[arun1100]

Story of our 1971 Royal Enfield Bullet!

Prelude!
It's not often we get lucky to get back something which has been long lost! Here's the story of my Dad's 1971 Royal Enfield Bullet which he bought a year or two after he passed out of his college and started working as a Banker in rural parts of Karnataka.

In the year 1969, Dad started to work as an Agriculture Officer at Syndicate Bank, Hassan (KA) branch. With the need to travel across villages to meet farmers to facilitate them get loans for their livelihood, he bought the first vehicle of his life - The 1971 Royal Enfield Bullet. Over the years, he told me lot many stories of how he spent more than half of his Banking career of 40 years by primarily using the Bullet for traveling.

The year is 1972, exactly 50 years ago! Dad and his friend, posing with the Bullet. MYH 1731, the numbers aren't very clear. This pic was the only reference I had of our Bullet.


Two decades later, in the year 1991, Dad bought his first car - Premier Padmini Economy! Dad's work now demanded a four-wheeler and hence his office provided him a MM 540 and subsequently an Ambassador car. In the mid-'90s, while Dad got transferred to Manipal, the Bullet was rarely used as his primary vehicle was now the Ambassador. One of Dad's colleagues knew about our unused Bullet and offered to buy the Bullet. Since it was Dad's first motorcycle and a much-loved one, he was not keen on selling. The Bullet was always parked in a covered area and was not left to rust. Since Dad's colleague was pursuing the Bullet's sale, Dad eventually budged to sell the Bullet to his colleague with the condition that the Bullet would be sold back to my Dad if he ever wanted to sell-off. Back then, I was studying in 5th grade and had no clue what impact the sale of this Bullet would be in my life. A few months later, Dad's colleague rode the Bullet to our home as he wanted to show us the freshly restored Bullet and yeah, it was gleaming in black! This event was deep stuck in my mind.

Lookout for the Bullet over the years!
Years passed by, we left Manipal and settled in Bangalore. Dad eventually retired from his service and I was doing my graduation. I had fond memories of the Bullet and wondered where the Bullet was currently. In the year 1997, Dad bought his second two wheeler of his life - Bajaj Chetak! In the next few years, many vehicles came to our lives and went away too. But the Premier Padmini and the Bajaj Chetak remained with us to this date; the Bullet was sorely missed. On the road while commuting, whenever any Bullet passed by, Dad never missed admiring and listening to the beats of the Bullet.

Being a classic automobile enthusiast, I was very keen on finding the Bullet and had the hope of getting the Bullet back home! Back in the '80s, Dad got the regular repairs and service done at the Mehboob Garage on Nandidurga Road, Bangalore. Even today, the usual scene outside this garage is a slew of old Bullets parked close to the garage and on the footpath. Whenever I used to commute on this road, I used to glance at the Bullets with the hope that someday I would find my Dad's Bullet. I even spoke to the chief mechanic there and enquired about our Bullet. He recollected my Dad, our Bullet's registration number but had no clue of the whereabouts of the Bullet.

Since the Bullet was sold while we were in Manipal, I even went to Manipal/ Udupi and asked few garages around if the they knew my Dad's Bullet by citing the Bullet's registration number, though the possibility was less. I also checked with few Bullet enthusiasts and in the Bullet groups in FB. So far, there was no luck in finding the Bullet.

Just when I was losing hopes of the Bullet's survival, sometime in 2012, I got to know though FB that Bhpian Stanher (Shyam K'chari) bought a new Bullet. On casually discussing with him about my Dad's Bullet, he said, Bullets rarely die! He gave hopes that the Bullet would survive somewhere for sure. Since I had tried all possible ways to find the Bullet, I just let time pass by. In 2020, when I wanted to buy a motorcycle, the options considered were Bullet Standard 350/ Classic or the Jawa. Dad preferred the Bullet, but I preferred the Jawa. I then told my Dad, I preferred to buy the Jawa as I was confident one day Dad's 1971 Bullet would surely come back home.

I told Dad to try contacting his colleague to whom he had sold in the year 1995 and when he finally did, his colleague shared the news that the Bullet was stolen from their house in the year 1996 and he had misplaced the RC book too..

Final countdown to the find!
In Feb 2021, while I was searching for this Bullet's details in the Parivahan App, I noticed that the Bullet's Insurance details was updated and was valid till Sept 2021. The Bullet was registered to someone from Mandya, near Mysore. At this point, it was clear that my Dad's Bullet survives!! To summarize what happened next, please read through below the sequence of events which led to me finding back my Dad's Bullet after close to two decades of search!

