Royal Enfield C5 bobber looks out of proportion

The Royal Enfield Bullet Classic C5 does not make a good bobber.

I've just written passionately about how much I like the Pup, a Royal Enfield bobber designed by Old Empire Motorcycles.

So it's not that I don't like bobbers.

Instead of looking sleek, this motorcycle just looks abbreviated.

But there is something ghastly about the technically very proficient bob job done on this Royal Enfield C5 Bullet, for sale on CraigsList in Westbend, Wis.

The problem, I think, is that the C5 is an upright motorcycle and its front wheel is small. Removing the tinware destroys the proportions, leaving the remaining motorcycle looming over its wheels.

I don't mean to insult the seller: to each his own. Others may find it attractive. They must be blind.

Bob job spoils the C5's classic looks.

Royal Enfield bobber is the product of careful design

Royal Enfield bobber, "The Machismo" seems to flow from one line to another.

The beautiful Royal Enfield bobber in the photographs shown here has something special. I suspect the source of that something special may be the extra thought that went into making it.

Named "The Machismo," the motorcycle is the work of Russell Hamilton, an American associate professor of Art and Design at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi.

"It has taken two seemingly long years to finally have this build come together as I envisioned. I spent many months researching custom and bobber bikes, the history of stripping down a bike, and the various styles both historically and contemporary," Russell writes in his blog about the project, My Royal Enfield Bobber.

The Machismo will eventually wear the Russell's "Hamilton" logo on the tank, paying tribute to his own unique heritage. Full details are on his blog, and in a YouTube video you can watch,  but here are his answers to questions I posed:

Is this your first customization of a motorcycle, or are there other "Hamiltons" out there?
Yes, this is the first bike I have designed. I am now going to do the same to my 2009 Bonnie, so there should be a second "Hamilton" soon. I plan to do more of the customizing work myself this time around. I would have done more this time, but I did not have access to a full shop. It took me several months to find the right person to work with me on this project. I finally landed at Motorcycle City in Dubai where I met Edward. I shared many images and designs with Edward, and we talked through different aspects to the build. It is different working on design with someone else, as it creates new ideas and ways of seeing (something I am actually used to in a teaching environment). We didn't always agree on the same direction, but that is what made it interesting. I will say that he took some creative liberties that turned out very nice!

"The Machismo:" Is it from the past?

Is "The Machismo" your name for the machine, or do you mean to indicate that the starting point for the motorcycle was a Royal Enfield Machismo?
Yes, I thought to pay homage to the original name, especially since they stopped production of the Machismo in 2009.

Can you tell me the source of the springer front end? I take it you were pleased with its quality of manufacture?
I sourced the springer front end from a vintage manufacturer in India, and yes the quality is good.

A custom Royal Enfield that retains the outstanding Royal Enfield tank.

It looks as though you managed to preserve the hand-painted pinstripes applied by the factory, as you hoped. That must have been very tricky. Nice touch painting the helmet to match!
Thank you. Yes, I have a great source for painting at Solar Power Automotive here in Abu Dhabi. I had to sit with them and describe exactly what I wanted, and they listen and do well. As I mentioned in the blog, I had seen a video of how they hand paint the tanks and it is truly amazing! So I thought I had to leave some of that "skill" in place on the custom bike. I thought it would be nice to have a matching helmet paint job. Glad you like it.

How does a project of this sort relate to what you teach as a professor of Art and Design? Would your students be surprised to learn that you had built a bobber motorcycle?
Well as a visual artist /sculptor and designer, it relates quite strongly. I tend to have a visual aesthetic about everything around me, and I love to work with my hands and actually make "stuff," so it naturally works its way into my passion for motorcycles. Perhaps one day I will open up a small customizing shop, and work on a series of bikes from design to completion. My students know I am an avid biker and that I enjoy riding and now designing bikes. I plan to be teaching an intermediate level design course co-taught with one of my colleagues who is an interior designer/architect next year; students will design and build a motorized vehicle from the ground up (not including the engine, which we will purchase), work in teams and then race each other for charity.

Small lights in headlight look as though they belong there.

