The quest for a Royal Enfield

The sound of Black Betty the Airhead

2011-09-27T10:55:00.001-07:00

So in my last post I deviated a bit from the quest for an Enfield to tell you about the restoration of a ‘78 BMW R80/7 that I acquired from a friend. I mentioned that I would post a video of it running so you can hear what it sounds like. So here it is…

So it is not a Royal Enfield but it is a classic bike

2011-09-25T13:08:00.001-07:00

So the main theme of this blog is about the quest to own a Royal Enfield, it is not the “Quest to own a bike”. However if you are in my position where you have wanted a bike for many years, pretty much any bike will do.

Now if I was to get my hands on a bike and it was not an Enfield, I would be chuffed if it was at least classified as a classic bike. So here is the deal, thanks to a friend of mine, I got my grubby paws on a 1978 BMW R80/7. Now that is a Classic (at least in my book). This bike has been standing idle for about 10 years. Actually I have a feeling it is a bit longer than that. Probably closer to 14 years. Tony and I struck a deal for me to take it off his hands and restore it.

This is what it looked like when I got it…

I have done a few things to the bike so far. Here is a list:

Oil change
Brake fluid change
New battery
Cleaned all aluminium parts (ongoing process)
Repaired holes in the fuel tank
New front mud guard
Re-sprayed tank and front mud guard
Repaired seat (ordered seat cover from the UK)
Ordered new left hand side exhaust (ordered from the UK)
Ordered new BMW badges for the tank, carb gaskets and float needles (turned out to be the incorrect ones)
Fixed odometer as it was not ticking over
Fixed the rev counter it was an electronic problem that a friend of mine helped me with.
Replaced all the globes in the instrument cluster
Replaced one of the fuel taps (sourced from BMW)

Bare in mind this bike had not been started for, as I am told, a minimum of 6 years. Once I had changed the oil, with the help of a friend we started the engine. It practically started on the third attempt. What a machine, a true workhorse.

The only major item that is outstanding is the licensing. The bike needs to go for Police clearance and a whole list of other administrative hurdles. This is going to be done shortly. The bottom-line is that this bike to is ready to ride…..So meet “Black Betty”…

She runs like a dream. The balancing of the carbs could probably be tweaked a bit more but it is close enough for now.

So for those of you that are interested I sourced the parts from www.motobins.co.uk, www.feked.com and BMW SA. The repair on the tank and the re-spray was done by Kaleidoscope Customising (Ralph - 011 4938749). Seat recovering was done by Paul’s Auto & Aero Trim (Brian - 011 6838308)

I love this bike, it has character and we have bonded over the last 2 months that I have been doing the restoration. I will post a video shortly with her running so you can hear what she sounds like.

In spite of this, the quest for a Royal Enfield continues…so don’t worry it over yet!!!

Royal Enfield Riders–Part 2

2011-09-13T10:25:00.001-07:00

Here is another happy Enfield customer….

Follow this link…http://www.vimeo.com/28460858

I think this video will make a commercial for Royal Enfield….What do you think?

Royal Enfield Riders–Part 1

2011-09-13T10:12:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo of Stuart and his father with their new Military Enfields.

Stuart tells me that the reason they both got the military spec was because his late Grandfather was a dispatch rider in WW2 up in North Africa and they were equipped with Royal Enfields (Fly Fleas). So they got them for sentimental reasons.

Congrats guys…..I hope you both have many hours of fun on your bikes….

What’s new in the world of Enfield

2011-09-13T09:27:00.001-07:00

International News

New Website

The official website has recently been upgraded. I think it is more user friendly .It has a bike comparer which is great but for those of us that are outside India is does not serve a huge purpose as we only get the 500cc. Well is creates room for new models to be comapred in the future. Maybe a 750 or 1000cc.

New factory

A new state of the art factory is being built in Chennai. It is due for completion in 2013. This will increase the annual production of Enfields thus meeting the growing demand for these pieces of art.

Local News

Pretoria Distributor

The is a new place to buy Enfields, CIT Motorcycles in Pretoria.

