In 2018, Paul\u2019s dad, Dave, had been undergoing cancer treatments. At one point that year, Dave mentioned that he\u2019d like to go back to England one last time with his wife, children and grandchildren to visit family in the old country \u2013 and that trip became a reality late in 2018.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile visiting Auntie June in Nuneaton,\u201d Cheryl says, \u201cshe asked if we\u2019d like to see Dennis\u2019 workshop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Dennis had died in October of 2017, but during his lifetime he had been a keen motorcycle enthusiast. June knew that Paul shared that passion, so she thought he would be interested in seeing the shop.<\/p>\n
First Bike was a Car<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when my dad said he\u2019d match whatever money I\u2019d saved if I bought a car instead,\u201d Paul recalls. \u201cSo, I bought a 1986 Mercury Capri. It wasn\u2019t until I was 38 that I got on a motorcycle after taking the Canada Safety Council training program.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s first machine was a 1991 Suzuki GSX1100G. He confesses it wasn\u2019t the right first bike, but that didn\u2019t hinder his interest in riding. One year later, Cheryl took the training program too, and got her Class 6 motorcycle permit.<\/p>\n The Grunsell family now owns 10 motorcycles, including Paul\u2019s 2012 Triumph Tiger XC and several smaller bikes that get used by the couple and their children, 18-year-old daughter, Erin and 16-year-old son, Nathan, at their summer cottage.<\/p>\n Time Warp<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhen we were with Auntie June, she hadn\u2019t been up to Dennis\u2019 workshop since he died,\u201d Cheryl says. \u201cWe had to wrestle with the weathered lock and skeleton key before we could open the door.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul adds, \u201cIt was like we were stepping back in time. His tools were all laid out on the bench and his boots were there, just waiting to be stepped back into. Paul and his uncle had exchanged occasional emails to share stories about machines and riding. Although Paul had known about the shop, and about the Royal Enfield, seeing everything as last used by his Uncle Dennis was an emotional experience. Paul put everything back, locked the door and the family went back into his aunt\u2019s house and shortly afterward returned home to Calgary.<\/p>\n The Perfect Birthday Gift<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIn June of 2019, I began to wonder what I was going to do for Paul\u2019s 50th birthday,\u201d she says. \u201cAny idea of getting another bike, particularly the Royal Enfield, didn\u2019t even enter my mind while we were in England. But to celebrate a milestone like that, I began to think about it and I sent a note to Auntie June.<\/p>\n \u201cI tentatively asked, \u2018Forgive me if this is too early, but if you\u2019re ever thinking of finding a new home for Dennis\u2019 Royal Enfield motorcycle, would you consider selling it to me for Paul\u2019s 50th birthday?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n June didn\u2019t respond right away, and Cheryl began to wonder if she\u2019d stepped out of line by asking.<\/p>\n However, June replied the next day and suggested that Cheryl\u2019s timing was uncanny, as June had recently decided to begin selling some of her late husband\u2019s possessions.<\/p>\n Bought and Shipped<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know the logistics of importing a bike, so I asked some of Paul\u2019s friends if I was crazy for thinking about even trying to do this, or would it be an epic birthday gift? They all said it would be absolutely epic,\u201d Cheryl says with a laugh.<\/p>\n Cheryl and June agreed on a value of \u00a33,000 and plans were put in motion to have the motorcycle delivered via Motorcycle Express. That company put the bike on a pallet and shipped it from Gatwick Airport in London to Calgary.<\/p>\n \u201cJune\u2019s and Dennis\u2019 daughter, Sarah, was instrumental in helping [set that up] and her older sister, Rachel, helped get the paperwork in order. It really was a family effort,\u201d Cheryl says.<\/p>\n The bike arrived in October 2019, and Cheryl had to go through Canada Border Services to get the motorcycle cleared for release. Two of Paul\u2019s closest friends, Wes Hill and Kris Petterson, loaded up the Royal Enfield and Kris stored it in his garage until the day of the reveal on Nov. 8.<\/p>\n After the reveal, and having toasted Uncle Dennis with some rum, Paul began a quick history lesson about Royal Enfield and the Model G.<\/p>\n Made Like a Gun<\/strong><\/p>\n The motorcycle company was co-founded in the late 1880s by Albert Eadie and Bob Walker Smith. They joined forces and bought out a company that produced light machine parts and bicycles. Shortly after that, the partners took on a contract to construct rifle components for the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield in Middlesex.<\/p>\n After successfully completing the rifle contract, the company designed and built a new bicycle and marketed it under the Royal Enfield brand. By 1893, the company adopted their famous field gun trademark and the \u201cMade Like a Gun\u201d advertising slogan.