# Royal Enfield Firefly



## PJ311foo (Dec 1, 2020)

I have a soft spot for Raleighs. So searching FB marketplace this morning, I found this Royal Enfield Firefly. It looked great in the pictures, so I drove the hour to go look at it. It’s in fantastic shape! I completely fell in love with it and bought it on sight. But I can’t find too much about it online. Anyone see one, have one, or know about them? Definitely a keeper!


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## wrongway (Dec 1, 2020)

That is absolutely beautiful!! I wonder if it's almost the same frame size and dimensions as my '72 BSA which they say is most like the Raleigh Record of the same year. It's probably a shorter wheelbase/frame much like a Raleigh Sports 3 speed. More close-up pictures?


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## PJ311foo (Dec 1, 2020)

It’s a 22” frame and 27” wheels. It’s in such great shape. I usually strip them down and with extreme OCD clean and polish every part. But this one I like as is and I’m not going to mess with it. Looks great next to all the Raleighs


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## slowride (Dec 1, 2020)

Beautiful! I believe this one is late 50s / early 60s. According to classic lightweights uk these brakes were first imported to England in 1959. I know huret allvit derailleurs introduced in 1958. Anxious to hear from experts.

**note the rear derailleur shift lever is bent ; the underside shows the plating in this area cracking ; hopefully  not be too hard to find replacement with all the huret from this period on Schwinns.



			Weinmann components


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## juvela (Dec 1, 2020)

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Thanks very much for sharing this fine new arrival.   Most handsome!  

Fittings -

headset is Thomas D. Cross & Sons Ltd. model "S"

pedals appear to be Lyotard model 15S

wheel rims are mis-matched so at least one wheel likely a rebuild or replacement; front rim looks to be a Rigida SUPERCHROMIX

are either of the hubs BH Airlite?  Resilion appears to be a possibility for at least one...

the all-metal pulleys on the Huret Allvit rear mech are a helpful dating aid; shortly later they began coming through with plastic "tyres"

the font of the Huret marking on the clamp of the Allvit 600 front gear mech suggests it could not be earlier than 1965

the transfer on the Weinmann brake calipers is one which came into use in 1965 & was only employed for three to four years so it is also a helpful dating aid, the Weinmann brake levers with the red button QR were also only current for a similar brief period

toeclips appear they may be Constrictor model Boa

toestraps look as though they may be a Poutrait-Morin product - AFA / Lapize

propstand appears Shuresta

the cycle's four-wire mattress saddle is the most non-original appearing component

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from what can be seen it appears we are somewhere in the mid-1960's; presently thinking a 1965-67 time window

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have you been able to identify the lug pattern employed? looks like it might be something from Haden, but do not recognise a model

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shall look forward to following along as additional information comes in...  

Thanks Again.

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## juvela (Dec 1, 2020)

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addendum -

no wonder model termed "Firefly"

the frame's Haden lug pattern also bears this name -





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## slowride (Dec 1, 2020)

I think the Williams crankset can help date

on the backside of the crank arms a letter code denotes year manufactured. In this timeframe it should be a two letter code. Here a decoder:



			Williams Component Dating
		

This crankset for example has an AW code so 1956.









“E W” stands for Edward Williams and “B” for Benson Works. Here is 1922 advert:


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## bikerbluz (Dec 1, 2020)

Wow that is a beauty! Congrats!


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## juvela (Dec 1, 2020)

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Thank you for this post and information    @slowride !   

I notice that the chainset on the subject cycle has a permanently fixed (swaged) outer chainwheel so the feature of being able to remove the chainwheel over the pedal is not germaine

Suspect cycle's chainset may be of a different model

It certainly appears too early and well finished to be one of the later Nicklin replica sets so am thinking a different model of Williams...

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## slowride (Dec 1, 2020)

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> Thank you for this post and information    @slowride !
> 
> ...



At first I thought a C45D crankset but I realized my mistake and removed this but not until after publishing!
I looked but could not find the model. However I think in a way I found something more interesting.  Have a look.





						Edward Williams (of Smethwick) - Graces Guide
					






					www.gracesguide.co.uk


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## PJ311foo (Dec 2, 2020)

Thanks everyone for the info! It’s been great reading about it and learning about it.
The front wheel is an Araya wheel and the rear is a Dunlop. The rear hub says Resilion on it. As for the crank arms they’re stamped with a capital letter N with the number 2 above it. Pedals are Lyotard. I found an older aluminum pump in my parts bin and put on it. I have some older velo orange hammered fenders I’m also going to install.
And check out this bonus I found in the seat bag


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## Swampthing (Dec 2, 2020)

Nice kit, but I’m not sure you needed a bonus with that beautiful machine.


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## dnc1 (Dec 2, 2020)

slowride said:


> At first I thought a C45D crankset but I realized my mistake and removed this but not until after publishing!
> I looked but could not find the model. However I think in a way I found something more interesting.  Have a look.
> 
> 
> ...



Grace's Guide is a very useful tool for researching UK industrial history.


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## dnc1 (Dec 2, 2020)

The model name 'Firefly' seems to have been in use for at least 20 plus years in the Royal Enfield range.
Here are some images from catalogues ranging from 1940 - 1958. (Images from the V-CC library
















Can't find any later images, but of course the bicycle in question may have been fitted with later upgrades regarding the drive train, brakes and wheels; as was often the case with a quality frameset.


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## juvela (Dec 2, 2020)

-


PJ311foo said:


> Thanks everyone for the info! It’s been great reading about it and learning about it.
> The front wheel is an Araya wheel and the rear is a Dunlop. The rear hub says Resilion on it. As for the crank arms they’re stamped with a capital letter N with the number 2 above it. Pedals are Lyotard. I found an older aluminum pump in my parts bin and put on it. I have some older velo orange hammered fenders I’m also going to install.
> And check out this bonus I found in the seat bag
> 
> View attachment 1310707




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thanks very much for the update - great to read things moving right along


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documents associated with component identifications in post #5 -













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manufacture appears quite close to end of operation for company which was 1/67

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