Forum

[SMLE]

Right folks, last night I was surfing the web and my "research" on R.E history came up with the fact, if it is indeed correct, that production ended at Redditch in 1967.

Assuming that this is correct, after taking my socks off to work it out(wink), that's 50 years ago, and my thoughts went to a suitable ride out to reflect this.

Admittedly, it's a tad late in the year for this, and I may have already missed the boat on this one, but any excuse, if one should be needed, for a ride.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Alan R]

Well I'm up for it ---- Probably be one of the last rides before I whip the head & barrel off...find that I really DO HAVE an OEM piston still in there and thus will have to call-in at Chadwick Towers and part with £145 at a minimum.....I suppose it'll need a re-bore into the bargain, and the valve guides will be loose, the valve seats will be just ready to drop----and the plug hole will need a helicoil !!!

Well that's my Christmas presents sorted !!..........OK Chris, what did you have in mind ???

[Lone Wolf]

Wotcha. - Anything involving riding a bike sounds good to me.

[Mark M]

Me too.

REgards, Mark

[SMLE]

My first thoughts have been to end at the factory in Redditch, then pop round to the Royal Enfield pub in the town???

We either start or end at the factiry I think, to mark the occasion, if indeed it was 1967.

The start point could be anywhere, but agian, first thought was the Food Stop Cafe, Quatford, near Bridgnorth, thencut across country to the factory, or the other way around.

When would the majority like to do something along these lines? Working shifts means that my Sundays are generally limited to one a month, if nowt else os going on. I'm guessing that a weekend would be more suitable for the majority than a weekday???

Chris.

[SMLE]

Sorry for fat fingeritous!

Chris.

[AA maniac]

It would be nice if someone at current owners of Royal Enfield or the UK Importers would organise a ride out from the old Redditch site to the new R&D facility at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire with an open day at the new site.
This would attract a interest from Enfield owners and maybe some interest from the bike mags too.

[Lone Wolf]

Wotcha. - Any day is good with me. A serious accident on Halloween 2009 put paid to any chance of me working again.

[SMLE]

Cheers.

In regards the actusal date production ceased, March 1967 is the most accirate so far, thanks to Jorge Pullin.

Chris.

[Mark M]

Doing a bit of research shows that the last 1966 model year engine was produced on the 16th Feb 1966, this would have been built into a bike within 2 or 3 weeks. The last actual assembled bike from Redditch is trickier to determine but some 1967 model year bikes appear to have been built before production was switched to Westwood near Bradford on Avon. The first 1967 model year engine was built on 23rd May 1966 and was probably built into a bike shortly after. The production notes show that the first bike wholly assembled at Westwood would have been some time on or after the 1st January 1967. I have asked Graham Scarth if he has a date for the last bike despatched from Redditch, would that be a good marker? I talked to a chap who had been an apprentice in the Drawing Office at Redditch and he said that the Factory was open after production stopped for quite some time as equipment and stock was moved or sold off including some bikes. Remember that Veloce Ltd (Velocette) bought the remaining spares and the rights to produce and sell them so they were clearing a lot of stuff from the Factory. Some genuine new parts still show up with Veloce labels on them and I've seen con rods inscribed VEC (Velocette Engineering Company) for instance. Anyway, 1967-2017 is close enough for me!

REgards, Mark