CIT Motorcycles

1222 Pretoria Street,

Hatfield

Contact Ronnie on 012 342 8571

Stock

It seems that the Black Classic is a popular bike. Therefore if you wish to buy a black one you will have to order one specifically. The other colours seem to be available.

What’s your favourite colour– Part 2

2011-07-29T22:27:00.001-07:00

So we have mentioned colours to choose from when it comes to the Classic model. As if the decision was not difficult enough here is an other variation. One of this blogs readers pointed me to a post that a fellow Royal Enfield Blogger made recently (http://www.royalenfields.com/2011/07/royal-enfield-to-offer-military-in.html). It speaks about a potential colour variation to the current olive drab military version. It seems like an obvious variation to me. The colour has been dubbed “Desert Storm”. I think it is an appropriate name

What’s your favourite colour?

2011-07-26T21:47:00.001-07:00

I suppose that after choosing the bike, Enfield of course, you need to decide on the colour. I have blogged about this before, different paintjobs and which colour to choose.

No there is more choice. Some of you might have heard that there is a chrome version of the Classic available. This is true and it is on its way to South Africa. If you haven’t seen it here it is….

When I first saw a photo of this bike the first time I was not convinced that it was an option for me. This was until I saw an aerial shot of the tank. Now I love it. As if I did not have enough problem making a choice in colour.

1000 Bike Show – Feedback

2011-07-03T21:51:00.001-07:00

As you might know the 1000 bike show was held at the Germiston High School this past weekend. I made a turn there on Saturday to see what it was all about. I have never attended this event before, probably because I never knew that it existed. Fortunately Allan (Royal Enfield Gauteng) mentioned it to me when I visited the showroom recently.

So what were my expectations? Well I didn’t really have too many except as I knew I was going to have a chance to see lots of classic bikes and off course the Royal Enfield. I had mentioned to my wife that I wanted to attend the show and she agreed to come along. This was perfect, now show her the bike that I am so passionate about.

I was pleased to see such a large turn out. Of course there were plenty of bikers that turned up and their bikes were parked in front of the large marque tent. There were many beautiful bikes to be viewed, ranging from superbikes to Harleys. But the really treasures were in the tent.

Of the course the best treasure were the Royal Enfields. I had a chance to meet Brice the man behind Royal Enfield South Africa. Here he is alongside the poster of the new Military version. He told me they only have one left as the others have been snapped up already.

I am happy to say that my wife was impressed with the Enfields. She prefers the teal colour over the maroon (my choose). The teal as I understand is a more “classic” Enfield colour so that might not be a bad choose when I eventually purchase one of these beauties.

Here are photos of the other Classic Bikes that were on display

Triumph

Norton

BMW

1000 bike show

2011-06-30T22:46:00.001-07:00

The Classic Motorcycle Club is hosting the 10th annual 1000 bike show this year. Royal Enfield will be represented there, so go have a look at the bike that is built like a gun. Below are the details….See you there

Gauteng Showroom Visit

2011-06-28T12:17:00.001-07:00

I finally got my butt into gear and made a trip out to the showroom in Germiston.

Firstly is was not as far I as I expected it to be. I was driving from Randburg and it took me less that half an hour to get there. This is not bad considering that sometime it takes me as long to get to Fourways.

The showroom is situated at the Classic Motorcycle Club (CMC) premises. This is the ideal position in my opinion. The showroom is not big but is suitably sized to display several bikes.

I met Allan whose is the person to speak to if you are wanting to test ride or buy an Enfield. Allan is a great guy and is very enthusiastic about Enfields (well classic bikes in general). He is also the vice president of the Classic Motorcycles Club. We chatted for several hours about Enfields and bikes in general.

Unfortunately I did not go for a test ride as my learners license has just expired. Poor planning on my part.

The showroom is kitted out with high quality mounted pictures of Enfields. On the back wall was a history of Enfields in picture form. This is great if you want to know more about the heritage of the Enfield.

