As the custom motorcycle scene has evolved, so have the tools that artisans use to create the machines we so adore. Some custom builders still use traditional manufacturing methods, while others have adopted modern techniques like 3D printing. Enrico de Haas did both to sculpt this eclectic Royal Enfield Continental GT café racer.
Enrico runs Wannabe-Choppers in Hüttenberg—a town just north of Frankfurt, Germany. He’s been in the business for over two decades, with a penchant for rustic machines that show off his skill with metal.
The commission for the build came directly from Royal Enfield, who supplied a brand new Continental GT 650 for Enrico to do whatever he wanted with. Enrico’s goal was to retain the Continental GT’s café racer design, while amplifying it with details like a full fairing and a tail hump. But how he got there is the real story.
Almost everything on this carefully crafted café racer was sand-cast out of aluminum or brass—including its fairing, one-piece tank and tail, and countless smaller parts and details. The process took Enrico and his team 1,100 hours to complete, resulting in a total of 150 one-off or heavily modified parts. (The monocoque alone was built from 27 separate pieces.)
Wannabe-Choppers is well-versed in the art of sand-casting parts; the shop has a burgeoning catalog of bolt-on items that show off this skill. But Enrico leveled up his process on this round by introducing 3D design and printing to his skillset.
Given the complexity of the build and the tight four-month timeline, key parts were first designed digitally to ensure their proportions were just right. 3D-printed molds were then used to sand-cast the individual parts, which were finished using mid-20th-century milling machines. Big items, like the fairing and monocoque, were constructed out of multiple parts that were then welded together.
Wannabe’s Royal Enfield Continental GT cleverly uses polished aluminum as a base, with brass embellishments offering contrast. There are endless details to appreciate—from the gorgeous Royal Enfield tank badges, to the row of brass inserts that runs across the tank and seat. Up to, a bespoke gas cap is adorned with the German for “please rotate”; out back, a brass block hosts three LED taillights.
Aged leather covers the split seat, while cast heel protectors bear the names of Wannabe’s sponsors on the project. Like all of Enrico’s builds, the bike also features the Latin phrase Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone)—a reference to his faith.
A handful of aftermarket parts complement Wannabe’s work. The Enfield is equipped with Kellermann LEDs at the back, with the front turn signals, speedo, grips, and keyless ignition all coming from Motogadget. Also in play are a weld-in subframe loop and throttle housing from Kickstarter, Probrake bars and brake hoses, Shinko tires, and an Elektronikbox module to control the headlight’s high and low beam functions.
Thanks to the digital tools that Enrico worked into his process, everything on this Continental GT is perfectly proportioned. But upon closer inspection, the surface finishes tell the tale of the traditional metalworking methods that brought this vision to life, with all of the aftermarket parts sporting hand-weathered finishes to match.
“The process of creation is as significant as the final product,” says Enrico. “I believe in embracing the ‘flaws’ that tell the story of the build—the air pockets in the castings, the weld seams, and the unevenness from grinding.”
“I find beauty not in perfect symmetry, but in the shadows and imperfections left by the hands-on process. The raw aluminum and brass parts are left without any coating, allowing them to age naturally and develop a unique character over time, a final step in a creation process that never truly ends.”
Wannabe-Choppers | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Chris Graf-Allgeier
