Custom Royal Enfield gained 3 cylinders, shaft drive

This Royal Enfield built Indian Tomahawk twin now has
triple-cylinder Yamaha power; and shaft drive!

"I'm working on a 1957 Apache and ride a customized '59 Tomahawk" wrote William Barrere, of Ekalaka, Mont.

Customized?! When I asked him to tell me more about his motorcycles I had no suspicion that his Royal Enfield based 1959 Indian Tomahawk now sports a three-cylinder Yamaha motor with shaft drive!

It was a matter of using what was on hand, he explains:

"This is a 1959 Tomahawk that my Dad bought in the early '60s. He rode it 'til he broke the drive chain and broke the back out of the engine. It had been stripped down and dirt raced before he got it so there was only the bare essentials to it

"As a little kid I would sit on it and ride a million miles on it in my daydreams. In the late '70s or early '80s we put an old 650 Yamaha twin in it and brought it back to life. The 650 stayed in it 'til a few years ago when the tranny locked up sitting over the winter.

"Well by that time I'd had my fill of the old 650 and having the rear brake and shifter all on the same side. I had a '78 750 triple shaft-drive Yamaha that was still in fair shape but had just got an '81 850 triple that I like better.

"So I cut the backbones out of the '59 and the '78 then welded the '59 backbone into the lower frame half of the '78 to have what I now have here."

1957 Indian Apache required assembly.

William's 1957 Apache looks more like the Royal Enfield twin it was when it started life, but that's no accident either.

"I found it in a pile of pieces," William explains. "It was hard to tell just what it was, but it came with part of a '58 Enfield frame and (an extra) 700cc engine.

"It was a good thing, because the 700 with this bike was a real basket case good only for parts. It took a while to figure how to put it together but I finally did. I still have a lot of work ahead and will probably have to pull the motor back out and tear it down and reseal everything, because it leaks like a sieve

"Some of the parts are older than '57 because I found a generator and distributor in the parts. I've got two mags but can't seem to make them work. I'll have to find a regulator and get the generator rebuilt. So the work and the hunting of parts goes on."

Rusted Royal Enfield reborn in restoration

Five years parked outdoors left this Royal Enfield rusty.

Remarkable photos of the "rebirth" of a rusty 1981 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 in India caught my attention on the Team-BHP website recently.

A contributor who signs himself H. Vishwanathan shared the story and pictures of the motorcycle, which is older than he is.

He was looking for a Royal Enfield Bullet in good condition when a friend told him he knew of a motorcycle that had been parked for five years after its owner gave it away and moved to Singapore. The writer took his mechanic along to see it.

"Sunday morning at around 10 a.m. we went to his place and we see the bike standing in the open fully rusted and in a very bad shape," he writes. But the mechanic saw value in the motorcycle and it was purchased.

Imagine this as the starting point of a restoration!

"Once we reached the mechanic's shop and unloaded the bike, there were some customers at the garage who had a look at the bike and asked me why had I picked up such an old and corroded bike. They were not sure if the bike could be restored back to its original beauty. This was the question in my mind too," the new owner admits.

You can read the full saga and see many more pictures on the Team-BHP website. In particular, check out the amazing "After" pictures of the motorcycle as restored.

Whether or not you like the style you have to admire the restoration.

I can't stop staring at the "Before" pictures of the motorcycle as found and wonder if I would have had such courage.

Christmas wishes from Royal Enfield's Bunty Golightly

Maj. Bunty Golightly wishes Royal Enfield riders a Merry Christmas.

Just when holiday shopping was wearing me down and Peace on Earth seemed an impossible dream, the nicest Christmas gift landed in my email.

It is "Royal Enfield Christmas," posted on the Royal Enfield Yahoo group by Maj. Bertram "Bunty" Golightly. It's Bunty's version of "T'was The Night Before Christmas," featuring his lingerie clad personal assistant and Santa riding a Royal Enfield sidecar combination.

Check it out on the Royal Enfield group (it's posted on the Bullet Mania group as well). I won't spoil it, but here's one favorite passage:

More rapid than beezas the outriders came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name,
Now Cruiser now Clipper, now Interceptor and Bullet,
On Meteor on Ensign, my Model K you must pull it,
Across the courtyard to the old garage wall,
Now rev away, rev away, rev away all...

I've never succeeded in uncovering the author of Bunty's inspired rants on all things Royal Enfield, female and alcoholic. Bunty insists, when challenged, that he really is a retired British Army major and master of the Golightly family estate, Blotto Hall, in Much Piddling, Merryshire, England.

His Yahoo profile tells us that he is interested in: "Motorbicycling, shooting anything that moves including game animals, peasants and Chinese scooters, foxhunting with the Bullethounds, haggis breeding, chasing fillies, enthusiastic imbiber of alcoholic beverages, adding pertinent comments to otherwise dull correspondence (probably your correspondence)."

Delightful past-times all, I am sure.

Merry Christmas, Major.

