Before Bunty, Blimp was Britain's battleax

One of my favorite films is The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, not least because it opens with a terrific scene of British Army dispatch riders in action on their motorcycles. The rider who delivers the message is referred to as a "Don-R" — military speak for Dispatch Rider.

The original Colonel Blimp was a cartoon character that first appeared in British newspapers of the 1930s. Fat and bald, with a walrus mustache, the colonel was often found holding forth in the Turkish bath at his club.

"Egad, Sir!" he would announce. "England must keep her colonies, even if that means we have to buy a geography book and figure out where they are!"

Or: "War is not inevitable and never will be unless we do something about it!"

The similarities to Royal Enfield's own Major Bertram "Bunty" Golightly are obvious, although Bunty makes his outrageous statements on the Internet. Col. Blimp got quite a promotion in 1943, when he became the subject of Life and Death, by movie makers Michael Powell and Emerc Pressburger.

Actor Roger Livesey brought Blimp to life as British officer (eventually general) Clive Wynne-Candy.

Making a Technicolor comedy about an overweight British general during World War II was controversial. Winston Churchill personally tried to block distribution of the film, for fear it would hurt army morale.

Powell was denied military help making the picture, a real problem since nearly all the male actors of military age were in the military in 1942. Plastic manikins in uniform were used to fill out crowd scenes.

When the Ministry of Information asked Powell where he DID get the guns and other materials shown in the movie, he said he responded "we stole them, sir; you just don't understand how studio prop men work. They'll get you anything."

The authorities might not have liked it, but audiences adored the patriotic old officer. Besides, if Clive wasn't worth fighting for, the then 21-year-old Deborah Kerr, lips Technicolor red, certainly was.

IMDB photo

Ultimately, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was a terrifically effective propaganda film. Today the lengthy speeches about the need to fight Nazism would be left unsaid. But they were accurate enough. Pressburger wrote them; born in Hungary, he had fled that evil.

If you haven't seen the film, here's a bit of a spoiler: Clive Wynne-Candy doesn't die in the end. For the man who invented Colonel Blimp, however, the end of the war did eventually bring an end to his creation. Cartoonist David Low wrote in his autobiography:

"When World War II ended there was just as much mental muddle in the world, perhaps even more than before; but Blimp as a character had become too identified with the pre-war and war years to fit easily into the post-war chapter."

Luckily, in our Bunty, fans of Royal Enfield motorcycles can still enjoy the outrageous pronouncements of just such a patriotic blowhard. The Royal Enfield Military model is a decent substitute for the dispatch rider's motorcycle of World War II.

I know of no substitute for Deborah Kerr.

This Enfield looks hot, but don't get burned

Enjoy looking at pretty motorcycles? Me too, that's one of the reasons I list Royal Enfield motorcycles for sale in the U.S. on this blog. People have done some very nice looking modifications that may give you ideas.

But that doesn't mean that I've ever really seen these motorcycles, or know their owners. If you consider buying a motorcycle of any brand, do it with your eyes open.

A peculiar issue that affects Royal Enfields is that they are imported both officially, by the U.S. importer, and, less officially, by others. India naturally holds a wealth of great old Royal Enfield motorcycles and it is full of experts who can make any motorcycle shine.

Unfortunately, the world is also full of people who may be willing to bend the rules. It is hard to believe that all of the magnificent motorcycles advertised as "restored in India" are really old hulks brought back to life.

It is perhaps possible that some of them are almost brand new; it's their paperwork that has been "restored" to turn them into something that might be easier to ship past the authorities.

So, if the "never titled" motorcycle you like the looks of has a speedometer that reads in kilometers per hour and just doesn't look 40 years old, consider that you may face some inconvenience at your department of motor vehicles. Or maybe you won't. This motorcycle may be exactly as it is represented, and beautiful to look at, too.

It doesn't hurt to look. But, sometimes, you have to look but not touch.

Enfield Military looks great with sidecar

Royal Enfield motorcycles look great with a sidecar attached. But one combination not often seen is a sidecar with the Military model. An anonymous comment from a reader raised the question: why not?

It's certainly appropriate on a Brit-style motorcycle like the Royal Enfield. The British Army used many motorcycle sidecars, often fitting them for combat with light machine guns.

Home Guard exercise with Lewis guns, 1941. Sidecar looks almost homemade.

Getting the machine gun might be touchy, but there is no problem obtaining the sidecar. Classic Motorworks, the U.S. importer of Royal Enfield motorcycles, offers sidecars for sale.

