Vintage motorcycles shine at Florida show

I heard that another rider on a Royal Enfield attended the Dania Beach Vintage Motorcycle Show Jan. 30, but I never saw him. Royal Enfield motorcycles are still rare in my part of the world. On the other hand, this was a chance to see whole rows of Triumphs, a dozen BSAs, BMWs, Harleys, Indians, Jawas and at least one Laverda.

Another whole row was devoted to vintage Japanese motorcycles alone. But no need to dwell on that.

A camera malfunction prevented me from taking home all the pictures I wanted to share with you. Take my word for it: there was a 1952 Western Flyer bicycle "powered" by a two-cylinder airplane engine mounted above the rear fender and swinging a propellor.

Obviously this was some kind of jest by owner Richard Mussehl of Volant, Penn. At least, I think it was.

I got a decent picture of Clive Taylor Jr.'s 1956 Triumph TRW in war paint, with the Union Jack flying in the breeze behind it. Clive, of Hollywood, Fla., has shown the bike before and it is one of my favorites, perhaps because it looks as though it has been through a war.

In fact, some of the motorcycles I liked the most at the show were battle scarred veterans. A 1966 Triumph rat bike shown by Gary McGordon, of Fort Lauderdale, has been kept carefully away from soap and water for a long, long time. The license tag has been out of date for a quarter century; the foam is peeking out from beneath the seat cover.

People who had merely glanced at polished motorcycles on which dust has never settled stared at McGordon's rolling wreck, checked tires and all.

Pavel Karasek of Fort Lauderdale really captured my heart, however, with his aviator helmet and finely restored 1957 Jawa Pionyr ("Pioneer," it means in Czech). Found in a basement, the little Jawa was in such a state when found that he was given the motorcycle for free. He displayed a picture of the motorcycle as it looked when found (not good).

It now looks factory fresh, but Karasek gleefully rode it in the motorcycle field trials that were part of the event.

This competition consisted of seeing who could ride slowest (last across the finish line wins) and a devilish game in which the rider must pick up tennis balls resting atop traffic cones. The rider tucks the balls into his T-shirt, then turns around and, not missing a beat, replaces the tennis balls on each cone. It looked impossible and few could do it, but Karasek came close.

For me, one of the highlights of such events are listening to what people have to say. Samples:

"Oh, a sidecar. You could put the kids in there. You'd need a seat belt. Maybe a strait jacket, too."

"My Dad had an Indian."

"That's just exactly like the bike I had, except mine..."

"It's an Army bike."

"It gets rid of mosquitoes, too (on starting an old bike, in a cloud of smoke)."

Selling your Royal Enfield? We know why

A Royal Enfield Bullet for sale in the Western United States is perfectly maintained, has only 1,100 miles and comes with a full-face helmet. I'd have listed it for sale on this blog except that the seller advertised it with a picture of somebody else's motorcycle.

"I don't have a digital camera," the seller admits. "It is the same model and color."

"Selling due to nagging wife."

There isn't much chance that his wife reads this blog. If she did, I wonder whether she would recognize either the motorcycle or herself in the ad?

My guess is no. So there is no danger.

Male motorcyclists seem to like demonizing their spouses in for-sale ads. We are a brave bunch, aren't we? We fear neither man nor beast, iffy electrics, flat tires nor sleeting rain!

But we know our limitations.

Restoring a Royal Enfield bought for £7

The before and after photographs of the Royal Enfield pictured here caught my eye because the owner said he paid only £7 for the motorcycle (and restored it, in the 1970s) and because the pictures had a definite artistic touch.

They are the work of John Allen, motorcycle and mural artist based in Whitehaven, U.K. and I saw the pictures on his fresh new web site.

He says of himself:

"In 2009 I retired from art teaching (definitely) and motor cycle racing (maybe!).