It is great to see the bikes in person as photos never do these bikes any justice. In my case I have only see the classic in the green/cyan colour. I initially was keen on the maroon Classic but I have seen many photos where the bike looks candy red as opposed to maroon. Well let me say that there was one in the showroom and it was everything I expected it to be. So I am sold on the maroon colour.

I realised something when I was standing the chatting to Allan, when you buy an Enfield you are not just buying a bike you are buying into a lifestyle. If you buy this bike you need to join a club like the CMC. The CMC have regular meets, outings, etc. This really appeals to me I must say. I intend to bring you more information about the CMC in the near future.

So my advice is this….if you are fond of classic bikes do yourself a favour and visit the showroom. Where can you get a new classic styled 500cc for around R43 000.

If you do happen to visit the showroom, drop me an email let me know what you think of the showroom and the bikes….

Showroom Address

Pavillion sports Centre, Cnr Power and Refinery Street, Germiston.
Contact Alan: 078 1375609

The local Royal Enfield website (www.royalenfield.co.za) is currently under construction but should be live by the end of June so visit it soon for more information on the bike that is built like a gun….

Military version now available

2011-06-22T09:43:00.001-07:00

I was really pleased to see in the latest Royal Enfield newsletter that the Military version is now available in South Africa.

I have to admit even though I would really like the Classic in the green (Cyan), the military version does have some appeal.

New Enfield Showrooms

2011-06-22T09:33:00.001-07:00

Some of you might know that Royal Enfield has an official presence in South Africa again. There are "showrooms" in Durban, Cape Town, Kimberley and Johannesburg.

Here are the details
GAUTENG

Classic Motor Co

Alan on 078 137 5609
royalenfieldjhb@gmail.com
Pavillion sports Centre, Cnr.
Power and Reñnery Street,
Germiston

KWAZULU-NATAL

Headquarters

Brice on 076 361 7615
sales@royalenfleld.co.za
24 Kings Avenue,
Westville, 3629,
Durban

NORTHERN CAPE

Mr Bike

Herman on 082 464 1042
mrbike@telkomsa.net
65 Transvaal Road,
KmberIey

WESTERN CAPE

Thruxton Motorcycles

Garth on 072 436 3642
thruxtonmc@gmail.com
Unit 6, Tazra Park, Somerset
Business Park, Somerset West,
Cape Town

Here are some photos of the Gauteng showroom from the Latestt newsletter

So go and visit you nearest showroom.

It is also important to note that f you are not in those areas and you purchase a bike they will deliver to you free of charge anywhere in South Africa.

The quest is back on!!!

2011-05-08T13:24:00.001-07:00

Okay, it has been a long while since I posted on this blog. I have decided that it is time to make a concerted effort to maintain this blog as well as get my grubby paws on an Enfield.

So watch this space…

Good news, it seems that there is an Official South African distributor again. This might be old news to some as I clearly lost my focus. I will give some more details in my next post…

Lastly I would like to hear from some South African Enfielders (can I call you guys that). I would like to know about you riding experiences. Where have you been in South Africa? How far have you travelled in a day? Have you been outside of SA with your bike? Dropped me an email at drewfen@gmail.com. I would like to start doing a few posts dedicated to the Enfield riding experience in South Africa, the bikes and their owners. Surprise me and flood my mailbox.

Technorati Tags: royal enfield,endfield,distributor,south afrcia,motorcycle riding experience

In the aftermath….

2010-07-05T13:08:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: royal enfield,endfield,british motorcycle,south africa,triumph,bonneville,T100

Well as some of you might have seen I have not posted an entry for sometime now.

