Is this the Royal Enfield actor James Dean rode?

 Update: It's not the one. But read on...

No sooner do I do an item on the rare Royal Enfield J2 motorcycle actor James Dean rode than a Royal Enfield J2 shows up for sale on eBay in Owego, N.Y.

Is it this the same Royal Enfield motorcycle Dean sold after breaking down near Harrisburg, Penn. — just 180 miles away — in 1953? No one knows what happened to Dean's motorcycle.

Thanks to research by author/historian Lee Raskin, we do now know that Dean's Royal Enfield was serial number J2/7484. The eBay seller doesn't list a serial number and hasn't yet responded to a phone call I placed to him.

He listed his motorcycle as a 1952, whereas Dean's J2 is thought to be a 1951. But the seller says he has no title or registration material available, so the date given may be approximate. The seller says his J2 has been in his garage for 30 years. That would account for a huge chunk of the time Dean's motorcycle has been missing.

The Buy It Now price for the non-running J2 on eBay is $2,000. Depending on its serial number, that could be one heck of a bargain price. A motorcycle owned and ridden by the famous actor is certainly worth more than that.

Do you own the Royal Enfield James Dean rode? hor finds serial number once thought lost

Royal Enfield J2 as seen in Roy Bacon's book "Royal Enfield: The Postwar Models"

The true story of actor James Dean's wintery dash across the United States on his Royal Enfield motorcycle is told in author Lee Raskin's book James Dean: At Speed.

Now it turns out there is more to the story.

Raskin has discovered the serial number of the Royal Enfield motorcycle Dean rode from Indiana to Pennsylvania in the winter of 1953-'54.

Dean was on his way from a visit to his home in Indiana back to New York City, where he was appearing in a play. It was bitter cold. Raskin writes that Dean wore an aviator's leather helmet and a hood to cover his face, with just slits for the eyes.

Dean blew the engine near Harrisburg, Penn.

The motorcycle was not a Royal Enfield 500 twin, as Raskin originally thought, but a very rare bird: a 1951 Royal Enfield J2. That's a 500cc single-cylinder motorcycle with TWO exhaust ports and, thus, twin mufflers.

It's an unusual design. If you own one you own a rare and desirable motorcycle. If you own one and it's the one James Dean rode, it would be a rare and desirable and, now, very valuable motorcycle.

So, if you own a Royal Enfield J2 maybe you should sit down before you read the next paragraph.

Raskin says the serial number of the motorcycle Dean rode is J2/7484. He writes:

"I have a copy of original document that verifies the VIN as J2/7484, a 1951 Royal Enfield J2, 449cc. Purchased used on Nov. 30, 1953 from Marvin Carter of Carter Motors, Fairmount, Ind. for $395. Signed by James Dean.

"The RE might still be out there. If known, contact Lee Raskin, author and historian at Lee@leeraskin.com

"It is possible that this original invoice may be going up for auction... If it is, the document will be highly publicized as it contains James Dean's signature."

Dean's love of motorcycles and cars is completely documented in James Dean: At Speed. Raskin meticulously details what happened to the vehicles Dean rode and drove during his life. The book is gorgeously illustrated, but there is no picture of Dean with his Royal Enfield.

Now, someday soon, we may at least get to see what the motorcycle looks like.

James Dean: At Speed is available on Amazon.com, eBay or directly through the author, Lee Raskin, who will sign and inscribe books on request. Contact the author at Lee@leeraskin.com for price and shipping information.

If only there was a photo of James Dean with his Royal Enfield motorcycle

Royal Enfield motorcycles remain relatively little known in the United States. Imagine how different things would be if there was a picture of the young James Dean, posing with his Royal Enfield motorcycle?

Dean's powerful persona lives on in his films and, especially, in the iconic still photographs made of him. It hardly seems possible that a man who died so young (and made relatively few motion pictures) had time to impress such powerful visual images on our collective memories. It turns out there was a method to it.

Dean's striking looks and love of motorcycles and cars are amply documented in James Dean: At Speed, Lee Raskin's gorgeously illustrated book about Dean's life and his vehicles.

In an appearance recently on Jay Leno's Garage, Raskin revealed Dean's secret; part of it, at least.

Why is the actor's racing life so well preserved in photographs, right up to his death in the crash of his Porsche Spyder? The reason, Raskin tells Leno, is that Dean made sure there were cameras around. In fact, the color photos of his final drive were made with Dean's own camera, brought along for the occasion.

You can watch Jay Leno's complete interview with Raskin here:



The pictures of Dean racing in Raskin's book blend together nicely in the mind's eye with movie stills from Rebel Without a Cause. The actor burned the crisp, cool image of the young man in the leather jacket onto film. Every indication is that this is how he wanted to be seen.

Dean wasn't always so savvy. James Dean: At Speed details the stirring story of the actor's nearly frozen dash across the United States on his Royal Enfield in the winter of 1953-'54.

