Nothing shows off an Enfield like a nice smile

Red Bull presented this Royal Enfield Bullet side-car combination at the 2008 New Zealand Classics Festival. Look closely, the motorcycle is in the picture. More pictures of great vintage motorcycles are here.

Royal Enfield workers played role in Cold War

Royal Enfield workers in an underground factory in England played an unwitting role in the Cold War when they were exposed to a test of germ warfare. It is a chilling story, told in a 2004 English television documentary.

The Enfield factory in the former mine shafts of Westwood Quarry was a left over from World War II. The wet, cold tunnels were transformed by air conditioning into a temperature and humidity controlled workspace, safe from German bombing. In a space next to the Royal Enfield factory, precious paintings from Buckingham Palace and the British Museum were secretly stored to protect them.

After the war, the art treasures were returned, leaving a large, perfectly air-conditioned space. In 1950 and 1951 the military's Chemical and Biological Warfare department secretly used this space to confirm American tests showing that air conditioning systems could be used in a germ warfare attack on an office building or subway.

The spores used in the test were meant to mimic deadly anthrax. The variety used was thought harmless at the time, but today is considered a threat to anyone with a vulnerable immune system.

The air conditioning system at Westwood Quarry was common to the Royal Enfield factory and the germ warfare space. All the air drawn into the quarry was eventually exhausted into the surrounding neighborhood, much of it through a tunnel the Enfield workers used to come and go from work. Logically, they would have been exposed to the spores, but the documentary presents no evidence that anyone fell sick.

According to the documentary, the underground Royal Enfield factory was engaged in the production of motorcycles. Perhaps this was so by 1951. But it is hard to believe that flat head motorcycles for use by couriers were important enough to the war effort to protect their production from the German Blitz. It is a stretch to put those iron lumps in the same category with the Crown Jewels, rumored to be in safe keeping next door.

What were the skilled Royal Enfield machinists really making in those underground work spaces during World War II?

The answer may be on this list of Royal Enfield wartime products.

Use caution choosing a used Royal Enfield

Buyer beware. I've begun including on this blog interesting Royal Enfield motorcycles offered for sale around the United States. Click on the picture and you'll be linked to the original ad. I have no connection with these sellers. Their ads strike me as honest and I hope they are. It's fun to see what's out there and at what price, isn't it?

Hunting through ads has been a bit frightening. There are problems for sale and you should avoid them. Let me give you some examples of ads I have NOT added to this blog.

"Indian import Enfield Bullet 500. Cannot be registered in Canada, so I am selling the parts for cheap prices. 200 km on the motorcycle, parts are in good shape. I've been taking apart the bike and would like to sell them if possible. Contact me for prices, but as a reference frame I will sell the parts for half of what is listed on this website (here he includes a link to Classic Motorworks, the legitimate importer)."

Wow. Sounds like somebody shipped a motorcycle into Canada, maybe part-by-part and now doesn't dare put it together. You'll save money on his parts, but what if they don't interchange with your bike? Here's another one (shown at top and in detail below):

"1957 Royal Enfield Package LOWERED AGAIN - $1800 Royal Enfield Package. Started at $3500 reduced to $2000. Big loss. Nice bike but I have no time or funds for her. My loss your gain. Tons spares worth big bucks. Bike fired over no problems. Many additional upgrades to list."

Sounds terrific, doesn't it? Especially when you see the picture, which shows a highly polished Bullet with custom tank and single seat. This is a lovely bike for only $1,800. But, as a previous listing makes clear, this is a custom bike brought in from India by a private party. The seller makes no mention of having a title.

Finally, there is this one which, again, shows a very pretty motorcycle. The seller admits that it has paperwork complications:

"This bike is 2007 Royal Enfield. I bought this bike in India and had shipped over here, It is 350cc five speed and kick start. I have all the original paper work for it and needs to be transferred here. I didn't transfer them cause I don't have any time to do it. I spent over 5000.00 dollars on it. It only have few miles on it. It just been sitting in my garage...need to sell it fast."

This seller is only asking $3,500, a real bargain. If you hurry, you can make all of his headaches yours.

Buyer beware.

Royal Enfield riders enjoy Doing It Daily

RideToWork.org once called it "The World's Roughest Ride." It's not a twisty back road in Georgia. It's not 17,000 feet up in the Himalaya Mountains. It's not across the Sahara or Siberia.

The organization was referring to the ride to work, the daily commute many of you do every day and I did until I retired last month. Doing It Daily on a Royal Enfield is a special challenge, I was told when I started. Royal Enfield motorcycles are vintage designs that like to be well oiled, frequently adjusted and spared high-speed jaunts on the Interstate.

I didn't find it too tough. The Enfield was perfectly happy in the surface-street traffic I encountered on the way to work. The neutral finder was my favorite feature. In my opinion, all motorcycles should have them. Why would anyone not want the ability to shift from fourth to neutral in a stroke? In traffic, it's a huge savings in effort.

The real challenge in daily commuting is other drivers. Plenty has been written about how unpredictable and distracted they can be. I will only note characteristics peculiar to commuting on an Enfield Bullet: on one or two occasions, when I pulled to the right lane to let faster traffic pass, the other driver reacted with rage. He had assumed I would hog the left lane and saw my courtesy as cutting in front of him.

Other times, traffic approaching from behind on a narrowing road would shadow me closely instead of going by, assuming that the motorcycle would streak forward in front of them. Incapable of that, I simply glided off the road when my lane ended. No problem.

The daily commuter gets wet when it rains and cold when the temperature drops. But he arrives at work energized and enthusiastic, ready to tackle the tasks of the day.

Incredibly, commuting is the thing I miss most! How's your daily ride? Leave a comment.

Royal Enfield a friend on ride beyond fear

Photographer Iain Crockart rode a Royal Enfield motorcycle up 17,000 feet through the Himalaya Mountains and came back with pictures that capture the scariness. He writes:

"It is not often in our lives that our minds are clear; what I mean is when we travelled along these paths and roads, your mind did not drift off to think of that project, this client, this loved one. Your mind was focused on that bend, that ridge of sand, that truck, that cow, that child, that running dog. Nothing else mattered. You could live or die in that moment.

"The sheer drops, altitude sickness, the gravel, the deep mud, the water, the snow, the glacial rivers, the landslides, the crazy trucks, the crazier wildlife, all were out to get you."

Crockart's 80-page book, A Motorbike Adventure, Himachal Pradesh, India is NOT for sale. Instead, he is offering it in return for a donation to help him raise funds for a 2,000 km ride in Africa that will benefit three children's charities. The book is just now available through his website.

The cover includes an unmistakable Enfield casquette and a view of the trip Crockart and his companions dubbed "A Thousand Ways to Die."

The Enfield Bullet he rode with the expedition impressed and aggravated him. "You have to stroke it gently and whisper to it to start, the gears have a mind of their own and it became to us all a brilliant, stubborn, loyal friend that at times saved our lives."

Only 2,000 copies of the book will be available.

