The Mid Life Cycles Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Salt Racer has smashed the class record at the annual Speed Week run at Lake Gairdner, South Australia.

Ridden by first-time salt racer Charlie Hallam, the Interceptor 650 Twin nicknamed SABRE broke the four-year-old class record on each of its runs, leaving the new mark at 132.050 MPH (212.514 km/h)

The Interceptor 650 was entered in Class M-F 650, for 650cc un-streamlined motorcycles running commercial unleaded fuel. The old record of 119.961MPH (193.059 km/h) was set at Lake Gairdner in 2016. Charlie Hallam broke the record on Day One of Speed Week (Monday 8 March 2021), with his first run at 121.782 MPH (195.989 km/h). He backed that up with a 123.601 MPH (198.917 km/h) pass, for a provisional record of 122.691 MPH (197.452 km/h).

On the morning of Day Two, Charlie and the Interceptor 650 ran 128.935 MPH (207.501 km/h) and 130.204 MPH (209.543 km/h) for a new provisional record of 129.570 MPH (208.523 km/h). The Geelong-based HRA team, headed by experienced salt racers Andrew and Kate Hallam, thought this was an extraordinary result for a 650cc single-cam, air-cooled Twin, but Charlie believed there was a little more to come.

That afternoon, the Interceptor ran 130.370 MPH (209.810 km/h) and was then impounded overnight until it could do a back-up run the next morning. This run, under increasingly stormy skies, saw a stunning 133.779 MPH (215.296 km/h) top speed, for a new record of 132.050 MPH (212.514 km/h).

For Mid Life Cycles, the trouble-free record passes by the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 reinforced the confidence the team has in the Royal Enfield 650 Twin engine package and traditional twin-loop steel frame that was carried over from the road bike to the racer, with minimal modifications allowed under the class rules.

For the DLRA, Speed Week 2021 was a triumph, run with precision and good humour by a dedicated band who kept their enthusiasm alive through all of 2020 and the state border snap lockdowns of recent months.

Even after a successful opening two days, this year’s event threw up further challenges with a storm sweeping across Lake Gairdner on Day Three (Wednesday), causing the eventual closure of Speed Week ahead of schedule as the lake surface proved unsafe for high-speed passes after subsequent heavy overnight rain.

BACKGROUND AND BUILD SPECS:
The Mid Life Cycles Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 Twin salt racer was developed for competition by HRA Geelong (Andrew Hallam) and Hallam Cycle Works (Charlie Hallam). The team modified a 2019 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 frame, engine and ancillaries to meet the specifications for entry to Class M-F 650 – the Class Record currently standing at 119.961 MPH (193.059 km/h)

The engine has been developed as a test bed for performance parts and ancillaries that are available to Mid Life Cycles customers who want the ultimate road-going Royal Enfield 650cc Twin.

ENGINE MODIFICATIONS:
Cylinder Head: Significantly modified in the combustion chamber and ports. Valves taken out to maximum Ø of insert – inlet 1.5mm o/s head with standard exhaust. Valves are HRA Custom 6.5mm stems.
Camshaft: Ground from HRA Competition Profile 1286 Racing Camshaft Master. Has 106.25° inlet lobe centre and 103.5° exhaust lobe centre.
Throttle Body: Radiused thru to butterfly. Resulting butterfly remains at 34mm. Behind butterfly, choke sections have enlarged to 34mm. Inlet manifold has been matched/ported to suit.
Pistons: 11:1 forged pistons with standard swept volume of 648cc.
Conrods: Polished and shot peened.
Crankshaft balanced and standard balancing counterweight removed.
Gearbox extensively modified to reduce friction.
Fuel: 98 RON Fuel blended with other compounds for performance.

CHASSIS MODIFICATIONS:
Ohlins Suspension
Modified and lightened alloy wheels
Pirelli Diablo Slicks front and rear
Custom swingarm lengthened by class-maximum 130mm
Custom-made front and rear sprockets, increasing gear ratio up to 40% from standard
Sabre was built during Royal Enfield’s “Busted Knuckles Build-Off” in 2019. A crowd favourite, Sabre was ready to take to the Salt Flats, but the dream was cut short to due to Covid-19. Royal Enfield is extremely proud of this result as it is a testament to the 650 Twin platform, and showcases the flexibility and capability of the Interceptor 650.