Funny ads for used Royal Enfields

What a lovely photo this would have been if the motorcycle had been pulled another few feet out of the garage!

 Goofy CraigsList ads for Royal Enfield motorcycles don't bother me. 

I enjoy the amusement of reading advertisements from sellers who don't know, don't care, or who -- sometimes -- deliberately exaggerate what they have. 

In the course of a few days of watching Royal Enfield motorcycles advertised for sale, I'll certainly come across examples like these: 

1. So-called "cafe racers" that have ape-hanger handlebars.

It's a "cafe" the advertisement claimed.

2. "Like new" bikes with "only a few" scratches.

3. "Used bikes" not even a year old with single-digit mileage and low prices. Can these be real? Did the seller research asking prices before listing the ad? Is there a catch?

4. "Restored" bikes with enormous asking prices: $10,000 for an old Bullet?

5. Over-restored "1965" Bullets with front license plates from India and zero miles on the (obviously brand new) odometers.

6. Bikes with broken electric start, described as an "easy fix." (It's not.)

What is the seller trying to suggest by including the garbage can?

7. "Always garaged" bikes posed next to a seller's garbage cans.

8. An INT 650 described as a "650 International."

9. A beautiful bike posed with a messy garage.

10. Too much information: "Been dropped twice both. First owner was in there garage and 2nd was my wife in our drive way. She is to short to put her foot down hahaha."

11. Royal Enfield described as originally a maker of military weapons.

(Royal Enfield courted this distinction, with its "Made Like a Gun" motto and the "Enfield" association with the royal armory, but it was barely true. During the world wars the UK company made armaments aplenty, but these were not the original products of a firm that started as a maker of needles and grew up as a bicycle business.)

12. And my all-time favorite: Royal Enfields described as "Infields." This is certainly a mistake caused by Americans' familiarity with baseball infields.

"Infield" is probably not a deliberate attempt to describe a Royal Enfield made in India. Thus "In-Field."

That would almost make sense.

And here's one contributed by a reader, and boy, is he ever right:

13. You forgot- "ran when parked." These listings are generally for bikes that have sat at least 30 years. LOL

And here it is, a CraigsList ad that I recall I listed here on my blog back when I first started it, almost two decades ago. With this EXACT SAME PHOTO.

The seller states, in his most recent ad, that it "Ran fine last time I started it ten years ago."

Great old Royal Enfield adverts online

 Looking for something else on the Internet, I recently came across Rockers Bike Ads, a "Pre-1980 Database of British Motor Cycle Adverts." 

What a treasure trove for any fan of vintage British motorcycles. 

The extravagant collection of old-timey advertisements introduces itself this way: 

"Rockers Bike Ads is a non-profit resource for Motor Cycle enthusiasts and you're welcome to request free high res copies of the images by using the send ads link at the foot of each image. 

"Put simply this is a searchable database of (primarily) pre-1980 British Motor Cycle Industry advertisements classified by Manufacturer, Year and Product type. All material is sourced from original literature in my personal collection." 

Whose personal collection? Although the website doesn't say so, I suspect the powerhouse behind it is James Robinson, editor of The Classic Motor Cycle magazine and a prolific author of books on historic motorcycles.

I searched the database for "Enfield" and was rewarded with 509 vintage Royal Enfield advertisements to enjoy. 

Searching is a bit tricky: you are warned that the search function looks for exact matches, so don't get fancy. Keep your search keywords simple for best results.

It seems that it will find a 1931 image if you search dates between 1930 and 1932 but, oddly, might not find it if you search between 1925 and 1935! Quirky. Also I am not sure the offer of a high res image on request still stands -- I tried it and never heard back.

An impressive feature of the database is that the source and date of publication accompanies each image. This is a historical research tool at its best.

Paging through all those Royal Enfield advertisements from the past I found a bunch of favorites and some real oddities.

We've seen a photo of that girl in white before!

Image Number 17365 is from Motor Cycling magazine of Nov. 12, 1930, and touts the "FAST!" Royal Enfields in store for the 1931 model year.

This ad is illustrated with an unlikely drawing of an exuberant young woman riding a fast Royal Enfield.

The drawing is total fantasy, but it was no doubt inspired by a Royal Enfield factory photo found on the Hitchcocks Motorcycles website.

Model poses in Royal Enfield photo shoot for its 1931 motorcycles.

Another interesting example: Image 13486 is from Motor Cycling magazine of Oct. 19, 1944.

It features artwork of a gun crew of World War II in action but, in the background is a Bell P-39 fighter plane.

Although shown in RAF livery, the P-39 Airacobra was an American made airplane.

Artillery piece is a 2-pounder anti-tank gun.

Britain ordered hundreds of Airacobras from the U.S., but wasn't impressed with them, quickly passing them along to the Soviet Union. Only one RAF squadron, No. 601, operated the Airacobra, and not for long.

The plane is pretty distinctive, because its engine was behind the pilot instead of in the nose, requiring an air scoop behind the cockpit.

601 Squadron lines up. Note the air scoop behind the cockpit.

Why show this oddball plane rather than a more distinctly British fighter? It's fun to speculate. Maybe just because it's an eye-catching airplane?