"My interest in motorcycles has been lifelong (thanks to a dad dragging me off to the T.T. from the age of six), and, after starting racing at the age of 18 and having to give it up when daughter came along, I resumed my racing career in my mid forties in 1995.

"I won the Preston & District Classic championship in 1996 and finished runner up in the 2000 U.K. Classic championship. I have produced artwork for many of the top personalities involved in motorcycle racing," Allen wrote me.

What about the motorcycle he restored in the '70s?

"I still have it, although it is in need of restoration again as I have not used it since starting racing again in 1995. The bike is a 1960 500cc Meteor Minor Sports.

Naturally, there's a story about the £7 motorcycle, and it's a go0d one:

"I bought my Enfield in 1972. I had been on the lookout for cheap transport and missed not having a road bike since starting racing on my 650 Triton two years earlier. Someone in my local pub pointed me in the direction of his brother who had taken his Enfield off the road years earlier and 'would probably sell it cheap.'

"The bike was very corroded and had not been run for a long time. After some haggling I purchased the bike for seven pounds — an amount I had to borrow off my mother, who remarked on first seeing the RE 'You've not spent my money on that heap of scrap have you?'

"Fortunately the vendor lived at the top of a hill, where I lived at the bottom of the valley, and being younger and fitter in those days I was able to push and coast home.

Three-weeks owned.

"After cleaning the carb, fitting new plugs and a battery, the bike started third or fourth kick, ejecting several shocked spiders out of the exhaust as it did so. The previous owner had taken the bike off the road when he was unable to cure clutch drag.

"Inquiries revealed that Enfield changed the thickness of the plates midway through 1960 and the previous owner had fitted the wrong (thicker) plates. An obvious solution would have been to fit the correct plates, but as all my spare money went on my race bike or beer, I settled for filing some thickness away and living with a little bit of clutch drag.

"I had been given a non running 500cc BSA and I adapted the seat (better condition) to fit the Enfield, where it remains to this day as I think it's more aesthetically pleasing than the standard one.

"Plenty of elbow grease and a brush paint job and I was ready to hit the roads of my native Cumbria, which being relatively traffic free, twisty and hilly, suited the Meteor Minor unlike the congested roads of London where I lived during term time.

"I had to time journeys to perfection to avoid 'a little bit of clutch drag' becoming a major issue. I usually timed my trips across London to miss the rush hour, but this one time I had risen late and had virtually fried the clutch by the time I arrived at the motorway. A lot of free play was visible in the clutch cable as I accelerated into the outside lane but, secure in the knowledge it would soon cool down and self adjust, I wasn't worried — that is until I saw the slotted adjusters vibrate around into alignment and promptly fall into the road at 70 mph.

"I knew I would only need to stop once for fuel at approximately halfway into my journey and decided to plow on. When I arrived at Keele services I thought it would be possible to take the adjusters off the front brake cable and modify them to fit. I had obviously never heard the expression 'if you're in a hole stop digging,' because all I succeeded in doing was modifying the adjusters so they would not fit brake or clutch.

"With no clutch and now no front brake I ran alongside before jumping aboard and stamping it into gear. In those days between the motorway exit and home there was only one roundabout and one set of traffic lights to negotiate and, with careful regulation of approach speed, this was achieved without drama. So imagine how smug and pleased with myself I was feeling as I turned into the council estate where my parents lived.

"That smugness was short lived as I noticed the police car that was obviously following me. I started to list the charge sheet in my head: no front brake, no clutch operation, no road fund license (did I explain I was waiting for a grant cheque?).

"I needn't have worried as the officer said he wasn't interested in 'things like that,' only in looking at an unusual old British bike that reminded him of his days spent as a rocker. It was at this point I realized there was a God and he obviously liked Enfields!"

1980 restoration.

"After three years of very hard use a con rod popped out for a bit of fresh air when being abused two-up on the motorway. This had been the period when it was my sole means of transport and it had done enough to endear itself to me before going bang to ensure it could never be sold.

