- Sun Aug 25, 2013 8:00 am
#27898
Paul is right about my intentions but there is some background you may not know. I have had an early 500 Bullet (1953) from 1980 and built quite a few Enfields over that time including another 1955 500. I bought this bike (a 1955 350 Bullet) from an Ebay advert because it was A) cheap and B) it is very similar in spec to the 500 so I thought it would be interesting and I had conveniently accumulated many of the spares it needed. When I collected it I realised it was much worse than the pictures showed (my fault for not viewing in person, the sellers description was completely honest,) and a check of the parts I had reminded me that I'd sold or used many of them! I was wondering what to do with it at my local REOC club night and Paul, another member, suggested that as he was starting a new online magazine to take up the idea started by Gordon May's Bulletin magazine, maybe I'd write up the rebuild as a series of articles? We discussed the details and agreed that there are many Bullet owners out there who have come to Enfields through Indian bikes but may now fancy an older British built version but may be put off by the lack of information or their own lack of experience. Therefore the articles are intended to be a "How to" guide to rebuilding a Bullet from the ground up, the aim being to keep as close as possible to the specification for 1955 (which is also the year the Indian Bullet began,) but without spending a fortune on paint and chrome, and doing as much work as possible myself. While I've done a lot of these jobs myself I've never built a crankshaft so I'm seeking suitable advice! Meanwhile, you can read the articles in The Royal Enfield Magazine online at greenlane.biz and marvel at how worn out this bike is, even if you're the sort of person who just buys new bits! REgards, Mark