I couldn't find the motorcycle forum so I'm sticking this here.

I saw one of these yesterday in our parking garage and thought it looked just dandy:

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles....els/military-c5.html

Anybody who's known me since childhood will tell you that there's nothing I love more than a multitude of cylinders.

But that single cylinder bike is just flat cool.

I haven't owned a street legal bike since I got shed of the "combat wombat."

I may have to rekindle the relationship.

Royal Enfield's web site shows a lot of photos of their bikes which have been modified by owners, and some are very nice indeed. Even Jay Leno's got one.

I wish they'd add the old 700 Constellation to their range...... now THAT was a fantastic machine in any of it's guises!

yeep they made some great bikes.

Aren't they offering the Indian made 350 and 500 these days?

Rich

even worse, I keep seeing a URAL side hack copy of the old beemer rigs the russians captured from the germans?

Rich

Enfields were pretty much always made in India but the Indians took over sometime after the parent company in the UK went bust. They've made the 350 & 500 singles for years there but I don't remember what the models are called at the moment.... I'm sure it'll come to me though. (Think one was called the Bullet but not sure which one)

I'd guess they must still have the tooling for the 700 twin and if they'd restart production on those, I'd be their first customer..... I've had several of them over the years and restored a couple and love 'em to bits!

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Rich

Enfields were pretty much always made in India but the Indians took over sometime after the parent company in the UK went bust. They've made the 350 & 500 singles for years there but I don't remember what the models are called at the moment.... I'm sure it'll come to me though. (Think one was called the Bullet but not sure which one)

I'd guess they must still have the tooling for the 700 twin and if they'd restart production on those, I'd be their first customer..... I've had several of them over the years and restored a couple and love 'em to bits!

Steve,

I have had a couple of "Bullets" over the years..the first one in '78...a 350 cc, and now have an old '99 500 cc that I am slowly restoring. Perhaps the 700s were only an export item or before my time.

This is the official site
http://www.royalenfield.com/

There is also a large user group with some very knowledgeable people around the world on Yahoo..

<Bulletech@yahoogroups.com>

They have just come out with the "Classic" which is the old 500 cc cast iron engine...

I have done some modifications to my bike...free flow exhaust, free flow air intake, high compression piston, umm appropriately jetted carb..when all you have is 20 horse to start with anything more that you can eke out is a major plus....will get some pics in the next few days and post for you

Regards

Saeed

I'm fairly sure they were always made in India and think they stopped making the 700 in all it's variations in about the late 60s or early 70s I think but it was a helluva good machine....... I had my first one (a constellation) when I was about 14 and used to get regularly chased by the local bobby but he could never catch me on the bike.

He came to my house one day and started digging me in the chest with his finger and lecturing me on how he knew it was me and one day he'd catch me and slap me in jug........ he never managed it though!

I'd be very surprised if they didn't keep the 700 tooling when they stopped production and if they re-started it, I bet they'd sell like hotcakes!

Steve,

If they were made in India, I am sure they still have the "tooling". After all, we are the only country in the world that STILL makes rifles and ammunition for the a calibre called the .315 which is the old old 8x50 R...a 244 gr bullet at just over 2000 fps...it does hit like a ton of bricks under a 100 yards..I remember shooting nilgai with it and none went more than 20 yards or so

I've heard of the 315 but never come across one.

As for the 700, maybe we'll see them reintroduced someday!

Steve,

The 315 is made on the old 303 SMLE action, barrel rebored...25" pencil thin barrel...but great within a 100 yards

Here's a useless piece of info you..... In 1958, RE fitted the first ABS system onto a Super Meteor and although it worked fine, they decided it had no commercial or safety value and so abandoned the idea!

A guy down by me has a nice one he did a semi-bobber conversion on:

I reckon they'd look nice in cafe racer style.

Polished/chromed & slightly lengthened fuel tank, bumstop single seat with clip ons and rearsets etc.