She wants a new car; he's afraid of the fancy new radio

I'm not comfortable with any radio more complex than a few knobs and buttons.
Jimmy Baikovicius Photo

My wife wants a new car for Christmas. She isn't getting it. Why? Because I am afraid I won't know how to make the radio work. It's true: except for a couple of knobs and a few preset buttons, I am hopeless.

My friend, noted author Douglas Kalajian, explained what I'm up against this way:

"About radios: Anything you buy today will be complicated and most likely obsolete in two years. The technology and buyer preferences are changing very, very quickly.

"They're not even called radios any more because hardly anyone uses the traditional broadcast bands. The radio part is wrapped into what's called the infotainment system.

"The big draw right now is wireless integration for smart phones — not just Bluetooth for calls but for streaming audio. And that's not just digital music stored in the phone but services like Pandora that let you 'tune in' by phone to customized play lists that mimic radio stations.

"Satellite radio may be endangered by this, except that it now offers 'real time' traffic info. But GM may be delivering that information by OnStar now — I'm not sure.

"CD players have pretty much disappeared, too, gone the way of the cassette tape. Who needs a CD when you have the world's music library at your fingertips?

"These systems are so smart that some of them will even receive your text messages and read them to you.

"Most also let you stream the navigation voice from your phone, which makes factory nav systems pretty much a thing of yesterday unless you love the big-screen map.

"Even that can be replaced with an iPad or similar tablet.

"All this is essential for nearly every buyer today, except you. No kidding, people actually use this stuff. I'd love to have a set-up like the one in the Malibu I rented. Crappy car, great infotainment system.

"All of this leaves you, Mr. AM radio, without so much as a preset button. Instead, you'll likely get a haptic touch screen that anyone else would find intuitive.

"You'll probably put your hand through it.

"You could well become the first prospective buyer this century to ask if they still offer the 'radio delete' option.

"It's worth a try!"

Copyright 2012 by Douglas Kalajian, reprinted with permission. Kalajian is the author of "Snow Blind," the true story of a crusading defense attorney caught up in Florida's crazy cocaine cowboy era.

Royal Enfield sales surge while Harley-Davidson stalls

"Demand for Royal Enfield bikes driving confidence for growth," The Economic Times of India reported today.

The article applauds the business strategy of Siddhartha Lal, CEO of Eicher Motors, corporate parent of Royal Enfield.

He created a situation "where a slow moving, premium cruise bike is today charting double-digit growth even as other mass segment two-wheeler makers are struggling to boost sales," The Times writes.

The Economic Times is speaking of Royal Enfield's experience in India, a youthful nation on the economic upswing. Even so, the fact is that Royal Enfield is beating any logical sales expectations, even there.

Meanwhile, the local newspaper reports that the palatial Harley-Davidson store in my home town of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. is closing. Sun-Sentinel reporter Doreen Hemlock writes:

"Stung by a slow market for motorcycles, Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley-Davidson dealership is closing its Fort Lauderdale store and consolidating that operation into its Sunrise location...

"The consolidation comes as motorcycle sales in the United States only slowly recover from the 2008 recession...

"'You need cars. Motorcycles are luxury items, more aligned with yachts,' said Jeff Cheek, general manager of Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley-Davidson dealerships in Broward County."

Yachts?

Soon-to-close Harley dealership is a temple of brand loyalty.

You would understand the comparison if you visited the Harley-Davidson dealership in Fort Lauderdale. A central altar elevates a motorcycle to the ceiling; historic Harley-Davidson motorcycles are on display on the walls. Fleets of motorcycles available for sale park rank upon rank in front of the building.

And this was not unique. Until the downturn, a Harley rider cruising across the United States could stop at dealerships just like it in almost every city in America. Times were good!

Most Harley-Davidson motorcycles look vintage even if their specifications are modern. Few of the motorcycles in the Fort Lauderdale dealership I visited Wednesday would not have looked familiar to me as a boy, growing up in 1955.

These motorcycles catered to a U.S. Baby Boom population of well-off wannabe riders (my People!) who wanted one last fling before retiring to the rocking chair.

It was our last chance to be bad boys and we wanted the motorcycles that we'd wanted (but couldn't have) when we were young.

My boom generation is now succumbing to bad backs, bad knees, bad wrists, bad elbows and bad bank balances. The vintage looking motorcycles that reminded us of our youth aren't selling like they used to.

What does this mean for Royal Enfield? The U.S. market probably has only modest bearing on the decision making of a company that does the vast part of its business inside India.

But trends here could suggest that Royal Enfield motorcycles of the future should not always be designed to remind someone my age of his past.

Royal Enfield Cafe Racer specs: Power, weight, price

The Royal Enfield Cafe Racer was unveiled in a video posted on Motorcycle Daily.

We learn more details about the Royal Enfield Cafe Racer in a video of its unveiling this month at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show, as posted on Motorcycle Daily.