"Since restoring the bike in 1980 I have covered another 11,000 miles but be warned: once you have restored them it is easy to become too precious and ride them in such an inhibited way as to defeat the object."

1960 Meteor Minor Sports as it looks today.

How old is too old to own a Royal Enfield?

Why is he selling his 2008 Royal Enfield Electra, with less than 1,000 miles?

The seller in West Olive, Mich., mentions that he "needs garage space badly." Visible in the background of the photo he provides is his very full garage.

Even inside, the garage, his other vehicles are seen beneath covers. Looking at the photograph, you realize it probably is true that the Royal Enfield "has never seen rain and always stored inside under storage cover."

This is a man who takes care of his belongings.

But, then, he asks in his ad: "Reason for selling?"

And he answers his own question:

"I thought I was younger than I am."

He doesn't list his age.

My guess is that he actually could be in the prime of life. When it comes to crowded garages and keeping motorcycles pristine, sometimes we can feel a little weary.

And, in West Olive, Mich., in January, I doubt that a motorcycle has much restorative affect on the psyche.

"$4,500 and you can put it in your garage," the seller advises.

Britain's Bullet got a new look after 1955

A Royal Enfield Bullet for sale on eBay provides a great look at the Bullet Royal Enfield built in Britain after the circa 1955 design went off to India.

In England, the Bullet got a new frame, smaller wheels and a new design for the trademark casquette.

The left and right tool boxes became one box running through the frame, with the right side housing the air filter, thus eliminating the separate air filter box.

In Royal Enfield, The Postwar Models, author Roy Bacon notes that this was an era of popularity for scooters, with their one-piece bodies. Perhaps the Bullet's new dashboard style cowl and the reduction in the number of boxes was a cleaning up of the design, in line with the look of a scooter.

Others may notice the frame or wheels, but to me the new casquette is the most eye catching change. This is the "face" of the motorcycle, it is what the rider ends up looking at most, and it has always seemed to me to be the signature feature of the Royal Enfield Bullet.

In the new version, the pilot lights almost seem to be at the end of tubes, while the rear wraps around the handlebars. To me this seems a bit awkward but at the time it might have looked streamlined and modern.

The new "diamond" frame came in 1956. Bacon says the 17-inch wheels came in 1959 and the new style of casquette came in 1960. (The Bullet on eBay is advertised as a 1957 but, if Bacon is correct about the wheels and casquette, it may be a few years newer than that).

More changes were coming. In 1962 Royal Enfield would "discontinue" the Bullet, bringing back the name in 1963 as the "New Bullet." The New Bullet had a unit constructed engine (engine and transmission sharing the same cases).

Meanwhile, in India, the older 1955-style Bullet would remain in production for more than half a century before it got a unit constructed engine of its own!

Thankfully, it retains an attractive casquette.

Coming soon: Manual for Royal Enfield UCE

Pete Snidal, author of the definitive owner's and workshop manual for Bullets of the past, is hard at work on an edition for Royal Enfield's newest models.

Snidal 's manuals for the classic Indian-made Bullets enabled owners without great experience to do basic chores with confidence. While those Bullets needed and benefited from involved tending, Royal Enfield's new Unit Constructed Engine (UCE) models are designed to minimize maintenance.

In his new manual, Snidal explains why the owner of a UCE bike will like the reassurance he plans to provide:

"One of the first things I learned on my entry into the world of Things Mechanical is the that the second thing you have to have, after you acquire just about any piece of machinery, is a good manual...

"Enfield went with the times, and has now in production an extremely civilized, Unit Construction, Computer Managed motorcycle for those much more interested in riding than in monkey-wrenching. Hence this manual, aimed at an entirely different audience: those who have chosen the UCE for its reliability and lack of need to tinker your way across town or down the highway.

"It is not intended as a mechanic's manual, but rather as an owner's manual..."

