[Beardo]

As I was perusing Ebay and images of older Enfields on the Google machine, a thought popped into my head.

Could an Indian IB drivetrain bolt straight into an older Redditch 500 frame?

Basically, is the IB series of motor/trans/primary as unchanging as the myth says it is, and parts interchange?

Royal Enfield is new to me. I come from the Harley Davidson side of life. I know the nuances. But in the grand scheme of things, I've barely dipped the toe into the water over here.

[grumbern]

The pre-unit Bullet parts interchange with Redditch parts in some way and complete units can be bolted into old frames, like 350-750 frames. These were basicly all the same, just the displacement and brakes etc. were different. There is two basic versions of frames, from the early to mid 50s and after that. The differences in both variants are only in detail.
Andreas

[Beardo]

Very interesting. I didn't realize the that even the twins shared the same frame as the bigger singles.

So, what am I missing, as far as the two different frames. Why the change in architecture?

Was it cost? Better structural rigidity?

[grumbern]

What aspect are you referring to? The Frame? Well, it changed in different ways, but the biggest change was between 1955 and 1960, when they started to make the "new" frame. Why? Well, why everything?!

[Beardo]

Yes, I was asking about the frames.

As for why, if you asked me about a Harley frame, and why it was changed, I could tell you the reason a detail aspect was changed, or why a completely new frame was manufactured.

I don't have the luxury of that bank of knowledge about Royal Enfields yet. That's why I asked.

[Adrian II]

Yes, you can bolt an Indian iron barrel Bullet engine and gearbox straight into the postwar heavyweight Redditch swinging arm frames, whether the pre-56 or post-56 types, as well as Redditch Bullet and twin engines in Indian IB Bullet frames. There are quite a few anglo-indian bikes about, I put one together a few years ago, an hybrid AVL engine and 5 speed gear box in a '61 Super Meteor frame. It all just bolted straight in once the correct length mounting bolts/studs were fitted.



Things can get a bit complicated when you get around to left-foot gear change gearboxes on later Indian-built export models, but if you have a right-foot shift box, original 4 speed or 5 speed with a right-foot conversion there is no physical problem. Getting a title/registration document for a hybrid bike might not always be so simple, at least not here in the UK.

Meanwhile, this is the opposite to mine, a Redditch twin engine in an Indian-built frame!



I am not aware of the actual reason for the change in frame circa 1955/56, though the older frame, still looking similar to the previous rigid frames, was probably looking somewhat dated for the jet-age. Not an issue in India at that time, however.

A.

[Beardo]

Thank you for the replies, grumbern and Adrian II. That actually answers a lot of questions I had.

[Adrian II]

You have probably found out that the Redditch-built REs were sold under the Indian name in the USA in the late 1950's, so instead of Royal Enfield Bullets, Super Meteors, Meteor Minors, etc it was Indian Woodsman, Westerner, Apache, Tomahawk, etc. The Indian Chief which grumbern has almost finished restoring is therefore a dressed-up Royal Enfield 700 OHV parallel twin and not the big flat-head vee twin made in the USA.

A bit of a side issue, but when it comes to the 500 singles there can be some confusion when talking about about Indian Bullets, ie Indian-badged Bullets built in the UK and shipped to the USA, or the more widely available (Royal) Enfield-badged Bullets built in India.

A.

[Beardo]

Good point. I knew about late 50's Indians being RE's, but wasn't even thinking about that when I posted my original question.

You are correct. I was simply asking if Indian made RE iron barrel 500's could be bolted into the 1950's Redditch built frames.

I got my answer. I'll just have to be more cognizant about any questions I have in the future.

Thanks again.

[Adrian II]

There was nothing wrong with your original question!    The stuff about the Indian-badged REs was simply a point of extra information.

A.

[Beardo]

Understood. But for future reference, it will help paint a clearer picture when a question might be posed.