For one thing, we learn that it will be a "2014" model, because it is expected to be for sale in the United States so late in 2013 — not until July or August.

In the video, Royal Enfield USA vice president Ron Greene reveals these additional details:

• Price is expected to be $7,295.
• It will have a larger single-cylinder motor — 535cc instead of Royal Enfield's standard 500cc.
• Power jumps 9 horsepower to a supposed 36hp thanks to displacement, exhaust and tuning differences. (Royal Enfield horses are typically more Shetland than Clydesdale.)
• It will be 47 pounds lighter than other Royal Enfields, weighing as little as 358 pounds.
• The sophisticated new frame was designed by the same folks who design Ducatis. Its suspension is unique to the Cafe Racer.
• It will come with a two-year unlimited warranty.
• Accessories will include aluminum fenders instead of plastic; aluminum upper and lower triple trees; a single seat or a dual seat; two sets of exhaust systems; two styles of handlebars; steel, aluminum or plastic gas tanks; and different gear ratios available for use in a potential "spec racing" class.

The accessory list alone makes it an intriguing prospect. What would yours look like?

Royal Enfield Cafe Racer a favorite at motorcycle show

Royal Enfield's 2013 models have one stand-out entry.

Royal Enfield's new Cafe Racer is the star of this YouTube video by hoohoohoblin.

He meant to feature the entire line-up of Royal Enfield models for the U.S., on view at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show this month.

But his camera keeps coming back to the Cafe Racer.

"I want that one," he finally admits.

A passer-by agrees, saying it's his favorite bike in the show.

It's racy, it's sexy, and it will outperform other new Royal Enfield models (while still being slower than most motorcycles on U.S. roads). No wonder it attracts admiring attention.

I've pointed to the clever videos by hoohoohoblin before. He's a Californian who rides a 2001 Royal Enfield Bullet and often features it in helpful how-to articles  and videos.

He has a lively sense of humor and a light touch that make his videos fun to watch. You'll enjoy this one.

Royal Enfield Musket V-twin, running with 998cc

Aniket Vardhan combined two Royal Enfield motors to get 998cc.

Royal Enfield will gently add 35cc to the displacement of its existing 500cc single-cylinder motor for use in its  racy looking new Cafe Racer.

Meanwhile, working alone, a young man from Columbus, Ohio has combined two 500cc Royal Enfield motors to make a 998cc V-twin. Not only did he get it to run and fashion a motorcycle around it, he has refined his design to allow small-scale production.

Aniket Vardhan's steady progress started with his 700cc "Musket," a classic looking motorcycle powered by his V-twin made of two Royal Enfield 350cc singles.

Aniket's latest YouTube video shows the start-up of his latest 998cc Musket V-twin.  Here's his description:

"Completely redesigned for small scale production, the new engine takes into account feedback from bike enthusiasts across the globe, has many technical detail improvements, more efficient CNC manufacturing process and last but not least, aesthetic refinement.

"Briefly, it has a tighter 59-degree V angle, ignition and oil filter housings incorporated into the timing cover with simpler oil plumbing, easier frame fitment with all the rear engine mounts needing no modification and a very simple right-side shift conversion for the four-speed... gearbox.

"The test bike also has a new down-tube mod that allows the frame top-tube to be stretched only 2.5 inches for a wheelbase around 56.5 inches."

Obviously, one man working with a few potential customers in mind is much different than an international company working to mass produce motorcycles for a worldwide audience. But what an inspiring story he makes.

Ride your Royal Enfield to work, help save the World

Every two-wheeler is One Less SUV on the road.

Let's save the World, one motorcycle at a time.

I found the illustration here, a sticker on a scooter proudly designating it as "One Less SUV," on the Southeast Florida Scooters Yahoo group.

Its message is that one economical scooter (or motorcycle) can replace one wasteful sport utility vehicle on roads and in parking lots.

Everybody (who doesn't own one) loves to hate SUVs, especially when the hulking vehicles are employed to carry one small human being to his office job and back every day. This wastes gas and wastes space.

Whenever there is a gas price crisis I fantasize about laws that would limit SUVs to 50 mph to save gas, confine them to the right lane to reduce traffic or make city parking spaces too short to accommodate them.

Revenge! Pitchforks and torches!

Such sentiments are beneath me. But I do believe that, in some parts of the World, scooters, motorcycles (and bicycles, too) could make city life more pleasant.

I am not blind to the problems: motorcycles and scooters can be a significant source of noise pollution if unregulated. Safety is a concern (for bicyclists, too).

Additionally, except for South Florida (where I live) and Hawaii, almost no part of the United States lends itself to year-around riding. That is not to say we couldn't do more of it. Why not ride your motorcycle to work today?

For those who do, ride in pride. You are doing everyone a favor.

Royal Enfield Cafe Racer will boast a bigger motor

Royal Enfield's racy looking new Cafe Racer will pack a little extra power: 535cc displacement in its single-cylinder motor, just up from the 500cc found in other Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles sold in the U.S.