Travis Andersen at Classic told me there is no special problem fitting one of them to a Military model. The attachment points are the same and the pannier boxes do not interfere.

There are photos of a Military with a Cozy Rocket sidecar on the firm's Cycle Sidecar web site. Andersen said he has seen this motorcycle, and it has a clear coat over its paint, producing a glossy finish. Classic offers sidecars only in black, so getting the paint to match your Military is your problem. It would be easier if your bike has a flat, olive drab paint job and you're willing to sacrifice shine for authenticity.

RAF courier is handed target films for delivery in 1944. His sidecar may be a civilian model pressed into service.

Photos from the Imperial War Museum show several types of sidecars in use with the British Military in World War II. Everything that would roll was pressed into duty, so it shouldn't matter that Classic's Cozy sidecars look distinctly comfortable and civilian in comparison to the 1940 War Office variety.

This Cozy Euro model, with its canoe shaped prow, looks much like the RAF sidecar pictured above.

Northumberland Fusiliers exercise, summer of 1941.

A slab sided open box with grab handles and spare wheel on the back would look more war like. But do you really want to enlist to ride in that thing?

For sale: Very rare Royal Enfield twin port

A very rare and unusual Royal Enfield motorcycle is up for sale in Roswell, Ga. The 2003 black Deluxe has many upgrades, from electronic ignition and a close-ratio gear set to the right-side shift conversion. But what really makes this single-cylinder Royal Enfield Bullet unusual are its twin-port exhausts.

Instead of one exhaust port in the head, and one exhaust pipe, this Bullet has two. Yes, it's a gimmick, but it's a gimmick with an interesting history. The British motorcycle industry experimented with this interesting configuration before World War II, turning out bikes that promised more performance and extra style. AJS/Matchless, Cotton, New-Hudson and, yes, Royal Enfield, offered versions.

This Royal Enfield Bullet is probably one created for Kevin Mahoney of Classic Motorworks, the U.S. importer of Royal Enfields. It is now owned by Chris Sherman of Roswell, which is near Atlanta, Ga. It is for sale on CraigsList. The advertised price is $4,950.

"It's interesting being named 'Sherman' in Atlanta. I get that a lot," Chris says. He likes the Bullet but is moving and wants to sell it. He plans to ask the buyer to give him first crack if it ever goes up for sale in the future.

"I spent years tracking it down on Google before I found it," he says. "As soon as I even heard of it I knew it would look fantastic."

Chris wanted a Bullet with extra performance because "people don't remember this about Atlanta, but we do have quite a few hills here." Aside from the dual ports, his Bullet has 600cc, a custom piston created by Royal Enfield guru George Helm, the Miracle Clutch, Venom tires and "anything else I could change out. Literally, anything they had, I got it." It now has 2,700 miles on it.

The twin-port has "quite a bit of torque," Chris says, but he adds that this is because he had the left-side port partially restricted. That's historically valid: the great twin-port motorcycles of the past never proved they had much of a performance advantage.

Kevin Mahoney left this comment on one Internet message board in 2006: "I can attest to the fact that the Twin Port head will not give a performance enhancement (as was noted when we sold the few I had made). My experience with one has shown me that it uses more fuel (probably running right through) and sounds and look very cool, but no faster."

The twin ports delivered on style, at least. The opportunity to have two shiny mufflers decorating a motorcycle is hard to overlook. And what a conversation piece. Chris confirms this: in a biker bar surrounded by dozens of Harleys, his Enfield is the one people talk about.

That happens to Royal Enfield riders all the time in the U.S. In the case of this motorcycle, however, it might even be true if the bar was surrounded by dozens of Royal Enfields.

It is a rare bird. You can contact Chris at 678-459-8783 or 770-804-8789.

Royal Enfield adds value to its fun factor

Royal Enfield, in the motorcycle business since 1910, has made a lot of claims over the decades. One of the most famous is "By Miles the Best," shown here on a 1951 brochure. Royal Enfield ads remain bold and brassy in India, where the brand is an institution. There, it is still valid to claim "Everyone Makes Way for the Bullet."

Elsewhere in the world, however, recent slogans have been more modest, tending to cleverly hint at a quaint, old-fashioned motorcycle no one would choose because it is modern, fast or cheap. "This Is No REPLICA" one U.S. ad stated with pride. Very clever: if it leaked oil, well, by gum, so did the original!

Suddenly, that's changing. The new G5 and C5 Bullets with Unit Construction Engine (UCE) are modern and reliable, although they're still retro-style in appearance and not blazingly fast. They have been described as "game changing."