Tough talk: Is Royal Enfield all washed up?

Before you dismiss him as just one more person who doesn't "get" the appeal of the Royal Enfield motorcycle, consider that he has just completed a tour of 3,000 kilometers on a 350 Bullet in India. He recognizes the great appeal the Enfield has to India and, increasingly, to the world, but, after that distance, he says, you can keep it.

He signs himself "Bobbyslob" and he writes on the Horizons Unlimited web site:

"Is Royal Enfield a thing of the past? … I believe that the answer is yes, the time of Enfields is over. There are three reasons why I say so. First, the technology of the Enfield is old. Second, it can let you down anytime and anywhere. Third … Hondas.

"There are many ways to be a biker. I am of the sort that wants his machine to work well. I care about the looks, sound and spirit of a bike, but ultimately it's reliability, drivability and performance that rank highest in my order of priorities…

"The dream vanishes fast when you are stuck somewhere because one of the hundreds of mechanical failures that Enfields are prone to experience suddenly materializes...

"What is amazing is just how badly Enfields are built, when you compare them to modern bikes, but also in absolute terms. Just to give you an example, this is a bike that was conceived with a special lever - that to my knowledge no other bike needs - to find the neutral position…. As it happens, the neutral lever is usually so hard that it is actually of no use at all. But, leaving that aside, the mere fact that a neutral lever is needed should tell the engineers at Enfield that something wrong is going on in the gear box.

"I have been using a '96 350 Bullet model that received full restoration by an expert mechanic… I must say that the bike never let me down (thank God) in the middle of a road. However, I am sure that I was lucky.

"Drivability and performance are just treacherous. The bike has 12 hp and weighs around 200kg. If you are carrying a second person (as I was), luggage for two, full tank and luggage carrier, you will realize that the bike is as fast as a turtle, which is just what you do not want when you overtake big lorries on a busy Indian road…

"Finally… Hondas. These are little 100 -125- 150 bikes that have invaded the Indian market during the last few years. They don't look good. I would say that they look rather uncool, in fact. They do not sound well, just like a scooter. However, they are cheap and reliable."

Bobbyslob doesn't acknowledge that newer Royal Enfields are better made, and have a new five-speed transmission that doesn't have a neutral finder and doesn't miss it. But, for all the headaches he suffered, he can still admit:

"Having said this, in fairness Enfields remain the best looking bike you can find in India, with an incredible sound and a great history behind. Indian youngsters who want to play it cool love Enfields and will often ask you if you will sell them your bike."

Royal Enfield price hike seems like a bargain

CHENNAI -- Citing the steep increase in the raw material costs, two-wheeler manufacturer Royal Enfield on Monday said that it has decided to increase the price of some of its existing models -- in India. The increase is noteworthy but the resulting price would still strike most Americans as a tremendous bargain.

The Royal Enfield Bullet costs far less in India than in export markets. The difference reflects the difficulty and expense of certifying motorcycles to meet foreign standards. These added costs must then be borne by the very small numbers (relatively) being exported to each country.

The company's three popular models in India -- Standard 350, Machismo 350 and Machismo 500 would cost more from Sept. 1, a company release said. The Standard goes from 69,354 rupees to 71,270 rupees.

Converted to dollars, that would be an increase from $1,589.78 to $1,633.70. The price of the Machismo 500, probably closer to the Bullet we get in the U.S., is expected to increase from Rs 99,891 to Rs 102,062. That is from $2,289.77 to $2,339.53.

Classic Motorworks says the "starting" price of a Bullet Classic 500 in the United States is $5,349.

Royal Enfield takes on Bonneville

Setting land speed records (in its class) on the Bonneville Salt Flats is the goal of the Bonneville Bullet, created by Dan Holmes, a pioneering figure in the recent history of Royal Enfield in the United States.

Holmes' DRS dealership in Goshen, Ind., popularized the Indian made Enfields in the late '90s, providing the troubleshooting information those early machines needed. Forced into early retirement by health problems, Dan has moved on, with support from Classic Motorworks, the Classic Motorcycle Association and others to transform the Bullet from slowpoke to rocket ship.

Holmes and his team will attempt to break BUB and Southern California Timing Association land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah between Aug. 31 and October, 2008.

A previous visit to the Salt Flats in 2002 provided valuable information about the challenges of competing in such an alien place, far from support equipment. Among other tidbits of advice from that trip: don't forget to apply sunscreen to the underside of your nose.

Royal Enfield stars in Radio Shack commercial

Radio Shack commercial features a Royal Enfield Bullet and sidecar. The theme of the commercial is "World Peace," and the heavy duty biker on the Bullet presumably is supposed to represent someone... err... unpeaceful. But who has seen the light.

Mildly amusing.

How NOT to sell a Royal Enfield

There is a picture on Ebay now that shows the Royal Enfield Bullet being advertised with a big pan of oil underneath it. Probably the owner was just in the process of changing the oil when he shot the picture, but the impression given is that the bike is a terrible leaker.

Ebay ads are expensive. Why would some sellers seem to go out of their way to make their motorcycles unattractive?

This same ad includes two more pictures that do the motorcycle no favors. One shows the bike virtually buried in a very dark, cluttered garage. My garage is overstuffed, too, but when I sell a motorcycle I roll it outside and display it on the lawn to put it literally in the best light.

Showing the motorcycle jammed in a garage makes the reader wonder how often it gets exercised and whether things have been stored on top of it.

A third photo is a close up of the motor, with rust visible on the barrel. A dab of black paint is all it would have taken to dress this up.

The seller's description of the motorcycle further highlights the bad news:

"I am the second owner of this bike. The previous owner stored it outside and did not do much up-keep… Recently, I had the piston and the head replaced, due to damage. The only thing this bike now requires is a throttle adjustment and maybe a carb cleaning, It does leak a bit of fuel from the carb bowl (maybe a new gasket is needed)."

"P.S.: I have also lowered the reserve price so please bid."

The P.S. probably will not move many people to bid. Many will be scared off by the reference to a careless previous owner. If all the bike now needs is an adjustment, a carb cleaning and a small gasket, why not do those simple, cheap things and mention the recent maintenance as a selling point?

I don't mean to make fun of this seller. And he may get a buyer. A couple of years ago a motorcycle was advertised on Ebay that had been parked leaned up against a tree. Over decades, the tree had grown up and had swallowed much of the bike. The motorcycle was shown, swallowed by the tree, which would have to be cut down to reach whatever was left inside.

There was active bidding for it.

How NOT to sell a Royal Enfield

There is a picture on Ebay now that shows the Royal Enfield Bullet being advertised with a big pan of oil underneath it. Probably the owner was just in the process of changing the oil when he shot the picture, but the impression given is that the bike is a terrible leaker.

Ebay ads are expensive. Why would some sellers seem to go out of their way to make their motorcycles unattractive?

This same ad includes two more pictures that do the motorcycle no favors. One show the bike virtually buried in a very dark, cluttered garage. My garage is overstuffed, too, but when I sell a motorcycle I roll it outside and display it on the lawn to put it literally in the best light.

