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My new old bike

So the inevitable's finally occured. I've got myself a Royal Enfield - a classic Bullet Standard 350. Well....technically I haven't entirely got possession yet as the papers are with the mechanic, but short of him closing shop and running off somewhere, I can safely say the bike's
mine, mine....all Miiiinne!!!

Thanks to my colleague Robin, who's a bike/racing enthusiast and his neighbour Darren who's also passionate about Bullets for their help in ferrying me around the city looking at prospective candidates, riding the bikes and giving me their expert opinions while I stood by and gawked. On the flip side...if I find the bike is not to my satisfaction....I know who to kill!!

Ok, now that the mandatory vote of thanks (read boring stuff) is over, onto more exciting details. As mentioned earlier, this is a Standard 350, 1996 model, complete with the classic thumping sound, right side gears, contact points ignition with ammeter, decomp lever etc. Not one of the new 'almost-bullets' you get today. Got it for 16K, which I think is a decent deal. Bike, of course, is in dire need of servicing, repairs and body work. I already had my newbie Bullet initiation ceremony yesterday, when I exhausted myself kick-starting the bike for 20 mins. But that, as accurately diagnosed by Robin, was due to dirt in the carburettor and is fixed for now.

But enough with the monologue, here's some pics of the bike.

Note the rust on the front wheel. The wheel wobbles from side to side while riding, so one gets the impression the bike's doing a jig on the road.












The bike came with authentic Kannada number plates, to impart that Desi flavour, at no added cost. The bike, by the way, is originally from Bellary and was transferred to Bangalore.















Note the Saree guard with intricate designs, an excellent add-on to prevent my future Mrs from getting her nine-yard entangled in the wheel and choking to death.











The blind leading the blind - Thats Mukund giving me gyan on the Bullet.













Not too visible, but this is an excellent piece of memorabilia. If you squint hard enough, you can make out the previous owner's name, T. Narasimha Rao, etched out on the handlebar in Kannada, probably with a compass, like I did on my school desks in kindergarten.









Now, you just need to close your eyes to get the picture of Mr. T. Narasimha Rao, dhoti tucked above his knees, serenly riding the Bullet through the paddy fields of Bellary past herds of grazing buffalo, chased by children with snot running down their noses.


So, to quote those innumerable museum guides..."Its not just a bike, its a piece of India's own heritage".

Comments

Pushuka said…
Neat!! Congrats on a most excellent acqusition, dude... So have you christened her yet? (And dude, please tell me it's a she...)
5:34 PM, March 03, 2006
Indira said…
Congrats on your new girlfriend boy! SHe looks cool! Just hoping and praying that the 20 mins kick-starting ordeal lessens in time! Be nice, be gentle, and most importantly...keep her well-groomed ;)
6:50 PM, March 03, 2006
Anonymous said…
Great bike.. Kaushik. BTW where did the good ole splendor go ?
12:47 AM, August 03, 2006
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