[Bilgemaster]

Three years worth of wishs came true when I sold it after 8+ k miles of awesome vibration.

Well, it takes all types to make a world of Enfields. I adore my '05 "Military" precisely for its awesome vibration, such as it is. I find it primitive and "elemental" in a way that soothes me...much unlike the only other 4-stroke single I've ever had, a BSA 441 Victor Special. That was just nerve-wracking at any speed over 45. Then again, I always sort of lug the Bullet along in its smoother "happy places", which seem to be about 50 to 53 and then again about 57 to 60 in top gear (if traffic makes this prudent) with my 5-speed box. In these speed ranges everything just seems to settle down and harmonize. Judging from my GPS and others' common practice on these Forums of always lobbing in a parenthetical "(indicated)" whenever a speed is mentioned, I must have the only accurate speedometer in Enfieldom. Mine's spot on, near as I can tell. I guess there had to be at least one.

[cyrusb]

It helps if your  (mostly stock) Oil Lamp isn't your only motorcycle. This way you can appreciate it in its comfort zone, and ride the "other' bike when you are in a hurry. This , of course is only after you change the fueling to a rich state. I also went to a 19 tooth tranny sprocket that gave it a great soul.  Whats kinda funny is that the other bike can be practically anything!

[blasphemous]

I also went to a 19 tooth tranny sprocket that gave it a great soul. 

How so? Please help me understand? Whats the default?

[cyrusb]

How so? Please help me understand? Whats the default?

Changing the stock 17tooth for the 19 tooth tranny sprocket effectively raises the final drive ratio.So the benefit is a less frantic engine at 55. This may not be good for everyone. I easily get away with it because It has a solo seat and I weigh 130. Also Long Island where I live is a flat sandbar, so I can live with the reduced advantage that a larger sprocket gives. As an extra benefit, the two extra teeth eliminates  the half link you must run with the stock sprockets. Soooo, if you are a full sized dude living in the mountains, keep the stock sprocket.

[RE350]

1000 sounds like a reasonable number if for every 10 bikes sold 1 was a 350 and 9 were 500s. In 2008 when a discussion was brought up on this forum regarding how many 350s were sold in USA Kevin mentioned about 100.

[Arizoni]

I'm surprised Kevin hasn't posted in this topic.

If anyone knows how many Iron Barrels (I don't like the name "oil lamps") were sold, he's the guy.  After all, he is the person who imported all of them.

I mean, he wouldn't need to give exact numbers but a general guesstimate would be helpful and interesting.

[mrunderhill1975a]

I thought I found the answer at this site:
https://www.zauba.com/
But, the data only went back to 2012.  I am still looking.

[cyrusb]

1000 "pre units" sounds more realistic. And that would be from 1999 to 2008? That would be about 110 bikes a year. I bet these are close, if not on the money numbers. Arizoni, I agree, there ought to be a better name for the original Bullet. How about "Original"? Anyway, is Kevin Mahoney still on this site?

[Ice]

More than 7,500.

[cyrusb]

More than 7,500.

Ice, is that a guess or a documented number? Even over 10 years thats huge.

[Arizoni]

...
Arizoni, I agree, there ought to be a better name for the original Bullet. How about "Original"? Anyway, is Kevin Mahoney still on this site?

I hope so.
Kevin is the owner and the only moderator. 

[Bilgemaster]

Wouldn't it be nice if one could simply email or write to Royal Enfield and get an authoritative answer about this...or pretty much anything. I've written to the good folks in Chennai twice, first concerning my steering lock, and later about the fact that their own hosted Community Forums have been dead in the water since last year. No responses either time.

[Ice]

Ice, is that a guess or a documented number? Even over 10 years thats huge.

Educated guess. from 2002 to 2009 RE's western exports grew from 1,500 bikes per year to 5,000. "Half" were going to the U.K. and Europe while the other half were going to the US and Canada.  At its peak CMW distributed to 125 dealers in the US.  One in ten imported to the US may have been 350cc but let us not forget that the 350 was dropped early on due to lack of interest and poor sales.  As far as I know none were 5 Speed. The 5 Speed was introduced in 2004 therefore we may infer that no 350's were imported after 2003 .

[Stanley]

I remember seeing ads in 1975 for olive green 350 Bullets in fliers for Rickey Racer, a trackside racing vendor. They sold me a pair of English racing boots for 19 bucks. I don't imagine they sold many RE bikes, but I recall the price was in the hundreds of dollars.

[cyrusb]

Stanley, I saw the very same ads in the late 70's. I think in Cycle Guide or similar. $1200 fob New Jersey sticks in my mind. A few years ago I spoke to a fellow who had bought some on speculation and according to him those bikes were rotting in the shipping crates. But those (350's)aren't the bikes I'm trying to count.