[Bilgemaster]

Just a heads up for your Vintage fans. There's what looks to my untrained eye like a civilian version of one of those "Flying Fleas" currently on the Northern Virginia craigslist at https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/d/berryville-royal-enfield/6922262774.html, asking $5,999, only posted this morning:

Lotta photos in the ad, which briefly reads, "1941 Royal Enfield 125cc. Fully restored, never had fluids added. Beautiful display item. Could be made to run again."


I have no connection with the bike, its seller, nor have I ever actually seen the thing firsthand.

[Arizoni]

It's a neat little bike but I don't think it is actually one of the "Flying Flea's" from 1941.
The actual "flea" muffler looked like a quart size can of Red Bull laying on its side and located across the frame in front of the engine.  There was no speedometer and there was no rear license plate.

It does look like the 1946 model RE though with its 3 speed hand control shifter.  The model RE was made thru 1953.

[Bilgemaster]

Yeah, I figured it might be a post-war civvie model, though I seem to recall reading somewhere that Enfield took back lots of surplussed bikes from the Ministry of Defence and rehabbed them for post-war civilian use. Maybe it's one of those? Thing is though, according to the Wikipedia article, the War Office didn't really finalize its order until late '42, with construction of the associated "drop cage" beginning only in December '43. So a 1941 date of manufacture seems a little unlikely. I expect some research of the serial number(s) might reveal its actual provenance. This info might help: https://www.royalenfields.com/2015/09/heres-how-to-date-tell-age-of-your.html?m=1