Craftsman creates a custom Royal Enfield

A custom furniture maker in Massachusetts poured his love of beautiful things into a custom Royal Enfield Bullet, and now it is for sale.

Thomas Cummings Woodworks produces custom studio furniture in a 140-year-old carriage house behind Cummings' home in Maynard, Mass. Cummings lives there with children Conor and Garvey, 23 miles west of Boston.

After completing an engineering degree in 1987, Cummings traveled, studied and trained in art and woodworking in Bali, Indonesia and St. John in the Virgin Islands. He did carpentry and boat building, and made kitchen cabinets and furniture.

"I am a furniture maker and love making one-of-a-kind beautiful things," Cumming said. "I immediately fell in love with this bike when I saw it. I could not help myself last winter so I stripped it down and did a little customizing. I love that old time look with some great new colors."

"I had so much fun doing this one I will be doing up another one."

The bike is a kick-start only 2000 model, with 9,000 miles. Cummings' firm price is $4,900. You can see his ad on CraigsList. Here is his description:

"I stripped it down to the bone and rebuilt it; it is better than factory. New flat slide JLP Carb. Total new top end with top of the line parts with larger cylinder 537cc many new parts updating the engine. It looks just like a 1955 except for the color. It has top of the line new 'Power ark' ignition that can be reprogrammed to adjust the advance curve. It has wider than normal whitewall tires. I switched it back to the original right-side shift. The seats are top grade leather with solid brass rivets, matching leather grips.

"The paint is Dupont’s best, with three full base coats of white, then three coats of orange color, then clear coated, then the gold leaf trim was added, clear coated again, then it was pin-striped and decaled, then three more clear top coats."

The pictures show a striking motorcycle in a color scheme that, although not pastel, reminds me of the new retro Bullet 500 Classic Royal Enfield will bring to the U.S. this year. Especially retro looking are the blinkers and lights Cummings made and the rear fender from a 350 Bullet.

The work transformed the Bullet, which was originally white. Cummings' tidy workshop suggests the workmanship was meticulous.