SR500 Project

Stop the press! The SR500 chopper is pretty groovy, but I've changed my mind and am aiming for the project that I always wanted to undertake. This decision is final, because I'm now investing in the parts. I want to make something that is inspired by mid-century British big singles. I found, below, an image from the internet which is very close to what I want.



So far I have bought all the parts for a rear spoked wheel:



That is an SR400 rear wheel (with a fine rim, although the photo makes it look distorted) which I bought for $100, fitted with an XT500 sprocket carrier, TT500 brake hub, and in the post is the brake rod etc, all cheap from eBay.

I have also found an SR400 drum-brake front wheel which I intend to purchase this week.

And here, I won a chromed Royal Enfield tank on eBay for $75.





The tunnel will need to be widened to fit over the oil-in-frame backbone of the SR500. I will probably paint over the Royal Enfield logo, however I found some art deco leopard decals, right and left, and I am tempted to leave the word Royal in place and hide the word Enfield with the leopard. That would evoke my fantasy image of dashing English 1920s gentlemen-adventurers.

On eBay I have sourced the rest of the items available new, and very cheap, from Royal Enfield parts suppliers in India. This includes 1950's style mudguards and a headlight as seen on the bike above, and minimalist metal handlebar switches, and a sprung saddle seat. I have a mini speedometer ready to fit.

I will provide an update when I have collected all the parts, at which point I will go to Craig at Mischief Makers to have him work his magic and fit it all together. I also plan on rebuilding the spare engine, with a higher compression piston and perhaps a cam with a lower power-band.