Forum

[H]

Hi just been looking into purchasing a lightning
As I have only just discovered enfields I would welcome any comments on this
I cannot find any spare parts for the engine ie Pistons ,rings etc are they hard to obtain as I am looking to restore a bike and don't want to buy some thing that I can't get parts for
Would welcome any comments from you veterans
H

[Mark M]

I'm no expert but I think the Lightning is an Indian Market bike never officially imported here. They do show up now and again as private imports. However, the engine spares should be the same as the Export bikes of the same year as illustrated in the Parts Books Online section on this site. Someone will be along soon to confirm/dispute this! Is the bike road registered in the UK, assuming you are based here? If not registering it might be a bit of a pain, by no means impossible but some hoops to jump through. REgards, Mark

[Adrian]

The main differences between a 500 Bullet and the Lightning are the 87mm piston, the fuel tank (yuk), seat, separate headlamp and brackets, and the weird instrument pod. If a wanted another Indian Bullet I would consider a Lightning (at the right price, allowing for a bit of a re-style) as the spares situation is pretty much on a par with the 500 Bullets. 87mm pistons are available from our host as a performance item for the 500 Bullet. A

[Barry_Q]

I own and ride a 500 Lightning. Underneath the fancy clothing, they're no different from the Bullet. As mentioned above. They were never an official UK market machine. This makes getting insurance a little more interesting. Insurance comparison websites won't recognise the 500 Lightning, but they will recognise the 535. Parts unique to the Lightning can be tricky to get hold of, but it can be done. Service parts that are unique to the Lightning can be bought from our hosts (Longer cables, air filters, etc). Mind you, having a fuel gauge, neutral light and a tacho is handy.