It's not going to be like the manual in the glove compartment of your car — you know, the one that warns you not to open the hood without dealer assistance.

No, Snidal says he intends to explain "top end overhaul and behind-the-sidecovers work."

Imagine Honda encouraging you to consider that!

Availability of the new manual? Soon. I'll try to let you know (on this blog) as soon as I find out.

Transplanted Royal Enfield twin looks neat

The V-twin motor Aniket Vardhan proposes for his Royal Enfield Musket is certainly an elegant way to put 700cc power into a Royal Enfield Bullet. Carberry makes a 1,000cc V-twin for the Bullet. Beautiful, but not easy, making your own engine.

So, suppose you want a Royal Enfield twin in your Bullet; why not just put in an existing one? Royal Enfield (in England) mass produced vertical twins in the 1950s and '60s. Apparently some are available outside of the motorcycle they came in. "Shiner" alerted the Royal Enfield Yahoo group to this 1993 Bullet for sale on eBay in the UK.

It has a 700cc Royal Enfield Meteor twin installed.

"I think it looks quite tidy," Shiner commented. "Sadly, I've not got the spare change this week."

Mileage is given as 27,500. Miles or kilometers? Who cares? (Note: it's miles, according to the label on the odometer.)

The seller writes: "Here's something a little unusual for you. It's a 1993 Enfield India Bullet with a 700 Meteor engine in it and a Goldie silencer fitted...

"The benefit of it being a Bullet is that all the bits to keep it going are available, but this bike has a bit more power about it... The bike is ready to go. It's not something you see every day and is a practical old bike really.

"So, buy this if you want to get the old boys scratching their heads at the local Enfield club, or at the local rally, or buy this if you want a reasonably priced, but reasonably quick and practical classic."

The seller is Reaney And Son Classic Motorcycles, based in Dronfield, Derbyshire. He adds this bit of dry wit: "I don't want somebody saying that it's not original after the auction, because I already know it's not original, thanks."

I think everyone would be in favor of the remaining Meteor engines remaining in the remaining Meteor motorcycles. But, if a motor is available by itself and feeling lonely, what a nice home a Bullet would make.

In its history, Royal Enfield has made both V-twins and vertical twins. The V-twins came first, and will always evoke the gilded times before World War II. The vertical twins were post-war models and looked bulky and muscular in comparison.

Still, I like the look a lot.

Imagine a super modern Royal Enfield

A Royal Enfield UCE motor is shown wrapped in an attractive super modernistic motorcycle in this Wakan concept by Oberdan Bezzi. You can read (in Italian) his description of the motorcycle he imagines on his blog, Motosketches.

Wakan, the creation of Frenchman Joel Domergue, is a very expensive (and powerful) motorcycle with an immense S&S V-twin. Domergue told Cycle World magazine that he wanted the Wakan to be like a 427 Shelby Cobra of the 1960s: a delicate European chassis around a brutish American engine.

Bezzi writes that he finds the Wakan beautiful, but a show-off. Like the Cobra, would you really drive it much? Around town?

So Bezzi turns the Wakan concept upside down; now it is a svelte European body enclosing a far less intimidating Royal Enfield 500cc single (the S&S V-twin is 1,600cc). The Wakan remains small and super light and the Royal Enfield UCE motor actually looks muscular in this setting. The delicate frame really shows the motor to advantage.

Bezzi imagines that the result would be more rideable and affordable. Wakan might use such a motorcycle to expand its range, he suggests.

Any of the hand-made Wakans would remain out of my price range. But, since we are exercising our imaginations, let me imagine that I could consider it.

No. The Royal Enfield UCE motor is already a big step into the present. If you remove the vintage-style bodywork of the Bullet, the past I like to cling to is gone.

Photo captures passion for Royal Enfield

This marvelous photograph of the Royal Enfield Chrome and Battlegreen motorcycles together at the New Delhi Auto Expo is by photographer Ramit Batra. You can see more of his automobile and motorcycle photography on Flickr.

