Royal Enfield Great Stories

Great Stories

Wanted: Great stories
I welcome news, information and tips about Royal Enfield motorcycles. Share your stories and pictures with me.

Some of my favorite stories have come from Royal Enfield riders who have written to me. Here are some you might like:

Chatting with the Call Center Guy: You've probably had many occasions to talk on the phone to help center workers in India. Have you ever been tempted to talk about Royal Enfields with the help desk guy? Gary Pinchin did it.

Victoria returns: Storybook endings happen in the world of motorcycles, too. Malcolm Fisher of the United Kingdom parted with his Royal Enfield Bullet , then decided he missed it and wanted another one. The one he found was his own, beloved Victoria. Here's his story.

His 'cheat sheet': Ted Wetzler, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, decided to make his own "cheat sheet" to pass out to curious people, giving them something to answer their questions and remember their encounter with his unusual vehicle. One side had pictures. Read what he wrote on the other side.

 A 'Big Head' hillclimber: Denis Gagne of Maine told us about his father Jerry's exploits on an Indian hillclimber powered by a rare Royal Enfield Big Head Bullet motor. He sent shots of the motorcycle as it looks today, and photos of his dad in action in the 1970s. There's even a video of Denis' son Bruce riding it.

Better than ever: Don McMahan of Lino Lakes, Minn., has had his 1967 Royal Enfield Interceptor since 1971 — except for three years, when it was stolen from him. He got it back and made it better than ever with the help of Royal Enfield guru George Helm. Here's the story.

A mystery is solved: An unusual looking Royal Enfield is a very rare model, sold in the United States for one year only, 1961. Its owner, Jim Luzier, hadn't been able explain what it was to daughter, Aimee. Jim died in 2009. But he left a picture of himself, taken in 2008. In what Aimee says was a playful mood, Jim had posed for a picture for a friend. Jim is shown holding up a sign that identifies the motorcycle!

The call center man's dream: a road trip

The call center man's dream: a road trip

Ever been tempted to talk about Royal Enfield motorcycles with the Help Desk guy in India?

Gary Pinchin did it. Here's what happened, in his words:

I live in the UK and have a 1999 350 Bullet I bought for 500 quid a while back. Needed a bit of tidying up but it's ready to go (well it has been since March). Only trouble is, I've been sidelined with a non-motorcycle related knee problem since February, which means I've not had a chance to ride it yet!

I'd been having trouble with my British Telecom broadband so I rang the help desk. The guy on the other end of the line says he needs to share the screen of one of the two laptops in the house to sort out the problem, so I hand him over to my partner.

Anyway, he does the job then she gives me back the phone and the guy says: "Do you work for Royal Enfield? I spotted some folders on the desktop with their name on on it." My partner does indeed do some work, dealing with the UK importer.

Turns out the guy is working in a call center in India and we strike up a conversation about the whole Enfield thing. The conversation went something like this:

Me: So you have an interest in Enfields?

Him: Oh yes, it's is my lifelong passion to own one.

Me: So why don't you buy one?

Him: I can't afford it. The price of a new Bullet in India is around £1,000 but the average wage is only £150 per month. How much is a new Enfield in England?

Me: Around £5,000 for the new EFI model. Just a bit cheaper than a base-model 883 Harley.

Him: £5,000 (in deep shock)! If you could afford to pay that much for a motorcycle in India you would be one of the richest people in the country. £5,000 would buy the very best luxury car here!

Me: Can't you afford an older model?

Him: It's not such a good idea. They always need a lot of work so it costs money for spare parts and repairs and my passion is to do a road trip. I don't want to keep breaking down. Have you seen the film Wild Hogs? I want to do that sort of road trip, just touring around. But the Enfield is a heavy bike and our roads are very, very bumpy. Have you been to India?

Me: No but I'd love to. I've seen what the back roads are like though. I bought Gaurav Jani's DVDs, One Crazy Ride and Riding Solo To The Top Of The World. They are truly inspirational.

Him: Really, I've not heard of them.

Me: Mate, you really must check them out if you're planning a road trip around India. Gaurav is in a club called 60kph Motorcycle Travel Club. Their website is just amazing.

Him: I will do that. Thank you so much for talking to me.

Me: No, the pleasure is all mine.

So, purely by chance, I've been talking to a guy in India who watches American-made motorcycle movies and loves Enfields and I'm telling him to check out Indian-made DVDs and websites on Bullets? Does it get any weirder? Sad thing is the call came to such an abrupt end when he had to get back to work, that I didn't get his name. But to bastardise an old Honda ad slogan, you meet the nicest people through Royal Enfield ownership.

Cheers. Hey, keep up the fine work with the blog!

UPDATE: Pinchin provided this picture of his Royal Enfield Bullet 350, a private import from India that still retains its Indian style front license plate. He adds:

"Sorry but been off-line sorting out wireless issues. Had to ring BT call centre again twice but no more Enfield chat!"