Well in the aftermath of the official Royal Enfield dealer disappearing, I have been a bit subdued about the whole Enfield thing. Sorry guys I am human after all. I was just bummed about the whole thing. I wrote a post about buy an officially imported bike and now I will have to resort to importing one if I decide to buy a “new” C5…

I confess I have since looked at the Triumph Bonneville T100 as an alternative. But please don’t subject me to a public stoning at mid day…it is after all a British bike. Although the Triumphs are more powerful I feel they lack the charm of an Enfield. The styling IMO is less stylish than that of an Enfield. Take the seats for instance. The split solo and pillion seat on the Enfield is just Classic (excuse the pun). I must tell you, I have this image in my mind of one particular Enfield I saw in the showroom last year. It is problem the one that I should get (if I can find it) as it has been branded in my memory. It sums up the bike and its heritage in one look. Here it is ….. what do you think?

Close up of the fuel tank

Shot of the bike in the background

Fuel tank on its own

Best seen in real life.

I have not been totally removed from Enfields over the past few months. I have a friend who has one. I was in his neighbourhood for business recently. He invited me around to his place to see if we could start it. He had not ridden it for awhile and thought it best to tick the engine over. Well we certainly tried to get it going but could not get it to run for more that a few seconds. Turns out there was a build up in the carb. Hopefully the next time I am there I can hear it running. Trying to start the bike made me long for one of my own. Even if it is to run to the shops and back on a Sunday.

So the quest is on again…..

Until next time….. cheers!

Who moved my Royal Enfield showroom

2010-02-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

At the end of October 2009 the Royal Enfield showroom in Johannesburg "moved" out of the centre that they were in. I expected that they would to another location. Unfortunately this was not the case. When I called the guy he told me they were selling the bikes over the Internet for now.

This unfrtunately meant that one could not go for a test ride on a saturday morning anymore as the bikes were now in storage. So the next time I would ride an Enfield would be when I eventually bought one.

Earlier this year I tried to visit their website, www.royalenfieldsa.co.za. It was gone! I now knew what was happening, they were slowing closing down.

This was confirmed this last week when I was looking for second hand Enfields (not many in SA) on the Net. I found an advert on a website that read Seller: Dealer Description: Closing down sale. There was the bike that I had test ridden a few months back at almost half price.

Just my luck, the bike I want at half price, brand new (800 km) and I can't afford it at this moment. Normally when you see a bike at half price the first question is usually "what's wrong with it?". In this case you know where it is coming from.

Well the bottomline seems to be that there won't be an authorised Royal Enfield dealer in South Africa. That is if no one else is picking up the dealership.

License to ride: Part 2

2010-01-01T03:11:00.000-08:00

Well I have just got back from my Christmas holiday at the coast. I had such a good holiday I did not even have time to update my blog.

The most important update to make is that just before my holiday started I got my learners license. As I was holidaying with my folks, I had the opportunity to ride my Ol' Man's bike. The Ol' Man said I should get a trip in every day but it did not happen. Too busy enjoying my holiday. I regret it now as I am back home and bikeless.

Ok, the next milestone!!! To get my full license. Hopefully in the next few months. It really depends on when I can get an appointment. This is relatively difficult as there is a backlog in the system....

Anyway I can legally ride bikes now....

RE: I will never look at another bike

2009-11-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

I began this blog off by detailing where my love for bikes started. Over the years I have drooled over several different bikes, Yamaha's, BMW's etc... But there was a point where I came across a specific bike that had so much more that a pretty face. It had history. Now I am a nostalgic kind of guy. Antique furniture, classic cars and now classic (styled) bikes. I have never longed over any other bike since I became aquainted with Enfields.

I mentioned that I first came across the Royal Enfields on a visit to Bangalore, India. I spoke about one of our drivers owning an Enfield. I was sure I had a photo of the bike somewhere. I finally found it. To my disappointment it is not such a good shot. However it takes me back to that day that he showed us the bike and started it. It took him several attempts to get it going. No electric start on this one. I realise now why it had such an effect on me and why I fell in love with it. I notice now the shortened silencer on the exhaust. We were in the parking basement, so the acoustics were great and it sounded fantastic. That "small" bike roared into life and stood there popping as it idled, You know how the bike idles and for a split second you think it has stalled but it suddenly springs to life again. I love it. Well here it is....

