Some folks follow with breathless anticipation the latest engine developments from multi million dollar factory efforts, but in my mind, nothing compares to individual projects like this, the 998cc Royal Enfield Musket V-Twin, conceived, engineered and built by Aniket Vardhan.

We’ve been able to watch this effort from it’s earliest stages, the buildup of the first 700cc Musket and then we’ve followed the design of the newer, larger version based on the 500cc Bullet.

Aniket first created the wooden patterns, then cast the engine cases in metal and here we see the first assembly of those rough castings, now polished, into what will be the 998cc Musket.

Aniket says he’s been averaging 80 hours per week for several months with the goal of getting the engine running before cold weather really sets in. Seeing these pieces together for the first time, knowing where the process started, has to be a tremendous mental boost.

The Musket is a great example of the time involved in any complex and worthwhile undertaking. A project will appear and become quite popular, but after a time it gradually fades from view as the hard work continues unseen and people focus their attention elsewhere. Then all of a sudden come photos like these, reminding us of why it caught our attention in the first place.

For everyone who would like to have a project like this to his or her credit, keep following along as the Musket comes together and you’ll get an idea of what it takes to be able to say, “I built that.”

Link: Musket V-Twin