The open mobile gun carriage shown in the ad matched no vehicle of World War II I knew of. Members of the Historic Military Vehicle Forum immediately identified it as a 2-pounder gun riding on a portee. 

What is a portee? It's exactly what you see in the ad. In search of a definition I quickly found the very photo that must have inspired the ad artwork.

The photo, in the collections of the Imperial War Museum, shows a New Zealand gun crew in North Africa, on Dec. 3, 1941.

New Zealand 2-pounder gun in North Africa, 1941.
(Copyright IWM E 3734E)

Rockers Bike Ads is given as the source for the book, "Royal Enfield Motor Cycle Advertisements 1906-1966," by David Robinson. The book is available from Amazon. 

The book is an impressive 418 pages. It claims:

"The Royal Enfield edition includes over 400 advertisements, complete with original publication dates and reference numbers tied to the Rockers Bike Ads database. While the company's broader history is well-documented, this collection offers a fresh and captivating way to trace its evolution through two world wars and shifting economic conditions.

"You'll discover how press adverts reflected the economic climate and regulations of the time, such as post-war petrol rationing and the rise of cycle-motors and sub-250cc motorcycles. Early advertisements highlight reliability, while later ones focus on performance and sporting achievements.

"Occasionally, themes like fuel economy and weather protection appear, though actual progress with the latter making few advances due to buyer resistance on visual appearance grounds. These adverts also highlight the minimal changes in fundamental motorcycle design over seven decades.

"Images are reproduced in grayscale, as they originally appeared, but with original full color adverts clearly marked as such."

Other books by David Robinson include collections of advertisements by motorcycle makers Francis-Barnett, BSA, Ariel, Norton and others.

In this video about his book on Triumph motorcycle history, Robinson credits the Mortons Archive (another excellent choice of images) as his source.

He also has collected historical advertisements for such aviation greats as de Havilland, and even RAF recruitment ads, based on a separate aviation database.

Old Royal Enfield magazine cover still captures the joy

Royal Enfield and happy rider on magazine cover.

The Royal Enfield Bullet and smiling rider on their way to the Isle of Man on the cover of the June, 1950 copy of Motorcycling magazine perfectly captures how I felt when I bought my 1999 Bullet.

I spotted this cover for sale on eBay in Pennsylvania.

The image is so perfect, in fact, that I attempted to recreate it — with my Bullet and me on the cover.

I used a photo my daughter Anna took of me on the motorcycle, distorting it somewhat to more-or-less fit.

The photo is distorted in another way, as well. While the original rider was clearly at speed, Anna photographed me at zero miles per hour. If I was moving I would be wearing my helmet.

I should have buttoned the jacket!

Same cover, different happy rider.

Royal Enfields sold well in the U.S. after World War II

Miami dealer claimed to have sold 1,000 Royal Enfields after World War II,
but by the time this ad ran in 1948, he was clearing out stock.

"SALE SALE SALE ROYAL ENFIELD 125 CC Cycles for only $99. Buy the 350 CC for only $199."

That was the top of a classified ad placed in The Miami Herald on Oct. 29, 1948 by the R.S. Evans dealership in Miami, Fla. Sounds good. According to one inflation calculator that's less than $1,000 for the 125cc model and less than $2,000 for the 350cc.

But there were some drawbacks.

"These are full prices," the ad went on. "Some repairs needed. Some of these machines never sold. We sold over 1,000 at $269 to $599. First come — first served."

Obviously the dealership was now clearing out its stock of unsold and returned Royal Enfields.

These Royal Enfields were the 125cc Model RE (Flying Flea) and the 350cc Model G, imported to the U.S. in the first "British invasion" that followed World War II.

Perhaps the post-war seller's market of 1946 was over by 1948. Or was it just the Miami market that had been saturated? If R.S. Evans really did sell more than 1,000 Royal Enfields in the years immediately following the end of the war in 1945 it probably did fulfill any pent-up demand.

Post-war imports of Royal Enfields had begun hopefully, as illustrated by a bigger "display" ad from R.S. Evans in The Miami Herald of Aug. 18, 1946.

In 1946 brand new motorcycles had a lot of appeal
to customers who had done without during the war.

On offer then were "1946 Models," the ad trumpets. The 125cc model features a "Villierns motor." (Probably they meant it the Royal Enfield motor had a Villiers carburetor.) The 350cc is nicely equipped if it really did come with a buddy seat and saddle bags.

My inflation calculator indicates that the advertised $269 for the 125cc Model RE and $469 for the Model G equates to around $3,300 and $5,700 respectively in 2016 dollars.

Not cheap. This makes today's models, with rear suspension and a better front brake, look like the real bargains.

Royal Enfield logo reminds one man of tissue brand

See something familiar on this box of tissues?

Royal Enfield's new brand logo, introduced May 9, 2014, brought comparisons to an elephant's trunk, with the "R" wrapping into the "O" in "Royal."

Perhaps it was meant to acknowledge the brand's home in India. The company said the opposite: "Our logo is now fresher, more vibrant and contemporary — while rigidly holding on to its British-motorcycling roots."

