Hitchcocks Forum

Is there anywhere that I can buy an engine casing like the ones from the 1950's with Royal Enfield cast into the casing,
(not a riveted on plate like those sold by Hitchcock's), it's for a 1991 350 Bullet.

If not, do you think there's some clever engineering shop/engraver out there who could make me one?

Thanks.

David

Hi David

The early 'cast in' timing covers won't fit your 91 engine, they are narrower at the top as there's no auto advance bulge. Anything 56 on will fit but these have the riveted on badges. I think you'll have to find a good engraver.

Hmmm ... is this where a 1991 Indian Bullet morphs into a fifties Redditch one, with ageless registration and early timing cover? To answer your question, though, those early timing covers won't fit the post '55 shape engines, as there is no bulge at the top to provide space for the auto advance mechanism used at one time, all subsequent engines using this shape of timing cover, so even if it would screw on, it would be the wrong shape. I don't see why you can't get an engraver to replicate the look you want, though.

As others have said, the Indian engine is based on the post 1956 British engine and all of these (as far as I know) had the riveted Royal Enfield badges on the timing cover and the earlier covers can't be made to fit as they have no auto advance bulge. From memory the timing covers are quite thin and you may struggle to engrave a convincing reproduction of the earlier motors cast motif. If you were going for a convincing pre-56 look you would also have to lose the crank mounted alternator. The Indian gearbox is similar to the 1955 onward British gearbox, but BOTH outer covers are slightly different, with the British cover being more rounded to the rear of the neutral finder. You can't fit the British outer cover to the Indian inner cover, although you may be able to swap over both covers together. Have fun.

Why not just buy a pre-55 Bullet engine and restore it? Our hosts have a couple for sale, here's one.



http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/ht ... ED2199.jpg



Don't forget that there are one or two obvious differences between the Indian and pre-56 Redditch frames which would limit how far you could go in trying to put a mid-fifties replica together based on an Indian Bullet.



A.