I was still surprised when U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney said on his blog that "The Royal Enfield without question is the best value on the motorcycle market today." That is a huge claim, and returns Royal Enfield to the days when "For Modern Motorcycling" was a valid slogan.

Mahoney was referring at least in part to the new two-year warranty he offers on the UCE models. I asked him about his "value" claim. He responded:

"I have fun on my Enfield (or someone else's for that matter), but I find the UCE truly brings me joy. I think it's the solid feel of the engine and my confidence in it.

"I find I focus on the fun and don't find myself listening for noises. Noises which rarely appear, but none the less are distracting. I hope others feel like this. Being the importer aside, it has brought Enfield riding to a new level for me."

So, the warranty is nice, but there's the real "value" for you: you can't put a price on peace of mind -- and joy is priceless.

The new Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 (also known as the C5).

What?! Royal Enfield is the 'best value'?

"The Royal Enfield without question is the best value on the motorcycle market today." Did you ever think you would read those words? That's the claim made by U.S. importer Kevin Mahoney on his blog.

Sure, you'd expect someone who markets a product to consider that product the best there is, and say so. But Mahoney isn't given to fluffy claims.

And he knows the history of Royal Enfield in the U.S. He has been with the motorcycles through the years when they wet sumped, rattled off parts and destroyed their own starter sprags. Horn brackets always broke. Electrical connectors routinely disconnected themselves at random. The factory tended to put paint on a key grounding point. The factory-supplied fuse looked like a part from a novelty store gag.

Mahoney patiently helped owners through the teething problems. His demeanor, expressed on message boards and on his web site, suggested the best way to own a Royal Enfield: "First, keep your sense of humor," he seemed to imply.

He's not joking when he says, now, that "Royal Enfield without question is the best value on the motorcycle market today." He makes the claim in connection with the new "ultra reliable" Unit Construction Engine.

"The new bike is so reliable that we have doubled the warranty to an industry leading two years," Mahoney writes.

That's outstanding. However, "value" has many components. Perhaps, like Hyundai, Royal Enfield has a better warranty. But Hyundai builds cars that are just as fast and cost no more than competitors. Royal Enfield still competes against motorcycles with lower price tags that go faster. So how can it be "the best value"?

The answer, for me at least, is that Royal Enfields are not Hyundais. They are not just an alternative to taking the city bus. They inspire passion and reward enthusiasm. They have a history and a long tradition. In this, I would compare them to Jaguar -- in more ways than one.

For instance, warranty or not, hydraulic lifters, fuel injection and all, I suspect you will still want to keep your sense of humor. Or, maybe I should say, your sense of joy. That's where the real value is. Money can't buy you love.

Pretty pipes bring out V-twin look

When Aniket Vardhan created a 700cc V-twin motor from two Royal Enfield 350s, most would have expected him to test it, if at all, in a cobbled up "mule" of a motorcycle.

Nothing of the sort. Vardhan, a Columbus, Ohio resident originally from New Delhi, had dreamed of creating a Royal Enfield V-twin. It turns out his dream included mounting it in a fine looking motorcycle and actually riding it.

He keeps improving the appearance of the slightly stretched Royal Enfield Bullet he has nicknamed "The Musket." His latest modification are classic and very classy twin mufflers. He writes:

"Here are a few pics of the bike with the exhaust added. I had to do the 2 into 2 double-stacked mufflers for the vintage Brit V-twin look! This is as close as I'll get to the poor man's Brough/Vincent/BSA Y13."

I wasn't able to find an exact parallel in my limited library, but this 1938 AJS 38/2 has a bit of the flavor. If anything, The Musket, with both pipes emerging forward, is prettier. The AJS is seen here in the book Classic Bikes by Peter Henshaw.

Flying Flea restoration raises questions

A Royal Enfield dealer with an RE 125 "Flying Flea" motorcycle under restoration asked me questions I can't answer. Perhaps someone out there can. Let him introduce himself:

"My name is Hans Eberlein. I live in Freire, south Chile, am 55, and owner of 15 bikes, 12 of them British, and three of them are Royal Enfields: a RE 125 1946-7; a CO 1945; and a Bullet 2009 ES.

"I bought the Flying Flea about two weeks ago in what is almost a miracle, considering that British bikes are rare in Chile, aside from Santiago. To my surprise both the rear and front tyres are nearly unused AVON Supremes. Do you know them?

"It is not a (military) Flying Flea. Searching books and the Internet, I see only few differences, such as the extra silencer ahead the exhaust pipe, the higher seat, of course, the matte khaki paint, the absence of the tail number plate, etc.