The slightly-bigger-is-better motor was reported in the BikeAdvice.in email newsletter and is repeated in the Royal Enfield Buzz Blog.

The Buzz Blog notes that the 535cc displacement has been seen before. The Lightning model, sold in the India home market, had 535cc in its iron barrel motor.

That displacement can be achieved by converting to a wider piston, so many hobbyists around the world have brought their own Bullets up to that size. No one who went to all that trouble would admit that the 7 percent increase in displacement accomplishes little, but the honest consensus seems to be that this improvement alone is more "aspirational" than actual.

The new Cafe Racer, of course, will use Royal Enfield's more up-to-date Unit Constructed Engine, which starts with more power than the iron barrel motor, and includes fuel injection and electronic ignition. The Cafe Racer also gets an improved frame, front and rear disc brakes and front forks.

Put them all together and you have something.

The Buzz Blog reports that the Cafe Racer (a pre-production unit) will next be seen at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, Calif. Dec. 7-9.

Here is a Holiday Guide to Gifts for Royal Enfield fans

What does a Royal Enfield fan really want for Christmas?

Here's a Gift Guide for the U.S. rider who really loves Royal Enfield motorcycles.

A Royal Enfield 2013 Calendar. The Royal Enfield Magazine calendar looks good. $13.08 on MagCloud. This print calendar comes with a free digital version for iPad, PDF or WebViewer.

A Royal Enfield book. A wide variety of outstanding Royal Enfield books are available from writer and motorcycle adventurer Gordon May at Royal Enfield Books. My favorite is "A Ride In The Sun"  by Peggy Iris Thomas. Gordon brought this book back from being long out of print. It's a young woman's story of her 14,000-mile ride across America on her tiny BSA Bantam motorcycle. Check out the picture:  she took her dog along! Note: You must order before Monday, Dec. 10 to be comfortable your book will arrive by Christmas.

Vintage stuff. Every owner of a classic motorcycle like a Royal Enfield treasures old stuff — the greasier the better. Visit your local antique shop or, if imagination fails, check out the online store Three Potato Four for somewhat insane suggestions. I like their vintage cans of "Nitro-9 for Motorcycles,"  $20 for the pair. Incredibly, they say they will ship these. Keep them away from the menorah candles. For delivery in the U.S. get your order in before Dec. 17.

Brit bike wear. Her Majesty's Thunder offers truly inspired t-shirt designs by Chris Bartlett. Quality is high and you will like the prices. Order before Dec. 11 for international shipping or Dec. 18 for the U.S.

Beverages. Royal Enfield Beer? Ale? Wine? Gin? They're all "available," if you are creative enough to counterfeit a label on your computer, print it out, and attach it to an actual beverage bottle. My daughter did this for me and the results were totally convincing. Here's how: Web sites help you turn out a genuine looking label.

Toolbox stuffers. Every Royal Enfield Bullet comes with "toolboxes" handy for storing tools. Here's a list of things your motorcyclist needs to carry. Reader George Smith recently left a comment with another suggestion: a first aid kit! Got you thinking?

Anything else. Your online shopping center for Royal Enfield "stuff" from books to clothes to fenders and oil filters is NField Gear the online store of Royal Enfield USA. If you can't find it here you won't find it. The site is conveniently organized and nearly all items are pictured. Best to order by Dec. 18 for delivery by Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas from me to you and yours.

Royal Enfield Bullet looks great with scrambler kit

Here's a Royal Enfield trials motorcycle too pretty to get dirty.

A dramatic looking 2000 Royal Enfield custom scrambler is for sale on eBay at MJ Sales Cycles in Fort Worth, Tex.

The photos accompanying the ad show the care that went into this motorcycle and its aluminum bodywork kit.

In fact, it's so pretty that the ad suggests that "this is a beautiful bike that is perfect for tooling around downtown or as a display in your office, pub, or game room."

What about bashing about in the woods and mud? After all, what are the lower skid plate and headlight rock guard for?

No, you probably wouldn't do that with this motorcycle and neither would I.

It is a motorcycle meant to be appreciated with the eyes. I couldn't resist putting some of the pictures from the ad into a short slide show for you.



For information call MJ Sales Cycles at 1-888-415-8986 or email mjwholesale1@hotmail.com

1947 Royal Enfield emerges from years in a basement

Royal Enfield RE 125 was an improved version of the Flying Flea.

An apparently very original 1947 Royal Enfield RE 125 is for sale on CraigsList in Frederick County, Md.

It has the three-speed hand shift transmission and is advertised as all original down to the dealers decal near  the tail light. An original owner's manual goes with it.

Front suspension was girder forks sprung with rubber bands!
There was no rear suspension at all.

Owner Richard Schaffer was kind enough to share its story with me:

"My brother David got it somehow in the early 1970s in eastern Pennsylvania and did nothing with it. I was living in the UK from 1974 to 1980 and got parts for it, such as the rubber bands that are used on the front suspension and extra cables, etc.

