Royal Enfield flat-tank motorcycle seen on old post card

A Royal Enfield and another motorcycle out riding on a cold day. But when? Where?
(Lang Collection Photo, Owls Head Museum)

Two well-turned out gentlemen ride vintage flat-tank motorcycles with sidecars on a cold day in this post card shown me by the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owls Head, Maine.

One of the motorcycles has "Royal Enfield" on its tank, but all else is a mystery.

Full credit to Richard Miller, author of the Red Devil Motors blog for identifying these motorcycles, their era and even where the photo was made. Skip to his response to me (in boldface at the bottom of this item) if you just want to know the answers.

But first, here's a closer look at the Royal Enfield and its rider.

Note the very flat, and battered, front and rear mudguards.
(Lang Collection Photo, Owls Head Museum)

The men are so thoroughly bundled to the neck that we know they intend to ride, not just have their photos made. This is supported by the fact that both have their goggles on their caps, and the caps are turned backwards, with the bills in back to allow fast travel. Although the day is cold, it is not winter. The trees have leaves on them.

The gentleman on the clearly labelled Royal Enfield, left, may be wearing a military overcoat, but his companion on the right is in civilian clothes.

The museum told me that this unused post card has a "K Ltd." logo on the message side, in the "stamp box" where the stamp is supposed to be pasted. The Internet suggests this marking might appear on privately printed post cards, from 1919 to 1936 and may be related to the Kodak company, which would have produced the photographic paper for the card.

That might establish that the photograph was taken between 1919 and 1936, although the motorcycles themselves look older than 1919.

The sidecars are mounted on the left, so we know they were intended to be ridden on the left side of the road — in the UK for instance.

The Royal Enfield's license plate begins with the single letter "I," but is otherwise unreadable. The letters "RI" appear on the motorcycle on the right. But England seems to have had a particular bias against the letter "I" (perhaps because it could be mistaken for the numeral one) and so neither of these plates corresponds to England. Northern Ireland did use the letter "I" in some combinations but not "IR," so we don't seem to be there, either.

The Royal Enfield has a sidecar made of wicker, for light weight. Although wicker sidecars were in use from the very early days of motorcycling, this is not one of those. This one is more than just a chair with a wheel. It has a torpedo shape, for streamlining, and it appears that a purpose made tonneau cover is loosely stuffed into it. Perhaps the person who took this photo has just gotten out of the sidecar?

The lighting equipment on both motorcycles is carbide gas lamps; archaic, but still used into the 1920s.

Period illustration of a 1914 Royal Enfield 6 hp V-twin.

The Royal Enfield's resemblance to a 1914 Royal Enfield 6-horsepower V-twin seen on Sheldon's EMU is obvious. You see it in the motor details, the shape of the flat tank, the bend in the top bar of the frame dropping down from the headstock, the handle of the "coffee grinder" two-speed gearshift above the tank and the visible crank-start handle (not a kick starter but a crank!) visible behind the rider's leg.

The floorboard for the rider's foot appears identical to the one in the post card. The handlebars are similar, but the Royal Enfield in the post card may have an extra brace between the bars.

The round tube under the floorboard seen in the post card must be a muffler. The 1914 illustration has the muffler there, too. The motorcycle in the Owls Head post card and the 1914 Royal Enfield on Sheldon's EMU both have a false rim on the rear wheel for the brake. There are caliper brakes on the front wheels. Front suspension in both cases uses the distinctive Enfield single spring.

On the other hand, the post card motorcycle has flat, blade like fenders instead of the rounded shapes on the 1914 illustration.

There is no chain guard (it might have fallen off) on the post card Royal Enfield; the 1914 Royal Enfield illustration shows a noticeable chain guard.

I could not identify the other motorcycle in the post card at all except to note that its motor is enormous, such that a notch is cut into the bottom of the flat tank to accommodate it.