It is a lovely machine and very tasteful. I particularly like the headlight (with its added lights for turn signals and neutral!), the bronze ring around the headlight and your customized saddlebag. Is the round container under the seat a toolbox? 
The headlight is a vintage Lucas headlamp. I could not find a speedo I liked that had the lamps placed in them, so opted for a simple speedo without lamps. It was a late design idea to add the lamps to the headlight, one of Edward's ideas! I got the chrome ring separately as well as the chrome ring for the speedo. The "fake" oil tank houses the battery and some of the wiring.  The rest of the wires pass through the piping and under the tank.

Have you decided what to do about the logo yet?
Yes, I have a new logo that I designed, and should have it on the bike shortly. I have a very mixed background to my heritage. My great grandfather was from the Pequot tribe of the northeastern U.S., so that is where I got the idea of the arrows; it is also something that has been running as a theme in some of my recent artworks. So, it made sense to use it in the logo design of my first bike.  

The Hamilton; a unique logo.

UPDATE: The logo in place.

Well, I am forced to ask you about the Pequot heritage!
My family has a diverse background, from Dutch and African to American Indian (Native American). My strongest connection seems to be with the Native American background; seems to be a big part of my sensibility and interest. My family is from Connecticut, and that is where my Pequot background comes from. My grandmother always talked about this, and did an extensive family tree showing the history of our family.

I am an American citizen living and teaching in the UAE. I am originally from the east coast, but grew up in Minneapolis, Minn., and went to school in Seattle, Wash. I also taught as a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, and lived and worked in New York City. My father, being an academic and university professor, had sabbatical leaves, which afforded me the opportunity to live (not just visit) in Brazil, Europe, and extensively throughout Southern Africa.  So, I have always been traveling and living in various parts of the world; in a way it seems natural to me.

As you may know, the UAE has a very large population from India, so the Royal Enfield was introduced to me through a local dealer who is from India. I was looking for an alternative to some of the more common bikes here. I had owned several Harley Davidsons and had just sold them to get a Triumph Bonneville. So, once I saw the Royal Enfield, I was taken with it — such a beautiful machine. I rode it for one year, even bought a Cozy sidecar for my kids to ride with me. Yet, I wanted something more to do with it; my creative instincts took over and it made sense to customize it, at first simply by changing the rear fender, stays, tail light and turn signals, even handmade leather grips and foot covers. Yet I needed to do more, so thus the chopping and bobbing came around.

In fact, I love to ride, but I love to work on the bikes even more! I stopped by at the Harley Davidson shop in Abu Dhabi and ran into a some of guys I used to know when I owned my HD's.  We talked about The Machismo and the build, and they mostly seemed to like the bike. When I rode off from the shop I thought to myself; I can not ride as fast as them, nor can I expect the same handling, but I know my smile when I am riding is much bigger than theirs!

From a land far away? From a time long ago? From the imagination.

Royal Enfield bobber is modified in subtle ways

Fenders seem to hug the wheels.

Here's more information about the bobbed 2001 Royal Enfield Bullet that caught my attention in a CraigsList ad in Portland, Ore.

Tom Benoit, the seller, asked his collaborator, Nick Poznanski of NXS Street Machines, Las Vegas, Nev., to fill us in.

Ready for paint.

The ad mentions that the fenders and seat are original, but modified. That provides an authentic look. There is more to this unusual machine than that, however.

"There are way more mods on the bike than stated (in the ad)," Nick advised.

"The tool boxes have been cut down 1 inch to give them a slimmer look, all the electronics are concealed in the left box for a cleaner look. The battery was located lower and behind the swing arm; the coil and chain oiler box also were repositioned.

Tool boxes are cut down to slim the bike.

"The front fender was lowered and the rear fender was mounted to the swing arm.

"There is also a custom pipe that I built. The funny thing about the pipe was when we first ran it, it sounded like it was a lawn mower. But as we ran it more, it finally sounded better and seemed to run a little bit better, due to the baffle inside.

"The bike was a fun project and Tom was a sport to give full rein on the mods that I did, with his approval. It is definitely one of a kind."

Tom said he feels that one of the best modifications was thinning up the tool boxes, "to put them in proportion with the rest of the bike."

"We decided to remove most of the Royal Enfield markings from the bike, but I found the 'Bullet' insignias on eBay and had them shipped in from India.  They are silver and fit perfectly on the tool boxes," Tom wrote.