Tubular container below the sprung seat is a toolbox.

"When I got back into the U.S., David gave me the RE. We ran it a few times — I always had other cycles to keep me busy; and then it sort of fell into the back of the pack.

"I do have the title for it. It has a dealer's transfer/decal on the rear mudguard from a dealer in N.Y., where I assume it was purchased new.

Rear rack was standard equipment.

"From time to time, I will pour a small bit of oil down the spark plug hole and kick the engine over, but other than that, I haven't done a thing to it in years. It has sat covered up in our climate controlled basement and I think it is now time for someone else to enjoy it."

Richard added a "bonus" Royal Enfield story, one that has nothing to do with his little two-cycle RE 125.

"Back in 1960s my brother and I bought a 750cc Royal Enfield — advertised as the fastest stock motorcycle one could buy. And I guess that was true, once you got it started! It was an absolute pig to start: high compression, long stroke, big carbs, etc.

"I remember the dealer stating he would not sell that model Royal Enfield to anyone who weighed under 160 pounds. We sure had a love/ hate relationship with that Royal Enfield. We both had a few lumps on our shins to show the hate part. It liked to cough back on you to show it was a mean machine, I guess.

"We sold it some years later with not many miles on it."

What do you think? Did Richard and his brother keep the wrong Royal Enfield in the basement all those years?

The pictures capture the charm of this little machine but there are some details that could reflect the vagaries of import, titling, record keeping and replacement parts. Roy Bacon's book "Royal Enfield The Postwar Models" says the chrome plated rims, saddle springs and points cover, a longer toolbox and the angled speedometer and expansion exhaust pipe are 1948 features.

Asking price for the RE 125 is $4,850.

Standard color was black.

Royal Enfield too slow? This one was the slowest of all

The Royal Enfield Trim-Master Exerciser went no where fast.

Jorge Pullin's My Royal Enfields blog specializes in discovering unusual Royal Enfield products. One recent find was a tiny, top secret generator motor to be dropped from airplanes during World War II. You can picture the Maquis using it under the eyes of the Gestapo to radio London.

But here is a product labelled "Royal Enfield" that I'm reasonably sure Jorge doesn't know about:

The Royal Enfield Trim-Master Exerciser!

No, today is not April Fools Day. The Trim-Master really was offered for sale under the Royal Enfield brand by the G. Joannou bicycle company in the United States. It's in their 1983 catalog. You can read the complete catalog in the files section of the Bicycle Restoration Yahoo group.

Like all such exercise machines, you pedaled but got no where. Nevertheless, Trim-Master standard equipment included a speedometer, mileage indicator and timer.

The catalog says the exercise machine would promote "fitness," but what that really meant was that you planted your fat butt on the "Jumbo Padded Saddle" and worked off the spare tire around your middle.

It was available only in the appalling colors of Chocolate Brown and Vanilla Cream. Kind of odd that the colors were named for high-calorie treats!

U.S. firm offered a full range of Royal Enfield bicycles

George Joannou brought the Royal Enfield brand to U.S. bicycles.

The Royal Enfield brand's brief and mysterious appearance on bicycles in the United States in the 1970s and '80s led me to learn that they were imported (from Asian makers) and distributed by the G. Joannou Co. of New Jersey.

Thanks to a Royal Enfield motorcycle (and bicycle) enthusiast who signs himself Al in Philadelphia, much of the mystery is now solved. He pointed me to the Bicycle Restoration Yahoo group, which has posted a 1983 Royal Enfield bicycle catalog on the Internet.

The 1983 catalog identifies the G. Joannou Cycle Company, Inc. as "Exclusive Importers/Distributors" of Royal Enfield bicycles. The bikes were "Available immediately from both our Northvale, N.J. and Miami, Fla. warehouses."

The founder's photo appeared inside the front cover with this caption:

"George Joannou, world renown as the leading authority and original pioneer of Lightweight English bicycles to the United States, began importation of Bicycles to the U.S. in 1937. It was through his persistent drive that he was able to change the American consumer from a heavy-weight balloon tire bicycle to the Lightweight English design cycle which has gained popularity today.

"With his spirit and dedication to the bicycle industry, George Joannou built the ROYAL ENFIELD line as it is today."

While that may have been true, the catalog did offer a heavyweight beach cruiser with whitewall balloon tires, a Stingray-style children's bike and three BMX models, all of them distinctly American in appeal.

The range was broad rather than deep. There was something for everyone. (An additional factor to keep in mind is that many of these bicycles came in three sizes to fit humans of different heights. It makes for an extensive catalog.)

Prices ranged from $61.50 for the Gemini child's bicycle with training wheels to $335 for the 12-speed AERO Grand Prix.

The Village-Velo adult tricycle cost up to $145 for the top-of-the-line three-speed with coaster brake.

Brittany I, an English looking lightweight bicycle.