But it was no mystery to Richard. Here is his email to me:

It's a lovely image. You are quite right about the rather large engine in the machine on the right, it's a 810cc Excelsior, one of the largest singles ever made. They made the model in 650 or 810cc sizes; the 810 had the cutaway in the petrol tank. I would say the year is 1913.

The Royal Enfield is, I think, a 6 hp model and probably from the same year as the Excelsior. I'm fairly certain it is a pre-World War I machine. Both bikes seem to be well used so it is hard to say when the photo was taken. Mind, with the quality of roads in those days I guess machinery would age quickly.

As to where the photo is taken, you are quite right the RI number is not a UK one. Mainland Britain does not use the letter I in reg numbers and the code doesn't correspond to Northern Ireland. (I did have to look this up, I'm not that much of a nerd!) 

On the basis that it's not UK, but the countryside does look very similar, I checked out Irish number plates — RI corresponds to Dublin and was issued from 1903 to 1921.

Richard

Reading Richard's note I'd conclude that these are World War I era motorcycles photographed in Ireland after the war. In fact, I wonder if the well-used Royal Enfield might have been a military surplus motorcycle from that conflict, given the flat, sheet-metal fenders. The flat shape would have kept it from jamming with mud at the front.

My thanks to Sarah Dunne, archivist and librarian at Owls Head Transportation Museum for sharing this extraordinary image with us.

Here is a photo of the 1914 Excelsior 810cc single from the Yesterdays.nl website.

Photo of 1914 British Excelsior 810cc motorcycle.
Note the "cut out" in the flat tank to clear motor.

My Royal Enfield Bullet goes on a photo safari

My Royal Enfield Bullet sends you greetings from Fort Lauderdale

Spring sprung this year March 20, and my thoughts turned to my Royal Enfield Bullet. The weather's beautiful here in Florida this time of year and my motorcycle was spending too much time in the garage.

But where to go? As a former motorcycle commuter (when I had a regular job) I'm not the sort to just ride around in circles burning gas. I need a mission.

So I came up with this: ride around town, finding settings in which to photograph my Bullet. Vain, perhaps, but still enough of a challenge to be interesting.

I'll be sharing other photos in the future but my initial favorite is the Bullet in front of the "Greetings From Fort Lauderdale" sign now fading and flaking on a gate just off State Road A1A, the beach road.

I don't know who had the idea for this mini-mural, but it forms a perfect "post card" background for tourist selfies.

After the photos I stopped to fill the gas tank.

Back home I rewarded the Bullet with a quick wash, finishing up with an oily rag wipe for the chrome wheels and headlight surround. A new elastic ring cut from the top of an old sock went around the gas filler opening to reduce evaporation.

The wash job rewarded me by allowing me to spot a loose bolt holding a rear fender stay. There's always something.

Do you have great hometown photos of your Royal Enfield you'd like to share?

A quiet evening at home with his Royal Enfields

Simon and his Royal Enfield spend "An Evening In."

My recent admission that I dream about the new Royal Enfield twin inspired Simon Taylor of the UK to chide me a bit:

"Hi David, you only dream about them (Royal Enfields, that is!)?"

His devotion to his Royal Enfields goes far beyond mine.

While my Bullet sleeps in its garage, Simon attached photos that show his Royal Enfield Meteor Minor much more at home — inside his home.

Simon, known as "Scaleyback" on a variety of Royal Enfield Internet forums, put a lot of work into the photos. I particularly liked the scene of man and motorcycle watching television, with their choice of beverages at hand.

"I've got wine, bottle opener and a glass, Kevin the Meteor Minor has oil, a spanner and funnel!

"P.S. My Bullet 'Tornado' is on the TV screen!"

Nothing like "A Warm Engine on a Cold Night."

Although one is left with "That Morning After Feeling."

"Tornado" doubles as the household timepiece.

Marvelous as these photos are, you've just got to see Simon's video demonstration of the trafficators fitted to his Meteor Minor. Watch it all, and with the sound up!