He said the new exhaust gives a "heavier" tone, but is not obnoxious.

Asking price in the ad is $4,000.

Nick said his vision of the bike was of a '60s or '70s hot rod, with a vintage and yet stock look. Using stock parts helped stay within the budget, too.

"Started working on cars and bikes when I was 15; been a car nut since I was little and grew up in Carteret, N.J., which was a hot rod town — everybody had either a muscle car or hot rod of some kind," Nick wrote.

"I've built many bikes and cars through the years, mostly Harleys."

It still looks like a Bullet.

Sweet Royal Enfield bobber for sale in Portland

Sweet is the word for this mild custom.

A bobbed Royal Enfield Bullet for sale on CraigsList in Portland, Ore. deserves a salute. Someone did a very nice job.

"Recently torn down to make a sweet bobber with custom paint," the seller writes. "Fender and seat are original, but have been modified to give it a look that always turns heads.

"Always garaged, never downed... you must see this bike to appreciate."

Looks good from this angle.

The motorcycle has an understated look. It's distinctive but not flashy.

So why is he selling?

"Need to upgrade and my wife won't let me buy until this is sold."

Taillight and plate are in scale with design.

BSA bobber owes a little something to Royal Enfield

BSA bobber has a surprising Royal Enfield feature.

Donald McMahan writes from snowy Minnesota about his BSA bobber. He previously shared the story of his Royal Enfield Interceptor and Royal Enfield Indian Chief  with us. The bobbber looks great, thanks in part to his familiarity with fiberglass work.

He explains why the motorcycle may look familiar to someone accustomed to Royal Enfield motorcycles:

"I saw the mention of a '60s BSA single on your blog and couldn't resist presenting my latest project, completed this last summer.

"I wanted to buy a 1968 BSA B44R 441 Shooting Star new, but couldn’t afford it. Instead, for my first real motorcycle, I bought a 1968 Yamaha YM-1 305cc for a little more than half the price of the BSA single. A friend of mine had a 441 Victor, the “scrambler” version with a high pipe. I loved riding behind him, listening to that fine British single-cylinder exhaust note.

"Again, in 1970 I looked at a used Shooting Star, but had enough experience by then to know that I wasn't fully capable of doing all of the maintenance to keep it running right and couldn't afford paying a shop to do it. I ended up with a Honda 750; the only maintenance required was oil changes and chain adjustments. Those, I could do.

"I found a used Shooting Star in 1986 for about the same as I would have paid for a new one in 1968. Either it held its value or inflation has beaten up our dollar, depending on how you look at it. The bike was completely stock with the fiberglass gas, oil tank and side cover. The single cylinder starting procedure intimidated me for a long time. I would ride it only on weekends and never go anywhere I would have to shut it off for very long.

"Over the years I learned to take the carburetor apart with a screwdriver and a pliers in a ditch alongside the road — don't ask, it got me home. Before we had cell phones, my wife would remind me to carry change for a phone call every time I rode the BSA.

"George Helm put in an electronic ignition and the mysteries of adjusting points and timing came down to a simple twist of the plate. I got tired of the fiberglass and fished the Victor oil tank out of the bottom of a pile in a motorcycle junk yard.

"For a while I went with a dented chrome A-65 (650cc) BSA gas tank that I got from George. I painted over the bondo-filled dent for a mostly chrome look. With the stock chrome fenders it didn't look too bad.

"Life gets busy and I never did rely on this bike as a daily runner, and it sat. It hadn't been run in eight years when I started working on it again.

"I've always loved the bobbers of the '40s. That was my goal, but I didn't want to do any major cutting on the frame. I removed most of the bosses and bracket for the stock fenders, horn, etc.

"There have been a few occasions when I rode without a front fender while I was working on different bikes; that's one bit of pure bobber design I know I can't live with. A face full of road grit isn't my idea of a fun ride, so I made a fiberglass front fender that hugs the front wheel and is as small as possible. A year and a half into the project I retired. Soon, the BSA was coming together.

Did you spot the Royal Enfield influence?

"I imagine that you may have guessed the gas tank is from India and would be at home on a new Royal Enfield. I scrubbed the Royal Enfield script from the knee pads with a razor blade and a light sanding.