License to ride

2009-11-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

As mentioned before, I have never owned my own bike. Therefore it will come as no surprise that I do not actually possess a motorbike license. I have had a learners once before, but did not convert it into the full blown license. How silly. When my Dad bought his bike we obtained our learner's together and shortly after that he went for his practical test and got his license. He encouraged me to follow suite but I was afraid that I might drop his bike during the test. So eventually the learner's expired.

In preparation for the purchase of my Enfield, I have booked my learner's test for 4th Dec. I will then book for my license test sometime next year. I was chatting to a salesman at one of the local bike shops the other day. He recommended that I got for training as the testers try and trick you into failing. Fancy that.

Talking about the license to ride here is something that happened to me many years ago. One school holiday I was spending sometime at a friends place on the outskirts of town. He had a Yamaha RZ 50. His place was halfway to where my girlfriend lived. So the one day my buddy had to go work at the local steakhouse and he said I could use his bike to go pay the girlfriend a visit. So off I went. Now you have to understand I was riding down a country road. On a quiet open stretch of the road, from behind a bush, like something out of a movie, out stepped a traffic officer. Wearing his khaki uniform. He casually walked out into the middle of the road and raised his hand, signalling me to pull over. Can you imagine my disbelief at the situation. In the middle of nowhere. Bugger just my luck I thought. Besides the fact that I was nipping myself. He asked me for my license to which I replied I had left it at home. Fortunately at the time it was not compulsory to carry one's license. So he asked me what code it was which was an easy question to answer. He then let me go. Whew!!!! Oops all this while the tap had been open and the bike had flooded a bit. I could not kick start it so I had to push start it. But he did not take that as significant. In retrospect I was pretty calm under the circumstances. I still have this image in my mind off this dude walking out from behind the bush. Still tickles me from time to time.

These days they would throw the book at me if I was caught riding without a license. Hence me not wasting anytime to get a learner's.

Let us hope the test is as painless as it was the last time. Wish me luck ;-)

To what extent does one go?

2009-11-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

One of the main barriers to purchasing an Enfield is cost. Now Enfields are not that expensive when compared to other bikes. But you see I own 3 cars at this point, one of which is a Toyota Land Cruiser, 80 series. The Cruiser costs money to run and probably is a good idea to offload it. However it needs some TLC and it is not a sellers market at this point. Therefore I am going to loose some serious money if I sell. And truth be told I would like to keep her. She is beautiful to drive and....sorry this is supposed to be about the bike.... DON'T FORGET THE BIKE!!!

Okay back to the bike... Basically I would like to buy the bike cash and without having to sell any cars. Not asking much!

But here's the point. There is an official Royal Enfield importer in South Africa and then there are some not so official importer(s). Obviously prices differ between the two, the one drastically cheaper than the other. You know which one is which right? It seems that the unofficial agent brings in models sold in India. From what I hear this person gets several people together that wish to purchase an Enfield and buys them in India, puts them in a container and ships them to South Africa. The buyers supposedly split the freight costs. Now I know that in South Africa you cannot legally import second hand cars. I am assuming that this does not apply to motorbikes. Just checked, seems not to be a problem, and in fact there are no import duties on motorcycles of this kind.

Let us compare some prices to illustrate the point... I will choose the new Bullet Classic (C5) as a benchmark. The Classic has just been released in India (http://www.royalenfield.com/Motorcycles/classic-500.aspx). In India it costs RS 125 000 to Rs 140 000 which converted to Rands is between R 20 000 and R23 000. Now in South Africa it goes for R69 500. So give or take a couple of grand for the cost of freight, the bike costs you about double at the official importer. As a side note the cost of the same bike in the US is $6395 which is about R 50 000.

Okay the temptation is to buy the bike through the unofficial importer just based on price. However this is not the route for me. I will buy it from the official importer!!!

I don't not think the importer is trying to rip us off. The RoyalEnfield SA (www.royalenfieldsa.co.za) has a showroom with several models, if not all of them. From my recent discussions with the guys there, these bikes are not fastest movers in terms of sales. We will all agree that there is a specific type of person that buys an Enfield and they are not found on every street corner. So they have to cover their costs of having stock standing on the floor, they have to pay rent and they have one or two bikes that are demo's. I am sure the scale of economies will come into play here, the more they sell the more competative their prices can be. So support them, BUY OFFICIAL!!!