Old-time photos of vintage motorcycles tell stories

Royal Enfield Ensign circa 1953, pictured on Red Devil Motors blog.

Old-time photos of people posing with motorcycles is one of the endearing regular features on the vintage motorcycle blog Red Devil Motors.

Author Richard Miller presents these intriguing and sometimes mysterious photos as he finds them. Often he is able to identify the brand and era of the motorcycle but finds he can't explain the circumstances under which a photo was taken.

The people in the pictures stare out at the camera, perhaps enjoying the pride of new ownership, or the fun of sitting on daddy's motorcycle, or sharing a joke that they themselves would ever really ride a motorcycle.

"I like these images of regular folks and their bikes," he explained in one post. "Family snaps," he calls them.

"The everyman's camera wasn't a precision instrument back then and in the pre-digital age you had to take a picture and then hope it came out well. If it didn't you probably kept the photo anyway as it had cost you. Very few are the photos taken by the common man of the era that are fine in artistic quality but they all tell a story and are snapshots of a lost time."

I asked Richard where he finds the old photos he posts.

"I've been collecting old bike photos and brochures for a good few years now," he replied in an email.

"Some could rightly level the accusation that I'm not at all discerning in my gathering of old motorcycle paraphernalia but I prefer the term eclectic. It all has its place and the obscure and humdrum /gray porridge I find rather more interesting to document than endless pictures of the glamour bikes. For me often the social history is every bit as interesting as the engineering."

I recently got that feeling paging through stacks of nearly forgotten family photos of my own. There, amid teenage photos of my now adult daughters, were several of me on my Royal Enfield Bullet. Based on the date on one, these could only have been taken the day I brought the Enfield home.

My daughters greet my new Bullet in 2001.

My wife Bonnie must have shot them. I had forgotten they'd even been taken. I was delighted to see them and surprised by the information they provided. How do you like the work gloves I pressed into duty because I didn't yet have any proper motorcycling gloves?

But mostly what is apparent to me is that my family recognized what an important moment it was for me — a moment worth preserving on film.

I hope that will come through to whoever sees these photos in the distant future.

Daughter Anna poses, but never really rides.

Good photos could help sell your Royal Enfield

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's one version of the After picture:

Here's the same photo with distracting elements eliminated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Royal Enfields featured in two winning photos

Two pictures of Royal Enfield motorcycles, including the ultimate winner, were among finalists in the Road Trips photo competition sponsored by the Lonely Planet blog.

All the entries were great adventure travel pictures, and every one featured vehicles, from a Jeep on the Moab trail in Utah to yellow Hindustan Ambassador taxis in Calcutta.

Only two motorcycles were pictured among the finalists, and both were Royal Enfields. The winning photo shows a Royal Enfield on the edge of the Drang-Drung Glacier in the Himalaya Mountains. You can read "Royal Enfield" on the tank. It's almost an advertising shot.

Blow up shows a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle.

The other photo, of a ride in Nepal, doesn't identify the motorcycle, which is shown only in silhouette. But blowing it up (as I've done above) reveals the distinctive right-side muffler, dangling center stand and Mickey Mouse mirrors of the Royal Enfield.

By zooming in on the motorcycle I've destroyed the appeal of the photograph. Be sure to check out the original on Lonely Planet.

Finally, a use for surplus Royal Enfield mufflers

More chrome always dresses up a motorcycle.

Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles come equipped with long, "bazooka" style mufflers. These often are the first items to come off, to be replaced with shorter, louder, more stylish models.

The result, I've pointed out before, must be shiny, barely used Royal Enfield mufflers stuffed into attics and garages all over the world.

What to do with them?

Well, here is one solution, found on My India Pictures.

The photo comes with no information, so I don't know what effect the double-length muffler has on performance. I once read somewhere that a long, long pipe will increase torque, but I don't know if that would be true in this case since it probably retains its original restrictive baffling.

I bet it's quiet.