Showing the motorcycle jammed in a garage makes the reader wonder how often it gets exercised and whether things have been stored on top of it.

A third photo is a close up of the motor, with rust visible on the barrel. A dab of black paint is all it would have taken to dress this up.

The seller's description of the motorcycle further highlights the bad news:

"I am the second owner of this bike. The previous owner stored it outside and did not do much up-keep… Recently, I had the piston and the head replaced, due to damage. The only thing this bike now requires is a throttle adjustment and maybe a carb cleaning, It does leak a bit of fuel from the carb bowl (maybe a new gasket is needed)."

"P.S.: I have also lowered the reserve price so please bid."

The P.S. probably will not move many people to bid. Many will be scared off by the reference to a careless previous owner. If all the bike now needs is an adjustment, a carb cleaning and a small gasket, why not do those simple, cheap things and mention the recent maintenance as a selling point?

I don't mean to make fun of this seller. And he may get a buyer. A couple of years ago a motorcycle was advertised on Ebay that had been parked leaned up against a tree. Over decades, the tree had grown up and had swallowed much of the bike. The motorcycle was shown, swallowed by the tree, which would have to be cut down to reach whatever was left inside.

There was active bidding for it.

Motorcycle without phone? Most say No

The tool kit, baling wire and the kindness of strangers have been replaced by the cell phone.

Two-thirds of people who took a moment to respond to our poll "Would You Motorcycle Without a Cell Phone?" answered "No."

I recall reading a comment years ago by a motorcyclist who wrote that he prided himself on always being able to fix anything that broke with the scraps he found alongside the road in Britain.

Bungee cords were such effective fixes in my youth that they sometimes ended up becoming permanent parts of the bike. Duct tape, of course, remains "the universal tool."

But the cell phone is now the universal lifeline. Something gained, I suppose, but also something lost somewhere.

Can Royal Enfield Rumble with the Rockers?

Pre-1980 British, European and Japanese bikes and café racers will Rumble On The Bay Saturday and Sunday Aug. 30-31, Labor Day Weekend, in San Francisco. Modern but "retro" models like Royal Enfield are welcome, too, it's said.

"If you have some vintage iron lurking in your garage, bring it," organizers urge.

The event opens at 7:30 Saturday night at Ace Café SF, corner of 14th and Mission, in San Francisco. Sunday they meet at 10 a.m. (for a 10:30 a.m. departure) at the parking lot on Highway 35 at Highway 9 for a ride through the Santa Cruz Mountains to Half Moon Bay.

The Rumble is presented by the TonUp Club NorCal.

It would be fun to see it but my motorcycle and me are 3,000 miles away. And even if my Bullet could keep up with such a crowd (which I doubt) its rider certainly could not. Roads here in South Florida are flat and straight. Mountains? Not a one.

Buying a Royal Enfield long distance

"Shiner" on the Yahoo Royal Enfield Message Board comments on how he checked out his used Bullet before buying:

"I live in the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. The bike I liked was 700 miles away across the sea. We have ways of getting stuff up here so the telephone conversation went like this:

"Hi, do you still have the bike?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever dropped it?"

"No."

"Have you looked after it?"

"Yes, it's been serviced by the dealer and has 4,000 miles on it."

"Great I'll take it."

"(Pause) Dont you want to see it?"

"No, the round trip will cost me about £300. I'll send you a cheque and when it clears a huge blue carrier truck will come and get it."

"Oh alright then, thanks."

How to buy a used Royal Enfield

Buying a used Royal Enfield is a bit different. For one thing, you probably don't have a dealership close by and, if you did, it may not have a used motorcycle in stock. If you buy used, you are almost certainly going to have to buy from a private owner and that means "as is," and "where is." No warranty.

Furthermore, just about everything on a Royal Enfield can be fixed or replaced. There is no such thing as plastic side covers they don't make anymore. That is one advantage of a design that has changed so little over the decades.

Even items that are rare (some switchgear from some years) can be replaced by aftermarket goods. So, finding a Royal Enfield with a few counts against it may not rule it out if the asking price leaves room in the budget for some parts and repairs.

Obviously, you will want to avoid major engine or transmission work, out-of -round wheels and damaged wiring looms. If the motorcycle runs well, rides well and makes no disturbing noises, you may have done all you can to protect yourself from these sorts of unseen problems.

For the rest, a bit of detective work may be necessary. My Bullet has many miles on it. If I had been a potential buyer looking at it over the years, here are few things that might have bothered me:

1. Noise. My main bearing went bad at 40,000 miles. The noise it made was not loud, but it was distinctive and the key was this: the knocking came when I let OFF the throttle.

2. Sprockets. Look carefully for wear. My rear sprocket wore out at 30,000 miles. You can't see the front sprocket but take my word for it, it will need changing at the same time and it is a far more difficult and, thus, more expensive a job. If you see wear, ask for a reduction in the selling price.

3. Cables. They are not terribly expensive to replace but they do have the potential to strand you immediately. If you detect a weak clutch cable (I could when I bought mine), gently ask the owner if he has a new spare cable to throw in.

Finally, consider why someone sells a Royal Enfield. In many cases it will be because they thought they were buying a motorcycle that could cruise with their faster friends. Ask if they tried keeping up with their buddies, perhaps before the Bullet was correctly broken in. If they did, you will have to decide for yourself whether this motorcycle was abused.

A Royal Enfield that has been cared for and well sorted out by a previous owner could in fact be a better machine than it was when it left the factory. Items like better after-market mirrors, conversion to right-side shift, sprung seats, 18-tooth front sprockets and retro-fitted exhaust systems are often made by the first owner. They improve the Bullet greatly. By buying used, you may pick these things up at a fraction of their cost and the none of the trouble to install them.

8,000 miles by antique Royal Enfield

Author Gordon May, founder and editor of the Bullet-In magazine and author of four books about Royal Enfield motorcycles is only a few days away from beginning an 8,000-mile journey.

He will ride a 1953 Royal Enfield Bullet from Manchester, UK to Chennai, India, through Europe, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. His journey will end at the Royal Enfield factory in Chennai.

The motorcycle is one he kept in his office for two years as a conversation piece and it had not been started for decades before he fired it up July 15. Much modified and fitted with the best parts, it nonetheless faces an awesome task.

"My aim is to provide useful information to those of you who are interested in preparing any motorcycle, but especially a classic, for long- distance travel," he writes.

His website contains detailed description of modifications to the Bullet, the gear he plans to bring and link to his travel blog.

Confusion over Enfield models is nothing new

Until recently, to order almost any part, it was enough to know what size Royal Enfield Bullet you owned (350 or 500) and whether it was produced before or after late 1999.

That is changing.

After establishing itself in the export market with the Bullet, "the world's oldest motorcycle," Enfield is creating a wide of variety of new models. The factory in India is producing separate motorcycles that combine such aspects as cruiser styling, aluminum motors, unit construction (motor and transmission combined in the same casings), fuel injection, electronic ignition and dual spark plugs.