The Brittany I (men's) and Brittany II (women's) were the classic English three-speed models with "the Original Sturmey Archer 3/Speed hub for smooth shifting, upright tourist handlebars, and padded saddle."

The Village-Velo with three speeds and drum brake.

The Village-Velo tricycle got special attention as it was "originated by George Joannou, is often imitated but never duplicated." It was available in six colors, with single or three-speed transmission, and front caliper or drum brake.

Even the curious Compact folding model was in the catalog. It was available with one speed or three and in three colors and came standard with a rear rack and fenders.

The Compact folding bicycle was well equipped.

Clearly G. Joannou had ambitious hopes. Today, the company is known as Jamis Bicycles making a very wide range of bikes from cruisers to commuters to competition, fitness, mountain bikes and even "fixies." Some of their sophisticated frames are made of carbon-fiber!

But, unfortunately, none are the evocative "lightweight English" style I love and there are no oddities such as trikes or folding bicycles.

And whatever happened to the Royal Enfield name?

Royal Enfield Thunderbird takes its own road home

Does the new Royal Enfield Thunderbird make you angry?

Royal Enfield's new Thunderbird, for sale now in India, gets the fairest sounding review I've read so far from Aneesh Shivanekar in the Business Standard, out of Mumbai.

Entitled "Angry Bird," it celebrates the Thunderbird as just what many riders in India want while admitting that its feet-forward cruiser styling is not the Brit-bike heritage that others venerate.

Also, it's a better motorcycle in many respects, he writes. It deserves respect, even if digital dash, projector headlamp and standard back rest aren't your favorite flavors.

"It's certainly not beautiful but then, it's not bad looking either, is it?" Shivanekar writes. He recommends improving things by finding the prettiest girl possible for the passenger seat.

Beautiful in their own way are the rear disc brake, improved forks, swingarm and frame. The tank is bigger, so the new Thunderbird can go farther at faster speeds.

"Let's not forget that the Thunderbird's primary role, still, is touring and a lot of changes on this new Thunderbird are tailored to improve that experience," Shivanekar writes.

Not improved over other new Royal Enfields are the motor and transmission, which carry the Thunderbird faster than the previous model but not nearly fast enough to match American cruisers.

Shivanekar judges it fast enough for its home market.

"For a considerable percentage of our buying population, they wouldn't want anything else."

Good photos could help sell your Royal Enfield

This is an excellent photo of a Royal Enfield for sale.

This blog lists Royal Enfield motorcycles for sale in the United States if (and usually only if) the ad is accompanied by a photograph.

Some sellers provide fantastic photos of their motorcycles. Some sellers put a red pick-up truck and an overflowing garbage can in the background.

The temptation is to use the PhotoShop program to empty the trash can (by erasing the overflow) and turn the pick-up gray, so that it melts into the background. I admit I have done both to the pictures on this blog, to put the emphasis on the motorcycle.

Even more tempting is the occasional good photo that could be great with only a few alterations. I was captivated by the photo above of a Royal Enfield C5 for sale in Colorado. The young woman in the background was positioned perfectly, I thought, and the Continental Divide sign told you the location.

I erased the other vehicles in the parking lot, leaving the young woman and the sign or, sometimes, removing the sign.

Here's one version of the After picture:

Here's the same photo with distracting elements eliminated.

Which photo draws more attention to the ad? One is probably no better than the other. But I would rather look at the After picture.

It's fun, frankly, to play with other people's pictures. These are liberties I could never take when I was a photo editor for The Miami Herald newspaper. At the newspaper we used PhotoShop to crop and caption news and feature photographs, but altering them was taboo.

This was honest and ethical but I don't claim that we didn't influence what the photos showed.

First, talented photographers "edit in the viewfinder." Where they point the camera and when they push the button makes a big difference. And then there was editing. A photographer who shot two rolls off film (back when cameras used film!) captured 72 versions of the truth from an assignment. Only one would be chosen for the newspaper.

I'll never forget the time photographer Mike Stocker showed me two pictures of a woman holding a trophy.

"This is what it looked like when I got there," he said, showing me a picture of the woman and trophy inside a ridiculously disorganized and cluttered garage.

"And this is the picture," he said, showing me the finest photo you've ever seen of a woman holding a trophy. Mike had the woman stand just outside, in the light, and he turned off the light in the garage, creating a solid dark background behind her.

I'd argue that both photos were "true," but one was more effective than the other.

Was the Sparto tail light a Royal Enfield option?

An eye-catching tail light became cause for discussion.

A 1959 Indian Apache for sale on eBay recently attracted attention of the Royal Enfield Interceptor Owners Group on Yahoo. The Apache was a powerful, twin-cylinder motorcycle, built by Royal Enfield in England for sale under the Indian brand name in America.

One of the topics that came up related to the unusual looking tail light on this Apache.

Its shape immediately struck me as best described with a vulgar two-word reference to a particular organ of the male body, in its relaxed state.

It turns out that "limp dick tail light" is in fact a common way to refer to this style. It's also referred to as a Sparto tail light.