His Royal Enfield Indians are 'a bit' different

1960 Indian Chief, made by Royal Enfield.

I asked readers to recommend their "favorite photos that represent Royal Enfields to you." Roger Chrystie of Massachusetts responded with beautiful pictures of two of his Royal Enfield Indians. Things got interesting when he explained what they are.

"The red Indian Chief is almost all original. It's a 1960 that was shipped over when Matchless took over the Indian line and they still used Royal Enfields for this model," Roger wrote.

Red frame really sets off this custom Enfield Indian.

"The red-framed Apache is a mix of parts that I put together. Frame is '57 Apache; the motor is out of a '57 Trailblazer. The tank and fenders are actually made new for a Bullet.

"I also have a matching numbers '57 Apache and a '57 Trailblazer, that at the moment, are in pieces.

"This winter I'm putting a '57 Trailblazer motor in a 1965 Interceptor frame. I'm sure the purists will hate me for this.

"I also own a 2004 Bullet Sixty-5 that I bought new — then promptly changed everything on it.

This started as a 2004 Bullet Sixty-5!

"Its picture isn't as pretty as the others because I took it in my shop. I'm a marine mechanic still working; will turn 69 this year. Hope I can still keep kickstarting these things."

Royal Enfield V-twin expressed power and beauty

1926 1,000cc Royal Enfield V-twin is a wonder.

The Royal Enfield V-twin in the photograph above is a mechanical wonder. It is a powerful answer to my question: "What photos represent Royal Enfields to you?"

Don Leaming of Phoenix, Ariz. and Niagra Falls, Ontario, submitted it.

"Thought you might be interested in this pic,"  he wrote. "It is by Kevin Dean who is often on the BritBike forum. It is from a  Banbury Run (for pre-1930 motorcycles)."

Just look at the details on this motorcycle:

• A hand-shift lever that would move the earth instead moves a delicate rod.
• A keystone shaped crankcase could brace the entire state of Pennsylvania.
• Floorboard buttons big enough to give Bigfoot traction.
• The kickstart lever rests against its own exterior stop.
• Intake and exhaust pipes embrace the motor instead of winding off on their own.
• The delicate filigree of the folded metal along the base of flat tank.

Looking through Kevin Dean's Banbury Run portfolio, it's apparent that one reason this is such a "clean" photograph is that the Royal Enfield is fitted with a green sidecar, which forms a fine backdrop for the side view of the magnificent motor.

No sir, they don't make 'em like this anymore. And, when they did, they called them "locomotives."

Readers, what photo or illustration says "Royal Enfields" to you? I'm accepting nominations. Email me at david@royalenfields.com

Royal Enfield Interceptor makes a powerful statement

Nothing says Royal Enfield quite like a view of the muscular Interceptor.

What favorite photo repesents Royal Enfield motorcycles to you? My question brought this response from a reader named Bob:

"Here is a photo for a nomination of what is envisioned when I hear 'Royal Enfield.' A primarily unrestored 1968 1/2 MK1A Royal Enfield Interceptor.

"This photo was taken at a show in Rhinebeck, N.Y. during the summer of 2011," Bob wrote.

It turns out that the Interceptor, acquired by Bob's uncle 30 years ago, is truly a family project, with Bob's father in charge.

"Dad is now 75 and wanted a hobby after retirement and decided this would be it. He has been a mechanic since old enough to turn a wrench, and appreciates vintage machinery.

"In some respects, I believe that it was a method to maintain family bonds and utilize the acumen developed by siblings in their various fields of endeavor, primarily my brother and myself. My brother is a fairly accomplished mechanic and I have a materials management background.

"My uncle purchased the bike from a friend, who had purchased it new and had trouble with it (engine seized at 6,900 miles). Like a lot of motorcycle projects, the friend had intended to repair it and never got to it, eventually selling to my uncle. Similarly, the bike sat in the basement for 30 years with the same intent.