"Both fenders and battery box are fiberglass, taillights are LED. The battery box holds a gel cell. I created other various bits using stainless and some aluminum. I think that the big stock headlight looks right, a personal preference. That's what bobbers are all about.

"I would like to change the pipe and muffler for something smaller, but as I get older I don't like loud and I don’t think there’s a quiet option that would look better.

"After much fitting and refitting I bolted everything down tight, put some fresh gas in the tank and plugged in the battery. After a couple of priming kicks I turned the ignition on and it started on the first kick, no kidding.

"I trust it now and love taking it out, stopping and allowing people to see it, then go through a bit of a show kicking it through to get on my way.

"Call me a criminal if you must for destroying a stock Brit, but I like it and I ride it."

Royal Enfield bobber shows imagination

Royal Enfield motorcycles for sale on this blog are usually shown with one picture. But if you click on the description of the motorcycle, you'll find the original ad, which often has more pictures. These often show interesting features a single picture can't capture.

For instance, look at this clever Royal Enfield bobber for sale on CraigsList in Round Rock, Tex. I had a hard time choosing which picture was the most fun.

The absent front fender and shortened rear fender are expected. But check out the red grips and fuel tank cap. How about that pirate skull-and-crossbones on the tank?

Here's a picture that shows how the owner got the rear view mirrors down low without having them bang into the tank on turns: he attached them to the nacelle! It's different. I wonder if they vibrate more or less there than they do when mounted on the handlebars.

And here's another thing: look at the bicycle pedal (with red rubbers!) on the kick start lever. Just like an old Indian. Note that the motorcycle shifts on the right, unusual in the U.S.

And, finally, at the rear, a Model A tail light, mounted not at on the fender as might be expected, but to the left of center.

Maybe you like what you see, maybe you don't. But isn't it amusing to look?

Royal Enfield bobber is brand new, but inspired by early Indian motorcycles

An amazing bobber with a new Royal Enfield motor and transmission is for sale in San Jose, Calif. It is advertised as a one-off custom inspired by early Indian motorcycles but with "no used parts."

Asking price is $5,500, "trades welcome." I wrote for more details and received this telegram-style reply from Cadtech Design:

"Hello, David

"Inspired by the vintage Indian. Building bikes for many years.

"This bike is a design-build, rigid frame-bar-over-tank design, custom springer forks, gas tank, fender.

"Use of engine type: a Royal Enfield 500cc Electra; cost very good, comes with trans. Something different — a big single.

"Nineteen-inch front wheel, 16 rear, 180 tire.

"This bike can also come with a V-twin Harley-Davidson engine. I wanted to build an old school bobber that was all new and cost effective, range of price $5,500 to $10,000 (with a V-twin), also a soft tail version.

"Here are a few pictures of the build, build No. 22.

"John Fregona M.E"

Thank you, John. Readers, feast your eyes:

Restore or customize this Royal Enfield?

Not many people have the cash to buy a Royal Enfield or other vintage motorcycle without some clear idea what they want it for. But here's a man who bought a 1957 motorcycle and doesn't know whether he wants to restore it or continue its conversion to an old-fashioned bobber. "WVrider" is asking for advice on the XLFORUM discussion board.

"So I went to the big swap meet at Carlisle, Penn. yesterday and just knew if I saw something with two wheels that even looked halfway cool I would probably buy it. So this is it: a 1957 Royal Enfield Indian Chief that somebody started making a bobber out of. So I am asking for any opinions on which way to go with this bike. Go back to stock, for which all parts are with the bike, or keep on bobbing? Thought it would make a cool winter project plus I love anything built in the 50's. Thanks in advance for your input."

This motorcycle was briefly offered on eBay, so you may already have seen it on this blog. The eBay ad noted that the original parts were present. Some of the advice WVrider has received so far:

"There is a guy in Mumbai who does the whole chopper thing with them. 200 rear tire and all and they actually look pretty good. Personally, I'd put it back to stock like condition, but that's just my $.02 worth." -Chris Lacey

"I actually like the look of it the way it is." -Rlutsey

"I'm not patient enough to restore something, to me that takes a different kind of skill. I respect both (if done right) equally. Also, probably be more $$ if you go the resto route. If it were me (and going on what I just said above) I would bob/chop and have a great time with it; make it a rider." -Dagger Rider (whose on-line motto is "Ride It Like You Can Fix It!")