Sparto was a maker of automotive parts in England. Its lights and lenses of various styles ended up on many British products and it must have served the after market as well, because the limp-dick Sparto became popular on the bobbed fenders of  American style choppers. Reproductions are still sold.

In this case, however, the Madison, Wis. seller of the 1959 Apache stated that the Sparto tail light was a "factory option."

That drew some questions.Apaches were meant for scrambles, and would have had light, quickly removable tail lights, one member suggested. Other Apaches seen have had Lucas tail light assemblies. Catalog photos don't seem to show the Sparto.

So, there!

Except, a few days later, a 1958 Apache showed up on eBay for sale in Crystal Falls, Mich.

Another Apache with the same tail light.

It "has the same droopy looking cast alloy tail light we discussed previously on another Apache," a member of the Yahoo group noted.

Silence ensued. What an odd coincidence.

But perhaps it's not so mysterious after all. Things in life that are supposed to be "removable" are far more likely to be lost, stolen, damaged or missing in the first place than items delivered firmly attached. Would the "factory" have objected if customers who wanted lights got whatever lights fell to hand at the point of sale?

For that purpose, the Sparto would have been in the right place at the right time.

Royal Enfield tricycles came to U.S. from Japan

The Made-In-Japan sticker is easy to read on this Royal Enfield tricycle.

Royal Enfield Quality bicycles so often found in the U.S. today were made in Japan, if you believe the silver stickers still found on some of the bicycles.

Now we know the same is true of the tricycles that bear the "Royal Enfield Quality Bicycle" badge on their headstock. The Kansas City, Mo. seller of a Royal Enfield three-wheeler provided a photograph of the "Made In Japan" sticker in his ad.

Obviously, he considered it a selling point.

This same seller asserted that his tricycle was produced by the "same company that made the Royal Enfield motorcycles." That is not true.

Royal Enfield tricycle was built in Japan.

Royal Enfield push bike construction at Redditch, England ended in the late 1960s as did Royal Enfield motorcycle production there. Motorcycle production in Madras (Chennai), India continued after Redditch closed but the Royal Enfield brand name for bicycles traveled to a Birmingham firm and then overseas.

Carine Joannou told us that her family's G. Joannou Cycle Co., based in the U.S., held the trademark for Royal Enfield bicycles from 1975 through 1977 and imported the bicycles and tricycles. Without checking old records it was her recollection (she was a teenager at the time) that they were produced in Taiwan.

Tricycle bears the Royal Enfield Quality Bicycle badge.

The stickers say Japan. Close enough.

This blog is proud of having pursued this minor historical point endlessly, wrestled it to the ground and crushed every last drop of interest from it. My apologies for boring readers with this. Just wanted to set the record straight.

Royal Enfield Bullet with rigid rear end looks sleek

The skin-tight rear fender of a rigid motorcycle looks crisp and clean.

A Royal Enfield Bullet with a rigid rear end looks extra sleek. The retro, rigid rear end conversion engineered by Hitchcocks motorcycles for the Bullet looks great.

Of course, like any rigid conversion, it eliminates the comfort and road holding of the standard swing-arm rear suspension.

In Classic Motorcycle Mechanics author Tim Britton recently noted the irony of fitting a rigid rear end to the Bullet. It was the post-war Royal Enfield Bullet that famously demonstrated the advantages of the swinging arm rear suspension.

Why would you choose to go back in time? Well, going back in time has been the Bullet's specialty, as it has changed so little over the many decades since World War II. The temptation obviously exists to push it a little farther into the past, to its Model G forebears.

If your backbone can stand a beating for the sake of styling it might be worth considering.

You could obtain all the pain of riding rigid by simply replacing the rear shocks and springs of your Bullet with suitable struts. But you wouldn't have the genuine vintage look of the Hitchcocks bike.

Hitchcocks catalog shows that you need more than just the subframe.

As you can see from the catalog pages, the proper conversion involves not only the rigid subframe but an "essential" rear carrier, rear mudguard and even a new chain guard. A retro license plate carrier, single saddle, headlamp, levers, top yoke and speedometer complete the look. Components arrive unpainted.

Oh, so you thought buying a time machine would be cheap?

The rigid rear is shown fitted to an older Bullet, not the new Unit Constructed Engine model. Here's a video of the Hitchcocks rigid.

Royal Enfield cafe racer: The line forms in the U.S.

Royal Enfield's cafe racer is due in 2013.

Excited about the coming Royal Enfield cafe racer? You can't buy one yet, but you can get in line.

Dealer Royal Enfield of Fort Worth is taking names of customers interested in purchasing the motorcycle when it arrives in 2013.

The online form cautions that "this form does not guarantee you a bike, but it does reserve a spot in line!"

The dealer refers to the cafe racer as a "limited edition." High demand for Royal Enfields in India probably qualifies almost any new model as a limited edition, since there will not initially be enough to go around.

Even record setting production hasn't met demand, and construction of a second factory is planned.

