Hitchcocks Forum

As you good regulars know, have been messing with this
early Redditch twin frame whose rear fender struts
and all the other lugs someone hacked off long
ago Since bike will be somewhat bobbered anyway.
had fabricated an extempory rear fender support etc,
but with a set of 12" shocks of unknown origin, the stock
19" tyre is sitting too close to the fender. On fitting
another pair of 13.5" there seems to be sufficent clearance
now if I stay on tarmac roads! Anyway curious as to what the
stock length was, or whether the 13.5 ones are too radical
for stock forks and sprung single saddle. Meanwhile spot welded
lugs all over again, I suspect some farmboy made do with other
aberrations once worse than this judging from the extended forks
I had to cut back to original length Thanxs,lads.

12" is the correct length for Indian bikes and about a half inch under for Redditch ones. My early Redditch frame has 12" shocks and works fine.

Gordon, it depends on what you mean by "early" frame! The shocks used up to 1953 were made by Enfield themselves and were 10.5" long. From 1954 they were made by Woodhead and were 11" long. From 1956 they were made by Girling (except the 500 Bullets and big Twins for 1958-61 which were the knurled type Armongstrongs,) and were 11.5" long. That's all off the top of my head but figures should be approximately right! REgards, Mark

Grateful Mark and Chris for your confirming those lengths
as had forgotten to check our Host's superb catalouge beforehand
which lists replacemet shocks on page 150/151. Frame is 1950
I believe #T670 with no gas tank lug(s) at the front either.
Length was measured from center hole to hole. Thank you.