"Yesterday I completed the dismantling of the bike, having concluded that restoring it should be not too complicated; the ignition is worst, but solved by buying a complete Miller ignition cover at Hitchcoks in England. As a mechanic, the rest is no problem for me.

"I will slowly form a museum with my bikes, and this RE could be a special attraction if I convert it to a military model, with the parts mentioned above, and making a tubular crate and attaching a parachute hanging in the ceiling of my showroom. Since December last year I am a Royal Enfield dealer, so, I think, this idea is a must. What do you think about it?

"I want to know what is the shape of the bottom of the cradle. Unfortunately, the downtube that comes from the seat down, is broken at the area where there are two threads that support the rear mudguard.

"I have an idea to slide a piece of tube about 2" long into the downtube and braze it together, but before I do that, I need to know the shape of the most underside frame. It is flattened from the lug up to the lug of the downtube: 10" to 12".

"Do you know that shape? Have you perhaps parts for sale?"

If you can help Hans, please write him directly at eberleinbikes@yahoo.com

Hans was nice enough to send pictures of his Royal Enfield collection and dealership.

"The Bullet 350 is the only one in running condition; of course, it is new," he writes.

"The CO, the blue one, is a mix of swinging arm and tele, not matching with the rigid and girder as original. I bought recently from USA a used girder fork, and, locally a rear tail frame. From Hitchcoks, a seat, pipe, silencer and other small parts. On eBay, a battery carrier (pattern), and toolboxes."

What's your excuse for not riding today?

What's your excuse for not riding your motorcycle today?

You'd think I would have no difficulty getting out for a ride here in sunny Florida. Glorious weather abounds. But my Royal Enfield Bullet remains in the garage.

"You're not riding your motorcycle enough," my wife commented the other day. Perhaps she has noticed my mood is less optimistic, less joyful. For me, it's not "the economy stupid." The problem is that I haven't had a cobweb clearing ride in weeks.

Or, maybe, more ominously, she means that a motorcycle sitting under wraps in the garage is not earning its keep. Kind of like a husband who hasn't worked since last July? I don't think she means that.

But, just to be certain, I dove under the kitchen sink Sunday morning. The water supply line had burst Saturday evening, just minutes before a guest arrived for dinner. Time to earn my keep.

My household plumbing is every bit as reliable as my Bullet. Just as the motorcycle sits parked above pans to catch oil drips, a variety of cups and bowls rest under the sinks to catch water. But a burst line was too serious to ignore so I got out my wrenches. Owning a motorcycle, I have a fairly nice collection of wrenches.

I would ride the Royal Enfield Monday, I promised. No more excuses!

Monday morning a dump truck deposited what I'd guess is a ton-and-a-half of mulch on my driveway, in front of the garage, for a long deferred landscaping project.

Luckily, being a blogger, I have a fairly nice collection of shovels.

Homemade Enfield V-twin on the road

In a new video, Aniket Vardhan explains the latest modifications to the Royal Enfield V-twin motorcycle he built from two 350cc Royal Enfield Bullets. His latest YouTube video takes us for a ride "with a bit of throttle."

The young man from Columbus, Ohio, accomplished in a borrowed machine shop what Royal Enfield riders have often dreamed of: a double-barrelled motor. It's fun to watch him in action. His tentative nickname for his creation is: The Musket.

Enfield's Royal Baby was just different

The story of the Royal Enfield Flying Flea has to be one of the most unusual motorcycle sagas ever. The Flying Flea was something completely different, from its cheeky origins as a slap at the Nazis, to its wartime service being pushed out of airplanes, to its whimsical (but workable) rubber-band front suspension.

Most unusual for Royal Enfield was that the Flying Flea was not its own design. It was largely a copy of the German DKW RT98 motorcycle, which was selling very well in Holland before World War II. The Rotterdam importer was Jewish owned, however, so in 1938 the Nazis pulled the concession and gave it to someone else.

The original Dutch importers turned to Royal Enfield for a copy of the RT98 to sell. The engine size was increased to 125cc to put the German original in the shade. The English model was called the "RB" (for Royal Baby) to exploit the connection to the DKW RT. Prototypes were displayed in Rotterdam in 1939, but few reached the public before war broke out in September.

In Britain, the Model RE, as it was officially known, was enlisted for military service. In particular, its light weight meant it could be dropped by parachute in a tubular crate Royal Enfield also produced. The nickname Flying Flea was a natural.

In theory, the "light weight" of the motorcycle also meant it could be lifted over obstacles like stone walls and fallen trees, making it a truly cross country machine. Try that with a Jeep. A picture from the archives of the Imperial War Museum shows a British soldier lifting a Flying Flea, if only barely. It weighed 125 pounds.

