Mid Life Cycles: Royal Enfield 650 Sabre Salt Racer

Mid Life Cycles in Melbourne is one of Royal Enfield’s top Australian dealers, and is famous for its customised versions of the Indian company’s models, most notably its RE350 Brass Rajah single which achieved global acclaim a couple of years ago [see photos]. It’s currently selling the new range of Royal Enfield 650cc parallel-twin Interceptor and Continental GT models just as fast as it can get hold of them, with more than 80 examples so far delivered to customers, and another 12 currently on order awaiting further supplies from India. Just over 60% of these have been Interceptors, the rest GT650s.

- Alan Cathcart

Partly to keep the promo bandwagon rolling, and partly as a means of developing aftermarket performance parts for its customers, Mid Life Cycles has now constructed a Royal Enfield Salt Racer aimed at setting new Land Speed Record marks at the annual Aussie equivalent of the Bonneville Speed Trials, held on South Australia’s Lake Gairdner salt lake on March 2327. There, it’ll be trying to capture the 650 M-F class record currently standing at 119.961 mph/193.059 km/h, and set in 2016 by Nat Gagan on a four-cylinder Suzuki. Mid Life Cycles CEO Michael Catchpole unveiled the low-slung but stock framed bike, named the Sabre, at the 2020 Island Classic at Phillip Island, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest Historic racing event.