Not all will make it to the United States or probably any other single market, but the lovely simplicity of having only the Bullet available will disappear. There is a precedent.

In his book Royal Enfield, The Postwar Models, Roy Bacon explains that buying a Royal Enfield was rarely a matter of just picking the color you liked. He lists 43 separate models produced in England from 1945 to 1972, and that does not count versions exported to be sold under the (American) Indian name.

"One of the factors that enabled Enfield to produce a good range of machines at very competitive prices was their ability to combine a small number of major assemblies in a variety of ways to suit differing needs," he writes. Such creativity amounted in some cases to an ability to cobble together something to meet almost any specification.

This is not the case today, as Enfield India enjoys the investment necessary to modernize and expand its product lines. Keeping them all straight will be a challenge. Thankfully, this "good confusion" will contrast with the floundering that took place as the English company struggled.

For instance, Bacon shows, there already has been a Royal Enfield Bullet with a Unit Construction Engine — in 1963. His illustration of it is shown at top.

10 bad things other people do to your Bullet

Not every Enfield owner can or will do all his own mechanical work. Those of us who sometimes pay for big jobs endure little annoyances. Among them:

1. No (or very little) oil in the motor after servicing. This may happen because the shop adds enough oil to reach the dip stick but then does not run the engine and re-check the level. Always bring a paper towel in your pocket when you go to pick up the motorcycle and subtly check the oil level yourself before riding off.

2. Missing parts. Shops take off little items and then forget to put them back on. Before you leave with your bike, take a few long moments to admire it. If the shop took off the rear wheel don't be surprised to find the clamshell adjusters or the chain guard gone.

3. They have your Bullet warmed up and even start it for you when you arrive. Great. But will it start with your own starting routine? Shut it off, let it sit a bit and try to restart it your way before you leave the shop. If you can't get going, something's wrong.

4. Tire changers will always firmly tighten the inner tube retaining nuts. Pete Snidal advises leaving them loose, so the first notice you get that the inner tube is slipping is a slanting valve, not an instant flat when the valve rips off.

5. A shop will glue down the value adjuster cover. They just want to make sure it doesn't leak oil, but attaching it permanently is not the right answer. You need to get to the valves, sometimes on the road, to keep them set right. Removing the glued cover probably will destroy the nice rubber gasket (as shown above).

6. Cables re-routed so as to cause problems. I once had my clutch cable re-routed so the metal mid-point adjuster shorted out the contacts on the horn, causing it to sound softly. I rode miles trying to figure out what THAT noise was.

7. Sump plugs re-installed by a mechanic with King Kong muscles so you can't remove them. Again, they are just trying to prevent leaks, but witchy tight plugs are not the solution. Rub the threads across a bar of soap and put the plugs in with normal strength.

8. Oil filter parts re-installed in the wrong order. Yes, it does seem odd that the spring in the cap bears on a fiber washer, but that is the way it's supposed to work. Putting the metal washer between them instead of on the other side of the fiber washer means an oil leak for certain.

9. Broken taillights. The plastic arms that hold the Bullet's taillights are surprisingly delicate and they are attached to the thin metal of the surprisingly delicate taillight assembly. In the shop, these things will be bumped by passing legs and yanked as they catch on clothing. Once snapped, they are virtually impossible to repair. They must be replaced.

10. Burnt out pilot lights. Don't ask me why, but I always have to go shopping for new pilot light bulbs after a visit to a shop. Coincidence?

Road testing the Royal Enfield Meteor

For sale right now on Ebay is a copy of Cycle magazine for
November, 1953, featuring a road test of the Royal Enfield
Meteor 700 twin. The photos are stirring. Someone out there
is going to want this one.

Cycle tester Pee Wee Cullum enjoyed his ride on what was "the
world's largest vertical twin."

"I can only conclude," he wrote, "that this month's test
motorcycle is one that I'll remember for a long time to
come."

An ode to Royal Enfields past and present

David Murray, a stalwart of the Royal Enfield Yahoo Message Board who always signed his posts DWM, moved along to a motorcycle of another brand about a year ago. Quite by accident, I just came across an "open letter" he wrote about his infatuation with his Royal Enfield Bullet. The original story appears on the Chuck Hawks web site that alerted him that such a motorcycle as the Bullet even existed. His story is worth reading. Here is an except:

"Chuck,

"I'm gonna get you for this! Sometime when you least expect it. You just HAD to write that article about the Royal Enfield motorcycle a few years ago, didn't you? (http://www.chuckhawks.com/enfield_bullet.htm)

"I'm sure you meant no harm, but it reached far back into the reptilian brain of an old biker. Caused no end of trouble, I can tell you!

"Dad was a Brit, born and raised within a tram ride of the old Clady circuit in Northern Ireland. He was a seaman, and brought me stacks of motorcycle racing magazines from Britain. The walls of my room were covered with Nortons, Matchless, Velocette, Geoff Duke and Harold Daniell. There was a particular section for the "Norton Girls" as well.

"The 1950's were a different time. Britain was the Saudi Arabia of motorcycles, having at least 50 viable marques at a time when the USA had two. The major racing classes had, for decades, been 350 and 500 cc, and the road bikes in Britain tended to be the same size. A 500 was then a Big Bike!

"There were no motorways in Britain. The usual roads were about as wide as ONE modern interstate lane, were roughly paved, usually wet, torturously twisty, and often had stone walls on both sides. There were damn few places one could go much over 70 and survive, so straight speed was secondary to handling and braking. Brit bikes became known for excellent handling.

"In the USA, the Model T replaced the motorcycle as transportation by about 1915, but higher prices and taxation in Britain rendered the automobile a luxury. A working man rode a motorcycle, right up to the advent of the Mini in the 60s. The British manufacturers were in the business of selling transportation, with ultimate performance a long way second...

"Racing sold bikes, but racing technology didn't percolate down to road bikes, as the buyer didn't want to pay for performance he couldn't use. All the Brit racing bikes had overhead cam motors by the late 20s, but the Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket Three of the 70's were still pushrod motors.

"This was a far cry from today's market, in which bike builders and dealers are primarily selling testosterone. Any Harley or Honda dealer is skilled at implying that, if you don't have a big twin weighing 900 pounds, or a Rice Rocket capable of 160 MPH, well, you might just as well be wearing a gingham pinafore.

"I coveted the big 500 "thumpers", but could never afford one. I did cage a few rides, but I owned Hondas; 90, 250, 400cc bikes. Beautifully engineered, quick, reliable, but somehow soulless. I never named them, and I had about the same level of emotional attachment to them as I do to my Shop-Vac.

"Then I read your damn Article! The Royal Enfield was still in production! New cost, $4,750! That was like a car buff finding that a company in India was still making '57 Chevies, and selling them for $6,000, with a dealer and parts network.

