What Royal Enfield needs more than a twin: reliability

Royal Enfield promised reliability back then. It's even more important now.

Reliability was a selling point for Royal Enfield in 1952.

The cover of Motor Cycling magazine for December 20, 1951 carried a Royal Enfield advertisement wishing "sincere and hearty Greetings to sporting motorcyclists the world over, for Christmas and the coming year."

The ad went on to claim that "Royal Enfield reliability means maximum mileage with minimum maintenance."

The headline promised "You'll log Trouble-Free Miles in 1952!"

The smiling rider waving to admiring friends from his Royal Enfield 350 certainly seems confident.

I wish I could say I feel that confident when I take my 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet for a ride. I have no special reason to be worried that my Royal Enfield will let me down.

Except...

There have been 66 years of progress since that Royal Enfield ad appeared in Motor Cycling. Yet my Bullet looks a whole heck of a lot like the Royal Enfield in the illustration.

Can I really expect reliability from a Royal Enfield Bullet, now made in India, where it was seemingly frozen in time in 1955?

After all, the issue of whether the British motorcycle industry could stand up to Japanese competition in reliability was settled, in the negative, by 1980. Building a 1955 British design in India probably does nothing to change that impression.

The Royal Enfield Bullet has improved greatly since mine was made. The Bullet has added a Unit Constructed Engine (made of alloy not iron), five-speed transmission, electronic fuel injection, electronic ignition and disc brake. It is built in new or modernized factories. All good things.

But standards have not stood still, either.

In 2015, Consumer Reports magazine  surveyed U.S. motorcycle owners and concluded that only 11 percent of new Yamaha motorcycles need work in their first four years. Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki ranked next. Harley-Davidson owners were twice as likely as Yamaha owners to have problems. Surprisingly, the U.S. maker Victory did almost as well as the Japanese brands.

But a whopping 40 percent of BMW owners could expect troubles in the first four years of ownership, the magazine reported.

Royal Enfield owners weren't surveyed, but if a prestige brand like BMW experiences such a high rate of problems, what can Royal Enfield owners expect to experience?

I actually suspect Royal Enfield might do fairly well in such a survey. Royal Enfields cost much less than BMWs, and Royal Enfield owners might dismiss minor flaws that would disappoint BMW buyers.

Reliability doesn't mean what it did when I was a toddler. Back then, a product that "never wore out" meant that, with careful break-in and constant maintenance, it could be rebuilt as often as needed.

Today, reliability means a product that is perfect right out of the box, accepts any abuse, requires little or no maintenance ever, and yet lasts longer under these conditions than the owner would want to keep it.

Not only will it not need to be rebuilt in that time period, it may not even be repairable.

"There are no consumer serviceable parts in this appliance," appears on the bottom of many household products.

Can Royal Enfield live up to the expectations of consumers growing up in this environment?

I hope so.

How badly do modern Royal Enfields vibrate? Not b-a-a-a-d

This video shows what happens to the spring when the motor of this Continental GT revs up.

How badly do modern Royal Enfield motorcycles vibrate? It's a common question and most people asking it assume that one big 500cc piston thrashing back and forth in a long bore will make itself felt.

I always respond that vibration isn't an issue for me at the low speeds I ride my 1999 Bullet. I sensed no vibration at all while riding the Royal Enfield Continental GT much faster during its press launch in Britain. I was too busy coping with riding on the left to worry about it!

A recent discussion on the BCF Bike Chat Forums focuses on the vibration visible in this Hitchcocks video of a Royal Enfield Continental GT.

Watch what happens to the rear spring when the fellow demonstrating the Continental GT revs the motor.


It's literally shaking!

An excellent video study of vibration in a British single is this YouTube video posted by Lone Wolf of the Moonshiners Motorcycle Club. Look what happens when a camera is attached to the handlebars of a BSA B31. Then compare the difference when the camera is attached to the rider's helmet.



It's easy to conclude that a big British single does indeed vibrate, but your body absorbs the worst of it before it reaches your head.

How many miles on your Enfield? Depends

Never trust a journalism major to create a mathematically valid poll. I foolishly left out a category for Royal Enfield motorcycles with between 1,000 and 2,000 miles. My apologies. Please take a moment to vote again on the corrected poll at right.

Royal Enfield motorcycles of the past (the new ones may be better) were fitted with magnificently optimistic speedometers. Roaring along at 42 miles per hour, I might be doing an honest 38. No wonder everyone was passing me.

