classic motorcycle forum
Motorcycle Discussions => British Bikes => Topic started by: netbikes on May 18, 2011, 12:04:16 PM
-
Does anyone have any info on this bike?, it belongs to a friend and looks like me in the not too distant future.
He thinks it may be a competition model, all I can tell you at this time is that it is a 350 and has a 21in front wheel like a scrambler or trials bike.
I don't have the engine or frame numbers yet.
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/350_enfield1.jpg)
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/350_enfield2.jpg)
-
Good detail view of someones t-shirt !
Looks like a Bullet that someone has mucked about with, judging by the number of bits cobbled on, and original road bits still remaining - concentric carb, megaphone, headlamp brackets, no front guard. Could well be a later tank on an earlier bike too, just to confuse the issue.
The trials or comp models were quite specialised models, although most of the bits could be adapted to the road bikes, with varying degrees of success....
Hopethishelps.
-
HI R, I took these pics a couple of months ago and at that time there was no indication that I might end up owning it so they were purely interest pics and not something to source info from.
The bike is 1000K's from me so I guess I should wait till it is here before going further with this thread.
-
I admire your acquiring it before identifying it ! The useful thing about restoring older Enfields is that a lot of the modern Enfield stuff from India will fit, and is reasonably inexpensive. And have reasonable comfort and performance compared to a lot of the alernatives of the time, Enfields were streets ahead of most with rear suspension.
Why ye stray from the VJMCC bikes ?
Cheers.
-
Why ye stray from the VJMCC bikes ?
Clearly he's had one of those Eureka! moments. After all, you can only obsess over the correct shade of white for the speedo needle for so long.... ;)
-
:) not straying too far, currently doing up a 89 zxr750, next on the list is a 85 gixer, then a 69 YR3 yam and then a 70's 500 Ducati, I just like everything:-)
-
Finally have this bike in the garage now, stuff happened and it didn't make it here till now. The mag had a issue but once sorted it started second kick and motor is super quiet internal.
Needs general road worthy things like tyres etc but it would be pretty simple to get this unrestored road or usable ready.
All indications lead me , and others, to believe it is a 1956 trials replica, the lights, (battery total loss) ,seat and tool/battery boxes are retro fitted, the bike never ever came with a lights power source and the mag cannot be fitted with a kill switch function. The swing arm also matches the trials 350, the scrambler version was a heavier type, both front and rear guards are alloy. The seat is actually 1964 Lightning Rocket Clubman which i will probably use on my A10 cafe racer.
Where some paint is peeling off the frame it looks like it was once a bronze colour, it is very hard and may be possibly an original colour, does this ring a bell with anyone?
The eng num in G2-364, that's it, the frame is G2-11977, or at least looks like, hard to tell for sure till I scrape in down a bit.
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/enfield1.jpg)
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/enfield2.jpg)
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/enfield3.jpg)
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/enfield4.jpg)
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/enfield5.jpg)
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/enfield6.jpg)
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/enfield7.jpg)
-
Nice find, should be a lot of fun.
Its parentage is not quite as obvious as you may like though !
It looks to have more bits of roadbike on it than you would expect for a comp bike.
The Trials Rep had an alloy cylinder, Lucas wader maggie, lightweight hubs and lotsa trials bits. Most singles of the era were stopped by the decompression release, the singles mag didn't have provision for an electric 'off' button. What maggie is that on it, looks Matchless ?
That gearbox was last used for 1954 (mostly) and 1953-55 was also the years a lot of Enfields were painted what is described as "Polychromatic copper beach" which is (presumeably) a bronzy colour. (not any 350 Bullets though). The compy/trials 350 models were a silvergrey colour. Tank seems to be a few years later, and the rear mudguard setup is roadbike, as is the rhs toolbox. Wheels/hubs are roadbikes too, and the Concentric Amal is 1966 at least.
Not uncommon to see bikes stripped down or converted for competition / scrambling / trials use - and then ridden home afterwards in that era.
Someone probably had good use from their Bullet, a very versatile bike.
The Enfield Owners Club can search their records, for a fee, and give you more details. If the engine has been fitted into another frame though (because of that bronze colour) then probably none too helpful.
Have fun !
-
think your right, I have done a lot of googleing as you do when a new toy arrives but it has been hard to find any real info on this bike, it does seems to be a mix, in the end it doesn't matter I guess, whatever it is it is mine:-)
-
Road based bikes are more all-round fun than the trials bikes, which are rather specialised. And you get better brakes, although there is still room for improvement.
Plus, you've got the best looking tank ever on an Enfield ?
An earlier trials model.. Not sure they got that green shade correct !?
