Amal carburetor 223/001C needed to finish restoration

This 1948 Royal Enfield RE125 needs one thing to get it going.

Eric Davison is in "desperate" need of an Amal carburetor (No. 223/001C) to complete restoration of his 1948 Royal Enfield RE125.

Desperate? Well, just read what he has been through so far:

"As a boy I was intrigued with the Flying Flea. It was hard to imagine that a small motorcycle could be dropped into combat. About two years ago I found one for sale on eBay. Actually it was a RE125 — the Flying Flea designation was only for those created for military use. However, the RE125 has all the charm of the Flea  so I joined in the bidding and won. I bought it sight unseen and had it shipped to my home in Anna Maria, Fla.

"Prior to finding the bike I had chanced into an English bike repair and restoration shop in Sarasota. The proprietor is a man with one name: Reko. I asked him if he had ever come across a Flea or a 125.  He reached under the counter and pulled out a 125cc motor. It was devoid of any internals and he had purchased it at a swap meet because it looked so 'cute.'

"When my bike arrived I turned all the painting over to Reko as well as taking his advice on sources and for serious mechanical  work.

Eric's RE125 as it looked when purchased.

"It needed tires and the specs for current tires are not the same as those for 1948. It took me three tries before I located a source in England that had what I needed.

"Hitchcocks was the source for many items such as new rubber grips, cables a seat cover and a muffler, as the original was rusted through.

The exhaust pipe, too, was rusted through, and no one had a replacement. A place in India said they could duplicate my original and I shipped it off to them. It never made it. Mail in India is apparently as bad as in the United States.

"Eventually I found a place in England that had the original dies and for an exorbitant sum acquired a new one.

"The engine seemed to be in good shape but there was no spark. Getting a flywheel magneto repaired is not an easy task. I must have contacted 100 sources before finding D.H. Day in England. It cost $150 to ship it to him and his fees were not cheap. But now I had a magneto that functioned.

"The Amal carburetor was in tough shape. The bike flooded out immediately after starting.

"This is when tragedy struck. I mailed the carb, an Amal 223/001C to my brother in Michigan. He is an amateur race car driver and a damned good machinist. Among other things a new tickler was needed. After creating a new one and performing other services he mailed it back to me. That was Aug. 1. The Post Office says that lost packages always turn up. So far, nothing.

"Amal itself can't help and so far neither can any of the other sources in the U.S., England and India. I would bet that I have made at least 50 contacts and have struck out completely.

"I did find a carburetor from a Flying Flea. While it could be made to work, it is an original piece. It is a Villiers, is brass and is painted olive drab. I can't bring myself to modify it.

If anyone out there knows of an Amal 223/001C please, please contact me." Eric's email address is edavison@tampabay.rr.com