He writes that he almost "got crushed" by the crowds while taking this picture. A mechanical engineer by education, Ramit describes himself as an animator and film maker turned manager and educator. He runs a photography web site, www.f-stop.in

There is tremendous passion visible in all his photos. He certainly captured the appeal of these two Royal Enfields.

But that's not all. Ramit adds, on Flickr:

"We have a very deep relationship with the Royal Enfield motorcycle. Read... about my wife's struggle to trace her father's Bullet: saloneepareek.wordpress.com/"

It seems Salonee, a freelance writer, is trying to find one very special Bullet, sold in the late 1980s, somewhere in India.

Even in Europe, Royal Enfields are rare

Information about Royal Enfield motorcycles too good to miss is contained in the "Comments" on my item about the C5 "Chrome" bike. "Oriste" provided production figures from Europe, disputing my statement that the Royal Enfield is a much more mainstream motorcycle outside the United States.

Here's what Oriste found;

"I cannot speak for the rest of the world but I have some figures for the European countries. The total size of the motorbike fleet is estimated at close to 15 million. The top countries in motorbike usage are Italy, Germany, Spain, UK, France, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, in descending order. The first six countries represent more than 80 per cent of the total European fleet.

"I can assure you that in the three European countries that I'm most familiar with (Greece, Netherlands, Belgium), Royal Enfield is all BUT a mainstream motorcycle. I wager that the same situation is prevalent in the top five countries, with the possible exception of the UK (though I have no figures to substantiate that) because of historic ties with the brand and a strong dealer and spare parts network.

"In Greece 246 RE's were registered in the period 2000-2009, with a total current fleet of 741,000. The Netherlands registered 57 RE's in that same period, current RE fleet at 496, against a total of 650,000 bikes. For Belgium I only have the accumulated total of RE's currently on the road, which is 163, out of a total of 362,000.

"I found some statistics for Germany, the second biggest market in Europe for motorbikes: (in German). The relevant pages are 7 and 8 (section 3). They show figures of the total fleet per brand as per Jan. 1, 2009. Royal Enfields number 2,667 out of a total of 3,658,590 registered motorbikes on the road.

"It would be interesting to compare those figures with the U.S."

I replied that I've only tried to find Royal Enfield registrations for one of the 50 states, Florida, and was frustrated that registrations here can appear under a sloppy variety of fanciful abbreviations, including "RYL ENF."

Oriste responded:

"Ha ha, I can understand that frustration. I've been looking for statistics in Europe for months. Apart from the three countries that I know best, I've been unlucky so far. I found Germany by accident last night, looking for something else.

"The reason I brought these figures up though was to question the assumption that RE would be more mainstream in other parts of the world than in the U.S. I don't think that is the case for Europe."

By any name, Royal Enfield C5 is a beauty

A Royal Enfield C5 with chrome fenders and tank knocked their eyes out at the New Delhi Auto Expo this month. I suggested that it will be a long time before it comes to the United States and compared such introductions to the 2007 unveiling of the Chevrolet Volt, still a year away.

That brought two excellent comments.

From Jorge Pullin, who blogs at My Royal Enfields: "I'd be more optimistic. When they announced the Volt they didn't even know what batteries they were going to use. These bikes are not a huge departure from what Royal Enfield does, so they could produce them relatively soon. And reports claim they are mostly for export. But I wouldn't blame CMW (the U.S. importer) for keeping things conservative in the middle of the iffy U.S. economy of today."

And from Oriste came a video news report out of India: David, have you seen this?

The news reporter says the new models will be launched in the export market "by the end of next summer."

If I was in the market for a new Royal Enfield I would not wait to see if that's true. Other "export markets" typically have received new models before the U.S. There have been important reasons for some of that: the Unit Construction Engine bikes were needed first in the EU because of looming emissions requirements, for instance.