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqR,!jYE2Gy)-+8lBNpNNN829g~~_12.JPG
There is nothing to stop you making your bike more like this, or a later model of - as owners did back then - afterall, thats all the factory did.
Cheers.
-
can you just list the item number please, the link did not work for me.
Not sure how I will proceed yet, but I do like the look of the 51 model
(http://www.netbikes.com.au/cycleauctions/editable/350_enfield/51_350_enfield.jpg)
Love that muffler style, where to get??, Do you know if the seats those Indian ebay sellers sell will work ok for my bike?
I would also like a set of headlight brackets as in the pic.
-
Instead of clicking the link, copy the whole line and paste it in the address line of your web browser, it works fine then
-
Looks like the neutraL finder futtock pedal is missing I think that goes on the third shaft sticking out of the gearbox. One for kickstart , long curvy one for gears and a little one for the finder.
Rode a 500 once but never managed to find neutral with the gadget so best of luck matey
Hitchcocks Motorcycles in Shirley Warwickshire UK are good for RE bits I am told.... they were made not 12 miles from where I am sitting now tryping this in Redditch.
-
Looks like the neutraL finder futtock pedal is missing I think that goes on the third shaft sticking out of the gearbox. One for kickstart , long curvy one for gears and a little one for the finder.
Rode a 500 once but never managed to find neutral with the gadget so best of luck matey
Hitchcocks Motorcycles in Shirley Warwickshire UK are good for RE bits I am told.... they were made not 12 miles from where I am sitting now tryping this in Redditch.
Yes I will need to find a parts book so i can order those missing bits, just part of the fun:-)
-
Instead of clicking the link, copy the whole line and paste it in the address line of your web browser, it works fine then
thanks, the bike looks, well, umm, yeah:-)
-
And if you want a charging system. You'll have to find a magdyno.
-
For daytime rides only, a battery will last a long time only doing rear brake light and a few horn beeps.
So no magdyno required. Unless you plan to ride a lot, or far, at night.
-
the bike will stay battery total loss, when I have restored it, well tidied it up somewhat I may take it on a long trip or two but there will be no riding at night, perhaps just a hard wired park and tail light.
I would like to find the grey colour the frames were painted, does anyone know of a modern match?
Other parts I will be sourcing are original headlight and brackets or a close match, the single spring seat and the upswept muffler with the curved tail piece.
Leads appreciated.
-
Hitchcocks in the UK are the source of all things old Royal Enfield - mostly new stock though, andf the postage is a bit savage. There are other UK suppliers, on ebay too if you watch and are not in a hurry.
Lotta new stuff coming out of India too, some will suit older Enfields and the prices are lowish, but climbing. Only a few of the suppliers are good quality though. Someone in Newcastle NSW has older Bullet stuff, changed hands a few times, should be easy enough to track down.
For the paint match, you need to find someone with an Enfield for a paint sample. The paint colour is polychromatic silvergrey.
Scan from the brochure, for 1955.
http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pictures/partsbooks/1955_350CC_BULLET.jpg
While some use metallic paint to match this, poly paints are actually pre-metallic paint era. The paint has extremely fine aluminium powder in it, not metal flakes, and has a silver sheen to it that metalflake doesn't. Modern "pearl' paint is similar in character, if you can find the right shade (VW or Audi ?).
You probably need to figure out the year of your bike too, since the features change with the year. That curved muffler only covered a few years, is that your bike ?
Hopethishelps, Havefun.
-
thanks R, on the colour, I am happy with something close, I am not trying to hard to replica a factory finish, I think factory restorations were invented by the poms to get them through their 11 month winters ;D, I really just needed to know the shade, going by the pic you posted it looks medium grey and I can work with that although if I find a small part in the original colour that will make it easier.
On the upswept pipe, again if it for my model or not is not a concern, I just like to look. I see they use that pipe or very similar on a modern version so at least that should be easy to get.
(http://www.indiaon2wheels.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bullet-classic-500-efi.jpg)
-
Sounds good. Post a pic when you are done, I'm sure we'd like to see it come back to life. Somehow seems appropriate to source parts from a "Classic' model to restore an original....
-
yes going to the local Enfield dealer today to sus parts, although I have been told he has a bsa rocket 3 for sale at quite a resaonable price so I may be tempted t trade The En:-)
-
Best of luck with the R3
-
Best of luck with the R3
funny you should say that at this time, I am also working on another R3, but I bet it is not what your thinking:-)
http://auction.netbikes.com.au/vjmw.php?dir=yr3&page=yr3
The other R3 I am yet to view it as the shop owner in os at the mo and the guy looking after the shop cannot deal with offers, only the set price.