There are several other advantages of buying official. Firstly is the after sales service. If I buy a bike and have a problem with it I have a local warranty. However if I buy a parallel import and have problem I probably will have no way of taking advantage of the 2 year warranty given on the new EFI bikes. I am sure that Royal Enfield SA will be understandably less than willing to help an unofficial bike. The other side of the coin is the problems one has trying to register a parallel import. I have heard that several people have had problems concerning this.

I noticed on the Royal Enfield website they mention the cons to privately importing a bike into your country (http://www.royalenfield.com/privateimports.aspx). There is also the point that the models sold in India are different to the rest of the world.

When I buy my Royal Enfield, I would like to build up a relationship with the guys, especially the mechanic. Therefore the Official Royal Enfield is a lifestyle choice. I would like to be able to grab a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning at the showroom, go for a Sunday ride with the Enfield Club and perhaps go on the organised road trips. I would not want to be shunned as an unoffical Enfield owner.

Just in my opinion.....

FNB Whiskey Festival

2009-10-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

I just read on the internet (so it must be true ;-o ) that the FNB South African Whiskey festival is giving away a Royal Enfield again......

So now what are my chances of winning it, I live in South Africa (tick), I drink whiskey (tick), I am actually wanting to buy a Royal Enfield (tick), the festival falls on my birthday (tick)...... the stars are all aligned. It must be a possiblity....

Chances are that someone not even vaguely interested in Royal Enfields will win the bike and those that are scraping every spare copper and silver coin together to buy one will lose out. How is that for positive. Okay so here is the deal...without a hook in the water you ain't going to catch a fish. So I will be there to enjoy some fine whiskey and if lady luck lays her eyes on me, maybe my dream of owning a Royal Enfiled will come to fruition without me having to donate a kidney...

In the beginning...

2009-10-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well there is a beginning to every story. Now I do not mean to bore anyone to death. I am sure there are plenty people that will identify with my story (and maybe give me some advice).

Okay it started long ago in the garden of Eden when ol' Adam said to Eve, Babe you for me.....oops too far back. However it did lay the foundation for the dilemma I find myself in...LOL. WOMAN seriously play a part in this story. Wouldn't want it any other way but there has to be a catch... See I am sidetracked already.

I am one of those guys who loves bikes. Although I do have a healthy repsect for them and excessive speed. Okay maybe I can say that now and it probably was not always the case. I was young and restless at one time. Inspite of my love for bikes I have never owned one!!! When I was in my teens my Ol' Lady (yes I am allowed to call her that) forbid me to buy a bike, to the extent she stopped me short of handing over the cash to a buddy of mine for his Honda MBX 50. Needless to say that was the closest I ever got to purchasing a bike. What my Ol' Lady did not realise or probably did not want to admit was that even though I did not own a bike I still rode them.

My buddies Ol' Man had a Suzuki GSX 1100 which we used to ride when he was out of town, I used to ride this other guy's Yamaha RZ 125, etc, etc, etc. Probably the most fun I had on a bike in my teen years was a Suzuki B120 (I might be wrong on the make and model). This other school buddy had made this bike from two B120's. It was not fast but if I rememberit had a fair amount of torque. I remember riding it through the veld (grasslands). We had some much fun on this bike. I don't even think it was legally on the road but it was in good nick.

In later years I rode a lot less, so I would not regard myself as a seasoned motorcyclist but I can ride a bike. While I was studying I needed a car and could not afford a bike at the same time and I suppose I forgot about it for a awhile.

