Hitchcocks Forum

Hi guys. I’m about to start work on my recently-puchased 1951 G2 - REOC having just advised it was a 1951 model not the 1953 model as it had been sold to me. Apparently it was originally sent to Shimwells of Birmingham who traded also in South Africa – so I guess they exported it out here (maybe it was only first bought here in 1953, who knows). It reportedly spent some years in Namibia but I can demonstrate its history only over the past ~10 years.
The bike starts and runs OK but there are a few parts that don’t look standard and I’d like to replace/fix.

1. I need a new speedometer (it has a modern RE one) – should that be 80mph? I have one of Mr H’s “chronometrics” on my 1996 535cc which looks the part and works OK. So one of them will do.
2. The gearbox has the clutch cable connection inside the box just like the 1956 G2’s – is that correct or should it be an outside connection?
3. The gearbox was oil filled and presumably has no sealed bearings – so I’ll change them.
I’m not sure if the silencer should be upswept as in the 1949 images or horizontal as in the 1956 images I’ve seen.
4. I believe it should have an Altette horn but at ~GBP90 that’s not happening, especially at GBP1=R22 (when it was R11 just a year ago!).
Anything else? Attached are a couple of photo’s (if I’ve got the transfer wrong, then they are available in my photobucket folder, Chrisd200).





Any comments welcome.
Cheers, ChrisD

Chris, that's a nice find. It's obviously been restored at some stage but somebody has made a nice job of it overall. Things that jump out, the headlamp shell and front engine plates would have been painted not chromed. The original headlamp would probably have been the underslung pilot light type. The front mudguard and lower stay are from something else, the original guard would have been a centre ribbed type. The rear number plate is off a post 1956 Enfield, the original would have been open and with the Lucas 525 tail light. The silencer is not Enfield and the pipe probably isn't either. There should be a cast iron finned clip on the pipe at the head. The carb is a later Monobloc, it should be a long neck 276 with separate float chamber. The gearbox is later, these were fitted from late 54 on, it should be the type with separate shafts for kickstart and gear lever and external clutch operating mechanism. The air filter box is the right shape but looks to be a crude copy, the Indian made ones sold by our Hosts is a better shape. The correct toolbox lid screws would look nicer, available from Hitchcocks. All minor things really, can be fixed or left as is. Nice to see it still has the original rear shocks, the Mk1 type made by Enfield themselves! These early Bullets are nice to ride and quite rare. Congratulations!

REgards, Mark

Maybe it's just the photo, but the head looks like a 500, is it just my eyes?

I think that the pre-1956 350 heads have a look of the 500s due to fins above the exhaust port. The crankcase breather through the primary housing is quite date specific and corresponds with the 1951 date. I would expect the engine and frame numbers to start G2/19***, the VMCC got my 1951 bike 2 years out when they issued me a dating certificate. The rectangular oil pump housing also indicates a 350. A nice old bike.

Yes saw the breather and the oil pump, didn't know the early heads had the square fins.

No fins on the oil tank = pre-1956 350.

The gear box is post June 54 and pre 56. Filler plug was relocated after 1955. First of the new 54 (Post June) gearboxes had a Dip stick for the OIL level, and a straight gear lever. Latter ones had the dip stick in the tool kit. What is the Box serial number?


Carb is post '56


Side stand was originally held by a spring clip.


Air box looks home made?


Mud guards and Tail light are latter model.


Muffler and header are not original.


Nice tidy looking example. Have fun!!

Sorry for hijacking the post, Tim NZ, you clearly know your Bullets, any thoughts on the 350 engine in the following link, number starts G2/381** https://www.flickr.com/photos/24439520@N03/4166960305

John, if that number starts G2 (and is genuine!) it is a Works type 350 bottom end. These had the same cases as the 500 (oval oil pump covers and no bulge on the timing cover) but with an alloy 350 top end. I have a later 350 Works Replica, made by the Factory from 1958-60. Lovely bike to ride. Is the one in the pics yours? 'm guessing not?

REgards, Mark

Mark, I think we have spoken before, the bike is mine and I have been trying to trace the provenance of the engine for years. The engine number is definitely genuine,(I don't want to post the full number on the WWW) it is after G2/38101, which is meant to be the start of the 1956 updated 350 bikes and the crankcase halves are numbered in the 20’s which suggests it was made at the beginning of a production run........... The only bike I have seen with the same style of engine is HNP331 in the National Bike Museum, BUT if mine were a genuine works engine then it should have magnesium cases which it does not..............Mine also has the later, wider gearbox, which the trials bikes did not.............I have seen old posts on other sites regarding Scrambler engines, which is possibly more plausible explanation, particularly as mine appears to have high lift cams and the inlet port has been neatly ported with a shaped valve guide...........One of the old posts was by Tim Buzby of New Zealand and Pete Snidal, I was hoping that Tim Buzby and Tim NZ may be one and the same..........I have lost count of the number of Royal Enfield pictures I have pored over looking for a similar engine, most have the exhaust obscuring the top of the timing chest!