These speedometers were good for morale ("I saw 70 when I was flat out on the tank!) but not so good for computing speed. Presumably, the odometers suffer from the same inflationary spirit. How many miles has my "40,000-mile" Royal Enfield actually travelled? Less than 40,000.

Never mind. Even if it wasn't 40,000 whole miles, it felt like a hell of a lot! I'm giving myself credit for the whole distance.

I came by the miles commuting to work. It was 25 miles one way, all on city streets (60 stop lights!). One advantage of covering the same route most days was that I could watch for parts that had dropped off the day before. That's how I recovered my horn — unfortunately it had been run over.

But the real joy in commuting by Royal Enfield was the chance to begin and end my day in the fresh air, doing something I enjoyed, and worrying about strictly mechanical issues instead of sticky work problems.

Commuting to and from work really was the best part of my day, every day.

What's your story? How do you put miles on your Royal Enfield? Let me know. You can email your story and pictures to david@royalenfields.com

And please answer the poll!

Left-shift Royal Enfield 4-speed in Iraq

A very nice customized Royal Enfield is pictured in the Reader's Rumblings section of The Motorcycle Cruiser web site. I've reproduced a very small part of the photo here, but you can see the whole thing on Motorcycle Cruiser.

The contributor describes the photo as being of his son, a first lieutenant in the Army, standing with a Royal Enfield in Iraq. It's a nice looking bike, and I thank the lieutenant for his service.

But what caught my eye is the chrome brake lever, emerging from under the silencer on this four-speed Royal Enfield. Clearly, this motorcycle has the left-side shift mechanism I always thought was reserved for Royal Enfields in the United States.

How did a U.S.-spec Royal Enfield get to Iraq?

Perhaps I am incorrect that only the United States required that Royal Enfields be converted from right-hand shift, resulting in a balky and unreliable gear change until the modern left-shift five-speed transmission came along.

Can anyone explain?

Too much info in Royal Enfield FAQ

Rajeev, the seller of a Royal Enfield motorcycle in Herndon, Va., provides an amusing FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section with his ad. I've edited it for length:

"I am writing down a little FAQ here so that I don't have to repeat again.

Q. Why am I selling this motorcycle?
A. I need MONEY. Simple. OK, I need money for the hair transplant surgery.

Q. Is the price negotiable?
A. Maybe, if you are willing to pay all cash at once.

Q. Has the motorcycle ever been dropped?
A. Yes, it has been. But, but let me explain. There is nothing wrong with bike. Bike looks and run great. There is a small scratch on the tool box, which you can buy for $30.

Q. Any problems with bike ?
A. No problems at all, bike runs great. This bike certainly turns lot of heads on the road. I have seen many people taking my picture at traffic lights with their iPhone. (Of course, when I am on the bike). Oh yes, another problem: the color of exhaust pipe has turned to blue (not all). All the maintenance has been done to motorcycle.

Q. Are the parts available easily ?
A. Yes, parts are easily available online, and there are many Royal Enfield dealers in all the states. Did I mention CHEAP parts?

Q. Can I come and do the test ride of motorcycle?
A. Of course you can, you are spending your money to buy the motorcycle. I would always test drive before buying any vehicle online but that's just me. OK, one more thing, just call me ahead of time.

Q. How much money has been invested on the bike?
A. Invested $4,500 for motorcycle another $600 for the Custom Kit. Oh, by the way, did I tell you I am throwing in motorcycle helmet, air pump, and battery charger? Alone these three things are $150. Oh, I also bought lower shocks for $120.

Q. Do you have more pictures?
A. I don't, but I will post them soon. Bit lazy. Not trying to hide anything.

Q. What's the maximum speed of this motorcycle?
A. Although the speedometer shows up to 120 mph, it will not go over 70 mph. (65 is idle speed). It's STYLE over speed baby.

Q. Do you think it's a good Investment ?
A. In future, people will be willing to pay more money to get their hands on this legend."

Vintage vehicles add flavor to old roads

Back when I had a MG, and hair.

Riding a Royal Enfield the whole length of Route 66, as John Powell did, is quite an accomplishment. My own runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and back again were car trips on the Interstate; challenging but not worth mentioning except that the cars were often MGs, and never up to it.

The aptly named MG Midget was an automobile with a motor only a bit more than twice the size of the motor in a Royal Enfield motorcycle. Cruising at 60 mph The Little Engine That Barely Could turned about 4,000 rpm.

My dash from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1975 had to be quick — I didn't have much time off work. Being foolish, I decided to compensate for the car's lack of speed by running as long as possible without sleep.

