Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Vintage Royal Enfield => Topic started by: allan39 on July 21, 2007, 01:15:30 am

Title: R/E patol trike
Post by: allan39 on July 21, 2007, 01:15:30 am
Does anyone have any knowledge on the Royal Enfield Indian patrol trike I believe I have found a 350 motor from such a unit, it is presently an operational static display with our CVMG (Canadiabn Vintage Motorcycle group) here in Ontario, it is in excellent running shape but the only ID # I can find on the cases is 938  and I also believe it has the reverse gear! a amal Monobloc 276-002 and a cast barrel and headI do have pictures but an unsure as to how i can insert them with this text but anyone who is interested can contact me thru allan_em_2002@hotmail.com
I have been told it is a 1959 model but i need confirmation on that, regards Allan

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Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: 250J on July 21, 2007, 11:29:31 pm
If you have not yet, talk to George if he has time, at the Enfield Dealership Helm's Cycle, in Minnesota, he Knows somethings about the patrol car, don't know how much about it, but somethings, you'll see.
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: Kevin Mahoney on July 21, 2007, 11:43:51 pm
I think George Helm actually helped Indian develop that bike. Give him a call, he is a great guy and forgotten more than I will ever know
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: justin_o_guy on July 25, 2007, 06:17:10 am
Well, I dont know anything about any trikes or anything like that, but next time my bike braks down i am not saying its busted. I am just gonna call it a "Static display" & act like it;s all cool!
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: LotusSevenMan on September 12, 2007, 08:05:19 pm
 ;D ;D ;D
Like it Justin!!!!
A static display it shall be then by the side of the Highway/road/dirt track etc
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: rick on November 06, 2007, 11:29:07 pm
Allan, I have a complete indian enfield trike. Motor #G 604 tran #hdy 859.Please send info and price on motor. thanks Rick.  ;sisco_sporster@yahoo.com ,
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: anthony on November 19, 2007, 08:02:11 pm
[allan or anyone I have a patrol trike that is being rebuilt as we speak.I also have two
original frames for the trike. It almost seems these trikes never existed by the amount of
information out there.Someone HELP!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: Kevin Mahoney on November 23, 2007, 07:21:58 pm
Call George Helm
Helm Cycle10639 100th Ave
Milaca, MN 56353
Phone: 320-369-4343
He knows quite a bit about these - in fact maybe more than anyone who is still alive. It will be worth your while
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: Kevin Mahoney on November 27, 2007, 04:17:21 am
Now I must insist that you call George. I talked to him today and by golly he has a trike in his shop at present. It won't be there for long as it belongs to someone else, but get on the stick.
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: RagMan on November 27, 2007, 11:04:49 am
I would love one of those rigs..  I am in to unusual things.. Trikes just do it for me.
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: rotorwrench on November 27, 2007, 11:58:44 pm
The Indian Patrol car was an idea in step with the venerable Harley Davidson 45 G Model Servicar trike. The Indian version was a collaberation of Royal Enfield and Pashley Cycle Co. Pashley was a builder of three wheeled bicycles then and still is to this day, although I doubt if anybody there remembers the Patrol Car. The frame and some of the rear end parts were made by Pashley and the engine, transmission, motorcycle related sheet metal, & front end were all made by Royal Enfield.

I don't think Indian Sales Corp sold nearly as many as what HD sold with there servicar line back in the late 50s but there are still a few of these old beasties out there. George Helm probably knows where several of them are. Phil at www.re-indian.com has one that he has been slowly rebuilding too.
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: larry isaacs on December 25, 2007, 04:06:11 pm
I have a complete albeit non running patrol car. I have been in touch with George Helm and while he has forgotten more about R/E than any ten people, the patrol car was not some thing he spent a lot of time with.
My questions are as follows: Where was the vin number located on the frame if it existed at all?
What size battery was used? Was the utility boxed lined, if so with what.
Although my machine is complete the orginal box was removed in favor of a passenger seat, the orginal box was removed and stored. The floor of the box is there,but it looks like a liner should have been in the box, yes/no. ???
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: Ron on December 26, 2007, 02:53:59 am
Attached is a photo that I received lately - the lady on the bike is my mother and we believe this photo was taken c 1953 as indicated by the licence plate on the bike.  Any thoughts as to the vintage of this particular bike?  None of us in the family recall much about the bike - but we were thrilled to get this photo and curious to discover a bit more about the bike.  This may then give us a clue as to where the bike came from.  Any replies welcome -  thanks for your help! 