"The bike arrived after dark and I wheeled it into the shop, immediately noticing that the brake lever pulled all the way in to the grip. Spent the next couple hours doing post-dealer-prep-prep, and just admiring the bike. She has a mid-century mechanical look that is music to a gearhead. There's little styling, other than the headlight housing (called the "Casquette"). Form follows function here, and as on a Spitfire or the "Flying Scotsman," the result is beautiful.

"This is NOT a bike for a guy who goes to the dealer to change a lightbulb. You need the factory shop manual, and an aftermarket one written by Pete Snidal. Together, they add up to "adequate." Don't get me wrong, the bike is built like a Bren gun and it isn't going to fall apart, but a buyer who learned about points ignition in History class is going to have to acquire some Paleomechanical skills. We sometimes look back at earlier technology as crude, but just try to design, using the aircraft materials and engines of 1916, a better aircraft than a SPAD.

"The more I went over the bike, the more impressed I became. The Enfield company was always known for innovation. They invented the rubber "cush drive" around 1911, and were the first production bike with swing-arm rear suspension. The factory never supported racing, although many were raced by private entrants, and they were very successful in trials and scrambles.

"I grew up with drum brakes, and they could be pretty bad, but these are double leading shoe drums. That was the pinnacle of drum technology, and very rare on a production bike. Since adjusting them and bedding them in, I'm impressed by their power and modulation. About the rear brake, the less said the better. Fortunately, I don't use it much, anyway. There are no frame tubes under the motor, which is a stressed member. The frame is powder-coated...

"I rolled her out next morning and started up, then sat there laughing my head off. Out of the box, the bike "chuffs." "ChuffChuffChuffChuffChuff!" It's like riding a steam motorcycle! No matter, I had ordered the British made replacement headpipe and short silencer.

"As a portent of things to come, a bunch of kids on skateboards came over to ask what a "Royal Enfield" was. I gave them the story about "The Bike they Forgot to Stop Making," and they pronounced it "Kewell!." DWM

Would you motorcycle without your cell phone?

Every summer, Americans celebrate their heritage by
recreating some of the bloodiest battles they've ever fought
-- against one another. Civil War battlefields sprout around
the country. Men in meticulously researched uniforms and
women in the period costumes of camp followers and nurses
march across public parks to the sound of drums and musket
fire.

These re-enactors follow strict rules: "Hopefully, you will
want to be as authentic as possible and wearing a uniform or
carrying equipment that is incorrect will ruin your
impression," notes cwreenactors.com.

Presumably, they're careful about cell phones. It would not
do for Sheridan's cavalry to take a call before making a
charge.

Riders of vintage motorcycles value authenticity, too. They
might ride a Royal Enfield stripped of its DOT-approved turn
signals. A traditional jacket is a necessity. Safety might
even be sacrificed to an old-fashioned helmet.

There is no rule that you can't tuck a cell phone into your
pocket, out of sight. No harm done.

But here's a fun question: Would you dare ride without your
cell phone? Why not? You've already chosen drum brakes over
discs, sacrificed speed to a slow-turning, low compression
motor. Why not get a real feel for how motorcycling was done
in "the day" and leave the phone at home?

Whether you own a Royal Enfield or any motorcycle, take just
a moment to answer our poll question, "Would You Motorcycle
Without a Cell Phone?"

Buy a ride in a Royal Enfield sidecar for charity

Here's something I never thought of. A Bullet owner in England is auctioning on Ebay a tour of the countryside by sidecar, to benefit charity. Here's the offer:

"Spend the day touring the wonderful North Yorkshire countryside from the comfort of a Royal Enfield sidecar. Oh, OK, so it's not really the most comfortable seat to be in but it really is such a giggle and probably the most fun you'll have in ages and I can always give you a cushion to sit on.

"I'll be your chauffeur for the day, driving you around some of Ryedales most spectacular roads whilst you get to enjoy the scenery. You can choose where we go or let me pick a route taking in local view points such as Kirkham Abbey, Castle Howard lake, Whitby Abbey etc.

"Your day out includes dinner (one main course meal) and collection from your home (within 25 miles of Malton) or from York or Malton train or bus station.

"The trip must be taken before the end of Sept 08 because I'm going to have to sell the combi to top up the sponsorship for my sponsored ride around India due to me being miles off my 3 grand target. All proceeds to SCOPE - the cerebral palsy charity."

Removing Bullet rear wheel is easy with this tip

The Royal Enfield Bullet comes with a "quick detach" rear wheel that lets you loosen the wheel without affecting the chain or rear brake. But, when you try to remove the wheel completely you'll find it impossible to wiggle it out from under the fender without propping the motorcycle up somehow to increase clearance. David Hill of Franklin, MA recently discovered that Royal Enfield solved this problem a long time ago. He told everyone about it on the Royal Enfield Yahoo Message Group:

"The rear mudguard carriers -- those black bars that run beside the rear fender, and hold your pannier bags away from the wheel -- they attach to the frame at two points: just below the seat, and down by the rear foot pegs. Loosen the lower nuts (your spark plug wrench, that tubular thing in the toolkit, is the right size). Loosen the nuts about 1/4 inch and lift up the back of the fender. The mount lugs are slotted and the carrier will hinge easily on the upper mount, pull free of the lower stud, and give you about 4 inches of clearance to pull the wheel free. Couldn't be simpler. Applies to 350 and 500 Bullet, and maybe others."

Thank you, David

Royal Oilfield slur stains Enfield's reputation

"How is it?" Wes Scott asked when I brought my 1999 Bullet back to his Fort Lauderdale shop for its 500-mile checkup after an engine rebuild.

"Great!" I answered. "But let me show you my pants."

I held up the pair of coveralls I'd been wearing, the right leg from the knee down blackened with oil.

"You're wearing the wrong color pants," Wes said. "You should be wearing oil colored pants."

Stories abound about British motorcycles leaking, especially Royal Enfields. It's part of the "charm" of old motorcycles.

The story goes that the last thing to rust on a British motorcycle is anything behind the motor, because it's bathed in oil.

I've heard that Triumph eventually made its motor cases in halves that split horizontally, so there wasn't a seam at the bottom that could possibly leak.

Over the years Wes has cured most of the leaks from my 1999 Bullet and hopefully a little tightening will be all it needs this time in the shop. Wes Scott's Fort Lauderdale motorcycle repair shop specializes in old British iron: Triumphs, Nortons, BSAs and, lucky for me, Royal Enfields

Prayer offered for Royal Enfield Bullet

A group of motorcyclists momentarily stranded outside Seattle fixes the loose signal light of a Royal Enfield Bullet with a zip tie, then light-heartedly "prays" for renewed progress. Post by the Enfield's owner, who calls himself "Junky."

Across Russia by Royal Enfield Bullet

John Rhodes has added pictures to the web page detailing his trip across Russia and the EU to Scotland. My original post on his remarkable journey is here. I've posted two photos from his site, but there are many more and they are funny, frightening and inspiring.

