RE Bullet on MGP podium

After 43 years, a Royal Enfield Bullet gained a position on the podium after finishing in 3rd place following what became a 1 lap sprint.
ridden by Adam Mclean, the Linsdell Bullet ran through the Sulby speed trap during qualifying at a remarkable 144.225 mph,
then the left clip on handlebar broke right off, but despite this inconvenience Adam pressed on to complete the lasp at 98 mph !

43 years earlier the first RE Bullet riding podium finisher was Steve Linsdell himself

And almost as amazing was Mike Browne finishing fourth on a Norton ES2. He was a second behind Adam M'. I have an ES2 and it will do about 70 mph flat out, Mike was timed at 140 mph through the speed trap.

Snotzo said:

After 43 years, a Royal Enfield Bullet gained a position on the podium after finishing in 3rd place following what became a 1 lap sprint.
ridden by Adam Mclean, the Linsdell Bullet ran through the Sulby speed trap during qualifying at a remarkable 144.225 mph,
then the left clip on handlebar broke right off, but despite this inconvenience Adam pressed on to complete the lasp at 98 mph !

43 years earlier the first RE Bullet riding podium finisher was Steve Linsdell himself

Click to expand...

Bloody hell!

Nortoningy,
And 1 second behind Mike Browne was Jamie Coward, riding Ted Woof's last years winning Summerfield Manx/

Had the race been over the originally planned 4 laps, both Paton's would have had to make a re fuelling stop, and therefore the results may well have been very different

I have mixed feelings about the Paton. To me it does qualify for the class but is really a brand new modern bike. I suppose you could say the same about some of the Manx Nortons but they are based on the original. At least the compulsory stop evens things up. Although I think Ted's bike would still have won last year with Dean riding it.

last year an ignition malfunction clipped the top rpm on the ES2 short by nearly 1000, and Mike Browne had to short shift everywhere to get to the finish, but this problem began before he reached Sulby. Even so, the ES2 was leading the race by 4 seconds at the Grandstand at the end of the first lap.
John. McGuinnes' Paton was also not fully fit, so Ted's rider was able to capitalise on others problems and become the first solo winner for quite a while.

Most people don't realise that, as you say, the Paton is a dedicated modern racing motorcycle, twin cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder. Ted Woof's Manx has a Summerfield engine which was developed for them by Cosworth design engineer Eddie Griffiths.
By comparison both the Enfield Bullet and the Norton ES2 are road going motorcycles, that have been painstakingly developed by two enthusiasts, both who could have bought Patons, had they so chosen, but instead busied themselves in each taking a rather mundane machine, and by their efforts making a silk purse out of a sow's ear !

The similar thread originally posted by Hobot contains posts which I feel requires additional comment,
The Paton that Olie Lindsell rode was owned by a wealthy Italian, who made the machine available on a 'benders, menders' agreement. Steve had use of the Paton for two or three years, but he never let it replace his interest in his Enfields, which still continues unabated.
A bit of Paton detail for comparison, the engine is a 360 degree twin, bore and stroke 78 x 52.2, and capable of more than 75 bhp at around 11500 rpm,
It also handles well, and in the hands of a top rider, this is a very competitive machine