There’s something beautifully irreverent about unbolting a brand-new Royal Enfield straight out of the crate and taking an angle grinder to it.
Most builders wait until a bike has at least a few miles under its belt before carving it up. Not the crew at Purpose Built Moto. When Royal Enfield handed them a box-fresh Super Meteor 650 and said, “Go wild,” they didn’t hesitate.
The result is Project Delta—a stripped-back, bobber-style tribute to Royal Enfield’s heritage, with more than a few bold departures from factory convention. It’s a bike that blends the nostalgia of pre-war motorcycling with the punch and reliability of a modern twin.
“It was the first time we’d ever had a crated bike delivered,” says Tom Gilroy, PBM’s founder and head builder. “Pristine paint, fresh from the factory—then five minutes later, we’re tearing it apart. It was perfect.”
Royal Enfield wanted something special, and PBM delivered—a one-off custom that channels the spirit of old-school bobbers with hand-built touches you simply won’t find on showroom floors. The bike’s name, Delta, is taken from the Greek symbol for change—a nod to PBM’s philosophy and fitting for a machine that’s been completely reimagined from the ground up.
Gone are the plush twin shocks and comfy cruiser trappings. In their place? A single monoshock nestled under a re-engineered frame, oil routed through the chassis itself, and up front, a handmade girder fork that’s more sculpture than suspension. It’s a love letter to the Flying Flea era—raw, mechanical, and unapologetically hands-on.
“The girder fork was something I’d always wanted to build,” says Tom. “It changes the way the bike rides, looks, and feels. That was inspired by the earliest Enfields.”
The craftsmanship continues with a floating bobber seat clad in cherry red leather, brass velocity stacks on the intake, and a hand-formed aluminium tank shaped in-house. Everything you see is the result of hours of fabrication, from the machined fork plates to the fish-tail exhausts that sound every bit as good as they look.
But it’s not just about turning heads. This thing rides. With the weight down to a featherweight 157kg, and the 648cc parallel twin free to sing through that stainless system, Project Delta is a different animal from the stock Meteor. More responsive, more engaging, and thanks to the tank-mounted hand shifter and minimalist seat, just a little bit mad.
“You’re not isolated from the bike—you feel everything,” says Tom. “And that’s exactly what we wanted.”
The final touches tie the build together beautifully: gold-leaf pinstriping to match the seat, vintage Enfield logos, and a neat art-deco tail light. It’s respectful without being a replica, modern without being soulless. The perfect balancing act.
Project Delta isn’t just a one-off showpiece—it’s a statement of intent. From a modest garage on Australia’s Gold Coast to working directly with one of the world’s oldest motorcycle brands, Purpose Built Moto has come a long way. And Delta? It’s a reminder that with a bit of vision, some serious skill, and a grinder at the ready, anything’s possible.