1. - The Parivahan App showed the current owner details with details of Insurance validity till Sept 2021.
2. - To get the complete details of the Bullet in the Parivahan app, I required the full Engine and Chassis number.
3. - I checked with Bhpian funkykar (Karthik Makam) and he suggested getting the B-Extract from Hassan RTO (MYH/ KA13).
4. - B-Extract is a document issued by RTO which would provide the details of a vehicle like Name, Address, engine/ chassis number, insurance details etc.
5. - Karthik shared a known RTO agent's contact of Hassan RTO who was also known to Bhpian addyhemmige (Aditya Hemmige).
6. - In a day's time, the agent shared a copy of the B-Extract over Whatsapp.
7. - To my luck, in the B-Extract the complete Insurance Policy ID was present.
8. - To get a copy of the Insurance Policy, I contacted Bhpian Schakravarthy (Srinivas Chakravarthy).
9. - In two days' time, Srinivas's agent could get a copy of the Insurance Policy!
10. - To my luck again, the Insurance Policy had the Policy holder's mobile number!!
11. - I immediately called that number and asked about the Bullet. Voila, the person acknowledged that he owns MYH 1731 currently!
12. - When I called him over a Whatsapp call, he was having tea in a hotel and he told me to do a Whatsapp video call and he would show me the Bullet!!

There it was, Dad's MYH 1731 - I'm seeing the bullet again after 25 years!

I controlled my excitement and spoke to the owner for some time. I was eager to know how the Bullet landed with him. I briefed him that this Bullet was first owned by my Dad and I was searching for this Bullet for almost 20 years. He then went on to say that this Bullet was seized and parked in the Hassan Police station probably during regular police checking or may have been caught for riding under influence. In 2015, the Police department auctioned off all the seized vehicles; our Bullet was one among them. This Bullet was auctioned for Rs.1800 to someone who lives near Mysore and he, in turn, sold it to the current owner who lives in a Town called T Narsipura, which is an hour's drive away from Mysore.

When I asked him if the Bullet was complete with all parts, he said it was complete albeit with some rust. Hence it was restored ground up and also used extensively thereafter. This also proved, the Bullet was not seized after a major accident. The current owner was very curious to know how I got his mobile number. I just told him about the Insurance policy. He didn't ask any questions further. I told him I am keen on purchasing this Bullet. He said he needs some time and after a week, he agreed to sell the Bullet to me. I immediately sealed the deal for of course a premium price!

It was now time to get back the Bullet home. It was Bhpian Funkykar (Karthik Makam) whom I asked about the plan and he suggested we would go to the town near Mysore where the current owner resides. It was decided that we go in my Fiesta with my Daughter as she was equally excited and later, Karthik would ride the Bullet to Bangalore.

Start of the Mysore trip! Karthik, my daughter - Yashna and me!


Quick stop for breakfast on NH75.


The moment we were waiting for!
We reached the town and did a phone call to the current owner. He shared his location which was a govt office. We reached there and he said he was busy with his work and requested us to wait. Meanwhile, Karthik and I started searching around for the Bullet. After about 10 mins, we located the Bullet.

What a feeling, I was truly on top of the world!

Initial observations:
- Karthik and me first checked if the Engine was original. The engine and engine number stamping appeared original.
- We then checked the condition of the chassis. It was original with no visible rust. The chassis number matched and stamping appeared original.
- By now, we were convinced that our efforts so far of finding the Bullet were worthy.
- I was a little disappointed looking at the accessories on the Bullet. But hey, it is a 50-year-old motorcycle and had some bad history!!



Way too many add-ons on the Bullet, which was an eyesore - The side box, brass fittings, and the mud flap!


Here's the current owner - Mr. GK!
I should be grateful to him for keeping the Bullet in such good shape and also for agreeing to sell the Bullet to me! Owning the Bullet, that too a Classic one, was a matter of pride for Mr. GK who happens to be rich and popular landlord of the town - T Narsipura near Mysore, where he lives. His grandfather owned a similar vintage Bullet back then and hence it was GK's wish to own one such Bullet. In this town, we noticed all the two wheelers' around there where the 100cc mileage oriented ones, not even the new RE Classic. This Bullet was unique and a noted one among his contacts and neighborhood.



We spent about two hours with Mr. GK. He gave a quick walk-through of mechanical condition of the Bullet and told us about the general maintenance he always followed. We were lucky that the Bullet was under good care! Thereafter, all of us had lunch, we did the papers work and it was time to start back to Bangalore!

