Royal Enfield Owners Club UK's 'The Gun' magazine

The Gun magazine never fails to amuse and inform Royal Enfield enthusiasts everywhere.

The June/July 2017 edition of The Gun, magazine of the Royal Enfield Owners Club UK is out and, as always, it is full of derring do, high comedy, low comedy and, of course, the crossword puzzle.

Mike Slater tells how he found a Royal Enfield KX V-twin in the 1960s. Even then it was very old, and had no handlebars or tires. Nevertheless, he attempted to walk the heavy motorcycle home, since the route was all downhill.

Too much downhill, as it turned out, as the bike gained speed and he could not stop it (with no tires, the brake only caused the wheel to skid along).

Just ahead was car traffic and, if he somehow survived that, the now speeding bike would plunge into a river.

So he... well, you can find out what he did by joining the Club and reading the rest of the story in its archive of the magazine. Each issue is rich in human drama and Royal Enfield lore.

In other news from The Gun June/July issue, we learn that the Home Counties Rally will be July 21-23, with a difference this year:

"Feedback from attendees of last year's event was entirely positive with one major exception. Some visitors complained about the absence of catastrophic or comic breakdowns and additionally almost nobody fell off at low speed," organizers noted.

So this year they've taken steps "to ensure that a small disaster is virtually guaranteed..."

In an article entitled "A Tinkerer's Tale," Bob Chambers writes about his 16-year project — a 1959 Royal Enfield Super Meteor engine and gearbox and the 1955 BSA A10 frame in which it's installed.

With no way to restore it he decided to create a cafe racer to his own specifications, finding the experience liberating since no one can criticize the (attractive) results as not being "as it left the factory."

Elsewhere, a highlight of the Branch Reports comes from Cornwall, regarding the ride-out planned for Sunday, April 2.

"Unfortunately, no one else turned up," the organizer reports. He carried on with a pleasant, relaxing ride in fine weather.

That's the spirit.

It's quite easy to join the club by credit card or PayPal.

The Gun magazine is available by email as well, so you never miss an issue.