Hard to believe now that the 1966 Midget my brother loaned me while he was in the Army was only nine years old in 1975, and Midgets would remain in production another five years. It already seemed dated, with wire wheels, toggle switches and a whimsical roof you removed and put in the trunk. Its electrical system could be counted on to fail at odd intervals.

I had a cooler of caffeine rich Coca-Cola, but my secret weapon was tubes of LifeSaver candies in various flavors. I had discovered that putting two LifeSavers of different flavors in your mouth at the same time produced a wake up call of taste, not to mention a huge jolt of sugar.

One night I rested a bit sitting with my back against the wall of an MG dealership in St. Louis, and I slept one night on a picnic table in New Mexico. By the time I hit the desert I was primed for the sort of dream like experience we sometimes have when lack of sleep alters perception.

It was so soon after dawn that I was nearly alone on the road through the desert. The beautiful morning light was heavenly. Only one thing bothered me. Why a fellow all alone in the desert needs to find a rest stop to pee in, I can't explain, but I guess that's the way we city boys are.

I passed a low, gray complex that looked like it catered to tourists. I ducked off the Interstate at the next exit and doubled back to the place on what I judged to be the Old Road (maybe Old Route 66).

It was like stepping through a warp in time. The place had been a tourist stop, alright, with probably gas, a restaurant, bar, gift shops and motel. Now it was empty and dusty — filthy, really. But it wasn't closed. Every door was open. It was as though, one day, the people who worked there had just walked away and never looked back. I wondered how many years the business had survived after the Interstate passed it by.

Luckily the rest rooms were unlocked, too, and to my satisfaction the urinal even flushed.

Someday, I vowed, I'm going to drive the Old Road, and see how many of these places still exist.

Somehow, I've never found the time.

John Powell, I envy you!

Riding a Royal Enfield on Old Route 66

Route 66 was the path John Powell and his Royal Enfield G5 motorcycle followed from Chicago, Ill. to Santa Monica, Calif. It's a long way to go, especially on a motorcycle not known for high speeds or Gold Wing style cruising.

I asked him what the trip was like.

"If anyone is in the Chicago area, Bob Pilz at Scoots 4 U in Volo, Ill. is a great guy. He sold me a great bike and spent a lot of time showing me everything I would need to know about the bike. He also has a great shop with a lot of cool bikes.

"This was in New Mexico. I was following the Route 66 signs and the road suddenly turned from pavement to gravel. It comes up very suddenly, though there is a sign, I nearly locked up the brakes before hitting the gravel. I rode for a while at about 35 mph and then turned back to make sure the sign really said to go that way, which it did.

"I decided that it wasn't worth getting lost in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. So for this part of Route 66, I decided to follow the Interstate.

"But I had no problem riding at 75 mph and didn't have any trouble from semis.

"In Oklahoma there was a stretch of road where it was only paved in the center but it was too bumpy to ride in the center so you had to ride in the gravel. And yeah, in almost every state there are stretches of Route 66 where you're riding along and then out of nowhere there is a dead end.

"I've included a pic of one of the few instances they actually gave you a warning the road was going to end. I was going 65 mph when I saw this sign. I was like, 'Did that sign just say...? Oh crap!'

"In Arizona and New Mexico I had to ride on the Interstate a lot. Between Albuquerque and Flagstaff I got blown around a little bit from the wind but other than that, no problems."

Powell says the Route 66 trip was just a test ride for a longer journey he wants to take on his Royal Enfield.

You can find turn-by-turn directions on how to follow the old road on the Historic66 web site. The route changed over the years, bridges at some points have been torn down. It would take a lifetime to see the whole thing.

But it might be worth it.

Royal Enfield G5 travels Old Route 66

John Powell rode his 2009 Royal Enfield G5 Bullet from Chicago to Los Angeles, following old Route 66. Then he got back on the Royal Enfield and rode the Pacific Coast Highway the rest of the way to his home in San Diego. 

 Route 66 has been the choice of American adventurers, dreamers, foreclosed farmers fleeing the Dust Bowl and television actors setting drama to the sound of their wheels. Millions traveled it, until interstate highways replaced it. Most did not travel by Royal Enfield. 

 Powel made it the whole way in eight days, then wrote Kevin Mahoney of Classic Motorworks with his opinion of the Royal Enfield: "The bike performed wonderfully and it was a smooth ride over the many different style of roads... I wanted to see how the Enfield handled and how I felt after a long ride. So far I am impressed," he wrote. 

