Cochin China

Cochin China was the colonial name of modern Vietnam. Of course, Royal Enfield was there.

Where in Dublin?

Apparently Royal Enfield had a bicycle manufacturing facility in Dublin. Never heard it mentioned before. Where could it be?

The Bikernis

The Bikernis are the first all female motorcycle club of India. Of course the creator of the club rides a Royal Enfield.

Ferodo

Via TheVeloBanjogent, the sleek Ferodo catalogue of 1938 touting their competitive wins,

Including that of  the Kickham memorial trial of C. N. Rogers in Royal Enfield,

And that of L. Holdsworth in the Victory Cup Trial on Royal Enfield,

And again C. N. Rodgers in the West of England Trial,

Apparently the company, founded by Herbert Frood in Chapel en le Frith, southeast of Manchester,  still exists today, as part of the Federal Mogul conglomerate. 

Nice custom

The Royal Enfield Dodo, by Akash Das and Dixon Davies.

In The Telegraph

The Bullet reviewed in The Telegraph today.

Star management team

Royal Enfield is moving to a flatter management structure with four key people running the company. Venki Padmanabhan (formerly at GM USA where he revamped Cadillac) is the CEO, Shaji Koshy becomes senior VP for markets (used to be senior VP for sales and marketing), Natarajan Krishnan (architect of the UCE) rejoins the company as senior VP for products after a stint at GE. Bala Govindrajan becomes senior VP for industry, returning to Enfield after stints at Suzlon (a wind power comapny)in China and in a JP Morgan led company.

This is a set of high caliber individuals, two of them with experience the US (although given the sorry current state of US manufacturing, I don't know if one should boast about this...).

The company can only go up with such a team at the helm. Albert Eadie and Major Smith are reported to be smiling somewhere.

Nice video

Via The Quest to own a Royal Enfield


Tyler Bizzell - Royal Enfield Test from Tyler Bizzell on Vimeo.

Wiki Enfield leaks

A friend of mine in the British Army was able to smuggle, in a Lady Gaga CD, a copy of the "Westwood Trials", the documents detailing the experiment with biological weapons allegedly conducted at the Royal Enfield factory in Westwood. He is now in a maximum security prison in Sandhurst on  suicide watch and stripped to his underwear. Since I am not subject to British law, I am out of jail, and will publish the document in this blog in conjunction with the New York Times and The Guardian as soon as I clear up some sexual charges I am facing in Sweden :-).

Actually.... The truth is more prosaic. The documents have long been declassified, so I wrote to the National Archives in the UK for them, and they were kind enough to send me a copy, prior payment of a fee. I was planning to scan them and upload them here, but they want another (more substantial) fee to allow me to do that and they want a "degradation of the image quality", which I am not even sure how to do. Remarkably , they allow to transcribe the documents without paying a fee, but they are lengthy and some parts boring so I will only transcribe small portions below.

Let's recap the story. According to a TV documentary (David Blasco covered the story, see also this  link), the UK government spread biological agents in the air conditioning system of the Royal Enfield underground factory in Westwood in an experiment to test how bio agents would contaminate urban environments, particularly air conditioned buildings. The experiments were conducted in secret and no one at the factory knew what was going on. The documentary interviews some ex-workers visibly upset. Also, the underground quarries had vents around town in Westwood and presumably the biological agents could have escaped through there and affected the community. The documentary sounds a very ominous tone, although it does not claim anyone was made sick.

Part of the reason I spent money on these documents was that I was expecting all sorts of juicy details about the underground factory. To my chagrin, there is no mention of the Royal Enfield factory at all in the documents! The trials were conducted in 1952 in the underground quarry that had been used in World War II to stock the art treasures of the British Museum to preserve them from the German bombings. The quarry was by then empty, but was kept air conditioned, no explanation why (readers who enjoy the BBC series "Yes Minister" will recall a special Parliamentary inquiry in which the minister was asked about a similar situation, around minute 9:00 here).  The quarry was adjacent to the one occupied by the Royal Enfield factory. Permission was sought from the British Museum to use it, apparently the quarry was still under its jurisdiction.