The picture above shows John's well-travelled Bullet 500 at Chita, in Russia. The other shows a horrifying stretch of cannon-ball sized potholes on the way there. These went on for kilometers, John writes.

Royal Enfield Bullet plows for a living

Indian made Royal Enfield Bullets are available for service with the army and police, deliver the milk to cities and even plow the fields, according to The Times of India. Here is a picture of the "Bullet Santi" (Bullet plow) being operated by its inventor, a farmer. He uses it to plow, sow and weed fields. The conversion costs small farmers less than even a mini-tractor.

The inventor created it in the early 1990s, but it is in the news now because it has helped inspire a new "club" in India to support innovative technology solutions. Companies that want to use the imaginative devices would have to license them.

Mansukh Jagani's Bullet Santi was patented by Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) in the U.S. as well as India. Apparently the motorcycle can easily be detached to serve as transportation, but it is no longer a very thrilling ride since part of the conversion to plow is a conversion to a husky but less powerful diesel motor.

Check other inventions up for licensing at IndiaInnovates.com

Have ideas of your own? Leave a comment here.

Royal Enfield: Manhattan motorycycle

Photographer and designer Joshua Zaccarine spotted a Royal Enfield Bullet Military on the streets of Manhattan and took an arresting picture. It's posted full size on his blog. Click on the image there to see it.

The military looks business like and purposeful, with its courier boxes, alongside the curb. Obviously well used, it is fitted with a cute aftermarket horn under the casquette. It has a comfy looking sprung seat and pillion pad.

Joshua advises that he would like to own a military and asked for advice. What's the first thing you tell someone who asks about Royal Enfield ownership? Post a comment here.

A Royal Enfield named Ralph: Part II

Yesterday we began the story of Pete Snidal's nearly life-long relationship with a Royal Enfield motorcycle he nicknamed "Ralph". We ended with Ralph disassembled in boxes, and Pete selling him to a friend named John, on condition that John never re-sell Ralph to anyone but Pete.

The full story is "The Saga of Ralph" in the files section of the Royal Enfield Yahoo Message Group. Part I of my synopsis is here. This is Part II:

"You can imagine how delighted I was when I went to visit John one fine spring afternoon and he said, "Come on out to the garage: I wanna show ya somepin," Pete relates. It was Ralph, newly painted and already warmed up.

"Don't suppose you'd like to take him for a spin?" John asked. He didn't have to ask twice. Pete goes on to relate John's love for Ralph, which he used as a daily rider.

"I began to wonder when and if I was ever going to get my kick at the cat, having realized that the deal I'd made hadn't really been that clever -- there was no time specified when he had to give me Ralph back!" Pete writes.

Unfortunately, the day would come. In the early 1980s, John died, age 39, of a heart attack. John's wife told Pete "I guess Ralph's yours, now. But there's a catch."

She wanted their son to have Ralph when he got big enough. He was only about 5 at the time, but a serious motorcycle fan and, of course, Pete writes, the boy loved Ralph.

So that was the deal. Pete kept Ralph oiled and exercised in his shop. Finally, John's son Myles showed up one spring afternoon with his pickup truck.

"We loaded him up on the spot, and there he goes," Pete writes. "Ralph the Legacy. An heirloom you can ride!"

Do you have a long-term relationship with a particular motorcycle? Leave a comment here.

Single cylinder enough for Royal Enfield

Thank you to all who voted in our poll, "Royal Enfield Should Bring Back Its Classic Twins." The poll was a reaction to the Carberry Enfield V-twin project. Thirteen people voted: seven thought one cylinder was enough, thank you.

Have something more to say about it? Leave a comment here.

A Royal Enfield named Ralph: Part I

Before he wrote the definitive Royal Enfield Bullet Owners and Workshop Manual, Pete Snidal authored pieces on Bullet maintenance and troubleshooting and posted them on the web. He also wrote a piece he called "The Saga of Ralph," the story of his nearly life-long relationship with a 1957 Enfield motorcycle.

The full story is in the files section of the Royal Enfield Yahoo Message Board. If you're not already a member of that group, it would be worth joining so you can access the files section. For those in a hurry, here is a synopsis of this remarkable story:

"Somehow, in our family, all vehicles had names," Pete writes. So, when he liked a Vancouver friend's 1957 Royal Enfield Moto-X Bullet, he called it Ralph.

Pete and the owner of Ralph belonged to a competition club called The Kickstarters. They raced among themselves, with the undisputed champ being a Velocette Venom 500. One day, Ralph's owner took on the Venom "and Ralph just cleaned him up."

In 1959, the Kickstarters were anxious to make a good show at opening day of a new track. Ralph's owner couldn't make it, so Pete raced it that day and went on to become Ralph's tuner for a season or two.

Then Ralph was sold to one of the gang, who used it for daily transport, letting it go to seed in the process. Ralph "got lent to people a lot, left in the rain a lot, crashed quite a bit and generally went really downhill."

In about 1962, Pete found Ralph leaning against a fence in the rain. He bought it for $100. Pete stripped Ralph down to the flywheel halves, cleaning and fixing as best he could. Remember, he points out, this was before the Internet. Pete figured the closest RE dealership was in England!

Buffed and repainted, Ralph looked great. But two years later, Pete let a friend buy Ralph for $450 ("a tidy sum in those days for a motorcycle"). He even threw in his motorcycle jacket.

The competition bug bit again in 1967 and Pete "really missed Ralph." He went looking for his old champion and finally tracked it to a basement. "Ralphie was in many boxes and his timing gears were stripped."

Royal Enfield was dead by then, and the Indian Enfield Company was unheard of in those days. With no way to fix Ralph, Pete carried the boxes with him through several moves until a lifestyle decision meant giving it up. He sold Ralph to a friend, John, on condition that John could never sell the motorcycle to anyone but Pete.

Things didn't turn out that way, quite. We'll complete the story of Ralph, as Pete left off, tomorrow. Click here to read it. Have you had a long tie with a motorcycle? Leave a comment here.

Read before you repair a Royal Enfield

It's Saturday morning and, if I plan to wave a wrench in the direction of my Royal Enfield Bullet, the first thing I do after brewing coffee is to fire up the computer and get "The Pete Snidal Royal Enfield Bullet Owners and Workshop Manual" on the screen. I print out the relevant pages and head for the garage.

My early edition manual is perfect for my early 1999 Bullet. Checking Pete's website, though, I see that the current edition covers every kind of Bullet you can buy in America.

"If It's An Enfield Bullet, It's Covered," Pete promises. Full price for the full manual on CD in the U.S. right now appears to be $31.95 plus $1 postage and you can pay by PayPal or check. You can buy a book version of the manual for $54.95 plus $8 postage.

Note that Pete has written the manual in a way non-mechanics like myself can understand, and it functions as an owners manual as well as a workshop companion. He writes:

"Although --everyone -- doesn't have to be a mechanic, just because they ride a classy 'old' motorcycle (there's no disgrace in taking your ride into a shop to have things done; I always wished I could afford it myself!), even if you live close to a good shop, and can afford to have your machine worked on, it's still nice to know what's going on in there … inside your engine on a dark lonely road."