 I asked Powell what inspired the trip: "Well the background is that I grew up in Northern Illinois, got a master's in applied physics and now work as a geophysicist offshore looking for oil and gas. I work a rotation of five weeks on five weeks off ... With this job I can live anywhere I want and after the last couple of winters in Chicagoland, I moved out to San Diego and absolutely love it. "After my last work trip I came back to Illinois to visit friends and family. While I was there it kind of dawned on me that it would be much more fun to buy a bike and ride it home... I'm sick of flying and it just so happened that I could travel the whole Route 66 all the way back to Santa Monica and then the Pacific Coast Highway on down to San Diego " 

I shopped around for bikes for about a week and narrowed my choices down to a Yamaha V Star 1100 and the new Royal Enfield Bullet. I like bikes with character so I had to go with the Bullet and I'm glad I did. It handled beautifully on the highway, winding mountain country roads and even in LA traffic. And after long days of riding, I wasn't sore one bit. I had no problem getting up to 75 mph and I averaged around 60 mpg. "The only thing that slowed me down was people asking questions about my bike. As for the trip itself, it was amazing. Anyone interested in history, traveling or American culture should do this trip. While I was traveling the route, I would stop at one of the many frequent sideshows and the owners would give me tips on what the best things to see, where the best places to eat are and the best places to stay. I found this was the best way to see things. 

 "Everyone I met along the way was very friendly and they are trying hard to bring about a revival of the route 66." Tomorrow, I'll print Powell's account of actually traveling Route 66. Meanwhile here are fun facts about Route 66 from the Historic66 web site: * Route 66 is 2,448 miles long. * Route 66 was commissioned in 1926, picking up many bits and pieces of existing road. * Route 66 crosses eight states and three time zones. * Route 66 starts in Chicago, and ends in Santa Monica, Calif. Some people think driving it in the west-to-east is historically wrong, but it's mainly a lot harder as all available documentation goes the "right" way. * In 1926 only 800 miles of Route 66 were paved. It was not fully paved until 1937. * You can only drive parts of Route 66 these days... it has been replaced by the Interstate highways I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15 and I-10, but a surprising amount of old road remains. * Route 66 is also know as "The Mother Road," "The Main Street of America" and "The Will Rogers Highway." * During its life, Route 66 continued to evolve, leaving many abandoned stretches of concrete. * Route 66 was the title of a TV series playing from 1960 to 1964. * In 1985 Route 66 was officially decommissioned, but for daily use it had been replaced far earlier by the Interstates.

Does your Royal Enfield have an 'ODM'?

My post about how a Royal Enfield motorcycle may not cooperate if someone is watching you try to kick start it was inspired by a bit of mischef on the Yahoo Royal Enfield message board. Member George Smith wrote:

"Despite the apparent simplicity of the Bullet's electrical system, I have been unable to locate a component that I'd like to either disable or bypass. Can anyone tell me where the Observation Detection Module is located? My Enfield is a reliable first-kick starter unless it detects someone nearby watching. Maybe I can pull the fuse, or tape over it."

George's seemingly innocent question took in several members, who responded that they'd be glad to help him find it if he could better describe the "Observation Detection Module."

Unfortunately, the ODM is fictional, and thus can not be disabled. It is part of the mystique of Royal Enfield motorcycles. Annoying as it is, it is also endearing.

And, better yet, no Japanese made motorcycle can claim to have one.

Kick starting an Enfield keeps you humble

Graph illustrates the odds of your Royal Enfield Bullet starting on the first kick.

What are the odds your Royal Enfield motorcycle will start on the very first kick? If you follow the starting procedure perfectly, and the bike is warmed up but not overheated, the odds are actually very good. The only problem arises if someone is watching.

Royal Enfield motorcycles delight in making you look like a fool in front of friends, loved ones, and, especially, attractive members of the opposite sex. How does an inanimate object know that, instead of merely trying to go someplace, you are trying to show off your ability to kick start a mighty beast into life?

I don't know. But my Royal Enfield Bullet knows. To foil me it has moved its own kill switch into the "off" position, and developed instantaneous fuel starvation or flooding.

The fortunate thing is that when the friend, loved one or attractive person gets bored and wanders off, the Royal Enfield will cheerfully return to full operational duty. It's not disloyal; it just wants to keep you humble.

The graph above was produced on GraphJam, a fun web site that features the humor of people perplexed about such topics as why a bed is always most comfortable when the alarm clock goes off. It is well worth a look and you might even want to make a chart of your own. Thanks to my daughter Erin for pointing it out to me.

What'll you take for your Royal Enfield?

