Hitchcocks Forum

Royal Enfield Electra / Bullet either 350 or 500 wanted for my 82 year old father.

Red or black only, low to lowish mileage preferred please. Age range, well say 2003 onward. His budget range 2k to 2.5k ideally, could make 3k for the right bike.

Since I know little about bikes, I apologies if an Electra is a Bullet and visa versa.

To give you an idea of what he is looking for, he is rather keen on this bike, http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C398495
but try as I might, I cannot get through to the seller, which is frustrating.

He lives in East Sussex and only wants to ask my brother et al to drive max two hours to see the bike prior to purchase so this is becoming a tall order, hence my plea for help.

Thank you for listening.

Well I hope I am looking for a new bike at 82 years old. Good luck to your father in his search. The one you put a link to looks like a very nice bike at a fair price. I would be very surprised if there was anything wrong with it that would make for a wasted journey.

Thank you rustygman. My father is a great chap with a lot of energy. He had a BSA as a young man when he met my mother. They used to go out courting on the bike. As often happens when the children started to come along, the bike had to go. As a widower I think it is time he treated himself. He won't venture far and will enjoy tinkering with it in the garage. My brothers are bike enthusiasts and motorcycle trainers so he is in good hands.

Another note to my advert: Electric start would help but he has enough kick still to kickstart.

Hello there----- my No1 500cc Bullet (2005) is currently having a new big-end fitted but will be ready for the road come the Spring.....I'll be available with 12 moths MoT, complete with all fittings shown in this photo, and will cost £2,500............................... .........................

Thank you Alan R. This is interesting. Where are you based please? My father only wants to trouble my brother / brother in law to travel max two hours to view a bike, creating another barrier to him fulfilling his dream as bike sales are dotted all round the country. I will be sure to show him your bike & details when I next see him; he lives and hour and a half away from me which adds to the difficulty of getting this done!

Perseverance is the key, but he is not getting any younger.

Thank you.

Stay away from an Electra get him a Cast Iron Bullet, much easier to kick over to start than an Electra once the starter motor fails because they have a decomp valve that works

Hello there ----------------- I'm in Shropshire.

It might be worth getting some insurance quotes before committing yourself to a bike. My 82 year old father despite a perfect driving record is finding there is a hefty increase each year on his car insurance due to solely to age. Although he can renew each year there doesn't seem to be the option of shopping around as the insurance companies aren't interested in taking on new custom of people over a certain age. It may be different for bikes but it would be worth a check before landing yourself with a bike that's impossible or prohibitively expensive to insure.

----------- maybe you could try having him as a "Named rider" on your bike policy ??....OR}--- you buy it (ie actually "own" it) and let him "borrow" it ??

Chaps, thanks for the feedback, especially the bit about insurance. I am pleased to say I have managed to get hold of seller as per my first posting and we might be taking this forward, once we've checked out the insurance! As for him being a named driver on my bike policy, ha, I have only ever ridden pillion! I leave that to my brothers - I am of the female species. I don't have a clue about bikes just want my father to live his dream. I apologies in advance to female bike riders.