"About two years ago dad decided it was time to see what the bike was about and began the process of repair. The entire way through the project he studied these machines and is still in a quandary about performing a full blown restoration on this bike or leave it as is. He appreciates the gleaming fully restored versions of these that are seen on the web and the amount of work that has gone in to bringing them back to that condition, but thinks that the bike has far more appeal in this mostly unrestored example.

"With only about 700 of these made it is hard to say which way you should go with a project like this.

"We plan to show the bike at various events this year sponsored by the Antique Motorcycle Association; maybe he will even allow one of us to ride it!

"Dad lives in New Hampshire, and will continue to pursue these projects."

Royal Enfield means three very different motorcycles

Big, wide and red: Royal Enfield Indian Chief.

"What would you say are your three favorite photos that represent Royal Enfields to you?" That was the question my daughter asked me.

I turned the question on readers of this blog.

Not surprising is that one reader, best known on the Internet by his handle Tom Oil,  thinks of his own three motorcycles when he thinks of Royal Enfields.

The only way to improve an Interceptor is to make it shine. This one does.

They are magnificent. The Nevada resident sent these three great pictures of his 1960 Enfield Indian Chief, 1968  S1A  Interceptor (freshly restored) and 2008 Bullet Classic — with springer front end!

I'm still accepting nominations for pictures that represent Royal Enfields to you. Email me at david@RoyalEnfields.com

A modern Royal Enfield Bullet with springer front end!

Classic V-twin says 'Royal Enfield" to him

Royal Enfield V-twin looks substantial in every detail.

When it comes to picking great pictures of Royal Enfields, Jorge Pullin knows what he is doing. His blog is My Royal Enfields, where he has created the virtual Royal Enfield Early Years Museum, showcasing photos and information about Royal Enfield motorcycles from the beginning right up through 1929.

Why 1929? Because Jorge found this the (previously) least documented period of Royal Enfield history. There is an outstanding "wing"  of the museum devoted to the history of Royal Enfield in the United States.

When I asked for "favorite photos that represent Royal Enfields to you" Jorge was quick to make a nomination. The photo above is from a Facebook page based in India that posts images of Royal Enfields.

The motorcycle is a pre-war V-twin, shown off with a sidecar and draped with the Union Jack at a motorcycle show somewhere.

Its tank is proud and shiny. Its handlebars are bold (why don't they mount handlebars like these today? These look like they would give enough leverage to wrestle an elephant to the ground).

Details like pillion seat, hand shift, side mounted horn and fishtail exhaust put this motorcycle in a class with real class.

But the dark silencer, spokes, rims and hubs suggest a motorcycle that has seen road use and perhaps still does.

Jorge even provided this illustration showing that the pictured motorcycle is a Model K of 1939.

Royal Enfield Model K of 1939.

Are there more nominations out there? Readers, let's see what you like. Email me at david@RoyalEnfields.com

Do these photos represent Royal Enfields to you?

Gorgeous photo suggested by Mike Martin.

"What would you say are your three favorite photos that represent Royal Enfields to you?"

My daughter Erin asked me that question and I asked readers of this blog to respond.

The first I heard from was Mike Martin, of Ace Precision Parts in Phoenix, Ariz.

"David , here are three great pics; you will recognise one from your blog. They all make great background shots for your desktop."

Nice shot, originally from CraigsList.

The picture from this blog is of a motorcycle for sale on CraigsList, featured here because I found it interesting. In fact, I often find very interesting the pictures sellers take of their motorcycles. Sometimes they reveal more than intended.

These three shots are beauties. Thanks, Mike. What about the rest of you readers? Send nominations to me at david@RoyalEnfields.com

This is one to dream about.

What is your favorite photo of a Royal Enfield?

Am I getting a custom made Royal Enfield t-shirt for Christmas? I don't know, but I do know that this email arrived earlier in December from my daughter, Erin:

"What would you say are your three favorite photos that represent Royal Enfields to you? Totally random."