What would you take in trade for your Royal Enfield motorcycle? Here's a man in Torrington, Conn. with something you might like:

"Black Matco professional tool box, roll away and top box, plus an assortment of professional tools (Mac, Matco, Snap on). I'm out of the repair business, so I no longer need this, but I haven't ridden in years, and I really want another bike. I paid almost $2,000 for the box, and the tools that I still have are probably worth close to $1,000. Of course, that was a few years ago, but still, this is not cheap stuff. I'm willing to look at any street bikes you might be willing to trade (although if anyone wants to offer a Royal Enfield, the deal will be done!)."

The ad is on CraigsList if you're interested.

'Tank Girl' rides a Royal Enfield Military

There's an admirer of Royal Enfield motorcycles who is sleepless in Seattle tonight, dreaming of a girl he may never meet again.

She sounds like a real heart breaker. Or, maybe, more like Rosie the Riveter. Whoever this woman is, she rides a Royal Enfield Military model motorcycle.

Here's the personal ad the fellow placed on CraigsList in the Seattle-Tacoma, Wash. area:

"Saw you at BackfireMoto in Ballard last night. I think you caught me staring a little too long, maybe you didn't notice. I happened to notice that you left on one of the bikes I liked most at the event — a Military Royal Enfield with 'Tank Girl' painted on it. Write to me, at least let me introduce myself. I was wearing a bright yellow shirt and black cargo pants."

The only signature the fellow put on the add was "m4w", which I am told is CraigsList code meaning "Male For Women." In other words, he is a heterosexual male.

''Tank Girl'' rider, are you out there? Check your local CraigsList for personals under "missed connections" for a "Reply to This Message" button.

When did classic motorcycles get mirrors?

Royal Enfield motorcycles are prized in part because they look like vintage motorcycles from the 1950s. Naturally, the manufacturer has to sell them with modern safety equipment, including rear view mirrors.

In my opinion, these spoil the classic look. But what does a vintage motorcycle rear view mirror look like, anyway? And when did motorcycles start coming from the factory with mirrors as standard equipment?

Chris Bartlett responded to my first blog item on this subject by noting that "they appeared on bikes at least as early as 1950 as seen on police Harleys in the 1954 movie The Fast and the Furious. And Jorge Pullin, whose blog My Royal Enfields is always willing to solve mysteries, wrote to this effect:

"Very interesting question about the mirrors! None of the Royal Enfield catalogues I've seen, starting in 1920 all the way to the last Interceptor, ever show a mirror on a bike. They don't list them among accessories either. In line with Chris Bartlett's comment, the Royal Enfield (made) Indian delivered to the New York Police Department in the late 1950s did include mirrors.

"None of the vintage pictures of Enfields I've seen have ever shown mirrors, though many are of too poor a quality to tell for sure about a potentially small element like a mirror. If you look at the pictures of mods and rockers of the 1960s some of the mods' scooters had mirrors (most notably that one in the movie Quadrophenia), but none of the rockers bikes seem to have them.

"I've found one Honda catalogue from 1965 that shows mirrors. From the mid '70s all of them do.

"It seems attitudes towards motorcycle safety were very relaxed before the 1970s, sort of similar to the attitude some have towards bicycle riding today. Mr. Royal Enfield, Jack Gray, tells a story in his book Motorcycling Through the Thirties about going to race his motorcycle carrying his helmet hanging on the side of the bike on the way to the racetrack. This was because 'wearing a helmet while riding in the street would have been considered pretentious.'

"The bicycle analogy also helps understand why (vintage motorcycles had) horns and no mirrors. Most bicycles have bells or other forms of making noise, but very few have mirrors."

My observation is that Chris and Jorge are correct. I happened to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wis. over the weekend and found very few rear view mirrors on early motorcycles. The earliest example was on a 1933 sidecar outfit and, here, the mirror was clearly an accessory, along with dual spotlights on the handlebars!

The next instances of rear view mirrors in the Harley museum come on bikes prepared for the military in World War II and on police motorcycles of the 1950s. In these cases, I suspect the authorities drawing up the bid specifications required that mirrors be included.

It's my belief that some vintage motorcycles did have mirrors, but these rarely show up in advertisements of the time because they cost extra, were strictly an after market accessory or were considered too ugly to display. Jorge pointed out that even today, 2009 Royal Enfield models are shown on the Classic Motorworks web site without mirrors! Of course they come with mirrors, they just look better without them.

I have come across pictures of old motorcycles with rear view mirrors, but these were obviously recent color photographs and the mirrors may have been added to get the bikes registered for the modern road.

Enfield rider asks why no one offered help

Another motorcyclist is standing by the side of the road next to his motorcycle. Should you stop? Of course. Would you stop? Well, that depends.

