Bike wins in Royal Enfield ‘Build Off’

Mitch Scammell, one of the bike builders, stands proudly alongside Wanaka Powersports' ...
Mitch Scammell, one of the bike builders, stands proudly alongside Wanaka Powersports' "Intertracker", which won the people's choice award in the Royal Enfield Busted Knuckles Build Off competition. Photos: Supplied
Two Wanaka men have beaten out New Zealand and Australian competition to win the people’s choice award in a motorbike building competition.

The "Busted Knuckles Build Off" competition was organised by Indian motorcycle manufacturer, Royal Enfield, and called on bike builders to send in their best custom design of a Royal Enfield Interceptor.

Daniel Irwin and Mitch Scammell from Wanaka Powersports thought they might have a chance and sent in their idea.

Only they and six others in Australia and New Zealand qualified to enter the competition.

"Mitch was real keen on it," Mr Irwin, who is the general manager at Wanaka Powersports, said.

"I was like ‘Oh we’ll give it a nudge and we’ll put in a design of a bike that we think is pretty cool, I guess’."

They decided to build a flat-track bike, a style popular in the United States and a nod to Wanaka Powersports’ American owner.

They called the bike the "Intertracker".

The bike builders created their "Intertracker" using an original Royal Enfield Interceptor.
The bike builders created their "Intertracker" using an original Royal Enfield Interceptor.
They were then given a Royal Enfield Interceptor to customise.

"Other than that there was effectively no rules.

"We could cut it, add, subtract, do whatever we wanted to the bike to make the most of it."

Mr Scammell, who works as a salesman at Wanaka Powersports, took over the assembly of the bike, while Mr Irwin worked on the engine.

They had six weeks to build the bike and Mr Irwin said some of their suppliers got on board and helped out with materials, including an exhaust custom-built by a US-based company.

Some of the major edits included adding a big bore kit, an upgraded clutch kit and a "power commander with a quick shifter on it", Mr Irwin said.

"We cut the back of the bike off and modified the back of the bike ... changed the handlebars. All the electrics are different from standard."

The two won a trophy and a trip to India to see the Royal Enfield factory in action.

Mr Irwin said they were "real stoked. We didn’t think we had a chance at the people’s choice because some of the other bikes were pretty awesome too.

"It was a pretty big surprise, to be honest — we’re pretty happy."

The bike will likely lure many admirers, but it’s unlikely to be put up for sale. Mr Irwin said he wanted to enter the bike in the Burt Munro Challenge, being held near Invercargill in February next year.

"I’ll have to talk with my boss and see what he wants to do," Mr Irwin said.

"It’s worth a lot more now than what a standard one is worth.

"We’ve got a lot of custom, one-off parts on it that probably won’t be replicated. There’s a high likelihood it’ll probably stay with the business, I’d imagine."

 

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