A beer to match the Royal Enfield Bullet

I've said before that no one ever asks what kind of beer we have at the Three Down bar. Over the years, however, I have had to assure visitors from time to time that, "No, it's not Schlitz."

Schlitz Beer helped pay for the sign at the corner of the building, years ago. We haven't changed the sign but we haven't served Schiltz in a long time. That's too bad because it was the world's best selling beer from 1903 until Prohibition, and it reclaimed its spot at the "head" of the industry in 1934.

Lately it was hard to find and, second, it wasn't very good anymore.

But that is supposed to be changing now, and I'm delighted. According to the Associated Press, new owners are bringing it back and using a formula that will taste as good as ever.

If so, we'll try to get it for the Three Down. A Royal Enfield bar ought to have a beer that is back and better than ever. Or would you rather have Coors Lite? Leave a comment here.

Royal Enfield: Mystical motorcycling

I've never told this story to anyone but my wife. I don't think she believed me. But I bet fellow Bulleteers will understand.

Around mid-life I started having this persistent vision. I'd be walking from one room to another in the house and, in my mind's eye, I would imagine looking to my side and seeing my shadow on a motorcycle, moving along a road on a sunny day.

I could not see myself or the motorcycle: just our shadow on the ground. I couldn't tell what brand of motorcycle it might be, but I knew that it was old fashioned, had one cylinder (!) and I could "hear" its chug-chug sound.

Let me stop you right there: no, I am not given to visions. That made this unique. Even stranger, I'd only been on motorcycles three times in my whole life, and one of those was as a passenger.

This vision came to me over a period of weeks. Then The Miami Herald's automotive column ran a review of the Royal Enfield Bullet. I knew this was the one for me.

I took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, got my motorcycle endorsement, convinced my wife we "needed" another vehicle, and bought my 1999 Bullet.

What brought YOU to motorcycling in general, or to Royal Enfield in particular? Leave a comment here.

A Royal Enfield journey to the heavens

Reporter Sarah Frater of designweek.com.uk writes about Iain Crockart's photographs of his fund-raising journey through the Himacha Pradesh region of India. This sparsely populated territory is also know as the Lands of the Gods.

"Crockart's photographs are as much a portrait of the bike as they are of the Himachal Pradesh, although neither is just a visual story. Both engage all five senses and together they evoke the camaraderie and romance of the open road," she writes. Click here to see some of Crockart's wonderful pictures.

A Royal Enfield site you must bookmark

Every time I come across it on the web I am amazed by the site originally created, I believe, by George Dockray and still kept up by another Royal Enfield enthusiast. It is a treasure trove of wonderful Royal Enfield advertisements.

There are yards of wonderful, colorful ads for other makes as well.

The site also contains links to a whole library of vintage motorcycle information. There's a link to the Chinese Chang Jiang classic sidecar rig and even a link to "Song of the Sausage Creature," a magnificent Hunter S. Thompson road test of a Ducati.

Take a look now and be sure to at least bookmark the section on Royal Enfield Posters and Brochures.

A Royal Enfield riddle: is this the answer?

Amid all the shouting at the Three Down bar it was easy to miss the fact that Matthew's riddle probably wasn't nonsense. Acrimony quickly swallowed up the answer. Remember the question he posed?

"If a spark plug is removed from the combustion chamber and has been smashed flat, apparently by the piston, even though the entire engine block is 100% stock and has not been touched in any way, what does that indicate, and might one fix it?"

There had been a clue earlier, when Matthew, advised he needed to set the timing on his Bullet, returned saying that he couldn't because "I absolutely can not get the piston past TDC" (Top Dead Center, the top of its travel, nearest the spark plug).

Matthew had told us that he had a Bullet 500 and he certainly believed it, because he said he had ordered a replacement plug for a 500. The 500 uses a long-reach spark plug. However, the Bullet 350 uses a short-reach plug.

Matthew must have put the 500 plug into what was really a 350cc Bullet, and smashed it flat.

He only said later that he tried another spark plug and it was "fine."

Did you guess the answer? Leave a comment here.

Royal Enfield advertisements

There are many wonderful Royal Enfield advertisements. One of my favorites is the dashing fellow in the gauntlets and goggles flying through the countryside in the "For Modern Motorcycling" ad.

This artwork really wants to make me roll my Bullet out of the garage and go for a ride through the fall colors. At some point I came across an actual photograph of a probably cold and miserable factory test pilot riding through the wintry grounds of what could be a fenced parking lot.

Probably he is riding for the express benefit of the cameraman. The motorcycles shown vary (I would guess the artwork is the standard Royal Enfield Crusader, while the real rider is on the Crusader Sports model, perhaps). But the riders' outfits are so nearly alike that it seems like the artist saw this photograph, or others like it.

The motorcycle would be a circa 1962 model if I am identifying it correctly.

The artist's biggest challenge here might not have been drawing the cycle, but putting a suitable smile on the face of the actually very grim looking rider.

Do you have a favorite Royal Enfield ad? Put a comment here and I will try to find a picture of it to post.

A Royal Enfield riddle

"Speed" did not lead the first walk-out from the Three Down bar. Matthew led it. The truth is, he felt he was driven out.

I am not proud to say this, but I was relieved to see him go. He drove us crazy. One regular summed it up this way:

"He bought a Bullet, wanted to learn, didn't take the advice to get a good manual, fiddled about until the bike was non-ride able, tried to sell the non-runner to get a running bike. That was a real sad story — especially for the bike!"

Matthew didn't seem to realize that, while fellow bikers will answer a question, they are under no obligation to do so — especially if they think earlier advice was waved off. And they let him know it. Eventually, Matthew took offense to being told to listen to what he was told.

Matthew walked out and invited those to come along "who want to be able to ask questions without being treated like dirt and cursed at and accused of evil."

The final straw was, I believe, the last question he asked. It struck some as so preposterous that Matthew was accused of making the whole thing up, of being a fraud who just liked to torture us.

And yet, his riddle DID have an answer:

"If a spark plug is removed from the combustion chamber and has been smashed flat, apparently by the piston, even though the entire engine block is 100% stock and has not been touched in any way, what does that indicate, and might one fix it?"

If you think you know the answer, post a comment.

A flying start on a Royal Enfield

Paul D'Orleans' excellent The Vintagent blog contains a lovely first-person account by Gwen White, whose career as a trials rider began in 1950 aboard a Royal Enfield Flying Flea.

The Enfield was owned by "Jackie" White, a pre-war member of the Ariel works team, who taught her to ride. They married in 1958.

The item includes wonderful pictures of trials in the 1950s, including the shot below of Jackie competing on his Flying Flea.

Gwen, shown, with a lemonade, writes:

"What I loved most about trials was the fun, camaraderie, and challenge, all in beautiful surroundings to which one would never normally have access on a standard road vehicle, although most of us in those days rode the same bike to work each day!"