"It's junk. Send it to me before it causes you to go broke." -Flathead 45

Royal Enfield custom triumphs over rules

Creativity doesn't always result from boundless freedom. In an earlier post we looked at the cool motorcycle Vell in Singapore created from a stock Royal Enfield Military model. Olive drab! What a starting point for a custom motorcycle. Vell was also up against tough rules in Singapore that forbid radical changes to the frame. Yet look what he accomplished.

The picture above gives us a better look at his radical, yet comfy looking custom seat. That's outstanding, but notice the powerful effect he got by simply painting the motor and primary black instead of the olive drab of the rest of the motorcycle. The result doesn't depart from the uniform appearance of the Military. In fact, it goes it one better by introducing a real vintage touch.

Vell then returns to cool by adding the low mounted carrier for his pocket PC. (WRONG! I'm now told the silver box alongside the horn in the photo above is an electronic toll device, required in Singapore. See comments below).

He'll trade a Royal Enfield for $1 and a truck

Here's a guy who will trade you his cool looking Royal Enfield motorcycle for $1 and a pickup truck. That's the offer made by a seller in Columbus, Ohio, who has been advertising the Royal Enfield Bullet on CraigsList for $1,600. But what he really wants is a truck.

A truck? Sounds as if someone's dream died, doesn't it? But it's not quite that sad, it turns out.

His Royal Enfield Bullet caught my eye because of its flat-black paint job and hard-tail modification. (The seller explains that the shock absorbers were replaced with struts to accomplish that; it would be easy to change back to having a functional rear suspension. Clever.)

"This is a great bike. It's a 2002 Royal Enfield Bullet, 500cc. Runs and idles strong. It needs a solenoid, which is cheap, so it takes a few kicks in the morning right now, but it's a first kick once it's hot. It's also an electric start but, you know, the solenoid thing....

"I have owned a lot of vintage bikes and scooters and this thing gets more attention than all of them put together. Seriously, every traffic light the guy next to you will ask you what it is, and every time you park it on the street groups of people will gather around it. It's only got 6,000 miles on it!

"I want a nice pick-up truck as a work/commuter. I own a shop and I am always renting trucks to move fixtures and I am also renovating a house right now. The lower the miles the more interested I am. Would prefer a Toyota/Mazda/Nissan but would take a nice Ford or Chevy."

The seller isn't giving up on two-wheelers completely. He notes:

"I am also looking for a really small (100-200cc) CB project bike, so in a perfect world you give me a small great pick-up truck and a busted CB125 for the Enfield. I would also put some cash into the deal for the right truck."

Hopefully, his dreams will come true.

His Royal Enfield has tough, cool look

Nothing projects cool attitude like a motorcycle with a chip on its shoulder and this Royal Enfield certainly has that.

The pictures are from a reader who signs himself Vell from Singapore. His email address is "Vellezzy amazing" and his story is amazing.

"My bike started its life as a 500ES Military. Coming from Singapore the regulations here are really crappy. We don't have many vintage rides. We can't import them in, either, for road use. So it is like an 'achievement' here to get it done like this. Mine will be the only Royal Enfield in Singapore that looks like this, whereas the rest are all stock. Also we can't alter the frame to make it rigid or goose necking it. Sadly my hands are tied.

"The stuff I have done to my bike so far:

Custom built 6" stretched swing arm.
Changed rear suspenion.
Fabricated the rear fender.
Narrowed down the tank.
Relocated the fuel cap to the left.
Changed the pilot lights to t10 bulbs.
Dunlop k180 for the front and rear.
Changed to cone air filter
Sparto tail light.
Removed the front fender.
Seat base plate was custom built from aircraft steel and locally leather wrapped.
Paint job was done by Kustom Dimension, Singapore.

What I might do next:

Relocate the battery to air box.
Tidy up the wiring.
Change controls to vintage controls.
K&N filter.
Yoke with '50s style headlamp.

"The photos were shot at an old abandoned hospital (old Changi hospital)." The old Changi hospital is a famously haunted building in Singapore. It is a former army base and hospital from British colonial days, taken by force by the Japanese in World War II.

Vell wonders if a motorcycle magazine somewhere might be interested in featuring his creation. I would think so.