Note in the picture that the bike he's lifting carries the prissy civilian tire pump and bulb horn, full fenders, saddle bags and drinking cup.

Copied from DKW was the front suspension of girder forks operated by three rubber bands. Two of them cushioned the bike under compression, the third provided rebound. The Flying Flea motor was a two-stroke. The three-speed transmission had a hand-change lever on the tank. The military added a folding kickstart lever to get it out of the way of brush.

After the war, Royal Enfield continued building steadily improved models of the little motorcycle for civilian use right up until 1962.

I'm indebted to Roy Bacon's book Royal Enfield, The Postwar Models for the story of the Flying Flea. Pictures here are from that book, the Imperial War Museum and Gavin Birch's book, Images of War, Motorcycles at War.

Also, see my earlier post on World War II re-enactor Andy Chant and the Flying Flea he used in his museum exhibit.

Turn back the clock: Buy a Royal Enfield

This is not about odometer fraud. Yes, you can "turn back the clock" when you buy a Royal Enfield, but I'm talking about calendar pages, not the gauge on the casquette dashboard.

Part of the appeal of a Royal Enfield Bullet is that you can buy a new or almost new motorcycle that is made much like it was in 1955. The amazing thing is, you can buy a practically new Royal Enfield that is exactly like they made them in 1999. That's because it is quite possible to buy a 1999 or similar Bullet with almost no miles on it.

Opinions vary on why this is (Enfield guru Pete Snidal has his opinion). But months of listing used Royal Enfields on this blog have convinced me that great, low-mileage bikes are available for sale in the United States.

So, if you wish you had bought a new Royal Enfield while they were still kickstart only, with the time-honored Albion four-speed transmission and iron-barrelled motor, don't worry. You still can.

Chances are, as the second owner, you will also get a motorcycle loaded with accessories first-time owners buy. Single seats, pillion pads, nicer turn signals, saddle bags and so on, at little or no additional cost (depending on how you bargain).

What you likely will not get is much of a warranty, and you will have to trust your own instincts as to whether the bike has problems. There is a chance that the first owner will have taken the trouble to sort out the little troubles of the break-in period and you can just ride away. So don't be shy; just be careful.

For sale: A nearly new 2000 Royal Enfield

A nice looking 2000 Royal Enfield Bullet on sale in Keenesburg, Colo. with only 696 miles on it caught my attention. Why so few miles? A nine-year break-in period seems a bit long. The seller kindly told me what he knows about the motorcycle, but much of the mystery remains.

Paul Volmer wrote:

"We bought the Enfield about 18 months ago -- it had about 500 miles on it at that time . The chap who sold it to us received it as a partial payment for some work he had performed -- he didn't have any additional information.

"We have other motorcycles that we ride with my sons and all the trips are 100-plus miles on highways (65 mph minimum). So, the Enfield gets ridden on special occasions -- when the county fair comes to the closest town, etc.

"The county fair has a car show that is well known: original GT350 Mustangs, beautiful hot rods, even a 1964 Ferrari last year. We don't enter the Enfield in the show but it always draws a crowd.

"We have several projects started and need two things -- less stuff and more money -- so the Enfield has to go."

The Bullet is a four-speed, kick-start only motorcycle, with saddlebags, service CD and the original double seat. Asking price is $2,150. Compared to what I paid for a new Bullet at the time, that is about half price! The ad is on CraigsList. Keenesburg is about 20 miles outside Denver.

Powerhouse blog features Royal Enfield

A tidal wave of attention washed over the Royal Enfield brand March 31, introducing the motorcycles to unknown (but undoubtedly immense) numbers of people who'd never heard of a Bullet before.

An off-hand question posted on a powerful Internet blog triggered this cyber boost for Royal Enfields, yet many owners and dealers probably missed it. I would have, as well, except for an email from my wife, the multi-media journalism professor. It began with the letters "OMG (Oh My God)."

Royal Enfield, she informed me, had been mentioned on the blog Boing Boing.

"This is AMAZING exposure for Royal Enfields," she wrote. "I mean: Boing Boing is all about the hip people of the moment. It is, according to Technorati (which keeps track), the No. 4 most popular blog in America."

Boing Boing says of itself that it "is a weblog of cultural curiosities and interesting technologies." It also claims to be not No. 4, but in fact the No. 1 most popular blog in the world. Pretty big stuff for a motorcycle that is very well known in India (itself a big place) but not much elsewhere in the world.