A Royal Enfield rider who signed himself Bullet 500Dude recounted his experience, on the Pashnit forum:

"What is it with bikers these days? I've always felt a brotherhood with other bikers, and I've never passed a broken down biker. So last weekend I went out riding around on my Enfield when the rod started knocking, and I was stranded on the side of the road. At least 20 bikes passed me, and not a one stopped. Why didn't they stop? My choice of machine?"

I was impressed by the response this got. It says a lot about the quality of the discussion on this website, devoted to great motorcycle roads in California. Those who commented weren't foul or obnoxious. Bullet500Dude was counseled not to take it personally, and not to blame the discourtesy of others on anything he did.

The most instructive comment came from contributor Johnny Owrstrich. The subject is important, so I am taking the liberty of quoting part of what he said here. Owstrich advised that "we don't always stop. But we always investigate. The universal thumb up signal is what we use.

"When we are beside the road and all is well and a moto approaches we give them the thumbs up so they know all is well. If we were broke down we would give them the thumbs down.

"When we see a moto beside the road we will look them in the eyes, point the index finger at them so they know we are talking to them, then give them the thumbs up.

"If they return the thumbs up we continue on our way. If they shake their head no or give us the thumbs down or shrug their shoulders or generally look confused, we stop.

"Likewise, when broke down beside the road, the universal signal is face approaching traffic, point to the moto with one hand, give the thumbs down with the other hand.

"If another moto doesn't stop for that..."

It sounds like fine advice and I appreciate it. Pashnit.com is supported by its members through a $20 yearly subscription to California Motorcycle Roads. If I lived anywhere close (I'm in Florida), I would certainly want to join.

P.S. While I like Owstrich's advice very much, I admit I haven't been very good about taking it. Usually I've tried to determine by looking whether the biker by the road is in trouble or just taking a break. I'm not a mechanic and my bike has a solo seat, so, if the biker was already on his cell phone, I figured there wasn't much else I could do.

No biker has ever stopped for me when I've broken down but I attribute that to the fact that few or none have seen me. People in cars (who may have been motorcyclists, I don't know) have asked if I needed help. Fortunately, since I started carrying spare cables, nothing has happened that I couldn't fix roadside or limb home on.

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.

Walking tour finds remains of Royal Enfield

In his blog My Royal Enfields, Jorge Pullin takes a walking tour of the surprisingly extensive remains of the Royal Enfield motorcycle factory in Redditch, England. In an exhaustive post, he compares historical photos of the birthplace of Royal Enfield with his own modern photographs.

Pullin, a university professor in the United States, has long conducted a sort of "aerial survey" of Royal Enfield sites in England, with the aid of Google Earth. Now, on foot, he was able to discover that some of the conclusions he came to while at the computer do indeed stand up on the ground.

He answered the question of how a Royal Enfield sign could still be visible on the rooftop of a factory out of the motorcycle business for 40 years.

But mysteries remain. Chief among those must be what is to happen to the somewhat derelict buildings he found. It's a fascinating post. Check it out.

Rare Royal Enfield twin found half buried

Update: A Royal Enfield message group member named Richard suggests that this motorcycle is a Royal Enfield 500 twin sold in the U.S. as the Indian Tomahawk. He says the distinctive casquette seen here was used by Indian on this model; he knows because he has one of his own awaiting restoration.

It is an old Royal Enfield motorcycle Jeff found on his property in Arkansas and he refers to it as a "dinosaur." Actually, it's probably more common to dig up dinosaur bones in Arkansas than to find the well preserved remains of a 1955 Royal Enfield 500 twin.

Jeff describes himself on the Yahoo Royal Enfield message board only as 43, and from the Elkins/Goshen area of Arkansas. He writes:

"I was about to scrap out a group of old Japanese bikes that had been bulldozed over at the back of my property and I happened upon this dinosaur." He provided an entire album of pictures and a full description of the motorcycle, with frame number and engine number. He guessed that it was a Royal Enfield 500 twin, of about 1955. A group member named Graham confirmed, from the frame number, that this is correct.

According to author Roy Bacon, "after the second world war there was a great rush among the British firms to get a twin cylinder model into their lists in opposition to the Triumph, which had come out first in 1937. Not for nothing was the Speed Twin advertised as the one with the 10 year start.

"In time all the major firms produced their twins as fast as the postwar problems would allow them and Royal Enfield were no exception."

The Royal Enfield 500 twin appeared in 1948 and was soon overshadowed by bigger models of 700cc and then 750cc but it stayed in the catalog and was continuously improved right up through 1964. It was also sold in the U.S. as the Indian Tomahawk. Jeff's relic appears to have the distinctive Royal Enfield headlight casquette.

