Forum

[tsflyer]

Tim, if it's a 40's vintage you're looking for, there is a '49 Model G for sale here in the States for $2,650 USD. AND it runs with a clean title. It most likely would need some TLC to become a more sound machine, but it's running now!!
Good Luck!

[John L]

OK, I'll keep it simple :- You can't gild a turd. Fleas bite; avoid.

[Chevy]

It seems everyone has missed the original question which is so common nowadays! In my view if this was on eBay, it would fetch somewhere between £400 and £500. The Flea is so much more desirable than the later Enfield 2 strokes and nice examples seem to fetch in excess of £2000.
The others are offering advice based on their thoughts or experience and it wouldn't surprise me if you spent £1500 restoring it but if it is something you want to do and enjoy doing, then why not. It is not always about the end value (although it would be nice for some of use to make a profit on our bikes), if we didn't enjoy playing with Enfields we wouldn't be on this forum.
Chevy

[Dennis C]

Anyone who wants a Flea to restore, this one would probably be a better prospect, http://www.classicbikeshed.co.uk/autos/ ... -6238.html

My main concern with the one Ruffgeezer is looking at is the fact it has been so badly stored that most of the metalwork is completely rusted through, this could well extend to the frame itself.

Alan I also admire anyone who takes on a full restoration and as I have done six myself I do know something about it, the Flea has very little chrome basically just the headlight rim, handlebars, levers, exhaust and wheel rims.

All the tinware in the pictures looks beyond repair, tinware for any bike of this age is always a problem and like finding rocking horse droppings. I would estimate from the pictures that in the event that all the tinware can be traced and the work is done by the OP then from experience I would estimate a total spend of between £2000.00 and £3000.00. As I said in a previous post "a real labour of love".

[MadMike]

Well I have no idea what such a bike is worth in its present condition or when restored. At the moment try a £50 bid with all the caveats about rust, condition, pile of crap etc etc. As for restoration well i am totally surprised at the negative responses. If every bike that was in this or worse condition were merely consigned to the scrap yard then there are many famous bikes, sorry vehicles, that would have been lost forever. Remember the National Motor Cycle Museum fire? if the negativity on here had prevailed all of those bikes would have been lost forever. I have taken on restorations in the past which have caused my wife to question my sanity, but they were taken on and eventually completed. Be brave and take it on. It will take time and probably loads of money but so what. A hobby, sorry a passion, is something to indulge yourself in. It's better than watching the tellybox and you will meet the nicest people. If I can help to make anything for you with my lathe etc just let me know. Come on guys let's encourage somebody here. After all when finished it may just be more reliable than your Bullets........wouldn't that be worth witing about. Take loads of photos and keep copious notes and drawings as you dismantle and rebuild. Whatever you do, DO NOT concern yourself with its value when finished, it is an irrelevant number. Onwards and upwards restorers of the world.

[Dennis C]

Mike I fully agree with you and would love to see the bike completed, I just feel that it is best to know what you are up against, as yourself I would be happy to give any help required.

These are the two bikes I have completed recently, if it works?. http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv26 ... 0948-1.jpg http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv26 ... 28-1-1.jpg

[Frank]

Go for it. I've seen worse condition than that go at auction. Financial loss certainly but you will be paying for the challenge and that's the point of it. It's survived nearly 70 years and it's not up to any of us to condemn it to scrap heap in the sky yet.

[Ruffgeezer]

Thanks for the replies, certainly a lot of input to digest.

Dennis, that Flea certainly looks good, but I doubt there is much restoration to be done there, and I don't have the £1200 in one big chunk to buy such a thing.

As I've poked and prodded my RE a little more as to the condition of the metal work, I can tell you all this, there is a lot of surface rust all over, nothing major, and I'm sure if I were to clean it, it'd look a lot better, it's spent a lot of time inside since it was off the road, unfortunately it spent some time with it's front wheel in a hedge before that, and so it needs a new wheel and front mudguard, which seems to be unavailable via our hosts at the moment.

I am not worried about that at the moment, Rome was not built in a day, and with this bike, I have set myself what I think to be a realistic deadline, assuming I can get all the bits for it that is!

My deadline is the Spilsby Show of 2015, it is a local show that features vintage & classic cars and bikes, and this year's show inspired me to get stuck in, I will be sure to pop back here and keep you all updated as I begin the strip down.

Tim

[John L]

The very best of luck with that, Tim - you're certainly gonna need it..........

[Gwilly]

Hello Ruffgeezer. Well i see you couldn't find a vincent or ruff bruff under all that toot. No it had to be an RE Flea.. Like me i bet you never win a draw either..

As has already been suggested you have one hellova job on your hands... But if it takes three years so what...

Pay particular attention to the frame and more to those girder forks, which i think where made in pressed steel...sprung by large rubber bands... Lord knows where you find replacement bits.
Drop the entire engine into a drum of diesel and leave to soak for a few months...

Read as much material as you can find on the subject before tearing it to bits... Start with Roy Bacons excellent book (Royal Enfield the post war years) has a whole chapter on the flying flea
particularly engine specs/design and materials used... Help with girder fork info/repairs can be got from.


Girder Fork Repair
Ray Daniels
Rear of Lyndon Motors
Lyndon Road
Stechford
Birmingham.England
B33 8BT
Tel and fax 0121 789 8900
Email:[email protected]

Wish you all the best with it.. gwilly