Hitchcocks Forum

I miss the 'old style/relaxing bike' so want to rediscover the joys of an 'old(er) style of motorcycle' so I am acquiring a "New to me" 350, a bit older than some perhaps, and an Indian Enfield rather than Redditch - it's on a 'H' plate so I think that makes it a 1990 model.

Hopefully a pleasant bike to sample a way of going thats disappearing, save for some very expensive 'real classics'; but on one I hope (that at 23ish - so itself quite old!) is useable on today's roads and byways....but with that taste of the past.

It's on the road with a 12mth MOT!

It had been off the road for a while and has recently been recomissioned by the sellers local MOT garage. Allegedly the garage owner "knows his old bikes" and did the work on this one himself; which included top end inspection and valve adjustment, new front fork oil seals and a number of other jobs to get it up to MOT standard...

Fingers crossed.

I seem to recall from tests long ago that the early enfields could have problems (when Slaters and Evesham Motorcycles) imported from the late 70's. Some 'websites' claim that later ones had some improvements; not sure where a 1990's model fits in that picture.

Anything in particular I would be advised to check on a Bullet from 1990?

I am sort of working on the principal if this is still going and otr (now) with an MOT and it's survived this long - it hopefully will be ok! I wont be able to contact last owner unless a sceance works!

The 350 will share some garage space with a couple of old(er)MZ's too - a TS250/1 Supa5 and a TS125 (like a Bantam but made in Germany) both the Bantam and the MZ (not to mention a few others) being clones of the older RT125 DKW factory...at least the MZ was made in the old DKW works....

Mark

Hello and welcome, I had a 93 500 for a Number of years and it was Fine ,I was Told at the Time that "It had the 2nd Lot of Improvements"..Like wise "I Would Think a 350 (Good Move) and a 1990 Should Be Ok (Depending on Previous Owners etc)..They are a Lot tougher than People Think..BUT Is it Standard??..In Standard Form IMHO They are More Robust/Reliable etc......BUt Lastly it all come's down to PRICE..If its at the Right Price Go For It if Not Walk away or Barin etc (OH and I Like Mz's too..Enfields Just Sound better)....GET ONE RIDE IT ENJOY!....Cheers Craig..[ p/s What area are you In?]

As long as you are not in a hurry they are fine. As most are bought as toys they get very little use so even a 1990 bike is likely to have had moderate use.

I must say the all that glitters is not gold . be prepared to spend copious pounds on the said machine as the bullet is a great ride but a difficult taskmaster and will empty your coffers at a fast rate of revs.

I've put on over 2000 miles in the last 6 months and the only money I've spent on my Enfield is on appearance items. Has not let me down once, or has there been a moment on the side of the road with tools scattered on the pavement below it, wife standing to the side watching me cuss and gyrate in anger as I try to fix it (like some H-D bikes of years past!) The standard thinking that the bike is a breakdown waiting to happen is a bunch of horse squeeze, pure and simple. Easier to blame the bike than their manhood....Good mechanic and ability to follow proper maintenance? Good bike. Hop on and blast off any day of the year with no idea what a shop manual is or how to follow a maintenance schedule type owner? Bad bike. Simple as that.

As far as I am aware the 1990 bike will still be all imperial and will be a six volt system ( I stand to be corrected) which means that you will need a set of whitworth spanners and there may come a time when you want to upgrade to a voltage regulator/ rectifier rather than the old switched system of charging. Apart from that with gentle and sympathetic use you should get many happy miles out of it although I suggest you avoid motorways as these are not prolonged high speed machines but will chunter down A Roads for any distance.
Happy motoring

Most pre-metric Enfields are solid , remember how many have been made in India with a huge reputation as a solid mount , just the shear numbers making every one as good as the next .

Most pre-metric Enfields are solid , remember how many have been made in India with a huge reputation as a solid mount , just the shear numbers making every one as good as the next .

A 1990 bike will be Whitworth, yes, but the electrics are a decent 12v.

That sounds encourging. Will have to root around to see what spanners and the like I have. 12V hopefully, as long (as I assume) it was an export model and not a indian home mkt model. As I say can't check with previous owner without a seance, and the electric voltage one thing I didnt think to check.
It seems solid, and sounds ok, but wouldnt win a beauty contest. If it was possible to add a picture I'd try but that doesnt seem possible (or I lack the appropriate skills!). Mark