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| The skin-tight rear fender of a rigid motorcycle looks crisp and clean. |
Of course, like any rigid conversion, it eliminates the comfort and road holding of the standard swing-arm rear suspension.
In Classic Motorcycle Mechanics author Tim Britton recently noted the irony of fitting a rigid rear end to the Bullet. It was the post-war Royal Enfield Bullet that famously demonstrated the advantages of the swinging arm rear suspension.
Why would you choose to go back in time? Well, going back in time has been the Bullet's specialty, as it has changed so little over the many decades since World War II. The temptation obviously exists to push it a little farther into the past, to its Model G forebears.
If your backbone can stand a beating for the sake of styling it might be worth considering.
You could obtain all the pain of riding rigid by simply replacing the rear shocks and springs of your Bullet with suitable struts. But you wouldn't have the genuine vintage look of the Hitchcocks bike.
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| Hitchcocks catalog shows that you need more than just the subframe. |
Oh, so you thought buying a time machine would be cheap?
The rigid rear is shown fitted to an older Bullet, not the new Unit Constructed Engine model. Here's a video of the Hitchcocks rigid.
The old rigid Enfields like the Model J sat lower and longer and thus look a lot different than just adding a rigid rear end to the newer Enfields. Hitchcock's is offering a great first step in customizing. Hopefully we'll be able to see an extended (2-3 inches) version with a 2-3" drop. I think that will bring us closer to the silhouette and stance of the greatest generation of Enfield. Photo here... http://tinyurl.com/enfieldmodelj
ReplyDeleteWow, you're right. What a difference. The photo is really remarkable.
DeleteVery true,
DeleteBut the price needs to be much more realistic..
£250 is more than an adequate price, as there are people like Craig Jones on The Doghouse (see his Channel on YouTube) who can offer absolutely superbly built Hardtails which give a much lower stance for around that price, with the only exception that the top tube is a weld on, rather than a bolt on.
His fabrication quality is of the very highest order, with every weld nicely dressed up.
Very nice, but over expensive for what it is, just for the sake of 'The Look'
ReplyDeleteAlthough made in England, I have been offered exact copies last year from a seller in India.
In my opinion,for what a conversion would cost.. You would be far better off with a vintage 350 model G. As they are still fairly plentiful, great value, and a good one can only appreciate in value.