"I'm still Googling numbers in my spare time but I'd appreciate any information you might have about this particular motorcycle as it was set aside from the other wreckage," Jeff writes, indicating that he might spare the Royal Enfield from the scrap yard. I hope so.

What's a fair price for a Royal Enfield?

Alex asks, "what is a fair price for a used Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle?"

You can learn something by looking at the ads for used Royal Enfields on this blog. Of course, what you are seeing are the asking prices. Most buyers expect to pay less than that, and most sellers expect to get less than they ask. Some, in fact, may try to signal a willingness to bargain by tacking on an odd amount. Do they really want $4,250, or is that $50 just there for starters?

Maybe the whole $250 is just to get things started. It never hurts to ask.

Asking prices are high for one reason and one reason alone: the seller can drop his price, but he never gets a chance to raise it. He has to start high. The exceptions to this are, of course, dealers, who are expected to tack on taxes, destination, handling and prep charges and frequently do. That's why dealers may start the bargaining at an artificially low price.

Don't be surprised if a private seller refuses to come down. You have to remember that an awful lot of Royal Enfields are sold with almost no mileage on them. The owners didn't get what they expected. Probably they thought a Bullet would be faster or flashier. They sunk a lot of money into options (almost everybody improves the exhaust, fits a new seat and changes the tail lights) and now they want to get the full cost of those back. You can't blame them for trying. After all, their bikes really are "better than new."

Since ads on CraigsList are free, sellers can advertise for months and never drop the price. Some of the bikes on this blog have been here for a long time. The owners are just going to hang on until they really need the money.

But buyers have an advantage, too, when responding to CraigsList ads. Except for this blog, most CraigsList ads aren't seen much outside the local area. Royal Enfields are still pretty rare and special. Not that many people are out there shopping in any single city. So, except for scam spam, CraigsList advertisers aren't getting a lot of email responses. They probably won't let a live prospect get away.

If I were buying, and I saw something I wanted that seemed to be languishing, I might respond to the ad politely and say something like "gee, great bike, but I just can't afford it. I only have $1,000 cash. I really am sincere, I'm not trying to low-ball you, I know your bike is worth more for the right person. Please hang onto my email address and contact me if that person doesn't come along. Best of luck on the sale."

Eventually there will be more Royal Enfields in the U.S. and the oldest of them will be older and have more miles on the clock. Then prices will drop some. In the meantime, keep in mind that what you see on the market may in fact be worth the asking price. They're all newish, mostly low mileage, loaded with options, haven't been "repaired" past the point where they can be fixed and the seller hasn't had 40 years to lose the title.

Royal Enfield: Indian vs. English made

Australian William J. Rice is one of those Royal Enfield owners who has motorcycles that were made in England as well as Royal Enfields from the factory in India. That makes him unusually qualified to answer questions about differences between them. He recently undertook to answer such a question on the Royal Enfield Yahoo message board.

"Paul" in the United Kingdom already owns a Royal Enfield Electra, but would like to acquire a Royal Enfield Bullet from the 1950s. He asked: "how do they compare to the 2000-2009 Bullets being produced from India in terms of finish and reliability?"

Rice's reply:

"You must compare like with like. My Royal Enfields are kick start only, unlike your Electra. I own a 350 made in England and a 350 made in India. Even though there is 50 years between them, I find there is little difference providing I treat them both the same. I also own a 500 made in England and a 500 made in India, with 50 years between them. Again, providing that I treat them both the same I find that there is little difference.

"None of my bikes leak oil because they have been assembled using modern sealants and seals. I have friends in my local club who ride Royal Enfields made in England and in India. They find little difference between them providing they are treated the same. I find that owners who have 50-year-old Royal Enfields made in England, and then buy a new Royal Enfield made in India are satisfied with what they bought. They know what to expect.

"The problem owners are the ones who buy a new Royal Enfield without having owned or ridden an older one. They expect the new Royal Enfield to perform like a Honda. When it doesn't they are unhappy. They should have bought a Honda in the first place.

"In your case if you buy a 50-year-old Royal Enfield made in England you will find that it will not be up to what you have become used to with your Electra. You will have to learn to kick start it. You will have to remain below 90 kmh, and allow greater stopping distances than for your Electra. In other words you will not be able to substitute a 50-year-old bike for your modern Electra.