I really had to think about this. What is my favorite image representing Royal Enfield motorcycles? I ought to know the answer to that, aside from the fact that Erin is very handy and it is possible I will end up with a t-shirt or set of note cards displaying it.

It seems to me that the answer should go beyond photographs to images of all sorts, even advertisements, technical drawings and videos. Perhaps the images "that represent Royal Enfields to you" won't even include a Royal Enfield in the picture.

I'll post some of my favorites here in coming days.

The casquette, the "face" of many Royal Enfield motorcycles.

My first, probably, is the nacelle or casquette, the "face" of most Royal Enfield motorcycles since 1954. Nothing does more to establish that you're looking at a Royal Enfield than seeing the two little pilot lights perched above the headlight.

There's something cheerful about it. I'll even go further and say that I think there's some resemblance to a human face.Every time I walk into the garage I feel the motorcycle is greeting me with a smile and begging to go for a ride.

Readers, what is your favorite picture of Royal Enfield? I'm now accepting nominations at david@royalenfields.com

Royal Enfield factory picture: What year?

A picture Royal Enfield motorcycles being assembled in India, supposedly in 1964 or 1965, is for sale on eBay.

It's an interesting picture. It's black and white, and truly looks like a vintage picture. The workers appear to be dressed in white uniforms, and wear sandals. If you check Kevin Mahoney's 2008 factory tour video you'll see that Royal Enfield workers these days dress in shirts of various designs and wear shoes (probably a safety requirement).

The motorcycles in the "1965" picture are being assembled on old-fashioned carts that are not seen in the 2008 video. The motorcycles are kick-start only, as certainly would be the case in 1965. They have the left-side brake pedal, so the five-speed transmission has not been made standard yet, either. Again, 1965 could be the correct year.

But here's something I find strange: the tanks are labelled "Royal Enfield." I thought that the factory in India used only "Enfield" prior to 2000. My own 1999 Bullet is just an "Enfield."

Jorge Pullin's blog, My Royal Enfields, has a full explanation of how the company only went to court in 1995 to secure its right to use the full name "Royal Enfield."

So how can this be a 1965 picture? I asked the seller. He graciously responded:

"Please be aware that this photo was taken in India and Royal Enfield motorcycles were produced there under license. I obtained a large group of negatives that were all taken in 1965 in various Indian motorcycle and automobile plants and that is what I am selling on eBay. I would assume that since these were produced in India, they may appear to be slightly different than the British Royal Enfield models. I have no more knowledge of this than what I have told you. Sincerely, Walter Miller"

Did the factory use the full name Royal Enfield on home-market motorcycles prior to 2000?

Slideshow of great Royal Enfields of '60s

A user who signed himself Corepixel has posted a Flickr slideshow of black and white photos of great motorcycles of the 1960s. I'm told that these photos were made by Corepixel's father between 1961 and 1965.

There are some great shots of Royal Enfield motorcycles mixed in here. The photo above seems to me to be a 1963 Royal Enfield Crusader Super 5, which would have the rare five-speed transmission.

Corepixel says the pictures are not from a race but were made at a series of bends near Firle, East Sussex in the UK. Local bikers would go their to test their machines.

Everyone makes way for Royal Enfield

Everyone makes way, originally uploaded by Pilgrim On Wheels.

"Pilgrim on Wheels" posts many wonderful photos of Royal Enfield Bullets and his trips in India on Flickr. I was particularly amused by this shot, of his Bullet imitating the famous Royal Enfield television commercial that has a railroad train coming to a halt to let a Bullet cross the tracks.

"Everyone makes way for the Bullet" is the tag line of the commercial. For more images by Pilgrim on Wheels, see his Flickr album. Just click the image above and look around. You'll enjoy his sense of humor.

Also worth a look is his blog, "Earning My Quarter Mile" on Blogspot. It includes this report of a long-distance midnight ride to Mumbai.

Never seen the Royal Enfield commercial with the train? Here it is: