[Mervin]

Hey,

Anyone who owns vintage bikes..please give a howl here....
You own a royal enfield G2, norton, ariel, matchless, triumph...or anything vintage gimme a howl...

Edited by Mervin, 16 April 2007 - 07:10 PM.

[Hippie at Heart]

Marvin is there anything in particular you are looking for? I have had a Norton and a BSA some time ago. Sold off my Yamaha Twin few months ago, so I don’t even have a bike to say with me, but still….

[Mervin]

Hippie at Heart, on Apr 16 2007, 11:03 PM, said:

Marvin is there anything in particular you are looking for? I have had a Norton and a BSA some time ago. Sold off my Yamaha Twin few months ago, so I don’t even have a bike to say with me, but still….

well its my hobby collecting some vintage motors. I am looking for a ariel or a BSA twin actually. Any condition, I would prefer restoring it rather than buying something which is already restored. Wat happened to your BSA and norton?? Which model were they.....
I might be picking a 1951 matchless 350 and also a norton twin which I dnt have much details about. Its up north in calcutta.


also will be starting a vintage bikers club. So want people to join this club all over India. I am working on the website. Also will be discussing where to get parts for starters and info about good mechanics for old bikes in India. You know any please share....

Edited by Mervin, 17 April 2007 - 12:07 AM.

[cyberhippie]

That sound interesting Mervin. These BSA's, Ariel's, Triumph's, Matchless, etc. Were they imorted way back, or did some of these models also get built in India!!

Mervin great idea for a webbie, please keep us updated, and photos please........ There's few guys here that would love some photos of classics out of India. For help with the website, well as well as very well informed Hippie At Heart, there are few other members with a lot of bumpy roads under their backsides. So hang around they will reveal themselves when they have time I'm sure!!

By the way I'm just a baby when it comes to riding!! General knowledge only!  

[Mervin]

Well...As far as I know most of these bikes were either imported or brought to India by the Indian army those days. I remember seeing a photograph of a mechanic in hyderabad who would have had tons of these bikes But that picture is almost 10-12 years old I guess now. I have seen him work on a Indian chief in the pictures and rebuild it again to mint condition. 80% of these bikes are exported to different countries now. What we have left now here is very very little.
And one thing for sure none of these bikes were actually built here, but the parts are now replicated
I know sometime back a SMITH speedometer would cost around 3000 to 4000..we get replicas of it in Bangalore ranging from 1200 to 2000.
A lot of parts are available in calcutta where you will need to know people and spend time searching for them in junkyards. I had a couple of rare tail lamps picked up the other day through my friend.
These bikes were one of the most incredible inventions of those days. However some of these just carry the brand name. The same goes with vintage cars in India now.
But in India we have the royal enfield known for its own royal class and its an Indian dreams to own one. As we all know these bikes were first built in UK sometime in 1893 with a famous trade mark---made like a gun....which was later also known as made like a gun goes like a bullet.
And the bullet started sometime in 1931.and as years passed they worked on improving the engineering behind these bikes. In 1955 or close the company was started in madras, India. Later which was completely handed over in the year 1970. A lot of these bikes were first imported by the Indian army during the 1940-50's. I think if I am not wrong it was first 345 bikes imported trying to be precise.lol
well I can go on but Lets keep it for others also...

[Hippie at Heart]

I had a BSA B31 popularly known as Plunger model1958, 350cc, and a 1960 Matchless G3, 350cc but I sold them off few years ago as there was space constrain... and problem with vintage is whether you ride them or keep away from sun in barn yard, either way they demand constant attention and safekeeping. Running around for spares isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so one fine day I just gave up. Sold off the RD 350 for same reason. But what with the exports of Vintage? I thought any bike past 50 year mark cannot be exported out of India and they have specific law about that.

CH, most of brit bikes were brought in by the Army or got dumped by the visiting counterparts that came in civil market after retirement from service. Almost all the models are available as vintage classic with right money and deep pockets, however 125cc lightweight Bantams that got para dropped in 1946-47 are hardest to come by and almost rare. Any old India Hand woudn't have missed those big Harlays from WWII that adopted to run as a tri-auto, painted in gaily yellow and black, running between Karol Bagh and Cannaught Place for Rs 5 per ride till about 6-7 years ago.

Edited by Hippie at Heart, 18 April 2007 - 04:30 AM.

[Mervin]

Hey thats very true. Most of these bikes were dumped here. Well its sad you gave off all the bikes, but like you said its not everyone's cup of tea running around for spare parts. However you need deep pockets to maintain these bikes. With the export not too sure how they do it. But I have a couple of my friends who export old bikes and scooters. May be I will find out more about this.
The RD 350's were not in demand few years ago, but now theres a hunt fo rthese bikes. I heard Yamaha is launching these bikes again in the market, any lights on this one??
Whats this thing with Harley you are talkin about, I know a couple of them converted to auto rickshaw's in delhi. Also there were few mechanics in karolbagh selling these bikes few years ago Is it true??

[Mervin]

Hey does anyone know where in calcutta can I find some old british bikes??