RealClassic

CLASSIC TECHNIQUES

The only suitable word to describe the Enfield now is MOST EXCELLENT. OK, I know that’s two words, but EXCELLENT on its own doesn’t seem enough. But before I explain why it is now so described, let’s wind the clock back.

Why did I do this?

When I first rebuilt Rusty a couple of years ago (when Rusty was truly rusty), one thing I didn’t strip and rebuild was the gearbox. ‘What could possibly be wrong with a 1993, relatively new gearbox from India with less than 9000 miles under its belt?’ I remember saying to myself.

The answer, it seems, it quite a lot. I spent a lot of time commissioning Rusty with his super-fast tuned engine (bigger carb, gas-flowed head, alloy barrel, higher compression piston, free-flow exhaust, go-faster stripes), and initially the odd false neutral and/or missed gear seemed unimportant. It was only when I started to use Rusty in earnest on club runs (see VMCCcheshirecats.co.uk for more) that Rusty’s gearbox woes truly surfaced.

For instance, there were a lot of extra neutrals in the box.

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