Here are some quotes from the document: "In 1937, before the work of conversion was undertaken for the British Museum, the quarry chambers were exceedingly wet and the supporting pillars, the roofs, and the floors all dripped copious amounts of water. Extensive air conditioning plant was installed, the floors were levelled and concreted, and the walls and ceilings cleaned and sealed with special compound.

At present the air is drawn not from the surface atmosphere but from the old quarry workings where the temperature is constant at 53F and saturated throughout the year. The air is heated, circulated by pumps through plenum ducts , and for many years not the air in the repository has been maintained constant within one degree of 68F with a relative humidity of 53%. The air in the repository is under positive pressure and circulation occurs by teh air finding its way back to the surface largely through the main entrance tunnel.

On inspection of the repository, it was decided that one area known as  the "carpet room" and maked A in Plate 1, being almost self contained, could with minimal structural alteration be converted into a suitable test chamger. The area was isolated by a light partition in which were incorporated an airtight door and a double-ended hatch for the passing in and out of small laboratory apparatus, e.g. impingers, while trials were proceeding."

"In view of the fact that personnel were liable to be exposed to massive dosage of bacterial aerosol twice weekly over a period of several weeks, it was considered necessary to provide the fullest degree of protection. Personnel undressed completely and donned cellular type under-vests and pants, and woollen socks. On top of this was worn a gaberdine overall with double flapped legs and sleeves. Rubber Wellington boots and surgeons rubber gloves were worn. Respirator with bacterial filter complete with hood was used."

"The site of the experiment was sub divided into a clean (laboratory) area and the chamber (dirty) area. Personnel were not allowed to move from clean to dirty areas or vice versa until completion of an experiment without taking proper precautions, e.g. dressing or undressing".

What one concludes from reading the document is that they were extra careful in isolating the area where the tests were conducted. In no way did they just spray the biological agents into the central air conditioning system. One imagines if they were being so careful about an empty quarry, they would have been concerned about causing some problems to the other quarry where the factory operated, especially if they shared the air conditioning system.

Of course, the document does not prove anything. It could be that they were careless and contaminated the factory. It could be that they do not mention the Royal Enfield factory to obscure that possibility.  Most people involved by now probably have passed away, so we will never know for sure. I guess this will remain another Enfield mystery!

The King's speech

Or, more precisely, the King's chat. George VI when he was still the Prince of Wales talking to Major Smith, who ran Royal Enfield for many decades till his decease in the early 1960.

Details of the 1901 Enfield

These are from an article on a Supplement of Motor Cycling of April 2nd, 1902. The first Enfield motorcycle was introduced in the Stanley Show in 1901. The article goes into detail about the bike. Some of the descriptions are quite convoluted. Here are some excerpts:

"The engine, as will be noticed, is of an extremely robust form, and is provided with ample wearing surfaces. The power at full speed is 1.75hp; the timing gear wheels are enclosed in a special outside case, and both axles have good long bearings, whit phosphor bronze bushes.

The contact breaker plate has a bush fitting over an extension of the aluminum chamber; this bush is of large diameter, and about 0.75 inch wide. There is, therefore, no chance of the plate developing side play through wear, and upsetting the accuracy of the adjustment between cam and spring.

The makers claim that by fitting the motor in front of the head, not on the handle bar, but bolted to the frame it self, they obtain the maximum of air for cooling purposes, which is undoubtedly correct; at the same time the motor is well out of the dirt. The belt drive differs from the majority of machines which wwe have seen being V section, and run crossed instead of open. By means of the long drive, the belt can be run slacker without slipping, and the crossing causes it to encircle the small driving pulley much further.

Large valves are fitted to both exhaust and inlet, the exhaust pipe being especially large and strong, terminating under bottom bracket, where a silencer of ample dimensions is firmly bolted to the bridge of the bicycle frame.

In our illustration of the inlet valve, the arrrangement for testing whether valve is free is clearly shown.

The stalk of the valve extends through the dome, and as the body of the inlet valve is provided with a special casting with two seats, air cannot be drawn in through the top of the dome. This small fitting is very useful, and often saves a great deal of time; the joint is not disturbed, and consequently lasts much longer than it otherwise would do.

