Hells Angels on Wheels Royal Enfield Photo - 1967

I have seen a lot of original movie stills for various 50's and 60's motorcycle / biker movies but this is the first one I've noticed from Hells Angels on Wheels and I'm digging the swingarm Royal Enfield!

FOR SALE - Vintage Original 1950's 1956 - 1962 Pre-unit Triumph Motorcycle Engle Marlon Brando T-shirt

Up for sale is an original vintage 1950's Triumph Motorcycles t-shirt and from the looks of the swingarm frame with the strap badges the bike shown would date between 1954 - 1956 putting the t-shirt somewhere between 1954 up through possibly 1962 (last year of the pre-unit motor) and the bike looks very close to the one Marlon Brando rode in "The Wild One" with the exception that is is a swingarm frame. The shirt is all cotton, black with screened white print, cuffed sleeves similar to the short sleeve sweatshirts of the 50's. This shirt has seen some wear; overall the print is strong and black isn't that faded, but there are a good number of tiny pin holes throughout, a nickle sized hole on back near bottom and a larger hole, about 2" long, on the shoulder. 'De-jac' brand tag is frayed and has completely fallen off shirt and tag size is no longer readable.

I just found the following information about Engle Triumph which leads me to believe this t-shirt could be of 1956 vintage at the oldest:

"History of Engle Motors, Inc.

Founded in 1956 by Paul Engle as a BMW/Triumph dealer, Engles has been a dealer of many brands over the years, including Zundapp, Pirelli, Bultaco, Honda and Norton. But it has always been BMW and Triumph that pays the bills. "We'd sell new Triumph's in the spring and BMW's in the fall," say Norman who bought the dealership from Engle in 1966.

Norman Jones first met Paul Engle in 1958 when he moved from Tulsa and sold his old Harley and a Royal Enfield to buy a '55 T-bird. Back then, Norman was an aircraft mechanic for TWA who earned extra money by fixing bikes on the side. Engle heard about Norman's diagnostic skills and challenged him to repair a customer's T-bird with its ill conceived charging system. Norman re-wired it, giving the rider the ability to shut off various circuits to keep from overloading the system. Engle immediately hired the young man and the rest is, well, history. "

Measurements are as follows:

16.5'' across chest, shoulders are 14.5'' across, and length is 24''.

Please feel free to contact me at pureheavensmetal@yahoo.com if interested!

Bonneville Bikes

Here's a cool pre-unit with overhead cam conversion!


Nice fuel-run Royal Enfield with a killer full fairing. (Both this picture and the one above come from a 60s Cycle Magazine)

1958 Royal Enfield Show Stopper!

A great early show photo capturing the highly chromed motor and airbrushed yellow to deep green paint job on the heavily molded frame and tank! (from the 1968 Cycle World Show issue)




The first version as shown here in a late 60s Cycle Guide magazine was most likely built for show only and not street. I don't believed those machined grips and bars have any throttle or cabling attached. I could be wrong though!


Those bars look like highly ornamental socket rachets! (from an early 70s Chopper related magazine)


This photo shows the only decent primary shot of the bike I've seen in its first version. There is a 1968 issue of Roth's Choppers magazine that features this bike on the cover and I'm curious to see what the article says but alas that magazine is very pricy on Ebay. By the way, that front wheel is most likely a Sulky or bicycle wheel as its super skinny-mini! (this photo comes from an early 70s Chopper related magazine)


I believe this front end was custom fabricated for this bike and then they were offered to the public. This Quincy front end has some neat ribs on the legs! (from an early 70s Chopper related magazine)


This is version 2 and I believe it was set up to ride! The tank appears to be totally smoothed out and the horizontally pleated solo seat seat looks killer with that diamond shaped extra long p-pad! (from Ed Radlauer's "Chopper Cycle" kids book)

Kim Fowley's Born to Be Wild LP - 1968

I can't say I've heard this album but I saw it on the wall at a record store this weekend and dig the look of that Royal Enfield custom!

Album Covers

How's the large "Support Your Local Hell's Angels" sticker on Bo's tank. Album is from 1974!


Check out the sherrif's badge being used as his gas cap. Nice touch!


Revillos "Motor Bike Beat" 7-inch. Nice Royal Enfield chop on this cool cover! Great song as well!