Beyond that, Kevin Mahoney, of Classic Motorworks, has explained that, in the rest of the world, the Royal Enfield is a much more "mainstream" motorcycle. As such, it needs exciting new models to compete in a crowded field.

In the U.S., a 70-mile-per-hour motorcycle will always be limited to people who want a special experience. It's almost unique in a market crowded with "me too" variations on Harley-Davidson cruisers.

It's an odd sort of logic, I suppose, but, in a way, it's almost better that the Royal Enfield evolve more slowly here, giving each model time to be noticed.

Which is one more reason that the new "Chrome bike" should be tagged the "Deluxe", for the sake of tradition. I keep banging the drum about this, but will stop it now because even I am finding me annoying!

Did you notice in the video that the C5 Chrome and Battlegreen bikes on display did not have kick start levers?

Tape customizes Royal Enfield fender

One of the Royal Enfield C5 motorcycles on display at the Los Angeles International Motorcycle Show was not stock.

It had what I thought was a very classy white stripe across the fenders. Such a simple thing really altered its appearance, for the good, I thought.

"That's a Scooter Bob thing," explained Kevin Mahoney, who was there in person, answering questions from Californians, who will be able to buy new Royal Enfields for the first time in 2010.

Mahoney is president of Classic Motorworks, the U.S. importer. "Scooter Bob" is nickname of Classic's engineering guru Greg Stewart.

"It's just tape," Mahoney said.

Just tape and a healthy dose of imagination.

I wrote Scooter Bob to ask about the fancy stripe and got this response:

"Dave: Thanks for the kudo! No trick, really — I just have some sort of gift for that stuff — Hahaha!! It's 3M Scotchcal vinyl with the same variety of pinstripe applied over it. I WOULD clearcoat it if I had the time to do it. I think it looks QUITE spanky and I'm SURE doing it to any one that I can claim for MINE! I've only just begun to make mods on the lovely little C5!"

Greg Stewart
"ScooterBob"
Classic Motorworks
Dealer Technical Training / Support
Warranty Administration

Royal Enfield diesel and trailer a nice combo

The Royal Enfield diesel motorcycle shown on this blog recently must have struck Helmut Forsbach as a bit of a coincidence. He emailed me these pictures of his own 1999 diesel-powered Royal Enfield.

Helmut even has a PAV 40 single-wheeled trailer, like the Sommer motorcycle Dirk, from Germany, showed us, below.

Helmut is in Germany, too, but his motorcycle is the original Taurus diesel powered model from India, which featured a 325cc Greaves motor. Seven horsepower!

Helmut is pictured next to his motorcycle. At "68 years old (young)," he looks like a serious traveler. That cute little trailer must come in handy!

The PAV trailers were made in Czechoslovakia during the 1960s and '70s for Jawa motorcycles. Here in the U.S. we can get the Inder trailers, inspired by the PAV but made in India. They are available from Classic Motorworks.

Royal Enfield 'Chrome' still just a glimmer

The Royal Enfield C5 with shiny fenders and tank, unveiled in India recently, isn't likely to be seen soon in the United States, I am told.

The "Chrome bike," as it is becoming known, has been shown to importers in other forms, with a different solo seat. If the design is not yet frozen, it can't go into production.

Besides, Royal Enfield's domestic production is sold out through May. There are waiting lists. Importers in other countries will have to fight for what they get.

Still, it's exciting to see Royal Enfield showing off potential new products and the company's heavy investment in the future means that new models should eventually come here.

I only wish they would use the name "Deluxe" instead of "Chrome"! To me, Deluxe seems old-fashioned, in keeping with tradition. Chrome implies showing off, and added weight.

One added thought about what a tease new model introductions can be: Remember January, 2007? The economy was great, and would be for another 22 months. I had a full-time job and more hair. It seems like a long time ago.

The Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car was announced in January, 2007. It won't go on sale (in limited numbers) until November, 2010 at the earliest and won't reach full production until 2012, GM says.

