Here's a nice little Enfield, on Ebay at 255.00. Most of them now go for over 1000.00. The last one that I put on the blog is up to 800.00 already, and not finished yet.

Not sure why I keep looking at Enfields all the time, guess I like the idea of "pottering" around. Certainly don't use the speed and power of my S10. It's loaded with luggage now, will find out I guess when I go camping on it this weekend if the S10 is for me, or will it be another Bullet sometime in the future?

Here's the Ebay description:

This is a 1981 350 Royal Enfield Bullet. It has 12 months MOT from last week, and the V5 is present. This bike has recently been refurbished and had a lot of new stuff on it. Its been fitted with a later tank and guards which make it look quite fresh and up to date. In addition its had new seat, shocks, wheels, new Amal carb costing over £100, exhaust etc etc etc. The exhaust is a bot throaty as well, and as a result of the new carb and less restrictive silencer, this bike pulls and runs remarkably well for a basic 350, ideal for running round locally on. The bike has been laid up since 2001 and the last MOT certificate from that period showed 7500 miles on it, and it has several older certificates to show the mileage year by year. So, its not a high mileage bike, and looks quite fresh and new and has been sorted out, and runs really well. All the electrics work and its charging OK. Tyres and brakes are all good. Chrome work is good, new wheels etc make it look very fresh. So, its a nice old 350 Enfield, which has recently been re-commissioned, and is now ready to go. Looks newer than it is, but the joy of these old Enfields is that you can just keep re-vamping them with all the stuff that is available for them now. This bike will probably run on for years to come yet and be a great cheep little summer bike. Ideal starter classic, or ideal to run round your local village on.

Well the Focus passed the MOT...

...WITHOUT needing a thing done to it! Quite a few advisories, though, including the headlamps (they are plastic so perhaps they are fogging over), rust (in the floor), brake pipes, exhaust bits. But nothing to actually fail it on. So I have taxed it (205 pounds now!) for another year, and will buy a new electric window for the drivers side soon.

Yesteday (Tuesday) went to the docs, got a book list and a list of courses for my troubles, not really worth it. Also fixed up the front of Julies "studio" with new wood, the old stuff had bent and buckled in the sun and the insulation was showing, wanted to sort it before it rained. Also fitted luggage to bike, and then we had a BBQ, us four plus Nan and Dan's mate Ian.

Off to work for a day today, Army presentation tonite, half day tomorrow and then it's serious bike packing time before setting off to Wales Friday morning. Excited and worried at the same time if that is possible!

Update, end April 2010

This is on Ebay for just over 500 pounds with three days to go, bit of a mixture of road bike and trail bike, I like it though.
Well I am off for a few days, catching up, Focus MOT today and as usual nervous, will report back later. Been busy on Super Tenere getting ready for the forum's big meet this Friday-Monday, in Bala, Wales. Added a top box and built some pannier/racks, also changed the rear calliper for one that works(!).

Found this picture of me as a scout leader when I was sorting out camera memory cards, it was at one of the Tomers camps, and looks like it was late on in the week, I look a bit rough!

Must go, supposed to be doing my banking and then taking the car to MOT. Will report later on how the day went......

Trilogy Telikou Videos featuring Castledown Radio

Been busy (as usual), today I was testing a heap of the Telikou 2 wire stuff for a job, and I used Castledown Radio's streaming audio as the programme source. Show is the Drive Show with Baz Reilly. Thanks and well done Baz!
Other than that been working on the 'bike, off to Wales Friday week, excited and concerned at the same time. Lot's to do, car (Focus) MOT on Monday, fingers crossed, taking some time off to get everything ready for my trip, then off to Italy afterwards.
Airlineshave been grounded because of a volcano in Iceland, if we had of gone to NAB (Las Vegas) we would have been stuck for an additional week, but we didn't, first time in years I've not gone.

Oh Well, still got IBC Amsterdam to look forward to!

Catching up (yet again!)

Well the Easter weekend has been and gone and it was a mixture of cold/wet/windy and half decent! Julie and I decided to go to the New Forest over Easter, Dan was away on Cadet camp and Tash had some plans of her own (which did not happen in the end). We had a nice B&B for Friday and Saturday night at Milford-on-Sea, http://www.briantcroft.co.uk/suites.htm, which is down on the coast opposite the Isle of Wight. We managed to enjoy ourselves, went out to dinner one night and stayed in the next.

Went to the New Forest Wildlife Park on the way home, got home Sunday evening via the mayfly for tea (nice but expensive!). Dan was back Monday afternoon, and Tash turned up late Monday, she went to work Tuesday and ended up ill so came home.

Dan's got proper Army selection again today/tomorrow, so by Friday evening we will know if he is in the Army or not. As I said in the last blog, half of me hopes he gets in, half of me does not!

So, what's next? Been putting some luggage on the bike for the trip to Bala in Wales at the end of the month, also been using my new boots, which take longer to put on and take off but have much better soles and are probably more water-proof (also bought a one-piece water-proof suit, not tried it yet). Brought the bike in to work Tuesday and Wednesday, Tuesday it ran fine, Wednesday it stopped (seemed to run out of fuel), eventually started again on reserve, filled it up (petrol up again to 1.22.9 per litre), popped and banged but got me home.

Bit's and pieces at work, next trip is booked for early May, other than that just busy. Test Valley Business Awards next week, Army presentation later in the month, mainly as I said bit's and pieces.



Bikes a BSA Bantam D14B, languishing on Ebay with no bids for 350.00 pounds. Must say I am tempted, not sure why! It would not be able to replace the S10, nor would it be anywhere as good as my old Enfield! What I really need is a cheap Enfield project...bit like this one really, just up on Ebay from Hitchcocks, an Indian import, not UK registered, starting at 500.00 pounds...