Source: Bike Bound
Interceptor 650 Café Racer from FrenchMoto…
Few modern bikes lend themselves to customization as readily as the Royal Enfield 650 twins, particularly the Interceptor 650 (INT650). Not only is the barrier of entry quite low for a new bike — $6199 MSRP last we checked — but the Interceptor is made up of the simple, proven ingredients of many a vintage bike: cradle frame, twin shocks, spoked wheels, air-cooled engine, even dual horns and a toolkit.
“It’s definitely no-frills, simple, and plain; it still uses tube-type 18-inch tires on its spoked black rims. It even has a centerstand, which to be fair is a nice feature. In fact the Enfield is basically made out of antiquated yet classy features…” –Cycle World
Moreover, the retro-style bike has managed to charm not only its intended audience of rider-buyers, but the hardened critics and writers of the motorcycle magazines.
“It’s rare to find a material object in our retail-cycle modern world that consistently brings joy, and I’m happy to have found one in the INT650. I started riding motorcycles decades ago for the fun of it, and the Royal Enfield INT650 brings me back to that simple, sublime feeling of contentment on every ride…” -William Roberson, for Forbes
No wonder brothers Florian and Thibault Klingler of FrenchMoto decided to specialize in Royal Enfields three years ago. Their workshop (formerly FrenchMonkeys) has been around for more than decade — 12 years, in fact — and they’ve built 40+ customer bikes in that time, all made-to-order.
Today, they’ve not only switched their focus to the Royal Enfield models, but they’ve found a new path to creative freedom. Instead of building client commissions, they allow customers to win each of their builds, raising funds through the entry process — all it takes to enter is the purchase of a T-shirt!
“This allows us to no longer have any constraints from the client, no more time constraints, no budget, no lack of taste on the part of the client. We therefore give free rein to our creativity, without barriers! And that’s great for us — we can finally show what we think about custom!”
For this build, Florian took inspiration from the alloy-clad creations of none other than Maxwell Hazan — in the eyes of many, the world’s best living bike-builder. However, this Interceptor would have to remain legal on French roads, so they couldn’t do anything too radical — after all, custom modifications have become more highly regulated in France than some other countries.
Though the build took six months, Florian says he’d been envisioning it for a decade — he and Thibault just didn’t have the means to make it happen until now. Designer Barbara Custom helped translate the sketches into a full design, and they enlisted the help of Jake Apiata of Apiata Metal Shaping for the hand-crafted aluminum bodywork.
The aluminum bodywork is the most striking feature of the build, giving the bike the look of something out of a science fiction film. The futurism doesn’t end there. There’s a custom tank with integrated digital gauges, Motogadget wireless start, and LED headlight with sweeping indicators.
Performance upgrades include the top-shelf Beringer brakes, Nimbus oleo-pneumatic shocks, quick-turn throttle, and custom stainless exhaust. The rear cowl and grips are actually carved from linden wood — better known as basswood here in the States!
Nicknamed “Stellar” for obvious reasons, this is one of the most striking, otherworldly builds we’ve featured in some time. Below, we talk to Florian Klingler of FrenchMoto for more details on this neo café racer.
“Stellar” Café Racer: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself and your history with motorcycles.
We are FrenchMoto (formerly FrenchMonkeys, we changed name in 2021 because Honda couldn’t stand us using the name Monkey!). We have existed since 2012 but we have always ridden motorcycles as a family. There are two of us in the company, my brother Thibault Klingler, 30 years old, and myself, Florian Klingler, 33 years old.
We have several motorcycle parts sales sites, starting with Frenchmotoshop.com for all custom and consumable parts, Skinshift.fr for leather goods products for Royal Enfield, and Suspensionmoto.com — this is a platform for sale of several brands of shock absorbers for more than 3000 motorcycles.
We have now specialized in Royal Enfield models for three years, it is a superb base which deserves our full attention.
• Please tell us about the bike.
To talk about the bike, it’s a Royal Enfield Interceptor from 2023, the latest model, revisited. The preparation took six months but there was more than a year of design research.
Without a doubt, the bulk of the work is the aluminum part of the project. We worked with Jake Apiata from Apiata Metal Shaping, a New Zealander based in France for 10 years and who worked for many years with Lazareth. We have been working with him for several years. This is the 3rd joint project; he understands what we want and we trust him now!
We have always made motorcycles for customers, in 12 years we have made more than 40 customer preparations, always to order. Today, we make motorcycles that people can win. We sell a t-shirt which allows you to participate in the competition.
This therefore allows us to no longer have any constraints from the client, no more time constraints, no budget, no lack of taste on the part of the client. We therefore give free rein to our creativity, without barriers! And that’s great for us — we can finally show what we think about custom!
Of course, the design is necessarily influenced by the greatest in the field — like Maxwell Hazan, who for me is the greatest builder in the world. However, we wanted to keep the soul of the Royal Enfield. We could have done more, but we have to ensure the motorcycle remains approved in France and can be ridden by as many people as possible — otherwise we would not have any participants in this great competition.
As I said, we took one year to design this motorcycle. The big part was in the design research, but I have been thinking about this motorcycle for almost 10 years now — due to lack of means, we’d never been able to do it until now.
We therefore started to make sketches, then a more in-depth design thanks to the designer Barbara Custom. Then, between the drawing and the design, we often came up against mechanical and physical problems, so in the end we’re at 70% compliance with the original drawing, but it’s even better this way!
We wanted the best for this bike, but let’s not forget that it costs around €7,500 in France! So we decided to put on a Beringer brake set costing over €3000, just for fun!
In terms of engine preparation, there is nothing left to do, once again to maintain approval in France! We are not as good as in the USA in terms of legislation, which unfortunately slows down customization here. You have to know how to live like a rebel!
Here is the list of changes:
Bodywork entirely made of aluminum
Oleopneumatic shock absorbers from Nimbus Suspensions France
Custom stainless steel exhaust
Saddle carved in Linden wood as well as the grips
Custom-made tank with integration of screens for the gauges, controlled by a mini computer
Fuel pump relocation
KustomTech lever and brake
Beringer front and rear brakes
Motogadget wireless NFC key / starter
CNC-cut aluminum rear controls
USV Racing CNC triple clamp
Adjustable fork cap
Mini LED headlight on the Highsider wheel axle
Highsider JetStream 3-in-1 taillights
Shinko E270 tires
Accossato Racing Quick Draw
Front daytime running lights with integrated sweeping indicators.
We even shot a short film inspired by the greatest Hollywood film. You can see it on our YouTube channel here (no speaking so even you all in the US can watch it!):
Follow the Builder
Website: frenchmoto.fr
Instagram: @frenchmotoshop
Facebook: @frenchmotosho