The Boing Boing post by Joel Johnson concerning Royal Enfield turns out to be casual and somewhat misinformed. And yet, if you search Google right now for "Royal Enfield Military," Johnson's quite unremarkable post will be No. 5 in the results. Here it is, in its entirety:

"Rob and I are both under the weather today, so pardon if we're not up to our usual military-grade precision. Swiss watches we are, of normal. But today our clockworks are busy churning up phlegm.

"Gross! Why am I...

"So anyway, what do you guys know about Royal Enfield motorcycles? I have been toying with the idea of getting a motorcycle for a while, and I'll probably just try to pick up an old Honda or BMW or Yamaha or Suzuki or whatever since I haven't ridden since I was a kid on the farm, and even then not much. But then I saw this Bullet 500 and it's a real looker, plus its MSRP is only $5,500, which may be about $4k more than I intended to spend, but it's certainly not wildly expensive. And it's apparently got a modern engine, too, and isn't just a cast-for-cast recreation like those Russian BMW clones—Urals, right?—so you don't have to deal with weird stuff like paper air filters and the like. [via Uncrate]

"Probably a stupid idea. Parts are probably a bear to get. I really should just get an old Magna or something and call it a day."

Comments poured in, many of them from Royal Enfield Military owners seeking to provide accurate information. My favorite was from someone who signed himself USONIA:

"A Royal Enfield, on a gadget blog? For a moment, I thought this might have been an April fool! ;-)"

Another good one came from PURLY: "I know nothing about motorcycles, but I approve of this bike. It's adorable!"

There were 58 comments last time I checked, many lengthy, but one of the shorter ones was from Chris Bartlett, who comments here often:

"I own a 2003 Royal Enfield 500 and is runs beautifully. It's easy enough to change your own oil etc and is like riding a time machine. Lots of looks and conversations on these."

Happy ending: His Royal Enfield is back

Storybook endings happen in the world of motorcycles, too. When Malcolm Fisher of the United Kingdom announced to the Royal Enfield Yahoo group that he just purchased a Royal Enfield he'd sold, I asked for full details.

Fisher lives in Cannock, Staffordshire. Here's his story:

"I didn't ever see a Royal Enfield Bullet until around 2004. It will have been winter 2004 because I'd just been put off work (I was an 18-wheeler driver) by two heart attacks in September, 2004.

"My wife and I were walking to the local hospital, and this black bike came down the road towards us. I walk slowly with a stick, so I notice lots of things faster people might miss! But this bike was pretty hard to miss as the exhaust note was glorious. The bike looked superb, as good as new; then I was amazed to see that the bike was in fact brand new! We watched the fellow thump away, and I said to my wife, if I survive my operation (quintuple bypass and ablation) I'm going to get one of those bikes.

"I had to wait 'til '05 for surgery as part of my heart is pretty dead due to the attacks, and I have heart disease to this day, but thank God I'm still here.

"After the year it took me to get over my op, I decided now was the time to get a bike. I researched the Bullet on the Internet, and was aghast at the horror stories I was reading, all about bulls tumbling to bits and general unreliability. I even found an R.E. dealers in Kiddeminster to go and see one for real. The seat was hard and the kickstart dug into my leg. I said to my wife, no way will I buy one of these. But the thought of them would not leave me.

"Then one day a friend and I were riding out, it was cold, and we decided to visit a Stafford bike dealers called Chell's. They were very old established and sold Japanese bikes, all the main brands. By a quirk of fate, he had three Bullets in the shop! Two 500 Sixty-5 Models, and my beautiful 500 ES De Luxe! I was instantly drawn to them.

"Cyril told me that a dealer in Stoke-on-Trent had gone bust, and the UK Importers had collected the bikes from the store. They knew the owner of Chells, and had decided to call in for a chat or something. Anyway, they had the bikes in boxes on a trailer.

"Cyril is a man that likes to do a deal, and he told me that he settled a price and bought all three there and then, never having had anything to do with Bullets before. Well, I couldn’t buy a bike without a test ride, and these were definitely not available to demo. So I called Watsonians at Blockley, and they kindly offered to demo me two bullets, a Sixty-5 and an Electra. They didn’t have any classics available. As soon as I rode them I liked them. But of course, I didn’t buy an Electra or Sixty-5, it had to be the four-speed classic!

Victoria in 2006.

