We were excited to learn that the a black Bullet Classic C5 won this year’s trophy for Best Bike (Metric-Stock) at the Bearly Cruzin Classic Car and Motorcycle Show in Arizona.

Special thanks to our Arizona Royal Enfield dealer, Motorcycle Sales Direct for submitting the bike and sharing the news with us!

We were thrilled to have our own Kevin Mahoney profiled as “Biker of the Month” in the October 2009 issue of Walneck’s Classic Cycle Trader. This is another one of our favorite motorcycle magazines. If you’re lucky enough to subscribe, you’ll find the 4-page article starting on page 64. If you don’t subscribe, be sure to pick one up on at you local newstand this month!

Walneck's Features Kevin Mahoney as Biker of the Month

Ian Wallace – a Royal Enfield owner, MPVA member and vintage Military Vehicle enthusiast – recently undertook an epic journey with his Royal Enfield Bullet Military. He joined the 2009 MVPA Convoy for it’s historic trek across America, recreating the 1919 transcontinenal convoy of the US Army’s Military Transportation Corps.

2009 MVPA Convoy Map

Ian and his Bullet Military started in Washington, D.C. and traveled with the convoy through 8 states to Wyoming.

However, about an hour outside the convoy’s stop in Rawlins, Wyoming when the worst happened: Ian was struck by a car while riding his Military. Fortunately, Ian lived to tell the tale but unfortunately, he was badly injured and unable to continue his journey. We checked in with Ian recently who, despite still being in for treatment at the time, was good enough to send us a personal account of his trip:

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Bright and early this morning we got a call from Bill (Slam) Dunkis the owner of Interstate Motorcycles in Rolla MO.  Somehow the trucking company got  his C5  to him overnight  from our warehouse. His customer for the bike Dannie Mullins called last night and asked if he could sleep in Bills parking lot so he could pick up his bike bright and early this morning. Sure enough, by the time Bill got to work, there was Dannie waiting.

In the words of Bill – “I handed it to it’s new owner and asked him to take it out for a 20 mile ride on our Missouri Ozark mountain two lane roads and tell us what he thought. He was glad to oblige.

When he came back, and after he extracted the massive smile from his face, the first words out of his mouth was “This may be the best handling motorcycle I’ve ever ridden ! Crisp handling in the corners and rock solid on the straights.”This coming unsolicited from a rider with 30+ years experience”.

Congratulations Dannie – we hope you love your new bike. His was the first warranty registration we received so I guess that makes him the first owner of a C5 in the USA.

Dannie Mullins, the first C5 owner in the USA

Red Royal Enfield C5 with UCE engine

James Parchman wrote a great article about the Royal Enfield company and our new products for the New York Times . Here is the online version of the article. James is a freelance writer/photographer who contacted us while he was in Pakistan doing another article. he went to the factory in Chennai and came back with this great article.  As someone who has taken a lot of photos around the factory over the years I am in awe of his photographic abilities as well. Guess this is what the phrase “trained professional” is all about.  James did a great job and we certainly appreciate it. We are told that he has an upcoming piece in Rider magazine about the C5 as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/automobiles/17ROYAL.html

The president of the Royal Enfield Association and frequent poster on our community forum Geoff Baker has developed a really fascinating project. Geoff has built a water injected high mileage diesel engine for his Royal Enfield motorcycle.  To help raise awareness of fuel economy and being “green” he intends to ride from Nogales Mexico to Vancouver Canada (a distance in excess of 1,700 miles) using only 10 gallons of recycled vegetable oil “Bio-Diesel”. Sound crazy doesn’t it? I can assure you Geoff is not crazy.  Geoff started with a Military model Royal Enfield and has adapted all sorts of devices from common materials to finish his project on a very slim budget.

A visit to his website will fill you in on all of the details of this great experiment

http://www.b2b-bx10.com/

Geoff Baker who will attempt to go 1700 miles on only 10 gallons of bio-diesel

The Royal Enfield with a bio-diesel conversion engine

Home made water injection tank

I am very saddened to announce that George Helm – one of our dealers and a legend in the motorcycle,  Royal Enfield, and Indian world – passed away yesterday at age 87.

Over the years any number of famous people have become Royal Enfield customers. The first picture is Brad Pitt riding a Royal Enfield (we swear it is him), the second is Julio Iglesias Jr. and friend riding in Miami. Billy Joel owns several Royal Enfield including two on his yacht. He uses one as a daily driver as well.

Brad Pitt Riding a Royal Enfield in India

Julio Iglesias Jr. and Friend on Royal Enfield Bullet in Miami

From Cycle World Magazine's Gallery

Along with the very favorable two articles about the new Bullet Classic C-5 in the March issue of Cycle World, there are quite few additional pictures in a gallery that they have put online. Click the picture to go to the online Cycle World photo gallery.

I happened across this great post from Mark Hoyer, of Cycle World Magazine,  that included a perfect photographic example of the more “utilitarian” role common for small motorcycles outside the United States (and India in particular). As mark puts it, “Who needs a 5000-pound SUV?!”

Photo credit: Jeff Allen, Cycle World Magazine

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