Whatever its intent, Royal Enfield was certainly not hoping to make people think of blowing their noses.

Royal Enfield's brand logo, introduced in 2014.

But that is what Jasvir Chahal of Canada might have been thinking when he reached for a Royale brand tissue.

"I noticed the logo on it looked familiar. So I Googled Enfield's new logo. It seems Royal Enfield may have gotten the idea from Royale tissues," he wrote me.

Royale also makes paper hand towels and (you knew this was coming) toilet paper. Replying to my question on Twitter, the company said it has been using its current logo since 2012.

Royale has been making toilet paper for more than 50 years. The company is best known for the images of cute cats it uses on its products. Its Tiger Towel paper towels are "Tiger Strong" while its bathroom tissues are described as "Kitten'y Soft."

Cute kittens mark Royale brand products.

The company is "Purr-Oudly Canadian," with offices in New Brunswick.

While there are similarities in the "R" and the "O," the Royal Enfield logo is more colorful and complex and uses upper case letters instead of caps and lower case. It hints at having serifs. The Royale font is all sophisticated simplicity, using a minimum of color.

And then there is this: the combination of capital "R" and "O" seems almost obvious. It can probably be found elsewhere. But there is nothing obvious or natural about the combination of "L" and "D" at the close of the Royal Enfield logo.

Although it calls no undue attention to itself, that combination of "L" and and "D" perfectly closes the logo, balancing the heavy "R-O" combination. That's original work.

Girl in Royal Enfield ad revealed more than she knew

Racy looking ad for the 1970 Royal Enfield Interceptor.
But the ad copy was about the motorcycle, not the girl!

Royal Enfield waited until 1969 to enter the Swingin' Sixties. It did so with an impressive new motorcycle, the Interceptor Mark II. It was so hot it had an oil cooler as standard equipment. And atop the new motorcycle perched a young woman in hot pants.

Revolutionary!

For one thing, she was real a woman. The ad featured a photograph instead of the idealized drawing of wife or girlfriend in previous Royal Enfield ads of the postwar era.

This woman was young, frightfully slim, long legged and long haired; attractive in the ways the youth culture of the day valued pretty women. A "bird" in Britain, a "chick" in the U.S. But in some ways, she was more.

For one thing her smile looked sincere, instead of vacant. She seemed, oddly, engaged in what she was doing. She is girl-next-door relaxed and at home despite the knee length boots and uncomfortable posture.

Maybe this was because she actually knew where she was, and what a Royal Enfield Interceptor was.

Royal Enfield enthusiast Chis Overton, of Canada, was 17 when he first saw the ad.

"I recall thinking 'the RE managers are going cheap and trying to do their own ads.  I bet the model is someone’s daughter.'

Norton models of the time were in full color and professionally made up.
Smarmy ad copy suggested the motorcycle wasn't all you'd get to ride.

"Actually, the model worked in the office and had some experience modelling. She was married to one of the production workers.

"A few years ago she was still living in Bath. Maurice Mumford (former Royal Enfield employee and a fellow member of the Royal Enfield Interceptor Owners Group) knew her and I asked him to invite her to one of our rallies. She declined."

Yes, it was a bargain basement ad shoot. At the time, Norton was using color photos of professional models for its "Norton Girls" ads. BSA had cheesy color ads of girls in bikinis at the beach.

Royal Enfield's model was just a local girl who was willing to pose on a motorcycle in the Shipping Department, never expecting her image would survive half a century on the Internet.

The full photo is on the Burton Bike Bits website.
Looks like she's having a lark, as a day off work might be.

"We Only Supply the Bike," was the ad copy. In the ad you couldn't really see what was behind her. But the full photos are on the Burton Bike Bits website and they tell a detailed story. The background is shipping crates full of Interceptors, with some numbers visible.

Overton has figured out what the numbers mean.

"The only crate number clear in the ad is 1740, which would not have been significant other than, by the time I saw the (full) photo, I owned  No. 1734 and serial numbers were on my mind," he wrote.

"The wall is 10 crates wide and four crates high. It is probable the 40 crates comprise 1704 to 1746, with 1711, 1712, and 1732 missing from the sequence because they were shipped in early July and never stockpiled," Overton wrote the Interceptor Owners Group.

"Most of the bikes went to Canada and I have seen at least six of them, including my 1734, Ole's 1743 at the bottom left, and two bikes that belong to a single collector in Vancouver. They were all crated on 4, 11, and 18 July, 1969.

"Bill Bath owns 1711 which was shipped to Elite with 1712. When Bill moved to Houston, Texas the bike was returned to the factory in August and re-crated. He subsequently destroyed the engine landing jumps, and replaced the engine. No. 1712 may have stayed in the UK. No. 1732 went to a well known dealer in Vancouver, BC.

"For the left half of the wall, enough numbers show, and in sequence, that I have high confidence in the numbers of the crates. Numbers are not legible in the right half but, after seeing Maurice's Westwood ledgers, it is a reasonable assumption the number sequence goes down to 1704 in the bottom right corner. Long explanation — trust me.

