1969 Clymer Indian Enfield 750 Motorcycle Test - 5-Page Vintage Article

Description

1969 Clymer Indian Enfield 750 Motorcycle Test - 5-Page Vintage Article
Original, Vintage Magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
...The lever on the side of the
gearbox is the neutral indicator
and finder. Eliminates searching
around for neutral.
The Enfield powerplant has brute
torque which makes riding two
up quite easy. Engine is quite
dean running.
For many years now, ever since World
War IL the British motorcycle industry
has been shipping motorcycles to us. in
ever-increasing numbers. Until the early
60's when the Far East stepped into the
was Great Britain and her motorcycle
empire who had things pretty much their
own way.
On the other side of the fence, we find
the one thing that most Italian motorcy-
cles have in common, and that is an
the United States, while the British have.
It isn’t that the Italians aren't capable of
producing the high-bred motorcycle; far
from it. Any of you who have had the
opportunity of riding one of the Ducati
Dianas will attest to the fact that the
Italians have to take a back seat to no
motorcycle picture, it has tried to pluck
off the ripe plum called the American
motorcycle market. Great Britain was the
greatest supplier of the motorcycles
pouring into the United States, both for
pleasure and for sporting use. Germany
and Italy were not far behind, although it
attractive exterior. In most cases, the
mechanics are also quite good, but it is
the sleek outward appearance of these
machines that sells them to potential
customers. For one reason or another,
Italian motorcycles have never been
what you might call extremely popular in
one when it comes to building high
speed, readable motorcycles of ex-
tremely high standards. The American
motorcyclist is an individual who places
performance and appearance above all.
We are becoming more and more con-
vinced of this as days go by.
One of the most brutish power plants
ever to come over from the great island
of England was the Enfield. Torque out-
put was staggering. This 750cc power
plant usually had so much power on hand
it never knew whether it was riding one
up or two up, with or without a sidecar. It
seemed inevitable that sooner or later,
someone was going to mate the Enfield
engine to a light and streamlined chassis
package.
Floyd Clymer, in casting about for a
running mate with his Mammoth, took a
long hard look at the Enfield. There was
no question about the fact that the
British vertical twin had enough power.
What was needed was an up-to-date,
attractively styled package that would
appeal to motorcyclists in this country.
Negotiations were completed between
Mr. Clymer and the Enfield Precision
Engineers. Ltd., who, by the way, also
manufacture aircraft and guided missile
components., along with a line of motor-
cycles, in an underground factory While
not actually built in Italy, the Enfield is as
Italian looking as any of those found
threading through the streets of Rome or
any other city found on the Italian Penin-
sula. For those of you who appreciate
high styling in motorcycles, along with
go-like-hell type of power, you will fall in
love with the Clymer Enfield. It's as
different looking as anything one could
ask for, and yet it is as contemporary as
today. The people involved with the
execution of this machine have done an
admirable job; and it looks a lot lighter
than it really is. The designers have taken
an old tack on the execution of this
machine. They have taken the majority of
exterior components and reduced them
to the lowest common denominator. A
good example of this are the fenders and
gas tank.
While 'most large touring machines
have gas tanks of large proportions, the
Clymer Enfield does not. The front fender
is also rather small and sporty looking.
The forks have that stripped look, with
competition written all over them. These
are Italian built items made for Clymer by
Tartarini, and are manufactured of the
highest quality Swedish steel and they
work. We found the Enfield one of the
most un-British British machines we
have ever ridden. That is to say, it is
probably the most stable motorcycle
ever to come over from the Island of
Great Britain, and it is the most stable of
any large touring machine we have rid-
den lately. There is no question that...
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