Trying to get a read on some people is literally like attempting to draw blood from a stone, Bobby Fuego, however, is different. After having received just one email from the Malaysian biker and checking out his socials, it was clear that he lives and breathes two wheels. He’s not only the founder of the workshop and riding crew Rollin Machines, but he’s also a professional photographer in the industry. So, when he decided it was time to build himself a new whip, it was not only going to have to look the part but truly fit into with his lifestyle. Thanks to a great relationship with Royal Enfield Malaysia he quickly had a brand new Interceptor 650 in his possession and then he and his team at Rollin Machine set about building this cool as can be cafe racer for the KL streets.
Under the Rollin Machines Custom Garage banner, you have a workshop and place to hang out for the crew, Bobby’s business as a photographer and videographer, and also an outlet where the crew sells custom parts and merchandise. They also happen to have probably the best curated Instagram page I’ve ever seen. So you quickly realise that Bobby and his friends don’t do things by halves, they love motorcycles, and the culture around them and they pour their heart and soul into the two-wheeled world.
The Rollin Machines shop was set up back in 2016, and over a three-year period, they built eleven complete custom bikes, as well as carrying out a host of modifications to other machines. Based in Kuala Lumpur, they’re selective with the projects they take on, “because we are selling most on parts and bike scene merchandise.” Covid-19 brought all of that to a halt and so this build would not only be Bobby’s new ride but also represent the fact that the crew was back in full force. Having done a bunch of photography work for Royal Enfield and now a part-time member of their team, the Interceptor was an easy choice.
Wheeling it into the RM garage, just enough space was cleared amongst the other rides and parts, for everyone to get their hands on the bike. Bobby knew from the start he wanted the cafe racer look, and not just a seat change and clip-on bars. So, the bike had barely started to be disassembled when the full fairing was first offered up. What this revealed was a number of changes that would need to be made to make it work and get the proportions of the bike spot on. The fairing was set aside and the rear subframe was cut back to the shock mounts. Then an all-new hoop was added in that now terminates halfway back across the rear tyre.
But it’s no ordinary piece of metal tube, it’s been notched out so that inside you not only get the usual LED strip light, but four small individual holes have also been drilled so that the indicators are separated by the blacked-out steel. Over the top of the new subframe goes a fibreglass tail section, and it is the picture perfect cafe racer look, where the shape truly matches the lines of the fuel tank. Below this, an aftermarket set of side covers add a neat custom touch, with the fluted cutouts having been back filled with white mesh.
The paintwork is truly the stand-out feature of the bike and Bobby is proud to say he is the man behind the gun. You can see his creative talents shine through, expertly laying down the design on the vintage racing fairing, and masking up the rest of the bodywork so the graphics would flow cleanly from front to back. The colour choice really gives that vintage vibe and the combination of tan, cream and white is broken up by a black pinstripe. Black is also used on the back half of the front guard, which beautifully helps to reduce its visual size, while still giving full practical benefit. With the airbrush out, the graphics, logos and numbers were laid down and the look just makes you want to turn on the key and ride.
The engine as we all know is a peach, and the perfect example of why you can’t judge such things purely off a spec sheet. An air-cooled, twin-cylinder engine with relatively low compression by modern standards doesn’t scream performance, but the RE Twin makes great torque, loves to rev and a six-speed cogswapper and slipper assist clutch means the Interceptor is just a fun time. So, Bobby didn’t see a need to change much, other than to ensure the soundtrack matched the smile factor. But to do it in a truly custom way, the all-new pair of custom mufflers are hand sculpted in-house, for a beautiful finish and to deliver a rumbling tone.
The rest of the build was all about capturing the minimalist nature of what had been prepared, and a new Enfield LED headlight and bar end indicators help to keep things uber clean. To get the riding position spot on, the clip-ons have been slightly lowered to pass through the fairing and the mid pegs have been rebuilt and adjusted to suit. One more task to finish things out, and that seat is simply a work of art and starts with a hand-laid base. Over the top, Alcantara is used as the main material, with colour matching diamond stitch and even the Royal Enfield logo sewn in.
Clearly, RE loves the bike as much as we do, as they have Bobby now working on a Hunter 350, and the power and passion of Rollin Machine is set to ride strong into 2024.
[ Rollin Machine – Photography by Bobby Fuego ]