Years later, after I had been married for about 4 years the itch started again. I was interested in a Yamaha YZF 600 Thundercat. I thought it was a stunning bike in blue and it was not superbike status, so I thought it would be easier to pitch to the wife. At the time that I was looking around I happened to go into a BMW showroom. I looked at the 650GS and was impressed not only by the specs, the potential after sales service but also by the price. Cheaper than the YZF. So I was convinced it had to be a BMW. That weekend I was relaying the BMW salesman's pitch to my Ol' Man who seemed very interested as he was in the same boat as me, the Ol' Lady did not want to hear about bikes. My Ol' Man had been trying all my years at home to get a bike. I even remember him saying one day ( I think was 12 at the time), "Honey we going into town today, you can have anything you want..." My Mom's response was short and sharp, "you are not getting a bike".

So my Ol' Man was always keen to chat about bikes. Unbeknown to me my mom had softened her stance, as my Ol' Man was in the process of retiring and she had decided that he could buy himself a bike as a retirement gift to himself. Yup I did the whole sales pitch and my dad bought the bike a few weeks later. Unfortunately that blew my chances of getting one, as my wife turned around and said, "oh well, no need for you to get a bike, because you can ride your dad's".

Riding my dad's bike was not the same as riding my own This was my Dad's pride and joy, his retirement gift. The one he had been wanting to get for 20 years. I am sure my Dad would disagree with my perspective on it but I did not want to be the one to drop his bike. So I rode some, but it was not the same.

Several years went by, and I occasionally bought the bike magazine, drooled over the new superbikes and dreamed about owning a Harley. Always knowing it was out of reach.

In 2006 I went to India on a business trip. I spent about 3 weeks there. Now for those of you have not been to India or know little about its traffic situation, let me tell you. Plenty of traffic. It goes with out saying that there are lots bikes there. Mostly 125's. When you are walking beside the roads you hear this constant humming of traffic. One day while, stnading on the pavement alongside a main road in Bangalore, I heard a motorcycle that stood out in the buzzing traffic. There it was, a dude looking cool as hell (Bollywood style) on this red and chrome Royal Enfield. Wow is all I can say. I spent the rest of my stay searching for other examples of this bike. While in the office I searched the web for as much info as I could find on the bike, the whole Enfield history, etc. It turned out that one of our drivers owned one. He proudly showed me his bike. Needless to say I was in love with this bike.

Once back in South Africa I found a company importing them and was eager to visit their show room but alas I never made it. Probably for several reasons, mainly not to disappoint myself (as I knew the wife's view).

Well my folks retired to the coast and we visit them every year. My wife loves going on the bike with my Ol' Man. They go for a trip that takes them 4 hours sometimes. They stop for breakfast, coffee and check out the scenery. So I asked my wife how come she loves going on the bike but I cannot buy one. Does want her own bike? No she prefers to ride pillion. I ask again why is she against me buying a bike. Safety is the answer. "One day you can get one, but not now". I understand the safety aspect. South Africa is not the safest when it comes to riding a bike in traffic. The car drivers are not "bike aware". Although I have to say that there are some silly bikers as well. Both statisicts do not help my cause.

Subsquently it turns out that the company importing the Enfields was not an official agent here in SA and another company secured the agency. They set up a showroom close to where I live. So I was eager to go visit but I put it out of my mind. Then a guy I work with bought a Bullet Electra and I was edgy again but still put it out of my mind. My folks came to visit earlier this year and my Ol' Man had read an article in the newspaper about the Enfields. We decided on the Saturday that the two of us would go check out the showroom. Alas it turned out that we could not make it. Probably best....... except 2 weeks ago I gave in.... I had this urge to go to the showroom. I decided I would go on the Saturday. I checked out the Enfield website and saw they had released the new EFI motors and there it was the bike of my dreams the Bullet Classic C5. I was not sure if my local showroom would have it. The next day, all excited I visited the showroom. They had the new Bullet. I test rode the bullet and the Electra.... oh man I am in trouble now....I cannot get the bike out of my mind.... The wife was out that Saturday and asked me what I had done that day, I was supposed to be studying for an exam. "Honey, you do not want to know". Then I told her... "I suppose you want to buy a bike now.....". YES, of course!!!!!

And so begins the quest....