In the United States, where Royal Enfield is far less well known, the supply of cafe racers may be adequate. Or it might not. Want one? There's no harm getting in line early. Contact your dealer.

Cafe racer with approving audience.

Old motorcycles for sale; can you spot the Flying Flea?

This load of vintage motorcycles includes a rare Royal Enfield.

Can you spot the Royal Enfield Flying Flea amid this hoard of old motorcycles offered for sale on CraigsList  in rural Eubank, Ken.?

What you see here is just a small part of the "70 or so" barn fresh motorcycles rounded up for sale. The seller mentions Honda, Indian, Motobi, Harley-Davidson, Wards Riverside, Sears Allstate, Jawa — and, of course, the Royal Enfield Flying Flea.

I am not sure what model of the little Royal Enfield two-stroke it might be. They all end up being called "Flying Flea," a nickname for the wartime model dropped by parachute during World War II.

Civilian models are more commonly found, perhaps not having been thrown out of airplanes.

To my eye, the key to spotting this Flea are its girder forks and distinctive round toolbox.

Blow-up shows the Flying Flea.

Royal Enfield folding bicycle an oddity seen in U.S.

Before it went out of business in Britain, Royal Enfield made a wide variety of bicycles. But the factory in Redditch, England, hardly matched the breadth of bicycle designs imported from Asia to the United States under the Royal Enfield name.

There were cruising bicycles, BMX style bikes and — most remarkably — tricycles.

There's yet another kind of old Royal Enfield bicycle that comes up for resale frequently in America: the folding bicycle. Here's one for sale on CraigsList near Chicago, Ill.

This Royal Enfield folding bicycle looks almost new.

It appears that these "Royal Enfield Quality Bicycle" models were imported from Asia by the G. Joannou Cycle Co., headquartered in the U.S. The New Jersey company held the trademark for Royal Enfield bicycles from 1975 through 1977.

The Royal Enfield folding bicycles I've seen in ads are always in surprisingly good shape. They appear hardly used. I suspect this is a comment on the actual utility of a folding bicycle. Once folded and put away, hardly anyone ever bothers to go to the trouble to unfold and use it.

Hinge of folding bicycle.

Folding bicycles save (some) room but weigh just as much and perhaps more than standard bicycles. Once folded they can no longer be rolled around; they must be hefted. You wouldn't carry one of these very far in your arms.

Although the folding Royal Enfield bicycles pictured in ads look almost new, their general design gives them away. Full fenders, long chainguards and metal badges instead of cheap decals mark them as products of the past.

The Royal Enfield folding design is characterized by a single, long, curved bar stretching from headstock to seat. This must be immensely strong as there is no secondary reinforcing bar to prevent the bicycle going all willowy. This is especially the case as the hinge that allows the bike to fold is in this bar. The single bar has the advantage that there thus need be only one hinge to lock into place.

Tricycle shares similar shape but doesn't fold.

The long single bar, curving like the neck of a swan, is a distinctive feature of the Royal Enfield tricycle design as well. Obviously, the tricycle needed a step-through design so women riders could take it shopping. Other tricycle manufacturers nonetheless typically incorporate a second, low reinforcing bar to add strength.

I suspect the Royal Enfield tricycle lacks the second bar precisely because it shares its single-bar manufacture with the folding bicycle.

Folding bicycles might work for someone who wants to pack them along in a camper, airplane or yacht. But the original Royal Enfield company in Redditch had what I consider a far better idea: the Revelation.

This was an adult bicycle with small wheels. A commuter could easily roll the Revelation into a subway train or the corner of the office and forget it. There was no need to get greasy operating the hinge and huffing the bicycle into folded position.

Royal Enfield Revelation didn't fold; still small.

Royal Enfield Battle Green sidecar looks battle ready

This Royal Enfield sidecar outfit looks ready for combat.

I recently saluted a very military looking Royal Enfield Desert Storm equipped with a sidecar by Scoots4U in Crystal Lake, Ill.

What I liked about that sidecar combination was its stripped down, army issue look, with a prominent grab handle for the sidecar passenger.

But here's a geared-up Royal Enfield Battle Green motorcycle with Inder sidecar offered on CraigsList by  Royal Enfield of Fort Worth. From the olive drab tool bag on the forks to the painted spokes (even on the sidecar wheel), it looks ready to report for duty.

This thing just looks so butch. Seeing it photographed from a low angle I just can't help thinking "Sherman tank."

Even the fork bag looks army issue.

One touch of genius: the tool bag on the forks is all zippers and straps and pockets and pulls. I recently went camping with an army surplus back pack. I don't know why soldiers need so many compartments, but they've got 'em if they want 'em.

The sidecar is actually surprisingly plush looking, with padded arm rests. The ad says this is "custom upholstery." It looks good and somehow doesn't detract from the overall military look.

No soldier ever had it this good.

This is a custom job. Price is $12,995. Phone number for information is 214-629-4011.