YOUR CLASSICS
An Enfield outfit buried to beat the Nazis, and a trio of Yam DTS
AS A YOUNG lad in the ’70s, I would press my nose against the windows of motorcycle shops and swear to myself: ‘One day I will get one of those…’ It’s a familiar story – and guess what? I carried out that promise to myself, more than once! My garage now houses a Honda CB750, Suzuki GT750, Hercules Wankel and two Moto Guzzis – a V7 and a 1000SP. They’re all in original factory spec, albeit mechanically refurbished – and frequently used, too. But I was keen to get a pre-war machine, and one day I heard a rumour on the classic grapevine that someone was selling a Royal Enfield combination of that vintage with a well-documented history.
It turned out to be a real time capsule – a 1931 HS31, delivered in May of that year to a company called Vordren, the Enfield dealership in Prague (in Czechoslovakia at that time, now the Czech Republic). It was supplied with optional equipment: a Lucas seven-inch headlamp and dashboard and ‘clean lever handle bars’ fitted at the factory. The original logbook names the first owner as a locksmith, who probably also fitted the Czechoslovakian Praga sidecar in 1933, because the log states that the machine had three seats from this year. The outfit had stayed in the same family from then until 1978, although unfortunately none of my attempts to get in contact with any of the family members has succeeded.
At some time in the past, most of the bike had been brushpainted with a black oil-based coating – and it was in this condition when I acquired it in 2016. As a chemical engineer, I have access to several quite unhealthy solvents, and managed to strip off a fair amount of that ugly old paint. Strangely, virtually all the stripped surfaces showed identical rust pockmarks underneath the oil paint – even the insides and outsides of the mudguards, the chain guards, toolbox, carrier, hubs and rims. The only explanation I have for this is that the bike must have been dismantled and buried in the ground during the war to save it from being commandeered, as
Czechoslovakia was, of course, one of first countries invaded by the Nazis. It seemed that the engine and fuel tank had been hidden elsewhere, as they survived in much better shape than the rest of the bike. The log book has a gap between 1939 and 1947, which supports the assumption that the chassis was only disinterred in the latter year. It must have been a valuable transport option shortly after the war, so no wonder the family repainted it with anything that was easily available, just to hide the brown crust.
After many discussions with many enthusiasts (and even with Sammy Miller) I decided not to respray the bike, especially as the fuel tank had survived in completely original condition, including the chrome and labels. Several layers of transparent linseed oil were applied instead, conserving the remaining areas of original cellulose paint and giving a similar gloss to the rest. Only the Enfield-green upper side of the fuel tank was colour-matched and carefully repainted with a slightlydulled hue by a professional painter.
All the mechanical components were treated to a complete overhaul, including the barrel being rebored and fitted with a new piston. The fact that it seized a couple of times during shakedown runs was confirmed as normal for side-valve rebuilds by pre-war engine experts. I have to say that each and every thread on the machine was intact after all this time, and most nuts and bolts could be reused after treatment with the rotating steel brush. The overall quality of the materials used is really impressive, proving that the RE slogan “Built Like a Gun’ was much more than just marketing!
Unfortunately, there is not much information available on this unusual 580cc single. If anyone reading this has any relevant information, please get in touch with me via the usual contact address for Classic Bike.