Ernesto “Che” Guevara, popularly known as Che was a
passionate motorcyclist. Guevara was also a prolific writer and diarist, and
his book, The Motorcycle Diaries, is a best-selling memoir about his youthful
continental motorcycle journey. Guevara’s admirers display their love and
respect for him in various forms. One such unnamed fan approached custom
motorcycle builder Emperor Motorcycles, owned and operated by industrial
designer Bimal Menon to design a 1978 350cc Royal Enfield.
Menon had a task of designing a 1978 350cc Royal Enfield
motorcycle to the needs and specifications of his client. The client was
particular about his needs. He wanted a very unique look but, at the same time,
retain the visual identity of the iconic thumper. A matte black colour, wide
fuel tank, fatter tyres and raw appearance is what the owner wanted to
incorporate in the design and Menon surprised him with some visual treat.
This special job also needed a special name. Since this bike
was a mix of old world and new world charm, it had to have a name related to
that. Chrononaut was too direct, and lacked any feel what so ever. The name of
the motorcycle is as interesting as the custom job itself. This custom built
Royal Enfield is named as the “Retro-Naut”. Part of the name is sort of
associated with astronaut, cosmonaut, aquanaut terms.
The legendary Argentine was the inspiration for this build.
Before departing for Bolivia, Guevara altered his appearance to stay under
cover and go unrecognized. But despite this makeover, Guevara still imposed his
strong, resilient and indestructible appearance. The idea was to custom build
this motorcycle to reflect the same ‘Sophisticated Rebel’ look but without
adding any design element that reflected Guevara directly. Perforated steel
mesh applied on the gear, kickstart and brake pedal to reflect the design of
heat shield found on rifles and the brass from bullet shells. The block tread
pattern dual purpose tyres is a reminder of the “off road” life of Guevara.
Menon, as a designer, is a fan of vintage cars and bikes and
that reflects in the design of this motorcycle. The Leather strap on the fuel
tank, along with aesthetics, also serves a purpose. The fuel tank has been
split into two and now bolts to the chassis from only two sides which are
located on the sides of the chassis.
Menon was concerned that the riding conditions in the
country may cause fatigue induced crack at the mounting points after a few
years of usage. There is a loop at both sides of the center piece of the tank
on which the speedometer is fixed. The belt passes through the loop and wraps
around the tank. The leather belt holds the tank to the chassis making it an
integral part. While the owner of the motorcycle suggested matte black colour,
Menon preferred metallic dark grey color with semi matte clear finish that
gives this custom job a certain gun metal look.
Speaking about this build, Menon said, “Honestly speaking,
it is literally impossible to point at one element as the inspiration source. I
don’t restrict myself to any particular style. I want to explore the
possibilities. Custom bikes are in a sense a piece of art. It is like a
sculpture, painting or music. The finished bike shouldn’t be just a pile of
metal. It should be artistic. It should generate thoughts in the minds of the
beholder.”
Emperor Motorcycles is based out of and you can
connect to Menon through the company’s Facebook Page. Here are some more images
of the Naut. Do share your views about this custom build with us through the
comments section below.
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