"It is a bike for puttering around on sunny Sunday afternoons when you feel the need for a nonstop, ear-to-ear grin." That is what James Hesketh wrote in the May 17, 2001 edition of The Miami Herald about the Royal Enfield Bullet he tested.
It was the first I had ever heard of the Bullet or Royal Enfield. I knew at once that this was the motorcycle that would fulfill my dream of a vintage, yet dependable motorcycle. I could not yet even ride a motorcycle. I didn't have the necessary license, although I had piloted my brother's Hondas around town 30 years earlier.
Hesketh's article was very balanced. He was frank about the unimpressive brakes and lack of power. He had, after all, tested vastly more modern and powerful motorcycles for The Herald. Still, the image he drew captured my imagination:
"But once I reached A1A, I felt I had been transported back to another time. Cruising through Palm Beach with the ocean on one side and mansions on the other, I suddenly felt very civilized. I thought I should stop somewhere for tea and crumpets."
That is what I wanted: a time machine that would move not just through space but through the decades, back to an era when going slow was the only way to go.
I signed up for motorcycle training and contacted the nearest Royal Enfield dealer. Aside from marrying Bonnie, it was the finest decision I ever made.
It was the first I had ever heard of the Bullet or Royal Enfield. I knew at once that this was the motorcycle that would fulfill my dream of a vintage, yet dependable motorcycle. I could not yet even ride a motorcycle. I didn't have the necessary license, although I had piloted my brother's Hondas around town 30 years earlier.
Hesketh's article was very balanced. He was frank about the unimpressive brakes and lack of power. He had, after all, tested vastly more modern and powerful motorcycles for The Herald. Still, the image he drew captured my imagination:
"But once I reached A1A, I felt I had been transported back to another time. Cruising through Palm Beach with the ocean on one side and mansions on the other, I suddenly felt very civilized. I thought I should stop somewhere for tea and crumpets."
That is what I wanted: a time machine that would move not just through space but through the decades, back to an era when going slow was the only way to go.
I signed up for motorcycle training and contacted the nearest Royal Enfield dealer. Aside from marrying Bonnie, it was the finest decision I ever made.
I'll join you for the crumpets part! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad to read this story. I hadn't realized that it was a newspaper article that got you into Enfields! But it sure makes sense.
- Erin