"In my case I use my old bikes to ride in club events and rallies, and my new bikes for road work. If you change the brakes, the primary drive and whatever else, then you will wind up changing the character of the bike, so what is the point? If you are prepared to live with a 50-year-old bike, and treat it with the respect you would give to your elders, then you will have a lot of fun; but you must also hold on to your Electra."

I wrote to Rice asking about his experience with English and Indian-made Royal Enfields. It turns out, that's not how he divides the brand. Rather it is a question of the design.

"This is where I disagree slightly with you when you seem to say...that it is possible to buy a new Royal Enfield that is the same as one made in England 50 years ago," he wrote. "It is not. When Royal Enfield India withdrew the kick-start, cast iron barrell models that comparison ceased."

He ought to know: "I own a number of bikes in Indonesia including three Royal Enfields and I go there a few times per year. I have an interest in a small motorcycle business over there called Bali Classic Bikes. We sell restored bikes, spare parts and conduct tours of Indonesia. We are Royal Enfield agents for Indonesia. I am going there again at the end of June for one month and can't get enough of the place.

"In answer to your questions I live near the Greater City of Taree, New South Wales, and turn 66, Thursday, 25 June. I started my career as an engineering apprentice at age 16, and I retired as a Head Teacher of Engineering at the local Institute of Technical and Further Education at age 60. I became interested in motorcycles at 16 out of necessity as I had to find a cheap way of getting to work, and that interest has lasted 50 years to date. I hope to be involved in motorcycles for many years to come."

Two photos of him here were taken in Amed, on the northeast coast of Bali; the group photo was taken in Ubud. He rode a 1954 AJS 350 on this trip. From his ride report:

"The tour started in Denpasar... with a stop planned for lunch at Candi Dasa on the northeast coast. After lunch at Candi Dasa the group rode on to Amed for an overnight stay at a hotel overlooking the sea...

"Day two began with a short tour of the beautiful seaside village of Amed, photos were taken, then it was on through Sinjaraja to Lovina for night number two, and early to bed for all after dinner. The group was up before dawn the next day to go dolphin watching... The dolphins put on a stunning performance right on cue.

"After breakfast the group rode through a National Park towards Gillimanuk where accommodation for the night was booked. A stop along the way for lunch at a fishing village saw the riders treated to fresh snapper... Early next morning the group headed along the west coast, planning to reach Tabanan for a late lunch... After lunch at Tabanan it was on to Ubud, and the accommodation for that night.

"Following breakfast the next day an hour or two was spent seeing the sights of Ubud and taking the necessary photos, then it was on to Kintimani to see a volcano close up. Fortunately the volcano has not been active for a number of years. Accommodation for the night was booked at a lakeside hotel at the foot of the volcano. There were hot springs in the hotel grounds so a dip in the hot pool was welcomed by all. The following day it was back to Denpasar at a leisurely pace with stops along the way for photos."

Royal Enfields: Welcome at vintage events?

"If you have a late model Enfield, are you still eligible for vintage clubs, rallies, and rides?" Nick Boozell wrote. It's a good question.

My observation is that, unless you're competing for a trophy in a vintage event, most people will accept you.

Recently I attended the breakfast meeting near Fort Lauderdale, Florida of the Broward British Bikers. I parked my 1999 made-in-India Enfield with its protective coat of dirt and oil near a shiny example of Britain's Best.

I knew I'd be welcome. In fact, I was delighted to discover that one of the riders in attendance was William Cappuccio, the former Royal Enfield dealer who sold me my Bullet in 2001. Michael Woulfe, the fellow on the shiny Triumph, noted that he'd have ridden his own Enfield, except he wanted to take the freeway.

So fans of British motorcycles are accepting. What about those who love antique motorcycles?

A ride last Labor Day sponsored by the Northern California TonUp Club was for "pre-1980s" bikes only, but specifically welcomed "retro bikes like the Royal Enfield."

This is the attitude one typically encounters. There is a recognition that a newish Royal Enfield Bullet may be a more obsolete design than many actual "antique" bikes.

If you were want specific information on a club, best to contact them, of course. But, for most, you won't even have to own a motorcycle to join and, as far as showing up and riding along, few clubs exist to exclude anybody, particularly anybody willing to pay dues.

Things change when you decide to compete for a trophy, of course. Modern Enfields naturally compete against motorcycles made the same year, even if they were designed 30 years earlier.

The Antique Motorcycle Club of America says its national meet competitions and road rides are open to any motorcycle 35 years of age or older. That lets out modern Enfields. However, I was amused to note that the AMCA web site gallery of pictures from a meet in New York includes a picture of a "new" old Royal Enfield.

Someone obviously thought it belonged.