Thursday, November 12, 2009

RE: I will never look at another bike

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....

2 comments:

  1. Enfield is a very cool bike, as i have never
    had this bike because it is not available in
    our country. I want Enfield thunder bird, i
    have seen on the internet.

    motorbike sales

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  2. Yeah, it seems that the Thunderbird has primarily been in India. I see there are a few here in South Africa but they are parallel or grey imports. Perhaps now that the new 305cc efi engine has been developed Royal Enfield might offering the Thunderbird as a model officially exported to the rest of the world. ;-)

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