PRIDE & JOY Home & Away

I owned my first Royal Enfield Bullet back in 1971/72. That one suffered a premature end mainly due to my lack of mechanical attention, probably contributed to by the previous owner’s various ‘improvements’. The next 30-plus years saw various motorbikes pass through my hands, until my interest in Royal Enfields was rekindled during a trip to India which involved riding one for about 10 days. Shortly after our return in late 2006, a suitable 350cc model of 1993 vintage appeared at an online auction. Photographs and the accompanying description suggested that the Bullet had a fairly low mileage and was still in factory trim.

I won the auction for a reasonable price without viewing the Enfield, and on collection found the bike pretty much as described. Initially it was intended mainly for my wife, who had also ridden on the India tour, but she never really took to the 350, finding it awkward to chop and change from her more modern ride. Over the next few years the Bullet was ridden occasionally by me on local rides in the Peak District, but spent most of its time languishing in the garage.

At the end of 2008 we relocated temporarily down to the south coast and I