"If the number sequence holds, two bikes in the seventh column from the left are in Canada. Full dispatch data exists for the left half, with the next two columns going to Alberta Cycle but no date, and the last three columns no destination, dealer or date."

Second shot was racier still, with model wearing  Royal Enfield tank badges.
"Go Interceptor" poster has been added behind her.

Remarkable. But — excuse me, who was that young woman?

Maurice remembers that her married name was Marlene Moor. She has since passed away, he told the Interceptor Owners Group.


UPDATE: On May 9, 2020 the following Comment appeared on this blog item:

Hi, My name is Niki Ryan, I am the daughter of the model 'We only supply the bike'! My friend just found this post and forwarded it to me. Her name was not Marlene Moore — it is Elen Moore (Elenora Moore). It is so wonderful to see this and has made me quite emotional. Mum was a wonderful, kind and beautiful woman, loved by everyone that met her. Thank you for remembering my lovely mum - the original Royal Enfield Girl!

That enabled me to find Mrs. Moore's obituary. She died April 1, 2012. Arrangements were by a funeral home in Bradford on Avon, not far from the underground Westwood factory storage room  where her photo was taken.

Her image lives on.

Royal Enfield ad sought to restore the spirits

Royal Enfield ad tugged at the heartstrings.

Advertising copywriters like to tug at our heartstrings, and vintage Royal Enfield ads certainly did.

Among the examples in the Vintage Motorcycle Art Archive on Flickr is one in particular.

"Recapture Pre-War Rapture on a Royal Enfield Motorcycle," it urges. The illustration is of a man leaning on a Royal Enfield as he and a female companion enjoy watching gliders soar through the air.

The gliders themselves signify a peaceful use of airplanes. The fact that the bombing is over tells us this is a post-war advertisement — but only just. The advertising copy refers to "the intensive work demanded by to-day's production programme."

Hardships persist as England tries to work itself out of wartime debt by manufacturing and exporting such goods as motorcycles.

But "Royal Enfield riders can journey to scenes of natural beauty, or sporting accomplishment, which will help to recapture that carefree atmosphere of pre-war days."

The ad notes that "The Royal Enfield motorcycle illustrated is the 125cc Model RE. A two-stroke which weighs only 130 pounds and provides a petrol consumption of over 100 mpg."

So, no need to fear for the budget, not with Royal Enfield.

A lame ad by modern standards? Not much sex appeal, is there? Rapture? Hardly any.

What strikes me is the sense of loss and injury the ad acknowledges and seeks to exploit. The world war would have made these feelings almost universal. Somehow, riding a motorcycle is supposed to repair the damage done and fill the empty places in the spirit.

A two-stroke popcorn popper like the Model RE would seem hard pressed to redress these injuries. Thankfully, that is what motorcycles have always done best.

Great old ads in Vintage Motorcycle Art Archive

Royal Enfield: The motorcycle that excels all others.

My favorite source for fantastic vintage Royal Enfield and other old-time motorcycle advertisements is now the Vintage Motorcycle Art Archive on Flickr.

Created by "bullittmcqueen" it contains 2,153 ads and artwork of familiar makes such as Triumph, BSA, Harley-Davidson and Indian and others less familiar (Ardie, Iver Johnson, Raliegh, Reading Standard).

Surprisingly, even Brough Superior found it wise to place carefully illustrated advertisements.

Artwork in the Vintage Motorcycle Art Archive dates nearly from the invention of the motorcycle through the postwar period.

Forward with Borgward.

Being period pieces, it's not surprising — but a bit chilling — to find a few examples celebrating the usefulness of motorcycles to the Third Reich. They really did celebrate the image of the Wehrmacht breaking through a flaming city behind motorcycle sidecar outfits.

More reassuring is a 1941 Ariel advertisement depicting workers in the background removing glass from showroom windows (to save it from the Blitz) as a rider in the foreground ponders the peaceful roads to come in a victorious Britain.

Browsing through the archive, some trends are pretty clear: the duller the motorcycle, the more expensive looking the advertisement.

Racing victories are touted but, lacking that, just add a pretty girl. Ariel (not Norton!) seems most reliably to go with a girl.

This one would never have gotten past MY editors.

Some slogans are a bit doubtful: "Rudge don't trudge."

Royal Enfield motorcycles "excel all others."

Another surprise is how often Royal Enfield claims its motorcycles excel all others. That's "excel," not just the familiar "By Miles the Best." Indeed!

For most makers, though, just evoking that mythic and undefinable spirit of motorcycling is a splendid fallback position!

Fantastic browsing.

Royal Enfield motorcycles "reign supreme."

Vintage Royal Enfield ads sold the joy of riding

"The Home of the Royal Enfield — Bicycle" is the title of a lovely 1913 advertisement showing the Royal Enfield factory in Redditch, England.

I came across it on the Vintage Bicycling blog.

Redditch, home of Royal Enfield.

Yes, it's an ad for bicycles, but it goes on to claim "Today there is no cycle or motorcycle which may be more fitly labelled HIGH GRADE than the evergreen Royal Enfield."

And why is that?