"Well, I had a roller coaster relationship with my bull, who I named Victoria, after the Indian steam train in the film Northwest Frontier. A genuine love-hate relationship developed and many times I threatened to burn the bike, or sell her. But every time I wanted to sell her and was offered a deal, I just could not. It was only when a Big Twin Harley came at a deal price I couldn’t resist did I part with her. Oh yes, it was from a childhood dream to own a Milwaukee V-Twin; but soon the gloss wore off the Harley, and I wanted my Bullet back!

"I never dreamed I would ever see her again, let alone own her, and so I consoled myself by getting a cheap '91 Royal Enfield 500 Superstar off eBay last year. Last winter I finally got fed up and sold my Harley, and sold it for a good price of £5850, so I got my money back, which was a first for motorcycles I've ever owned and sold!

"My Superstar is in a nut-and-bolt restoration and a 612 conversion with belt-drive racing clutch and all the works! That bike is still in (very shiny) bits. But, I still had a bit left in the kitty for another bike to ride. My mate said why don't you phone and see what Cyril's got in? So I did, and they said that today (Saturday, April 11), a Bullet was coming in, as a part exchange on a Harley!

"You've guessed it — it turned out to be my own very sorely missed De Luxe. The bloke dropped it off at 10 and got his Harley (another weird fact was he came from Stoke-on-Trent, where Victoria came from!). I was over at Chell’s by 11:30, did a deal for £1600 there and then, and at 3 p.m. I was back in the saddle of my dearly beloved, with a 12 months MOT and like I never was away.

"I'm convinced that there was a karma type thing going on here. It’s great to have her back, and I’ll not ever sell the bike again!"

For sale: Pretty 1967 Enfield Interceptor

"You are looking at a very rare and sought after bike." Those words and the lovely pictures of a 1967 Interceptor were all it took to draw my attention to an ad on eBay. The motorcycle is for sale in La Pine, Ore. La Pine is a small place in the center of the state, surrounded by national forests. Eugene appears to be the closest city.

The seller says the Interceptor has only 2,280 miles on it (although he notes that the gauges aren't working). He adds:

"This bike was restored in the '80s and has had very little use since. It is one of approximately 700 built and is No. 389. It runs as good as it looks and is complete and correct. The only thing that isn't on the bike is the velocity stacks on the carbs and I have those along with lots of documentation and some spare parts. The gauges are not working but replacements are available for a reasonable price.

"It does show a little wear but considering its age it is very very nice. It is titled as a '68 but the numbers say it was built in '67. There isn't any difference."


The Interceptor was created with the American market in mind and, at times, none were sold in Britain so that production could go almost entirely to the United States. There the demand for high sustained speeds could best be met with engine capacity. The Interceptor offered a nominal 750cc, a step up from the 700cc motor of the Royal Enfield Constellation from which it derived.
According to my source material, the 1967-'68 Series I Interceptor was the last of a great breed. In late 1968 would come the Series II Interceptor, with a wet-sump engine. It was close to the end now for Royal Enfield in England although the Series II Interceptor would continue in production as the game played out under different owners.
Sad as that might be, the Interceptors made a stirring and classy end to great story.

PUMA has two wheels but zero appeal

On the theory that anything with two wheels is fair game for a motorcycle blog, here's my opinion of the experimental General Motors and Segway PUMA.

Do I have to tell you what that opinion is? I bet you can guess.

First let me acknowledge that the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility whatchamacallit is a wonder. It was unveiled April 7 and is being shown at the New York auto show.

It could bring new all-weather mobility to people who can't handle or find space to store a car. I am not going to make the mistake of assuming that this phone booth on wheels is what the final product would look like, either.

It could be that the 35-mph PUMA will emerge one day from the factory lithe and sexy. I still don't want one.

Like the pogo-stick on wheels Segway, the PUMA relies on electronics for much -- for balance for starters. But the PUMA goes beyond that, with Segway envisioning accident avoidance capability. Thanks to global positioning and vehicle-to-vehicle communications, the PUMA will know where the threats are and avoid them.

Seat belts, one press account noted, will be fitted for "comfort purposes" only. You won't need air bags, since you can't crash.

My motorcycle does not have seat belts and it requires its rider not only to balance but to discover and react to threats through all 360 degrees. I can crash.

As fun and involving and sexy as the PUMA may one day be, it can not ever match my motorcycle for involvement. In fact, the press account promised "autonomous driving and parking."

The PUMA can not only put itself in a parking place, it can drive itself across town to get there! Maybe.

The PUMA is a tremendous technological stride and it could be better for cities and the environment than packs of carbon belching motorcycles. Perhaps dicing with taxicabs on the streets of Manhattan inside a rolling phone booth will raise the blood pressure and mental alertness.