Now, THAT was tease.

Royal Enfield bike raises question for bikers

An old Royal Enfield bicycle raises questions owners of Royal Enfield motorcycles might find interesting.

The owner of this Royal Enfield women's bicycle says it is a 1943 model in original condition and he as been told it is now a rare find. He put an ad on CraigsList, not to sell it, but to ask whether he should preserve it or give it to his daughter to ride.

He wants to know your opinion.

"From what I've been told there are only a handful of these bikes left. Although some surface rust, everything seems great. I put on a new chain, packed all the dry bearings and replaced the stock tire tube — and she rides great. My daughter likes it and could get some good use out of it. After just a day now of use I've heard extreme opposite reactions — from "should be in a museum" to "a bike is to use." I'm still thinking on it. What's your 2 cents?"

It's an issue everyone with an old motorcycle must answer. Oddly, it's a stumbling block neatly evaded by those of us who own Royal Enfield motorcycles of recent manufacture. They aren't rare, at least, not in India, which continues to export them.

Thus, no guilty feelings. I can treat my motorcycle like the motor vehicle it is, without worrying that I am using up the world's dwindling supply of 1999 Royal Enfield Bullets. That's a pleasant thought every time I round off a nut: oh well, it's not the last.

The old Royal Enfield bicycle is in Alameda, Calif., and it may very well be one of the few like it there. Should it go to a collection, or to his daughter?

I would only add that my 20-something daughter brought a very pristine Raleigh three-speed from the 1970s a few years ago for use on the streets of Washington, D.C. It looked lovely parked inside her apartment in the winter but, when spring came, daily use proved to be a very hard life for a bicycle.

How would you vote?

Royal Enfield V-twin builder unveils plans

The young man from Columbus, Ohio who built his own V-twin Royal Enfield tells how he did it and how he's trying to make it possible for you to have your own 700 or 1,000cc Royal Enfield V-twin motorcycle.

Aniket Vardhan tells how years of day dreams and more years of hard work resulted in his beautiful Enfield Musket on his new web site, MusketVTwin.com

It's a stirring story, one of those rare times outside the movies when the lone hero overcomes all to create something marvelous. The web site explains how Aniket hopes to improve the castings at the heart of the Musket and make them available to those courageous enough to follow in his footsteps.

The web site includes a splendid gallery and links to the inspiring videos of the Musket in action.

Pictures are worth thousands of words, but Aniket also shares a little of his design philosophy. The full story is on his site, but here's what caught my attention:

"1. Keep it as ridiculously simple as the original Bullet engine. Therefore, no modern updates to major engine internals, so it still has the stock tappets, no hydraulics, and the stock piston oil pumps...

"2. Improve the oil filter – I machined a new filter housing which uses a standard modern cartridge type filter available at Advance. This is not a screw on car type filter – that doesn’t look right, so I have a finned aluminum housing I made.

"3. Aesthetically — and this was very important to me being an industrial designer — keep the “vintage” and “Enfield” cues strong. I thought I would pick up from the last Enfield big twin, the Interceptor. The rounded profile of the front of the crankcase and pleasingly smooth and gently radiused forms of the castings and the cooling fins on the side of the wet sump. A wet sump simplifies matters and also ties in with the last Enfield big twin, the Interceptor Mark 2, which also had a wet sump.

"4. I love the external copper oil pipes that are such beautiful visual elements on vintage engines, so I decided to incorporate that as well...

"5. Keep the frame mods to a minimum and again keep the “vintage” feel going by keeping the single down tube — the Enfield big twins of yore had single down tube frames and handled well..."

The web site also includes a contact form for more information, should you be interested in getting in line for your Musket kit. Oh, and by the way: Hollywood? What are YOU waiting for?

Videos of the Enfield Musket V-Twin in action.