"Picture to yourself a manufacturing town set on a hill right in the heart of the beautiful Midland country. A town with as little sign of manufacturing smoke and dirt as possible, and all around rolling pastures and woodlands. Imagine pure country air, tree-topped hills and a factory set at the foot of them. That is Redditch — and the factory is the home of the Royal Enfield bicycle."

"...The environment of the Royal Enfield workers ensures good work, for one of the soundest industrial truths is that good working conditions make for good craftsmanship."

That's probably true; hopefully the workers who build today's Royal Enfields in India enjoy good working conditions.

This much is true: the description of the Redditch countryside certainly captures the appeal of motorcycling on a Royal Enfield motorcycle.

And here's part of another delightful 1913 Royal Enfield advertisement, again spotted on Vintage Bicycling.

Think of the days you can spend a-wheel on Royal Enfield.

Royal Enfield commercial 'Handcrafted in Chennai' is beautiful film tribute to India's motorcycle

Royal Enfield motorcycles may never have a commercial on the Super Bowl, but if they hold a contest, this new one would be a candidate.

You'll agree with the ad copy that accompanies it:

"This film "Handcrafted in Chennai" is a tribute to the wonderful people who build, sell, ride and maintain these beloved machines, and is a heartfelt tribute to the city that Royal Enfield calls home.

"Brainchild of the legendary media wizard Bharat Sikka, the movie was shot in Chennai capturing glimpses of the city and its unique culture and inside the Royal Enfield factory laying emphasis on the way artisans use their hands to give shape to this unique creation of art, the Royal Enfield motorcycle

"A Royal Enfield is a rare breed in an age of mass-produced, user-friendly predictability. This is a mechanical motorcycle, handcrafted with love, engineered with purpose, and designed in a way that gives each machine
its own unique character. This character is reinforced by Royal Enfield's cultural DNA — by where it was born, and by where it is now built.

"Its classic British pedigree shows in every line, while the gleaming new engine hints at the devotion that has enabled this legendary marque to thrive in the outskirts of Chennai."

In my mind, this commercial is right up there with the Chrysler commercial (shown during the Super Bowl) "Imported From Detroit."

Want to see more of the inside of the Chennai factory? Here's an earlier video visit to the Royal Enfield factory.

Royal Enfield ad was fun to recreate

Recreation of classic Royal Enfield advertisement.

You may recognize the motorcycle in this picture — it's a Royal Enfield Bullet — but who is the rider?

The rider is me, trying to recreate the well known Royal Enfield advertising image of the well dressed motorcyclist enjoying a spin on his G2 Bullet.

My motorcycle is not a G2 but a 1999 made-in-India Royal Enfield, about as close as you can come this side of a swinging arm rear suspension.

The gay blade in the 1940s-era advertisement was the creation of an artist who could control perspective, posture and expression without going out in the rain.

Photographer Anna Blasco.

My photographer was my daughter Anna, who had to try to create approximately the same effect by holding her camera on the ground.

The Adobe PhotoShop program did the rest.

I posed with the angle of my head wrong but the thing that bothers me the most is the position of the headlight in the photo. The Bullet's casquette places the headlight higher, but it also looks to me as though the artist tucked the G2 headlight in a bit.

Perhaps he meant to draw your eye away from it to the rider's big smile.

I was holding still for the photo. I have too little hair left for it to blow in the wind (I admit I added a little on top with PhotoShop).

Besides, I was not going to ride a moving Bullet within three feet of my daughter.

Bow tie was rejected.

Anna found the jacket and vest for me in a resale shop, and my wife Bonnie created a cravat for me out of one of her scarves.

A clip-on bow tie and flat cap were considered for the shoot, but ultimately rejected as being not true to the original.

Anna did have the advantage of Florida sunshine for her photo.

I do look happy, don't I?

Should have buttoned that darn jacket.

Royal Enfield motorcycles for sale in 1947 show that the company was going strong

Royal Enfield motorcycles are still so rare here in South Florida that sightings average about twice a year. The ads for Royal Enfield motorcycles listed on this blog give the impression that, at any one time, only a few used Royal Enfields are for sale in any one state. There just aren't that many Royal Enfields out there.

But here's a surprise: in Miami, in 1947, you could have your choice of half a dozen Royal Enfield motorcycles, listed for sale in the classified section of one day's newspaper.

Jorge Pullin often lists great Royal Enfield ads from the past on his web site, My Royal Enfields. That's what gave me the idea to check the on-line archives of the Miami Daily News, the city's evening newspaper, now long out of business.

The 1947 classifieds are a bit confusing, since the paper combined bicycles and motorcycles into the same listings and, of course, Royal Enfield made both. The two ads reproduced here are clearly for motorcycles.

B&K Cycle Shop at 5929 NW Second Ave. advertises "Enfields," implying they might have been a dealership. The address is now a restaurant and catering establishment in Miami's Little Haiti section but the building looks like it includes an enclosed yard. It would have made a good location for a motorcycle shop.

The number of ads suggests that Royal Enfield had an active trade going in the United States in 1947.

Jorge Pullin has detailed how this could be in his item on the post-war growth of Royal Enfield in the U.S. In particular, he mentions that the company's Major Mountford explored sales in the South in 1946.