<\/p>\n As mechanized transportation began to flourish, the firm became the Enfield Cycle Co. Ltd. of Redditch and built quadricycles and tricycles powered by De Dion 1-3\/4 horsepower and 2-1\/4 horsepower single-cylinder engines. Given the firm\u2019s background in bicycles, however, grafting an internal combustion engine onto a Royal Enfield two-wheeler was the next logical step.<\/p>\n Motorcycle development quickly expanded, and by 1932 Royal Enfield had introduced the Bullet, a name given to two single-cylinder four-stroke sporting models of 350 cc and 500 cc capacity. In 1933, a 250 cc version was added to the lineup.<\/p>\n India\u2019s Involvement<\/strong><\/p>\n At first, the Bullets were sent in kit form for assembly in Madras (now known as Chennai), but eventually the Enfield India Ltd. factory was producing complete motorcycles \u2013 and continues to do so, albeit with several improvements and some new models.<\/p>\n Royal Enfield (in England) continued to offer the Bullet while refining its range of machines. By the mid-1960s, the company was constructing powerful motorcycles with parallel-twin engines, notably the 750 cc Interceptor. However, by the late 1960s, the Redditch Royal Enfield factory ran into financial difficulties and closed its doors in 1970.<\/p>\n A Brother to the Bullet<\/strong><\/p>\n Paul\u2019s Model G is not a Bullet, but it is a close relation. In 1951, the 350 cc Bullet had swingarm rear suspension and was called the Model G2. The Model G, originally introduced in 1936, cost less to purchase because it had a rigid frame and a 350 cc engine in a lower state of tune than its Bullet sibling. Even the Amal carburetor on the G was smaller, at 15\/16\u201d versus the 1\u201d carb on the Bullet.<\/p>\n \u201cI started reading up, wondering what all the levers on the handlebars were for,\u201d Paul says of his Model G. \u201cThere\u2019s an air control, a magneto lever, a valve lifter and the gear shifter is on the wrong [right-hand] side of the bike.\u201d<\/p>\n After checking fluids, adding fresh gasoline and following advice from a Royal Enfield handbook, Paul got his Model G to start without much fuss. Shortly after that, winter descended on Alberta, but Paul continued to tinker with the bike until this spring. That\u2019s when he was finally able to get it insured and through its Out of Province inspection before properly registering the motorcycle for the road.<\/p>\n Henry Becomes Part of the Family<\/strong> Sadly, Paul\u2019s father, Dave, was not able to attend the birthday celebration or the reveal in November and he died on March 3, 2020. Paul says although he has been a Canadian most of his life, a piece of his heart will always belong to the U.K. He adds that his father was proud that his children and grandchildren are interested in preserving and celebrating their British ancestry \u2013 and that includes looking after the old Royal Enfield.<\/p>\n Cheryl adds, \u201cIt\u2019s been so much fun doing this all for Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n At which point Paul concludes, \u201cI\u2019m definitely a lucky man.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A family visit to England results in an unusual birthday gift. Cheryl Grunsell leaned across the front seat of the car and gave her husband, Paul, a quick kiss. While doing this, she discreetly pushed the button on the garage door remote control and said, \u201cI\u2019ve got one more surprise for you.\u201d Returning home from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[373,1927],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/RoyalEnfield-20200502-021-300x200.jpg\")
Although Paul was not a lifelong motorcyclist, he has always been interested in them. He was 18 years old when his friends were getting into motorcycles and Paul had saved some money to buy a bike of his own.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHis runabout Triumph 955i Daytona was there, and we rolled it out to admire it in the daylight. I then noticed another bike, covered and safely tucked away in the back corner. June followed my gaze and told us it had been Dennis\u2019s pride and joy. I removed the cover and rolled out the Royal Enfield Model G.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/RoyalEnfield-20200502-007-300x200.jpg\")
Cheryl picks up the story again.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/RoyalEnfield-20200502-013-200x300.jpg\")
After undergoing several design changes following the Second World War, the 350 cc Bullet came to the attention of India\u2019s government, which was looking for a motorcycle the police and military units could put into service. In 1954, India\u2019s government placed an order for 800 Bullets, straining the Royal Enfield factory to its limits. The quota was met, but when another, larger order was placed, the English company sought to establish a factory on Indian soil.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe kept the nickname, Henry, that Dennis had given the bike, inspired by the original English registration number,\u201d Paul says, then adds, \u201cHenry and I are still getting to know each other, but I\u2019ll ride the Royal Enfield to vintage bike nights and around the neighbourhood. Our son has really taken an interest in motorcycles, and one day it could be his. We\u2019re so happy we could keep Henry in the family and give him a new lease on life in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n