Royal Enfield 'Naval' model is unique

A 2003 Royal Enfield Bullet in naval colors, with an aircraft carrier for a sidecar, certainly is a new take on the traditional Military Royal Enfield.

This one-of-a-kind motorcycle, with a model of the USS Saratoga attached, is decorated with U.S. Navy Shore Patrol (SP) markings. The combination is for sale on CraigsList in Deltona, Florida. Asking price is $5,000.

It has only 314 miles on it.

"The bike has only been ridden a couple of times to military events, since it was built from new," the seller advises. "This bike was built by my father, who is retired Navy as well as an old world artisan. I am listing this for sale for him, he is 74 years old and is too sick to take it to any more events."

"This is a great opportunity for someone to own a historical work of art."

Always garage kept since new, the motorcycle has never been in rain, starts, runs and rides perfectly, and has a clean Florida title, the ad claims.

The motorcycle is shown with the standard seat, but is currently fitted with a solo seat, the seller advises.

Contact phone number is 732- 688-2509.

Royal Enfield shows C5 Military, Deluxe

I am indebted to the superb auto blog Vicky.in for news that Royal Enfield is showing a Deluxe (chrome fenders and tank) and Military (olive drab) C5 model at the Auto Expo in India. Check out the link for full size pictures and information.

The article implies that these models will be shared with the export market. Will we see them on sale in the U.S.?

Royal Enfield diesel looks handsome

A diesel powered Royal Enfield Bullet might be the answer to the question no one asked:

"Hey! Isn't there any way to make this thing any slower, heavier, noiser and smellier?"

But there is no denying the beauty of the Sommer 462 Diesel with Pav 41 trailer shown here. Dirk, from Germany, shared these pictures of his motorcycle. What is it?

The Sommer turns out to be the typically German effort to thoroughly engineer perfection into machinery.

Imports of Royal Enfield's own 325cc diesel into Germany in the 1990s served as the starting point. "Too dirty" and "too slow," it nonetheless inspired Jochen Sommer to look for a better alternative. He found it in the single-cylinder four-stroke Hatz 1B40 diesel engine with fuel injection and an electric starter.

Cost is 7,500 Euro ($11,000, but that includes the ghastly 19 percent tax). You can get Sommer diesel Royal Enfields in black or eye catching ruby red or signal yellow. Other colors are 300 more Euros (and presumably more tax, so don't ask).
The Hatz firm is happy to provide information on operating on biodiesel fuel or vegetable oil, if you're interested.

Fuel consumption? I'm not that adept at converting liters consumed per kilometer to miles-per-French fry. More important to me was converting the figure for "maximum speed." Prepare yourself: 62 miles per hour.

If you wanted to go faster you wouldn't be reading a Royal Enfield blog anyway.

The Sommer web site would rather share Jochen's "philosophy." Most Royal Enfield owners and riders will find themselves agreeing with much of it:

"A motorcycle embodies for me the best way to travel in 'freedom'... Suspension, wheels and engine combine to form an aesthetic whole, a motorcycle. My personal preference is the simple motorcycle. Lightweight and compact, these should have all parts easily accessible... with a high-torque motor, free of electronics and made entirely from metal.

"A Hatz diesel engine is a universal motor, which mainly serves the industrial and marine markets. This sector requires absolute robustness and simplicity... Stringent emission levels can be met, the diesel injector is long lasting and high compression and low speed combine for great economy."

And, then, there is the sound, always critical on a Royal Enfield:

"Your ears and your senses will be satisfied. Low speed with low-frequency level is perceived as pleasant and always subjectively quieter than a high-frequency noise. The driver of a diesel is pleased to take note that the trip was pleasant and relaxing.

"Come and join us for a test drive. I'm sure it will be for you a special experience."

But not in the United States. I wrote to Jochen Sommer to ask if his machines are available in the U.S. and got this response:

"Dear David,

"No they are not. We did not homologate it for the US.

"Best Regards

"Jochen"

A shame.