Again today, the company is working hard expanding its business footprint across the U.S.

Interesting, isn't it, that when we look back in time we discover that our own era isn't so original after all.

We want to buy Royal Enfield accessories

I would like to see more ads for motorcycle accessories that fit Royal Enfield motorcycles.

Royal Enfield motorcycles interest me and writing about them is my hobby. The ads scattered about this blog are chosen for you readers by Google. As I understand it, Google's robots scan what I write. Based on what they see, Google then decides what sort of ads anyone reading this blog might like to view.

In a way, the robots tell ME what I am writing about. The few times I have mentioned motorcycle tires, ads for motorcycle tires have shown up.

The same thing has happened with motorcycle helmets and motorcycle jackets and motorcycle tools. Any mention of Harley-Davidson seems to trigger a nice display ad for Harley-Davidson.

On the other hand, I probably could write about chrome motorcycle exhausts and find my blog decorated by Harley-Davidson. The robots would make the connection. Except for tours of India, the robots don't seem to know what to make of Royal Enfield motorcycles.

The temptation, naturally, is to write items that bring on more interesting ads. This is dangerous ground. My friend, screenwriter and wit Douglas Kalajian, frequently contributes to his wife Robyn's food blog, The Armenian Kitchen. Doug writes less about food and more about cultural issues and Armenian history.

The results can be jarring. Alongside the ads for great rice recipes, their food blog can feature ads offering to introduce readers to sexy Eastern European women. I would guess that the robots have a great many of these ads to place and will take any excuse, even gentle humor, to plop them down.

You have to pity Google's robots a bit here: while most readers of the food blog are likely to be women, apparently Eastern European men aren't sexy enough to be worth advertising. The robots can't serve up ads that don't exist.

This may explain why my blog is served with so few ads about accessories that fit Royal Enfield motorcycles. I don't know.

What kinds of ads would you like to see on this blog? Assuming your wishes relate to motorcycles, let me know. I will write about the subjects you suggest and we will see what we get.

Personally, I would like to see more ads for motorcycle accessories that fit Royal Enfield motorcycles.

Find the slogan Royal Enfield didn't use

Speaking of advertisements for Royal Enfield motorcycles, here's a quiz: can you pick out the one slogan or catch-phrase Royal Enfield did NOT use over its many decades? The answer is at the end.

• What More Can We Ask?
• There'll Always Be An England
• The Glory of Youth
• For Modern Motorcycling
• Made Like a Gun
• Still with the 1969 Price Tag
• You Meet the Nicest People
• For Sheer Performance
• War Tested
• Attracting Enthusiasts!
• By Miles the Best!
• Leading the Victory Parade
• This Is No Replica

Answer: You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda, not a Royal Enfield.

Royal Enfield adds value to its fun factor

Royal Enfield, in the motorcycle business since 1910, has made a lot of claims over the decades. One of the most famous is "By Miles the Best," shown here on a 1951 brochure. Royal Enfield ads remain bold and brassy in India, where the brand is an institution. There, it is still valid to claim "Everyone Makes Way for the Bullet."

Elsewhere in the world, however, recent slogans have been more modest, tending to cleverly hint at a quaint, old-fashioned motorcycle no one would choose because it is modern, fast or cheap. "This Is No REPLICA" one U.S. ad stated with pride. Very clever: if it leaked oil, well, by gum, so did the original!

Suddenly, that's changing. The new G5 and C5 Bullets with Unit Construction Engine (UCE) are modern and reliable, although they're still retro-style in appearance and not blazingly fast. They have been described as "game changing."

I was still surprised when U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney said on his blog that "The Royal Enfield without question is the best value on the motorcycle market today." That is a huge claim, and returns Royal Enfield to the days when "For Modern Motorcycling" was a valid slogan.

Mahoney was referring at least in part to the new two-year warranty he offers on the UCE models. I asked him about his "value" claim. He responded:

"I have fun on my Enfield (or someone else's for that matter), but I find the UCE truly brings me joy. I think it's the solid feel of the engine and my confidence in it.

"I find I focus on the fun and don't find myself listening for noises. Noises which rarely appear, but none the less are distracting. I hope others feel like this. Being the importer aside, it has brought Enfield riding to a new level for me."

So, the warranty is nice, but there's the real "value" for you: you can't put a price on peace of mind -- and joy is priceless.

The new Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 (also known as the C5).

Happy Valentines from the Enfield Girl

The painting Final Touch by Gil Elvgren and below, the model.

The Enfield Girl was a real person. She was probably very young, perhaps 15, when she started modeling for renown pin-up artist Gil Elvgren (1914-1980). Over the years she got a haircut and a new skirt. But there is no doubt that the pin-up girl astride the Royal Enfield motorcycle in the Classic Motorworks advertisement was originally the girl in the Elvgren painting Final Touch.

