18th Century when the British Marines used to put on leather-based shares round their necks.
“Bootneck” Interceptor: Builder Interview
• How did the thought for the RMA “Bootneck” Interceptor come about?
Dave and I are at all times exploring thrilling methods to collaborate with like-minded adventurous souls, particularly those that perceive what it’s to discover the boundaries of human potential. Whether or not it’s driving your individual experience by hell to expertise heaven, climbing mountains, serving group or nation, we motorcyclists resonate with all of them as they do with us. I confer with this frequent bond as an elemental bond and I like the way it runs by the very coronary heart of what we do. Whether or not we’re exploring a brand new route, a brand new nation, the universe, or the depths of consciousness, we elementalists are aligned with all that’s, was, or will likely be, and it’s these very souls who really encourage and act to create change for good on the planet.
So, upon completion of our earlier charity construct “At all times Prepared,” we thought of shifting our fireplace fighter focus onto the Tunnel for Towers charity, however we put that on the again burner for now (pun supposed) and determined to convey our focus nearer to dwelling. Given our love for the outside, and particularly for me mountaineering, Dave and I have been chatting about certainly one of my favorite areas of Scotland, and the truth that the Commandos used to do their primary coaching within the Highlands (particularly Shiel Bridge and the Nice Glen). Then we received to occupied with a constructing a motorbike that might honour all those that have served and proceed to serve their nation as Royal Marine Commandos.
Then, and as is usually the case when a pure and healthful thought is born, we have been met with one stroke of blessed synchronicity after one other. Dave spoke with certainly one of his Royal Marine buddies “Phil” who put us in contact with the Royal Marines Charity, the charity then had their native consultant “Nick” contact us for more information and because it seems, Nick is a comparatively native biker who was very conscious of Saltire Bikes and what we’re all about. Nick beloved the thought, so he got here to the shop for a espresso, a natter, and to clarify to us how extraordinary our timing was close to our suggestion. Unbeknown to us, 2022 was a really particular date within the realms of the British Armed Forces and an additional particular date for the Royal Marines.
The RM charity have been setting out a marketing campaign to commemorate 40 years because the Falklands Warfare together with celebrating 80 years because the Royal Marines took on the mantle of Royal Marine Commandos.
• What’s the make, mannequin, and 12 months of the donor bike?
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, 2022.
• How’d you determine on an Interceptor 650?
While we did think about different British Marques, it initially made sense to make use of the Royal Enfield primarily as a result of we’re certainly one of their franchised sellers, nevertheless there’s additionally the usage of the phrase “Royal.”
This was all underpinned once we realised that at present Royal Enfield are celebrating 120 years of pure motorcycling, which in fact properly rounds up the 40 years and 80 years beforehand talked about.
• One of many highlights is the embedded Fairbairn-Sykes preventing knife — are you able to inform us the way you carried out that bit?
When Dave and I first started bouncing concepts off each other for the construct, the very first thing I noticed in my creativeness was a gas tank with the FS Dagger inset into it, and for those who can think about it, it merely should be potential. It was a harder job than I’d thought it will be I can let you know — these modern-day bikes with all their gizmos, pumps, and regulators contained in the tank weren’t current on the level of my preliminary imaginings. (The truth that my thoughts goes straight to the thought {that a} gas tank that might don’t have anything in it aside from gas, affords a strong indication of the period from which I served my time as an apprentice.)
Finally we didn’t match the dagger into the tank, we really made a tank to go across the dagger. It was our preliminary intention to set the dagger in a resin mildew and inset this on prime of an illuminated mattress inside a case that might be shaped and set into the tank, however we saved on stumbling, as our makes an attempt to work with resin simply wouldn’t work out.
After many sleepless nights, to not point out sacrificing most of my spouse’s kitchen knives and utensils in failed resin molds, I listened to my instinct, and it struck me. The dagger is a factor of magnificence, and it shouldn’t be encased, it’s a tactile instrument and it NEEDS to be readily available (metaphorically talking). So the subsequent problem was: how will we relaxation the dagger in an underlit mattress of satin but preserve it safe?
The reply required just a few steps again, and after a little bit lateral considering, we designed a cradle that, when welded into the bottom of the dagger field would firmly clutch the dagger on the stability level of the metal shank. The clutching level was additionally doubly secured by a metallic bonding agent to make sure the safety of the dagger, while permitting the proprietor to really feel its high quality and performance.
• What was the design idea and what influenced the construct?
Merely put, the design idea was certainly one of delivering practical minimalism, while demonstrating precision and delight. The lion’s share of the affect got here from incorporating and redesigning elements of navy gear and weaponry.
• Is there anybody you’d wish to thank?
As ever with this stuff, I’ve numerous individuals to thank, not just for their expertise and skills, however largely for his or her tolerance of me. As a lot as there are too many to say, I do really feel a particular word of gratitude is because of the following crew.
Large because of my spouse for her infinite love and endurance, Levi Tusoon for his mellow persistence and tenacity, Ian Metalwork McCreadie for his inimitable type, Richie Wealthy for pulling it out of the hat, Fi Torrance for maintaining the machine working while I’m goofing off within the workshops, John Banks for his impressed pictures and eye for element, Dave Routledge for being probably the most inspirational sounding board a person may ever ask for, Robin at Peak Scientific for his love of the Bootneck bike and his help of the charity, and at last to everybody who’s enabled us to make our desires come true while serving a fantastic trigger.
Comply with the Builder
