*1946 Model J* - 499cc, OHV made in Redditch, Worcestershire, England (UK built, not made in India) - known as a 'despatch rider's bike'. The provenance of this motorcycle has been confirmed by Graham Scarth, Chairman of the Royal Enfield owners Club UK (R.E.O.C). This model is rigid-framed with a sprung seat, like the ex-army Harley Davidson WLA. It was put back into production briefly post-war to fill a need for transport. The girder forks are a quality reproduction, as is the 80 mph speedometer, however I will supply a genuine (unrestored) 70 mph Smiths instrument. The engine is low revving with high torque and uses the same 90mm stroke as the smaller 350 OHV Model G. It has a slightly bigger bore & piston, uses heavy flywheels, with two gear driven camshafts, as well as having two oil pumps. The valves are mechanically operated by pushrods and are not hydraulic - there are no cam chains used in the engine design. The fully reconditioned ignition system uses the reliable Lucas Magneto, which is also gear driven from the engine and has the additional lighting/charging Lucas E3LM dynamo - this is known as the Lucas branded MO1L 'Magdyno'. A Lucas Magneto ignition system does not require a battery to run - the battery is only used for the lighting and other electrical circuits. The 'blackout' lighting system uses the original Lucas 4 position switch and the MU42 headlight shell is also genuine Lucas, as is the Lucas Altette horn. The pre-unit construction uses a 4 speed Albion gearbox, which features the unique Royal Enfield 'neutral finder' foot lever. Being made in England, it has the left side footbrake and right hand gear changer, however it does take some getting used to! Some nice brass fittings include engine nuts, carby parts, fuel cap, oil cap and tyre hand pump mounted under tank - the rear wheel tube can be changed in situ, as it has a split rear axle design, with old school front & rear main stands to aid maintenance. The bike has been fully restored using parts from Hitchcocks Motorcycles in England, Britcycle and eBay (receipts for $5000 are available). Never abused or dropped, everything works as it should. There is some petrol staining on the tank and minor oil leaks, which only adds to the patina! (it is British after all! - Lol!) This engine has two distinct features which (to the best of my knowledge) were found on the 1946 & 1947 engines. 1 - A cast iron barrel & head (not aluminium painted black) - this has been confirmed by using a strong magnet. 2 - A single rocker box, instead of the two separate rocker boxes used on the later engines (as well as using an aluminium head) - source: Wikipedia. Currently on historic club registration (not transferable) - genuine reason for sale - I'm funding a sidecar. I have done my best to describe the vehicle, however to avoid any disappointment, please ask any specific questions and I will endeavour to reply in a timely manner. The bike is located on a farm in the Tumut area Free of any debts or encumbrances. A video of the motorcycle running is available for viewing on Google Drive: (copy & paste the link below into your browser) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bznGSYDrv2CfFcIdRKfaXSrIKsoJKnGz/view *This item is also listed elsewhere and may be removed from sale at any time*.