But I just don't think it will get me going in the morning -- not the way matching a pushrod motor, Albion transmission, drum brakes and chain drive to a twisty road can.

Red racer's builder is Royal Enfield expert

His name is David Parapilly. His eBay ad for a brilliant red Royal Enfield café racer has attracted attention on web sites around the Internet in part because the ad detailed the many hours of demanding labor that went into producing the machine.

The motorcycle is unusual for many reasons, not least of them its 535cc motor and five-speed transmission converted to right shift.

Parapilly told me that he considers the attention to this bike "a pat on the back for the two years of bloody knuckles and sprained ankles."

This was far from his first experience with a Royal Enfield.

"I consider myself as an authority on Royal Enfield four-stroke singles here in the West Coast and my friends like to say I own 90 per cent of all Enfields in Las Vegas," he wrote me.

"This bike was a collective effort between my dad, me and my brother-in-law (who spent most of the money in trying to build something that I did not have!). I finished it in January. Selling it to make space for my newest project: a 1965 Interceptor that has not seen the light of the day since 1972.

"I used to host an RE enthusiast web site from 2002, something that I wanted to grow into the biggest RE resources site on the web. But lost interest after my wedding and pulled it down a couple of years back. I had over 425 photos of bikes, a small blog and other resources at the time.

"I buy and sell Enfields. Recently I sold my '69, which was built into a mild cruiser. I had a 2003 Hitchcocks café racer that was sold to Connecticut in '06. Before that I had a Yamaha café racer. I still have the 1974 Bullet 350 that has been in the family since new (I am born and raised in India). I also have an ultra-rare 1959 Fury big head racer that has been a West Coast bike all its life. In India I still have around four or five bikes.

"My other interest is in Yamaha two stroke twins; will keep that discussion for another rainy day!"

Parapilly's Buy It Now Price is $5,500, which does not seem excessive when you consider the labor and features listed in his ad. He is also offering free shipping inside the U.S., a real rarity.

Carberry salutes man who built a V-twin

No one expects Aniket Vardhan and his homemade Royal Enfield V-twin to go into serious production against Carberry of Austalia, which has been working on a Royal Enfield V-twin it will market to the public.

Vardhan's motor, made from two Enfield 350s, is a soul satisfying personal triumph but not something he has so far offered for sale.

Still, it was great to see this comment, left on this blog:

"Vardhan,

Well done. All (4) of us at Carberry think what you have done is tremendous. A Herculean Effort. Congratulations. First production Carberry is on the road next month come what may so we know what you must have gone through to do what you have done.

Mike Floyd"

I checked with Carberry to make sure the comment was genuine. Guy Brown, at sales@carberryenfield.com.au, assured me it was.

"Yes all of us at Carberry salute (him), well done."

Brown also attached Carberry's progress report for February. It concludes: "These machines are shortly to be released in Australia and shortly thereafter to the rest of the world."

Carberry's 1000cc V-twin Royal Enfield and Vardhan's 700cc V-twin are important because the answer the question so many Royal Enfield riders around the world have asked, sometimes after a few beers.

The question is: "Well, couldn't you just add more power by sticking another cylinder back here?"

The answer is: Yes you can, but it isn't easy. Royal Enfield fans were delighted when Carberry tackled the project and then posted video on its web site of the prototype running. There was actual astonishment when Aniket Vardhan, one man in Columbus, Ohio, managed to do something similar in a borrowed machine shop.

For sale: Enfield café is fruit of hard labor

A dramatic café racer made from a 1976 Royal Enfield 350 is for sale on eBay in Las Vegas, Nev. The red racer is now a 535cc machine, with five-speed transmission converted to right-shift with set-back linkage. The front brake is still a drum, but it has been drilled for a period-correct appearance.

The builder says he used sheet metal, not Fiberglas and spared no expense. His Buy It Now Price is $5,500, which does not seem excessive when you consider the labor involved. He writes:

"It is the one I thought I’d never sell; I am letting go only because I need space in the garage and I don’t ride it much. This bike has never failed to grab attention the few miles I have ridden it so far.

"Of course one look at the pictures will tell you that the inspiration has come from the quintessential café racer, the Triton and the granddaddy of all, the Manx! The theme of this build was beauty and lightness. However only when you start building one do you discover that an Enfield’s short wheelbase and loop frame simply isn’t going to co-operate with you unless you make the right changes here and there to achieve the right silhouette and riding posture.

"The tank mounts were made and remade thrice, seat pan was modified twice and I went through four rear fenders before arriving at this one!"

The seller is offering free shipping, a rarity.