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What kind of Enfield did my friends find in their garage?

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:30 am
by alexjakob
Hey, as a beginner I am just starting to look for my first bike. After looking for a while it comes up that friends still have a motor bike in their garage which they restored two years ago but then never touched it again. They are not completly sure what kind of Enfield it is and if it has some damages after two years of standing around.
You as experts, can you identify the model and will it be hard for a beginner to restore the enfield after two years of not using it? Thank you so much :)!

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Re: What kind of Enfield did my friends find in their garage?

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:55 am
by stinkwheel
It's a classic engined bullet. I'm not sure if it's a 350 or a 500 but if I were to hazard a guess I'd go with 350 based on what I can see of the carb. Fromt the tank cap, probnably a 90's Indian export model.

If it was running two years ago and has been dry stored, I'd imagine a tank of fresh fuel and a charged battery would probably see it running.

So. Best case, a general service, fresh fuel, charged battery and you've got yourself a running bike.

Many a slip between cup and lip though. It's got a slight head gasket leak (may just need the head nuts re-torquing). It clearly hasn't been entirely dry stored judging by the corrosion on the front hub/mudguards so is anything else mouldering too? (inside of the tank, carb internals, various other moving parts). Tyres maybe a bit on the ropy side? Seat needs something doing with it.

In any case, they are easy bikes to work on. Parts are freely available and reasonably cheap. It has the longest production run of any motorcycle so there is a huge knowledge base.

Now the rub though. How much do you know about Enfields? An early warning to manage your expectations. This is a bike that was designed in the 1950's and hasn't changed much. Assuming it is a 350, it will be outperformed by just about any Japanese 125. You're probably looking at a working top speed of 60-65mph, that will drop to 45 going up a hill or into a headwind. It has barely adequate drum brakes and a gearbox which gives a new meaning to the term "agricultural". it will also require a constant, low level of mechanical tinkering to keep it running well.

That doesn't mean you shouldn'ty go for it. They have oodles of character and are really fun to ride. I've had one for over 10 years now and will often take it out in preference to my Japanese sports bike. It will also be cheap motoring, fuel consumption will be in the region of 80mpg and they are relatively undemanding in terms of spares and consumables.

Definately worth pulling it out and having a closer look though. Check the wheels turn, does the engine turn over. Is the tank full of rust, do the brakes work etc. Bung up more pictures.

Re: What kind of Enfield did my friends find in their garage?

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:22 pm
by Spudgun
To my eyes. It looks like a late 1980's 350cc Delux. The valanced front mudguard would indicate that it was a 350. While the blanking plugs in the casquette (Where the indicators once sat) would indicate its age.

Re: What kind of Enfield did my friends find in their garage?

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 10:30 pm
by JBN
Do check and replace the oil feed cork on timing side pt no 145357 before starting if bike has stood for some time.