She was just "clip art" when artist Ignacio Catral of Catral Doyle Creative in Milwaukee came across her. As he tells the story:

"At the time, we were in charge of developing a campaign for an amazing new kit that you could bolt on to the existing Bullet and create this fantastic café racer. We had a chance to spend some time with the bike during the photo shoot and we came up with the idea of this pin-up calendar shot with the bike in it. We had the bike shot already but no budget for another shoot and the pin-up talent. In our research we found the image of this girl straddling an artist’s horse, and knew she was the one. After finding the correct shot with the correct posture we had to treat the shot of the bike to match the existing technique of the pin-up illustration."

This likely was not the first advertising job the Enfield Girl did. In The Art & Life of Gil Elvgren, Charles G. Martignette tells how most Elvgren pin-ups (there were about 500 of them) were for calendars produced by the Brown & Bigelow firm. The images might also show up on related products: advertising fliers, blotters, notepads, playing cards, even letter openers.

Elvgren produced fully finished paintings. He was at the head of his profession and well paid for the day, but his works weren't always treated with much respect. The cheap, double-entendre titles were provided by copy writers. Other artists were sometimes employed to "over-paint" the images, changing the models' clothes, for instance. The image could then be reused, without paying the original artist again.

Elvgren photographed his models. Pictures exist of the same basic pose with variations in dress. In the case of the Enfield Girl, the billowing skirt comes and goes in the photos. Our Enfield Girl wears a skirt closer to that seen in one of the photos. The Enfield Girl has been "flopped" and now extends her left arm to the right. Her hair is shorter and has lost the flower Elvgren added to his painting. The extended arm, eyes focused forward instead of at the viewer, and tip-toe high heels are constants.

Elvgren enjoyed painting nudes, but most commissions were for girls who are adequately if not completely clad. There is always a hint of mischief in their eyes. The girl is clearly in on the joke; she knows what she is doing.

Their youth is a bit disturbing. Elvgren said the finished pin-up would have the face of a 15-year-old and the body of a 20-year-old. He preferred models who were just starting out in their careers and so lacked poise. Elvgren chose the models for their faces. He could always add bigger busts and tighter waists and hair styles were kept simple so as to remain fashionable for as long as possible.

The model in Final Touch, which dates from perhaps 1954, is making her own painting, a pose that suggests that Elvgren might have momentarily run out of ideas and resorted to using his own studio. He felt that every imaginable idea had been used. He sought and shared ideas with other pin-up artists he knew and relied on his wife and family to come up with ideas.

Elvgren owned race cars and attended races. There are a few cars included as props in his pin-up paintings, but I didn't see any motorcycles. In that respect, the Enfield Girl fills an important gap.

Royal Enfield gleefully shed Indian name

An amusing magazine advertisement for sale on eBay sheds some light on the history of Royal Enfield in the United States. The advertising copy reads:

"The famous Royal Enfield makes its debut under its OWN NAME, shedding its American identity of feathers and war paint."

The allusion is to the Indian motorcycle company which, near the end of its string, imported Royal Enfields from England and sold them, rebadged and lightly modified as Indians in the United States. This went on from 1955 to 1959. Royal Enfield went out on its own in 1960, with some glee and enthusiasm, judging by this ad.

Perhaps deliberately, the "Superb Line of British Motorcycles" is illustrated with English pedestrian slicer license plates, of no use in the United States. English motorcycles would enjoy a wave of popularity in the United States and Royal Enfield would try to ride along. Indian would languish without them.

The Indian connection has left a legacy of confusion, what with Royal Enfields being built in India since 1955 and now imported into the U.S. -- but as Royal Enfields, of course, not as "Indians." This ad gives a feel for the spirit with which Royal Enfield attacked the American market in the '60s.

Putting Royal Enfield passion into words

In plain English, people buy motorcycles because they are passionate about them. Certainly there is immense passion for Royal Enfield motorcycles, especially in India. Naturally, the manufacturer seeks to serve that passion, whether in India or around the world, so as to sell more motorcycles. Surprisingly, it's hard to find a simple statement of this mission on the official web sites of the factory or importers.

This only comes to mind because I recently encountered a statement of the "Vision" of Harley-Davidson on a fan website. The fan site dredged up this hideous example of corporate blithering from deep in the company's web site. Harley might have preferred it remain buried:

"Harley-Davidson, Inc. is an action-oriented, international company, a leader in its commitment to continuously improve our mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders (customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, governments and society). Harley-Davidson believes the key to success is to balance stakeholders’ interests through the empowerment of all employees to focus on value-added activities."

There you go! And you thought they just built great motorcycles that moved you physically and emotionally. Do Harley riders realize they are "stakeholders"?

Harley and Royal Enfield both rely on web site videos to capture the passion people have for their products. But you can't commit a video to memory, or paint it on a roadside sign. I recognize that there is a difference between a mission statement and a mere motto. But I still think the fewer words, the better.

As for the babble-speak Harley corporate "Vision," no one was really meant to read that, or remember it, or believe it. Corporations are in business to make money, the more money the better. The way to do that is to serve the wants and needs of customers, not to "balance stakeholder relationships."

For motorcycle companies like Royal Enfield and Harley-Davidson, the customers are thirsty for a rich brew of excitement, nostalgia, reputation and quality.