ronc123@sympatico.ca

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Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: rotorwrench on December 26, 2007, 04:06:32 pm
Attached is a photo that I received lately - the lady on the bike is my mother and we believe this photo was taken c 1953 as indicated by the licence plate on the bike.  Any thoughts as to the vintage of this particular bike?  None of us in the family recall much about the bike - but we were thrilled to get this photo and curious to discover a bit more about the bike.  This may then give us a clue as to where the bike came from.  Any replies welcome -  thanks for your help! 

ronc123@sympatico.ca

That bike appears to be a Sunbeam. I know very little about them but they were an in-line engine layout with shaft drive like a BMW of that era
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: t120rbullet on December 26, 2007, 04:26:01 pm
http://www.classicglory.com/sunbeam.htm
CJ
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: rotorwrench on December 26, 2007, 04:45:51 pm
I have a complete albeit non running patrol car. I have been in touch with George Helm and while he has forgotten more about R/E than any ten people, the patrol car was not some thing he spent a lot of time with.
My questions are as follows: Where was the vin number located on the frame if it existed at all?
What size battery was used? Was the utility boxed lined, if so with what.
Although my machine is complete the orginal box was removed in favor of a passenger seat, the orginal box was removed and stored. The floor of the box is there,but it looks like a liner should have been in the box, yes/no. ???

I don't think anyone still living has a lot of time spent repairing these models in there original form. Since Pashley made the frames for these it is likely that they chose their own place to put it. Royal Enfield put frame numbers on the steering head or neck of the frame as some call it.  If they were like Harley Davidson they may have put no number on the frame at all. If that is the case, they would have used the engine number. RE frames in 1959 usually had a four digit number.

One of the contributors to the Royal Enfield board on the Brit Bike forum also owns one of these machines. He is a long time member of the Royal Enfield Owners Club of North America (REOC/NA) and lives in Canada if I remeber correctly. He has a large collection of the old Redditch UK made machines. An enquiry could be made at Brit Bike, to the REOC here, or the REOC in the UK.

As to the battery, I'm certain they used the same Lucas 6 volt battery as all the other RE/Indian machines made in that time frame. On the box, I would have no idea what if any lining was used there. I have only heard of a handfull of these machines still in existance but more are starting to surface. I have only seen images in the Indian Sales Corp Ads from the late 1950s and have never seen one in South Texas where I live. George Helm still has a motor of mine that I had him repair back in the 1980s and he keeps forgeting to send it back to me so I imagine he has forgoten a lot about the old RE Indian bikes too. He is too nice a guy for me to give him a hard time over it though.
Title: Re: R/E patol trike from Rotor wrench
Post by: Ron on December 26, 2007, 11:38:58 pm
Thanks for your reply in identifying this bike as a Sunbeam  - I do recall them talking about a Sunbeam over the years.
Attached is a photo that I received lately - the lady on the bike is my mother and we believe this photo was taken c 1953 as indicated by the licence plate on the bike.  Any thoughts as to the vintage of this particular bike?  None of us in the family recall much about the bike - but we were thrilled to get this photo and curious to discover a bit more about the bike.  This may then give us a clue as to where the bike came from.  Any replies welcome -  thanks for your help! 

ronc123@sympatico.ca

That bike appears to be a Sunbeam. I know very little about them but they were an in-line engine layout with shaft drive like a BMW of that era

Thanks so much for your reply.  I do recall my parents speaking of a Sunbeam - I will now look further into the particulars of this model to see if I can determine whose bike it would have been.  Thanks again
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: larry isaacs on January 03, 2008, 05:18:17 am
Thanks, Rotor Wrench, for the information. I am taking pictures every step of the way on this machine, if I can be of help to any one else, just let me know.
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: rider677 on February 25, 2008, 05:53:07 pm
i though that bike with your mother on it looked like a ariel square 4
Title: Re: R/E patol trike
Post by: Anso Jones on June 23, 2008, 01:52:33 am
Rick neophyte
 I saw your post about the Pashley and that Anthony had 2 extra frame's,does he still have them. are they for sale ? Where are they located?

Anso Jones;D