Royal Enfield starting problem cured by new battery

Problems starting my Royal Enfield Bullet were fixed by a new battery.

Few things (except maybe a fresh spark plug) are as likely to pep up a classic Royal Enfield motorcycle as a new battery.

I'd been nursing along a duff battery in my 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet since it almost stranded me Sept. 27, 2014.

I quickly found that while a few minutes on a battery charger would get us going, the battery would fail to hold a charge and, once stopped, the motor wouldn't restart. Aggravating.

So I made an appointment at my local Brit bike shop, Wes Scott Cycles in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Wes advised that he had what I needed on the shelf. But no trip to his shop deserves a simple run past. Half the reason I like to go there is to see what other motorcycles are on hand.

Triumph cafe racer. Lime green.

This time it was a trio of interesting Triumphs, including a custom cafe racer and a pristine looking Daytona. It's the details I like to look for — things such as what the reflectors look like and how rear axle alignment is adjusted.

Triumph Daytona was a more classic shade of green.

Seriously: has any other maker ever copied Royal Enfield's clam shell adjusters? I doubt it. At least they are unique.

A battered Yamaha 100 dirt bike last registered in 1977 provided the most drama that morning. Kick after kick failed to bring it to life until the fellow doing the kicking basically gave up. He managed one, last, half-hearted little shove with his foot.

Of course, this started the Yamaha immediately. The smoke drove almost everyone out of the shop.

Two-cycle Yamaha dirt bike clears the air of mosquitoes.

Wes installed my battery and I experienced the joy of starting my Bullet instantly, and twice in a row.

We're good to go now.

Precious details on the Triumph Daytona.