Evidence is presented that apparent silene products obtained from the metalation of cyclopentadienyldimethyl - chlorosilane either with tert-butyl1ithium or with methylenetriphenylphosphorane actually arise from the metalated starting material, a silenoid, rather than from a silafulvene intermediate. Trimethylmethoxysi1ane is shown to be an effective trap for dimethylsilafulvene. A new dimethylsilafulvene precursor, bis(dimethylmethoxysi1yl) cyclopentadiene, which gives high yields of dimethyldimethoxysi1ane and the silafulvene at temperatures as low as 240°C is reported.