The exhaust valve is fitted with a very certain, but simple, lifter, and as the lever operating it is attached on the right handlebar, and the switch on the left, the whole command of the machine is in the rider's hands, without leaving go of the handles.

The carbuertter is quite automatic, and is entirely governed by the adjustable illed top of stalk A, referring to the illustration in section; stalk marked A terminates in needle point with a screw adjustment. This has to be opened from a quarter to half a turn; the petrol flows along the passage marked B and rises to the needle valve, which is under the stalk marked D. The height of the lift of this valve is set when the machine leaves the facotry, and need not be disturbed when running; a supply of more or less petrol will govern the carburation, and when the best position is found, a letter O is marked on the top of A when open, and the letter S when shut, these letters being opposite the needle or indicator between the two milled tops.

The tank to which the carburetter is attached contains one gallon of petrol, and a compartment for induction coil and accumulator.

The frame is specially made throughout, and has been designed purposely for a motor-bicycle. Special thick gauge tubing is used everywhere, and the wheel base has been considerably lengthened. The front forks are of a most substantial pattern, being made in D section, and of great strength. The crown is the same as the one used on the Royal Enfield tricycles for the last 18 months, and which has given entire satisfaction.

The brakes are two in number; both are hand brakes, one acting on the back wheel, and the other on the front. It was deemed advisable to fit two brakes, as running down a steep hill with the valve lifter raised, one brake was not found sufficient to arrest the machine suddenly, but with a gentle application of both, this machine can be stopped in a few yards in case of emergency."

Balanced

A double sidecar, as recently featured in The New Cafe Racer Society, is a very balanced proposition. This brings to mind an article of "The Motor Cycle" of 1914. The text accompanying the picture shown below says:

"Although not absolutely novel (as we illustrated a double seated machine in The Motor Cycle of 1903), the accompanying photographs of an Italian production, which is at present at the depot of Messrs. Robertsons, 157, Great Portland Street, W., will be of interest. The bodies are made of sheet steel, and present a pleasing appearance. There is no reason whatever why a motor bicycle should not be converted into a twin or double-seated sidecar on the lines of the photograph, except for the one fact that it makes it a four-wheeled vehicle, and therefore subject to motor car taxation. We cannot say that we have had much riding experience with a double seated sidecar, although we illustrated it once as stated. We only drove it for a very short distance, and it is so long ago that we cannot remember any particular vices it had. There is no reason, however, why it should not steer quite safely and well if the passengers' weights are fairly evenly balanced. Naturally, a powerful motor bicycle is necessary to pull a double weight, but there are numeours motor bicycles on the market which are quite capable of pulling the weight of two passengers in addition to the driver. In the present case, the double seated sidecar is shown attached to the Enfield 6. h.p. motor cycle, a machine which is constructed especially for sidecar work." And, as we like to add in this blog, for which nothing seemed impossible at the time!

Today, 157 Great Portland does look the part of a former depot. Can you picture in your imagination the double sidecar being exhibited there?

Cordoba, Argentina

I was visiting Cordoba, Argentina and noted the local newspaper section devoted to motorcycles. At the end it lists the prices of the new bikes. And there, in full glory, one can find Royal Enfield. Don't know why blogger insists in displaying this picture sideways, no matter what orientation I give the original...

Unusual tow

Or should we say push? We knew that for the 6hp sidecar combo of the 1920's nothing was impossible, even towing a car. But now the Bullet is giving it a run for its money! Video originally in Streetfire.


Crazy Towing - Royal Enfield Bullet & Maruti 800

The best naked bike

Visual Gratification speaking some truths here.

Royal Enfield scores first ton lap at Manx Grand Prix!

No, it is not a historical article. It happened this week! Legendary Enfield rider Steve Linsdell, on a 1970 Seeley Enfield finished fifth in the Manx Grand Prix and scored the first 100 mph+ lap by a British pushrod single in the circuit, according to the official site. Funny, since I had read he had done 100.16 mph already in last year's edition. Maybe they meant the first lap this year? Read about his 9000rpm 50hp fire breathing Bullet here.