HEAVY METAL

‘The Royal Enfield “Big Twin” machine is generally recognised as the last word in luxurious motorcycling.’ So says the factory-supplied operator’s manual of 1937. At 1140cc the Model K was the largest capacity motorcycle produced in Britain prior to the war. The nearest challenger was the 11/50 sidevalve Brough Superior which has a capacity of 1096cc.

This machine resides in Australia, where there are only a couple of running examples known. The KX was offered for sale in mid-2019 by well-known BSA guru Mike Reilly of Mike’s Classic Bikes. Mike had purchased the Enfield as a project some years previously but really didn’t have the time to carry out the complex restoration required so he kindly offered it to me. It was a motorcycle I had never heard of, so I said no.

Fate took a hand at this point. I was in France on an extended holiday and decided to ride my trusty Golden Flash down to Spain to attend the famous Colombres Rally in the north of Spain. This well-attended event is actually two rallies, both hosted by the Club Motos Indianos. The first event is held in the last week of September and is called the Rally de Norte, based out of a converted monastery. It is very scenic with a pleasant vibe and the riding is easy. The second is the Los Picos De Europas – The Peaks of Europe – and is somewhat more challenging. This region is very picturesque and mountainous.

At one point I found myself behind a motorcycle that I could not identify. The machine seemed to be too large to be British and by its shape definitely not an Indian or Harley. The rider never seemed to change gears much but kept up a fair pace through the twisties nonetheless. At day’s end there was a truck-stop about a kilometre from my hotel, which always acted as a magnet for many rallygoers. The mystery machine was there, and it proved to be a 1938 K Model Royal Enfield. It was a very impressive machine to look at though I never did meet the owner. After seeing it in action, I