Royal Enfield down, the incredible conclusion

CJay Heff's conclusion to his riveting account of the crash of his Royal Enfield Bullet 612 is on the Royal Enfield Yahoo Message Board now, along with many pictures. In his words:

"I would have to attribute the fact that there was so little damage to, well first Divine intervention, but then to that little thing that looks like a bar end weight on the right handle bar (shown). What it really is is a neat helmet lock. The thing is, it rotates very freely. It served as a little caster wheel and kept the bar from digging in..."

"The scrape marks on the brake lever line up perfectly with those on the headlight. If one places a flat piece of cardboard along those ground down flats to represent the road surface it becomes apparent that the bike at some point was in a near vertical upside down position."

If you missed the first three parts of his story, they are here: Part I, Part II, Part III.

Royal Enfield Tech Tip No. 11

Tim Lyons, who signs himself Ace.Cafe on the Royal Enfield Yahoo Message Board adds this technical tip:

"I think one of the best tips I ever read on the forums was a simple one, but very useful for many people. Run the breather hose up high, before looping it back down to the catch tank or the exit. That cures almost all breather ills. Ace"

Royal Enfield, Vladivostok to Scotland

John Rhodes' earthy account of his journey by Royal Enfield Bullet across Russia and through the EU to Scotland is on his blog. He is pictured above before the journey and, below, at the Scottish border.

John found getting off his intended route (lost) usually meant finding nicer countryside more suited to the Enfield. A McDonald's hamburger in Moscow was a welcome treat. At St. Petersburg he experienced the pleasure of the first soft toilet paper for 10,000 km.

Breakdowns were inevitable. Waiting for parts to arrive from England, John wrote:

"Whilst sitting and pondering things my beer arrived at the table. There's something about a glass of well poured beer that is so comforting. Maybe its the familiar item in unfamiliar setting. Is the familiar enough to offset the unfamiliar? Not sure at this point... maybe need to have another just to see."

Naturally shy at first he learned that a broken down Enfield was the perfect introduction to wonderful and helpful people everywhere. John promises a full account, and more pictures, eventually, at his website.

Royal Enfield bar etiquette

Here at the Three Down bar it doesn't take much to start a row. A perfectly nice fellow says "You ought to change the oil in a Bullet every 500 miles." There'll be a moment's silence as the rest of the regulars decide whether to let it pass.

Someone will gently respond "That's kind of often, isn't it? And it will turn out that the first fellow has thought long and hard about it and has 19 reasons why you should change the oil every 500 miles and arguments to counter every argument against it.

And we're off and running.

It's all perfectly fine as long as, at the end of the evening, everyone drops it.

The object of visiting a bar is to be able to talk to anyone about anything. It doesn't matter who wins.

Sometimes men forget this. I understand. Over the years we've only really had one fellow who either didn't know it in the first place, or chose to ignore it.

His name was Matthew. More about him in a bit.

Royal Enfield into the future

In a conversation with New Delhi's NDTV, Royal Enfield CEO RL Ravichandran and Siddhartha Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield's owner, Eicher Motors, remained on message. Royal Enfield motorcycles will stay classics while becoming much more modern. Here's what they said, in part:

Siddhartha Lal: "The future of Royal Enfield has a lot to do with the past if we look at our glorious history. Using the latest technology we wish to offer a complete package in form of better power, efficiency and reliability. On our part we have assured that Royal Enfield Thunderbird TwinSpark (shown above and NOT available yet in the U.S.) is very modern in its construction but very classic in its behaviour."

RL Ravichandran: "More than 90 per cent of Royal Enfield production goes to the domestic market. Recently we have witnessed a significant increase in exports where newer counties are looking to import the bike. We have been traditionally exporting to UK, Germany and the US. It is quite notable that over the past few years the demand from the US has risen considerably. Moreover, nations like Australia, France, Italy and Japan also want to import this classic motorcycle. I think it is Royal Enfield’s engine that is going to play a pivotal role with regard to its export potential. Many countries have asked us to build an engine that meets the speed requirements of their highways.

"The most significant changes made in Royal Enfield Thunderbird is the UCE (unit construction engine) with integrated gear box, which reduces the metal wear and tear. It also means that riders now don't have to suffer from oil leaks."

Royal Enfield down, Part III

CJay Heff has added the third part of the story of his pre-dawn crash and rescue to the Royal Enfield Yahoo message board. Why was he riding in the darkness in the first place? He explains:

"When I got out of the US Army I sworeI would never get up at 5:30 am ever again. Now here I am, 30 years later and due to the crazy out-of-control spiral of progress, where all the modern conveniences and technologies that were supposed to save us time have conspired against us, I and thousands of other DC metro office workers were up well before most farmers. This is why I love my Enfield so much. It harkens me back to the 1950s where I really want to be but will never be able to go again."

Look here for Part III of his story. If you missed the first two parts, they are here, and here.

Royal Enfield V-twin from Australia

We're indebted to MrUnderhill of the Yahoo Royal Enfield message board for an alert that Carberry of Australia is now "taking orders" for its powerful V-twin engine installed in a Royal Enfield Bullet.

Carberry's website is great fun to look at if only for its great video of the 50-horsepower prototype in action.

Carberry says this about their product:

"The 55 degree vee angle was chosen for the combination of style, balance and mechanical simplicity. One consideration was to allow the hydraulic lifters to be accommodated above the standard Royal Enfield cams without modification to the barrels. Any vee angle tighter than 55 deg also requires heavy modification of the Royal Enfield heads for carburettor clearance. The standard Enfield primary drive cover has also been retained. The Enfield clutch is “beefed up” and a bigger engine sprocket is fitted to utilise the extra performance of the V-twin."

They say the price varies, depending on whether you supply your own donor Bullet to be modified.

They estimate cost, including a donor Bullet, would be about 19,500 Australian dollars, about $18,000.

As an alternative, they would offer the motor and a frame modification kit for 10,000 Australian dollars, or about $9,300. Plus tax, and probably a long wait as production begins. You can get in line now, if you want, on the website.

The Carberry website does not appear to address how the motorcycle could be registered and licenced in America.

The Crash of a Royal Enfield 612

CJay Heff tells the chilling story of crashing his beloved Royal Enfield Bullet 612 (seen above before the crash) near Manassas, Va. The two-part story of what caused him to fall, his rescue and his suprisingly more cheerful views on life since the crash appear here and here on the Yahoo Royal Enfield message board.

An excerpt:

"I do not remember the rest of the slide or the bike and me coming to a stop but I did know that none of my big parts fell off, nothing felt broken (except my cheek), I could see things (at least from one eye) and did not have any difficulty breathing.

"As many who watch motorcycle racing know, as long as you are reasonably fit and do not hit anything solid, going down on a motorcycle, even on a hard surface at speed, is normally not a life threatening situation.

"Crawling around while badly dazed on your hands and knees on the four east bound lanes of I-66 at the beginning of rush hour however probably has about a 98% fatality rate and that is where I was now."