How do you put that into words? For Royal Enfield, how about something like this:

"Royal Enfield makes the motorcycles that moved you yesterday to move you even better today."

Enfield Girl has best wishes for you

Happy Holidays to all, and especially to the anonymous commenter who challenged me to put the Enfield Girl in a holiday greeting.

So, here she is, our Enfield Girl. Apologies to Ignacio Catral of Catral Doyle Creative Co., originators of the Enfield Girl. Thanks, too, to renown pin-up artist Bill Medcalf, who did the Christmas setting. You can see Medcalf's work on ThePinUpFiles.com a wholesome and fun web site.

I admit that I at first thought that "Anonymous" was a female member of my own family, setting me up. But those I've talked to claim not to have commented. So, Anonymous, thank you for the suggestion and best wishes for new year.

'Enfield Girl' was a classic of her times

Advertisements for Royal Enfield motorcycles through the decades sometimes featured pretty girls. None have been quite as unreal as the pinup called "the Enfield Girl." She is one of my favorites from the modern era. Her cartoon proportions combined with a real photo of the Café Racer kit precisely define the Royal Enfield: It is a vintage product you can buy new.

I was surprised to learn that the Enfield Girl was "discovered" at an advertising agency in Milwaukee. I asked a partner in the firm about her.

Q. I think that ad did a marvelous job of attracting the eye while also capturing what is so unique about the product. Would you introduce yourself and your agency?

A. My name is Ignacio Catral. Our agency name is Catral Doyle Creative Co. http://www.cdcreative.com/. We do a variety of work including advertising, branding, environments and electronic media. We have been in business in Milwaukee, Wis. for 14 years. Some of our clients include Kohler Co., Marquette University, Derco Aerospace, and Crescent Cardboard

Q. Is there a story behind how you began working with Classic Motorworks, the U.S. importer for Royal Enfield?

A. There is actually. My partner Shawn and I were avid motorcyclists, but when we decided to quit our cushy design jobs and start our own business, we sold off our bikes to buy computer equipment. Shawn at the time rode a BMW K75RT and I rode a Honda Shadow 600. After being established for a few years, and looking to expand our client base in our geographical area, we found Classic Motorworks in a Walnecks Cycle trader ad featuring the Enfield Bullet. We were amazed that a product like that still existed in today’s marketplace.

"We sent our customary marketing materials to Classic Motorworks, trying to forge a relationship. We had a couple of conversations with the person in charge of marketing at the time with no luck. The perception was that we might be a bit too pricey, based on some of our existing clients at the time. Then it hit me: what about doing some trade for a couple of bikes and in no time we would be on two wheels again.

"I wrote a letter to the marketing guy outlining the concept. He called me back and gave the go ahead to start concepts. That was the birth of the 'Astroturf' Electric Starter ad campaign.

"Shawn and I both have 1999, kick start classic Bullets, running like champs. And we have been working with Kevin Mahoney and Classic Motorworks ever since.

Q. So you are you a motorcyclist yourself?

A. I am. I have ridden many bikes in my life; nothing compares to riding an Enfield.


Q. Where did the idea for the Enfield Girl come from?

A. The Enfield Girl came to us in the form of an old royalty-free pin-up CD. At the time, we were in charge of developing a campaign for an amazing new kit that you could bolt on to the existing Bullet and create this fantastic café racer. We had a chance to spend some time with the bike during the photo shoot and we came up with the idea of this pin-up calendar shot with the bike in it. We had the bike shot already but no budget for another shoot and the pin-up talent. In our research we found the image of this girl straddling an artist’s horse, and knew she was the one. After finding the correct shot with the correct posture we had to treat the shot of the bike to match the existing technique of the pin-up illustration.

Q. Does the Enfield Girl have a future? Or was that pretty much it for her?

A. The Enfield girl is retired now, but still collects royalties every time the ad is mentioned or shown, so she sends her thanks.

Q. Do you have a favorite ad you did for Royal Enfield?

A. We are very fortunate that Kevin gives a long rope on the creative side of things, and it lets us be playful and push the creative a lot more than with some of our other corporate clients. We try to be creative and stretch budgets so we can be side-by-side with bigger players in the industry. To keep the budget small I was one of the models along with my bike, for the 'My Bullet' campaign. I particularly like the look of the 'This is no Replica' ad, and of course the Enfield Girl will always have a place in my heart. I also like the feeling of the 'My Bullet' campaign.

Looking back over the ads Catral cites I am impressed again by how carefully crafted they are. The 2001 introduction of the electric starter was an important innovation that conceivably could detract from the "revered classic styling" of the Bullet.

The ad plays off this, asking "What's next? Astro Turf at Wimbledon?" But it's all perfectly acceptable, you see, because the Royal Enfield is "the only motorcycle to earn an enthusiastic 'high five' from the Palace Guard!"

Posing Catral as the male model in the "My Bullet" campaign doesn't in the least detract from the purpose of the campaign. His chiseled features worked well with the powerful line-up of Bullets. It's a Mount Rushmore effect -- a character study. According to Catral Doyle's web site, that purpose was "portraying what Royal Enfield motorcycles do best -- get noticed.