1948 Royal Enfield Model J 500cc Motorcycle & Sidecar

Royal Enfield, well known for producing engines, bicycles and firearms (hence the motto "built like a gun, goes like a bullet") turned their hand to motorcycles way back in 1901 and, by the war, had established themselves as one of Britain's most popular brands. The first Royal Enfield to use the Bullet name was a four-valve single announced in 1931, while the Model G introduced in 1935, was the first of a series of new-generation motorcycles, with fully enclosed valve gear, vertical cylinder and cast-in pushrod tunnel. Post-war, the Model G and Model J models were revived and featured a rigid rear frame and a four-speed Albion gearbox. The Model J featured telescopic forks (using two-way hydraulic damping) in place of the pre-war girder items. The 500cc engine had a bore and stroke of 84 mm by 90 mm and a 5.5:1 compression ratio, used an Amal carburettor and Lucas magneto ignition. With plenty of torque available, the Model J was ideally suited to sidecar work and proved very popular in a post-war Britain with restrictions on private motor vehicle use.