Royal Enfield Crusader Sports

In 1959 Anthony Wilson-Jones the Chief Engineer at Royal Enfield Motorcycles and a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers approached his fellow “Mechanicals” member Roland Cross the founder and Managing Director of Cross Manufacturing Company in seeking design ideas to improve the performance of their single and twin cylinder models. Roland Cross best known for his Cross Rotary Valve engines first developed in the early 1930`s and the use of aluminium liner-less cylinders with special pistons and piston rings firmly believed such an arrangement would be successful if incorporated onto the Royal Enfield engines. From the Cross Manufacturing Co. private museum the Crusader Sports model of 1963 exhibited is one of the motorcycles used by the company as a road test machine for the project and being very successful in that the performance was greatly enhanced using the Roland Cross designed and manufactured components. A standard `off the shelf` model would be capable of 78 mph and with the Cross developed engine recorded at 92 mph with similar petrol consumption. Unfortunately, the Japanese motorcycles being imported into the Country were significantly affecting the British motorcycle industry and the project was abandoned in the mid 1960`s. Exhibited by kind permission of Richard & Edward Cross (Directors).