Karthik was all set for the 160 kms ride to Bangalore!


Karthik doing what he loves!!


Late in the evening, here's Karthik at my home after a safe ride!


Yashna, as excited as me to have the Bullet back home!


I had thought of showing the Bullet to my Dad the next day post a good wash of the Bullet. However, Dad called me and expressed his desire to have a look at the Bullet that night itself. Around 11pm that very night, I rode the Bullet to my parents' home close-by.

Finally, the man and his machine were united!


Tasks ahead:
1. Restoration - This was needed to make the Bullet more reliable on the road, appear neat, and to pass the Fitness Test.
2. RTO Documentation - Since this Bullet was auctioned by Police to the previous owner, the documentation procedure was lengthy and hence pending for this long. Need to sort this out.

[arun1100]

Resurrection!

About the Bullet:
Manufacturer - Royal Enfield
Date of purchase - 21st July 1971
Engine - 350cc original B1 engine

Restoration Plan:
Now that the Bullet is home, the next thing was to restore it to full glory. The options were to just do the mechanical repairs or do a complete ground-up restoration. I was not very keen on doing a complete restoration primarily due to covid constraints, also due to lack of time to follow up on the restoration. Moreover, the Bullet was running fine - the Mysore to Bangalore ride proved the Bullet was quite a runner.

Dad and I decided to leave the Bullet at Mehboob garage for quick mechanical restoration and correcting the overdone body/ cosmetics of the Bullet. As I said in the previous post, this is the garage Dad used to visit in the '70s and '80s! Dad met the chief mechanic after 3 decades and briefed him of the expectation from the quick restoration. The mechanic was happy to work on the Bullet again and obliged to do their best.

I've Rarely seen my Dad happy like this!




Bullet parked in front of my parent's home.


Dad gives a look at his Bullet before it goes for a quick restoration!


The pre-restoration look!


Before my day's Work From Home starts, I reached the Mehboob garage on Nandidurga Road.


The chief mechanic's son checks out the Bullet.


An hour after I left the Bullet at the garage, the work had already started. The instructions Dad and I had given were to make the Bullet mechanically perfect and to correct the cosmetics bit. We decided not to do anybody/ paintwork as of now.



Mechanical correction work in full swing!


Here are the pics I clicked as and when I visited the garage.










New Tap was fixed




Work on the wheels


New silencer which would sound close to the factory spec






New tail light




Wheel being fit after the rear brakes were overhauled too












Yashna visited the garage too as she was curious to see what work was being done!

[arun1100]

Spare Parts!

The Bullet deserved the best quality spares and hence all original RE spares were used. Luckily, all the needed parts were readily available in the garage itself as this garage is also an authorized RE service center.

Air filter


Head light assembly






Set of Horns






Horn Mounting Clamp




Clutch assembly


Key set




Chain Sprocket




Gasket cover


Rear View Mirrors




Points Set




Front Number Plate


Ammeter


Speedometer




Engine Oil stock!

[arun1100]

Final Stage of the Restoration

After being in the garage for a week, most of the core mechanical works were complete. The engine didn't need an overhaul. However, all the supporting components like the clutch, gearbox, brakes, sprocket, points/ condenser, tappets etc were worked upon.

Most of the cosmetic parts - lights, keys, horns, meters, seat, crash guard, gear/ brake levers, footrests, number plates, etc were replaced. All the accessories like the brass fittings, lion on the mudguard, side box, mud flap were removed for good. I wanted the Bullet to look as stock as possible; barring some parts like the handle, indicators, etc.

New Key Set


Key set being fixed


New Head Lamp Assembly being fixed


Handle lock being fixed


Mirrors being fixed


New crash guard


New Meters


Time for wash!


Bill being prepared


Paint touch up being done




All repairs done and cosmetic bits were corrected to a good extent.
The chief mechanic test rode the Bullet and confirmed the Bullet could be delivered to me.


Start of the new life!


I ordered the front mudguard through a online seller. Fixing the correct mudguard was the only major body work done.


The correct mudguard for this Bullet


Readying the number plate!




All the planned tasks of the Restoration was finally complete!

Happy, Dad!


Happy, Me!


Most importantly, Happy Wifey!

[arun1100]

Repairs and Service Bills

Overall, the week-long restoration has been a very satisfying one as the mechanics have worked very passionately. The spare parts used were all original and quality ones from RE. Restoring an old RE is very easy compared to the older motorcycles of that era like the Jawa/ Rajdoot as all parts are easily available!

