ONCE I spent a bit of time (and very little money) on turning an original Royal Enfield 350cc single into a bike representative of the Rocker era. My repro cafe racer had dropped bars, rear-sets and a tuned engine - courtesy of a knowledgeable friend.

The inside of the engine was ported and polished, but the outer skin of the bike was rough. It went fairly well, but looked dreadful.

I didn't have the choice of buying a pretty version straight out the box then, but now I'd have gone for the Electra Clubman distributed by Watsonian Squire. It's the latest in a long line of machines that combine the looks and sounds of the 1960s classics with the reliability and performance of a modern lean-burn engine.

At the heart of the Clubman, pictured, is the proven all-aluminium 500cc single cylinder Electra engine that has genuinely amazed the press and owners alike with its incredible fuel economy (more than 85mpg is not unusual).

The frame, gas-filled rear shock absorbers and Avon Super Venom tyres also come from the standard road bike, as does the efficient 280mm single front disc brake.

However the Clubman looks as radically different from the road version, as the original cafe racers of the 1950s and 1960s did from their donor bikes, because it boasts all of the race specification' parts of that era, the most striking of which is the 4.5-gallon polished aluminium tank.

Also providing the correct look and stance are ace' bars and handmade fibreglass single seat unit and rear-set footrests.

The upswept Goldie' style silencer not only reinforces the classic racer image, it also allows the lean burn engine, (designed to help Royal Enfield meet stringent modern emissions controls), breathe more freely.

Watsonian has added discreet mini indicators, chrome mudguards and a more compact tail light assembly.

The Royal Enfield Bullet Electra Clubman sells for £4,599 on the road, including a 12-month warranty.

Call 01386 700907 or visit www.royal-enfield.com for details in the absence of a local dealer.