Over a year ago, I posted a lengthly thread on how my next door neighbor and good friend had purchased one of these challenging pieces of India made 50's technology. He wanted to buy an Enfield for several reasons, among which were:
1. They are cheap
2. They are what he considered "classic"
3. He wanted a bike he could "work on"
4. There aren't that many around (for good reason)
5. See number 1 (above)
Well, it has fulfilled every one of his expectations, and then some. It has developed a miss that won't go away, and he's been through numerous points and at least one solid state ignition with no improvement. We have come to call it the "Royal Spendfield" because he could have purchased a much more reliable motorcycle after spending all the money he's spent trying to just get this one to run right. Granted, he DOES get a lot of comments from folks wondering if it's a bike from the 30's, but these are usually made in parking lots as he's jumping up and down on the kick starter trying to get the darned thing running (I didn't mention that he opted for the non-electric starter model, because it was more "classic.")
While these bikes do fill a certain niche market for those who want a cheap "classic" bike (the Ural also fits this niche), the inexpensive price just isn't worth the pain and frustration of owning one, in my opinion. That is, unless you just want to hang it on a wall as "art" or need something humorous to hold your garage floor down.