Final bills of the restoration done.

[arun1100]

Dad's Complete Garage!

Dad's all three Classics - The 1991 Premier Padmini, 1997 Bajaj Chetak and the 1971 RE Bullet were finally United! All three are parked at my parent's retirement home close to Bangalore.





The Bullet has had a very rough life so far.




The Bullet will surely have brighter days ahead


Customary pic in front of Bangalore's icon!


21st July 2021 - Yashna, Fudge and the Bullet on the occasion of 50th Birthday of the Bullet!


Video of kick-starting the Bullet! It is as easy as kick-starting a 100cc Bike, provided the compression is set right. Listen to the heavy crank's Thump!

https://youtu.be/Alkdrd9ZIJA

Here's Dad riding the Bullet after the Ayudha puja. Surely a nostalgic ride as he is riding after 25 years!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHOjWQq_FIU

I would thank Mehboob Garage for restoring our Bullet, also the previous owner Mr. GK for being considerate and eventually agreeing to sell the Bullet to me, and the below mentioned Bhpians for helping me in finding and restoring the Bullet!

• Bhpian Stanher (Shyam K'chari) - For giving the thought to me that the Bullet surely survives somewhere and it did!
• Bhpian funkykar (Karthik Makam) - For helping me in getting the Bullet back home and also in restoring.
• Bhpian addyhemmige (Aditya Hemmige) - For the RTO contacts!
• Bhpian Schakravarthy (Srinivas Chakravarthy) - For helping me in getting the insurance policy copy leading to finding the previous owner!
• Bhpian Sandeep_K_Ram (Sandeep) - For the technical assistance in checking the originality of the Bullet before the purchase.
• Bhpian Arun.V (Arun Vasudevan) - For sharing the Bullet related info and assisting in restoration.

Regards,
Arun Srinivasan

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

What a beautiful thread Arun. Was feeling all the emotions just reading through - getting a vehicle back after 25 years, that too in cinematic style and then restoring it so nicely. Cheers to the next 50 years with the Bullet.

[bblost]

OH MY GOD.


This is an absolutely fantastic Thread.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Wow, enjoyed reading this.

I appreciate your passion and love for your Bullet, your relentless efforts to locate it, buy it paying a premium and then restore it.

Congratulations man. Wish you and your respected father happy riding.

[AtheK]

What a beautiful thread, and what a beautiful gesture. So many emotions, if we could feel it, I imagine what your dad and you would have gone through, and not to forget dear Yashna.

Your due diligence and hardwork to get it back is truly remarkable, and your dad smile is much more worth then all the effort you put it. Wish you and your dad a long and happy time with this beauty!!

[funkykar]

Got to say this is one lovely thread.

This find is amazing. Especially knowing the bike was sold, then stolen etc. The bike and you are extremely lucky to have made it out from Police parking, possible neglect and what not.

Thanks to the digitization of records to the detail of insurance and its dates. If not for this development in our country, you may have never found the bike.

Truly LUCKY fellow you are. This bike is very special to me too. I always hated the bullet all my life as they are slow and tractor-like bikes. I hated them more because I loved bikes like RX. Your bike made me bite the lust for heavy crank bullets. For the first time in my life, I wanted to ride slowly and enjoy the beats produced by these old heavy crank bullets running on points.

I was more than happy to ride your bullet to your home. Due to some commitments you had at Mysore, we dint ride and drive together to Bangalore. I wouldn't have let you ride it one bit even we were together during return

[autocrat]

What a wonderful story, so well told! Thanks for sharing Arun.

I hope to find my dad's Vijai Super some day - MEN5784

[MSAneesh]

Wow! Read through this thread as if watching a thriller movie!! Your desire to get the bullet back made it happen! This bullet sure has its heart!!

[funkykar]

While going through some of the pics on my hard drive of this bike journey, I found a never seen video.

The first time we heard it fire up and the owner made both of us sit, he insisted and rode us to the nearby public road. We obliged as it was not a public road.

https://youtu.be/IOAuA0IR5FQ

It was his way of showing us how good the engine is

[akash_v12]

What a fantastic thread Arun! Glad to see your father was able to get his beloved bullet back. Made for a wonderful read. The Bullet looks so much better without the gaudy brass fittings. However, I must also appreciate Mr. G.K's understanding towards your situation and his considerate attitude, he surely must've been a great guy to work with.

Hope it runs for another 50 years (albeit in a much better state).