The Flickr Royalenfield500Bullet Image Generatr

Royal Enfield 500 Bullet (1997-2007) Engine 499cc single cylinder cast-iron or lean-burn, OHV
Frame No: ME3BBBDB43C014118
Engine No: 3B514118K
Registration Number FD 54 FGN
ROYAL ENFIELD SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157625830205063...

The Royal Enfield Bullet was originally a British overhead valve single cylinder four-stroke motorcycle made by Royal Enfield in Redditch, West Midlands, but now produced by Royal Enfield Motors, the successor to the British company, at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in India.

The Bullet was updated in 1997 in the face of ever increasing European emission specifications. The 500s had been fitted for some time with an induction pulsed pump to draw in fresh external air and mix it into the exhaust header to convert carbon monoxide into less harmful carbon dioxide, thus lowering emissions. When existing stocks of motorcycles were all sold the British-design engine Bullet became no longer available. All new models exclusively featured the AVL 'lean-burn' engine. The introduction of a five-speed, left foot change gearbox meant that Royal Enfield could 'fix' one of the long-standing quirks of the Bullet design; the original foot-brake is on the left-side while the gearchange is on the right (as was the custom with British bikes).

This bike was offered, at the British Motorcycle Museums, H + H Auction 6th April 2022 selling for £ 2,760 including buyers premium

Diolch am 91,117,393 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

Thanks for 91,117,393 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

Shot 06.04.2022 H+H sale, National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull Ref. 156-123

My trusty steed that I ride to nature reserves along the back-roads and country lanes, with a ruck-sack full of camera gear hanging precariously on my back.

The turning off to Merthyr Mawr converges to a delightful minor road which, like an old river, meanders and flows past sleepy fields and meadows. Slowing down, the road tapers to a narrow stone, hump-back bridge. This is locally known as the 'Dipping Bridge’. Built in the 15th century with holes in the parapets where farmers once pushed reluctant sheep into the River Ogmore for a seasonal dip. At the edge of the bridge once stood an Inn where the landlord would rob and murder travellers en route to St. David's Shrine. I too am a pilgrim, on my own pilgrimage, following my own quest. Crossing the bridge, I find myself suspended, not so much hinged between the banks of the river but more intangibly balanced, sandwiched between enfolding past and present events. Feeling my throat tighten, I give a sigh, knowing instinctively that once I cross the bridge, things will never be the same. In dreams, a bridge often represents the transition from one state to another. Like rebirth; it seems to symbolise the end of one cycle and then the beginning of another; a longing for or desire for change. Perhaps such dreams are a recounting of crossing points at pivotal moments in our lives? Travelling, like the transient nature of our lives consists of such magical illusions, precious moments melted into memory.

Royal Enfield 500 Bullet Trials with Dipping Bridge in background. Nr Merthyr Mawr, South Wales.

On the way to the nature reserve of Merthyr Mawr Warren, I will stop at the church of St Teilo and enjoy a few meditative, quiet moments. Merthyr Mawr Warren is within walking distance of St Teilo. The reserve, forms part of a unique system of high, undulating sand dunes near Bridgend in South Wales. The thought of deserts and sweeping sand dunes is not something any sane traveller will expect, least of all within walking distance of the cosy, sleepy village of Merthyr Mawr. A Sahara in South Wales seems like an absurd contradiction. I remember the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, when even more surprisingly, these same Dunes had appeared as backdrops, effectively passing as the Arabian desert. I chuckle at the thought and picture an iconic scene:

Action: Take One: Cinematographer Freddie Young zooms in on Peter O’Toole, while holding a lit match close to his lips and then with one quick puff of air, blows it out.

Take Two: Before they even completed the action, director David Lean cuts to a shot of a desert vista, with the sun slowly rising over the lip of the Merthyr Mawr Warren horizon… err, hum, I mean to say, Arabian desert horizon.

Lots of tracks and various circular routes are possible, although most paths are steep and walking is difficult, especially with a rucksack full of camera gear! The limestone cliff and the sand, along with the short vegetation that grows, provides an ideal habitat for several butterfly species, not least the Grizzled Skipper. A declining species and particularly rare in Wales, self-contained colonies are restricted to within the small stronghold of Merthyr Mawr Warren.

Royal Enfield 500 Bullet Trials with Church of St Teilo in background, Merthyr Mawr, South Wales.

The village of Merthyr Mawr is smaller than expected. Consisting mainly of rustic cottages retaining thatched roofs and well maintained gardens. Frozen in time, it seems more appropriate to drive past on a galloping horse driven carriage than a thundering motorbike. At the end of the village stands the parish church of St Teilo. Built in 1849 it sleeps on an ancient medieval site. A collection of stones from the former churchyard and surrounding area quietly erode away in some discrete corner.

Royal Enfield 500 Bullet Trials with Church of St Teilo in background, Merthyr Mawr, South Wales.