English bike lovers...help!

The Royal Enfield bike is still being made in India. I believe it is actually made from the original British Enfield. They are still all over the place in India when I was there last year.

The plant in India is still producing the 1955 model with a 500, 350, and the Hatz Diesel. Gunner's is a 700 or 750 cc model. It has been bobbed, much original parts removed and replaced with what was thought to be "cooler". It will be quite a project. Bob Raber (rabers.com) would be my first stop.

Looks like a BITSA to me, someone's idea of joining Peter Fonda on a road trip.

Maybe an Enfield engine, but the engine does look like a pre unit Triumph as well, looks like a Norton frame from the early 1960s - but frame makers were copying each other like mad back then. There were also a load of NorVins, Tritons, etc coming out of the UK, so it could be a mix and match of a couple of makers.

That tear drop tank is aftermarket for sure - 1960s Easy Rider Shoppe, along with that tractor saddle. The megaphone mufflers are also an aftermarket accessory item. The front forks have a Japanese look about them, they've lost the fork gaiters, dont know why but they just look like they came off a late 60s Honda 750 - in fact the whole front end including the fork yokes. Front and rear mudguards are aftermarket as well if they are polished alloy, the real McCoy would be chromed or painted with lots of rust now breaking through!! The shocks have a Japanese look about them as well.

Forget the VIN, it was built before VINs came into force, its just a frame number.

As others have said, and they were imported by Clymer, maybe they "chopped" them with a load of accessories to make them more saleable.

Gunner, for parts go here:

When you telephone, the guy that you talk to is the one who gets the part and puts it in the box.

And it's usually done right after he hangs up.

You can still buy a brand new Royal Enfield Bullet today. Made in India, = no less. Fifty years, and still going strong.=20

Guess you can call it an "Indian" too

"Ed Huntress" wrote in news:48fffa37$0$4882 $ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:

@k7g2000hsd.googlegroups.com..

Look closely at the top of the front fender and you can see where the "Indian Head" light had been removed.

Vernon wrote in news:525caf1e-e6ee-405c-b091- snipped-for-privacy@v56g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:

Try looking up info on the Vincent bikes, especially their Black Shadow.

J. Nielsen wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Indian is/was back in business, building bikes that, at least, look like Indians should including the skirted front fender.

I think you may find its a Royal Enfield Interceptor derived bike. Not sure what the Indian badged ones were based on.

Gunner wrote on 10/22/2008 :

How'd you get it home from Mi.?

Wayne D.

The original tooling and machines were shipped from the UK to India lock stock and barrel when the factory closed here - presumeably many replacements since then (1970's???) though maybe not

A friend of mine has an Indian Enfield - it seems reasonably made.

AWEM

In my day (1960s) the Vincent Black Shadows were the stuff of legend and myth. Stories abounded. But I never saw one "in the flesh". V

I had a friend that had two back in the 60's. He would every summer ride one to Canada from Dallas Texas, he told me it was like riding a dream. I have had over the years HD's,Norton, AJS's, Indian warrior, BSA's. After 20 years with no bikes I just bought these this month.

There's one just down the street from me. Met the fellow after chatting with his wife at one of my yard sales. Upon learning I was into bikes, she invited me to come chat with him about his Vincent Black Shadow. I'll never forget her cheerfully saying "and he'll probably let you ride it!"

Yeah, right, turn a total stranger of unknown ability loose on a $150k motorcycle... But I did meet him and he's a right cheerful fellow. I was careful to drool only on the floor, not the bike.

Jon

From the brochure on their web page, 1720CC. I've got no idea whether they've gotten old tooling, or if it's really a new design (I've got no affiliation with the company, and I'm pretty ignorant about motorcycles -- though a local dealer is raffling off a Kawasaki N900 to support multiple sclerosis research, and I've bought five tickets in memory of my late brother in law who died of MS).

So what are you going to do with that old junk? Frame it and put it on the wall? JS

In my day (1960s) the Vincent Black Shadows were the stuff of legend and myth. Stories abounded. But I never saw one "in the flesh". V

Simple, the last Indian brand motorcycles were re-badged Royal Enfields.

Steve R. ( One time motorcycle mechanic/salesman/partsman)