The original Conti


In response to your Royal Enfield GT 650 report in the 2019 October Old Bike Mart, please find attached a couple of pictures of my much-missed 1965 Continental GT.

The bike came my way in 1997 in a very basic state, as you can see from the first picture, it was a runner but only played four tunes on its five-speed gearbox.

After nearly two years’ work it was back on the road in 1999 and looking a lot better; as part of the rebuild I fitted the optional Speed flow fairing.

Article continues below...
Advert

Enjoy more Old Bike Mart reading in the monthly newspaper.
Click here to subscribe & save.

They cost £26-9s-3d in 1965, I had to shell out £397 in 1998 for a new one that was made using the original Mitchenall Bros moulds from 1965. I also fitted alloy mudguards, a Gold Star silencer just for a bit more noise and kept the Borrani alloy rims.

The second picture was taken in 2013 outside the holiday cottage I was staying at after completing my first lap of the full TT course, just down the road from the Sulby Glen Hotel.

I was celebrating my 50th birthday year and decided to spend a week at the 2013 Classic Manx TT, another one ticked off the bucket list as they say.

Article continues below...
Advert

I had to sell the bike in 2016 due to ongoing health problems and have reluctantly had to finally hang up my motorcycle boots in 2019 due to the same issues.

I will however carry on subscribing to OBM just to keep in touch and for the good reading etc.

Hope you can use the above in a future issue of OBM, keep up the good work.

Article continues below...
Advert

Iain Houghton
Preston, Lancashire

Read more Letters, Opinion, News and Features in the December 2019 issue of Old Bike Mart – on sale now!


Advert
Subscribe to Old Bike Mart Enjoy more Old Bike Mart reading in the monthly paper. Click here to subscribe.