Royal Enfield Crusader 250cc 1960

Royal Enfield 250cc Crusader 1960.

We bought this as a bit of a gamble 10 years ago when a friend was having a clear out.   A non runner. it had come from the estate of a retired Engineer who had kept it - along with an Ariel twin - in his front room. and it had continued to be left standing for a number of years more.

Parts such as the exhaust. gear linkages and carrier are all well made. practical one-off stainless pieces and the electrics are converted to 12v.  

Having never heard it run. when the head came off we were delighted to find a brand new piston and unused barrel ?ˆ“ it had never been started since re-build!

We inserted a couple of HeliCoils to replace worn rocker stud threads in the head. and after being checked over and put back together again she started on the third kick.

The engine is now run in and she has proved to be a really nice little British 250.

The bike is just as we have been using it when she was parked up and SORNed in November last year - we haven?ˆ™t run her this year at all so it is time for her to go to someone who will!

There are two jobs we have never got round to doing:

?·                        The alternator is not charging as it should.   (We are guessing that having stood unused for many years its probably a de-magnatised rotor. )

?·                        It does not have the correct carburettor. (She runs OK. but has too big a choke and stutters on pickup - we thought: new Concentric!).

It has its original transferable number (which always strikes me as more of a bother than a blessing!).   Having checked a couple of sites. National Numbers gave an automatic sale valuation of £1. 00. which Premier Plates seem to confirm; buy-in value is around 30% and a PX number is not going to sell very quickly so she is priced fair to keep or transfer.

Drop an e-mail if you want to arrange to come and have a look.

Also published at eBay.com