Raskin writes that Dean wore an aviator's leather helmet and a hood to cover his face, with just slits for the eyes.

Royal Enfield would be a lot better known if a photograph existed from that epic ride.

James Dean: At Speed is available on Amazon.com, Ebay or directly through the author, Lee Raskin, who will sign and inscribe books on request. Contact the author at lee@leeraskin.com for price and shipping information.

Book details Dean's Royal Enfield ride

In the winter of 1953-'54, actor James Dean dashed across the frozen Midwest on his Royal Enfield 500 twin motorcycle. I discovered the story in the book James Dean: At Speed, by Lee Raskin. After I recounted the tale on this blog, author Raskin wrote with his thoughts about Dean's almost fool hardy ride.

"Thanks for including the whole story of James Dean's brief but exciting ride from Fairmount, Ind. to Harrisburg, Penn. and including a great map! This was a previously unpublished story, verified by a tape recording from the owner of Hunzinger's Motorcycles in Harrisburg, Penn. to Dean historian Phil Zeigler of Fairmount, Ind. (Dean's hometown).

"It was a long, extremely cold ride that many of us would not have attempted. Jimmy ran the bike hard once he got on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The RE wasn't ready for Jimmy's red lining yet!"

James Dean: At Speed meticulously details what happened to the vehicles Dean rode and drove during his life. Unfortunately, the VIN of the Royal Enfield isn't known.

"Wouldn't it be sweet if the RE was rediscovered somehow!" Raskin wrote. He added:

"Jimmy's cousin, Mark Winslow found Jimmy's Triumph 500 TT high pipe with a VIN search and restored it to original condition. That bike is on display in Fairmount and its photo is in the book.

"James Dean: At Speed is the first accurate book to verify and list every motor bike and motorcycle that he ever owned. No, he never owned a Harley-D or a Norton or a Vespa scooter like so many authors before me alluded to," Raskin said.

"Attribution is so important if you want to be the best historian possible — especially when archiving cars and bikes."

James Dean: At Speed is available on Amazon.com, eBay or directly through the author, Lee Raskin, who will sign and inscribe books on request. The special price is $30, including shipping to U.S. For Europe and other continents shipping is at set postal rates. Contact the author at lee@leeraskin.com

James Dean rode Royal Enfield across U.S.

Actor James Dean rode a Royal Enfield motorcycle across the Eastern United States. He made it where he was going but the motorcycle did not.

No one knows what happened to the Royal Enfield.

The story of James Dean and his Royal Enfield 500 twin is in the book James Dean: At Speed, by Lee Raskin. It's a short story, but with a lot of interesting details about the actor who epitomized '50s cool, loved speed and eventually died in his Porsche.

According to Raskin, Dean's first adventure with motorized speed was on his 125cc CZ motorcycle. At 15 he was the only kid in the small town of Fairmount, Ind. to have his own motorcycle. He rode fast and performed stunts.

He loved that motorcycle but in December, 1953 he traded it for a used Royal Enfield 500cc vertical twin. It may have been a 1950 model, Raskin writes. Dean was 22 years old and had dropped out of college to pursue acting. He'd had roles on television, walk-on movie appearances and been chosen for the prestigious Actors Studio in New York City. He had only two more years to live, but he was about to get his big break.

Dean was in Fairmount on Christmas break from rehearsing for the play The Immoralist. Positive reviews of this 1954 production would bring the important calls from Hollywood. But, first, Dean planned to ride the Royal Enfield from Indiana back to New York City. Obviously, since he had to get back to work and the weather was cold, this wasn't going to be a pleasure trip.

The actor outfitted himself with an aviator's leather helmet and a hood to cover his face against the cold, with just slits for the eyes.

Dean was told that the Royal Enfield's motor had just been rebuilt and would need to be run in. Maybe he took it easy, maybe he didn't. But, when trouble came, he was on the Pennsylvania Turnpike — a high-speed road — so perhaps he was impatient.

Somewhere near Carlisle, Penn., in subfreezing temperatures, the Royal Enfield began loosing power. Just outside of Harrisburg the engine stopped and Dean coasted to the side of the road. The state police called for help and Paul Roof of Hunzinger Motorcycles came to get Dean and the Royal Enfield. The problem was a burnt exhaust valve.

Since getting parts would take a few days, Roof offered to feed Dean at his home, and found him a room in a boarding house. Dean admired a Indian Warrior TT that was on sale at Hunzinger's and decided to trade. Roof valued the broken Royal Enfield at $300 and Dean sent for $400 from his acting wages.

When the money and title to the Royal Enfield came in the mail, Dean completed the deal for the Indian and finished his trip. He had the Indian serviced at a garage in Greenwich Village, where aspiring actor Steve McQueen worked as a mechanic. But that is another story.

1951 Royal Enfield 500 Twin

Raskin says no one knows the VIN number of Dean's Royal Enfield or what became of it. Dean covered about 550 miles on the Royal Enfield.