Royal Enfield is back at Wheels & Waves in Biarritz this June, bringing with it a new fleet of custom bikes, a racing chopper called Samurai and a competition prize that could take you halfway around the world to ride the roads of southern India.
Now in its 14th edition, Wheels & Waves has carved out a unique space in Europe’s motorcycling calendar — not just a bike meet, but a celebration of surf, skate and custom culture set against the sweeping Atlantic coast of the Basque Country. Royal Enfield, a longstanding supporter of the festival, has confirmed it will once again take over part of the Wheels & Waves village with its distinctive Custom World display.
And this year’s lineup promises to be the most eclectic yet.
Visitors will get a first look at new creations from the brand’s ‘Custom World’ programme, including builds by Japan’s Sureshot, Germany’s Kingston Customs, and a fresh machine from Bali’s AMS Garage. There’s even a build from the team at Sideburn magazine — a name that’ll be familiar to anyone who enjoys a bit of sideways riding.
The big draw, however, is likely to be the Samurai — a compact performance chopper crafted by Takuya Aikawa of Sureshot. It’s based on Royal Enfield’s 648cc parallel twin, but now punched out to 865cc thanks to an S&S big bore kit and a few extra go-faster tweaks. It’ll make its racing debut on Wednesday 11 June at the Punks Peak sprint, blasting up the side of Mont Jaizkibel in front of the usual mix of hipsters, hardcores and hopefuls.
After that, Samurai takes pride of place at the ArtRide exhibition, where it’ll be transformed into a living artwork courtesy of French artist duo ‘Pistache’. They’re even knocking up a limited run of commemorative t-shirts on-site — ideal if your idea of riding gear includes screen-printed cotton.
Royal Enfield isn’t stopping there. On Friday, the Riders Club of Europe is leading a ‘Ride Out’ around the Basque countryside, in partnership with tour company Vintage Rides. There’ll be live music, food and a few cold ones waiting back at the Custom World booth, with Titanic Bombe Gas providing the soundtrack.
There’s also a skateboard competition—because of course there is—sponsored by Royal Enfield, with cash prizes for the best tricks on the Wheels & Waves half-pipe.
But the biggest prize of all? A trip to India.
Every visitor to the Royal Enfield stand can enter to win two tickets to the brand’s Motoverse festival in Goa this November. The 11-day adventure kicks off with VIP access to the event on Vagator Hilltop, before heading off on a 680-mile ride through Karnataka. Expect ancient temples, jungle roads, and waterfalls tall enough to make your helmet visor fog up.
The competition closes 29 June, with the winner announced 2 July.
