Hitchcocks is a hangover from the past. A parts supplier that has hung on in Redditch, Birmingham, longer than the factory where the Black Bullet was made. The staff have already helped me out with both parts and know-how but I'm torn between them and eBay this time, as I've got to try and keep the costs down.
On eBay I might also be able to get an old carb, which would be more sympathetic to the original condition of the bike, Hitchcocks will supply me with a new one. One advantage of new is a tick on the 'parts not to have to think about again' list, which could save time and trouble later.
Until I've sorted out the carb issue I'm stuck at just 23.5 miles covered.
The other not so good news is that the bike has no legal standing. It's been so long in storage that it's fallen off the map. The Royal Enfield Owners Club dating officer thinks half the bike's history belongs in Chelmsford and half in Wales. I don't really care about this, I just want to ride it, but to do so I need a dating certificate to get road legal, which only he can provide.
Until then I'm restricted to the private roads and farm tracks around where I live and I'm impatient to get out there, riding for fun in the summer sun.
