Royal Enfield: 'Untainted by the world of make-it-better'

My 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet. Untainted?

If there's a contest for a jingle that best captures the spirit of Royal Enfield motorcycles, the prize might go to Sarah, parts manager at MC Supply in Hastings, Mich.

"Own a piece of history without all the wear of time" was her pitch in MC Supply's ad for a Royal Enfield on eBay.

It inspired me to write an item agreeing with the truth behind that statement. No sooner did it appear than she crafted another slogan, for a new ad:

"It has not been tainted by the world of make-it-better."

I know, you could interpret this to mean that Royal Enfield motorcycles are no better made than they ever were. Very funny. But that is not how I read it.

Royal Enfield motorcycles may be better than ever, but they are not tainted by the improvements. The experience of riding one is much the way it was in the old days. That's what I was looking for when I bought mine. Sarah found a great way to express it.

"I was sitting at my computer and wondering how to make Enfields sound cool," Sarah explained when I wrote to congratulate her. "I had never thought about copy writing anything (guess that is my little small town living talkin')."

Mission accomplished.