If there is one motorcycle brand worth appreciation for coming a long way and making people sit and take notice of it, it has to be Royal Enfield. Originally from England, the now Indian-owned brand is making a rage in the world of motorcycles. With its refined, easy-to-use, and affordable neo-retro motorcycles, Royal Enfield is gradually increasing its footprint and becoming a large-scale global player.

Despite its glorious history as the world’s oldest motorcycle brand, Royal Enfield has had a fair share of struggles, which tested its fortunes and predictability for the future. However, overcoming all the adversities, Royal Enfield has bounced back successfully, especially in recent times with the launch of the all-new generation 350cc and 650cc motorcycles, with the latest addition in the series being the all-new Hunter 350. Here are some facts coming straight from the extensive history of Royal Enfield, which everyone looking up to the brand should know.

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The Inception – Royal Enfield's Journey As A ‘Pure British’ Brand

Two Royal Enfield cafe racers from the past
via Royal Enfield

It all started in 1901, when The Enfield Cycle Company Limited from Redditch, Worcestershire, began making motorcycles under the brand name ‘Royal Enfield’. Its first motorcycle had a simple air-cooled, single-cylinder, 239cc engine. However, the sub-brand which brought its first success story was the Bullet 350, which happened to be its first motorcycle with a four-stroke engine.

The Bullet 350 now holds the title of the motorcycle with the longest continuous production run, which is still on sale in some markets even after 90 years of its birth in 1932. Since then, the Bullet 350 got multiple iterations, including 250cc and 500cc versions. Royal Enfield also has a record of making motorcycles to support armed forces during the first and second world wars.

Post World War II, Royal Enfield made motorcycles like 350cc Model G, 500cc Model J, 350cc Bullet, 500cc Meteor, 700cc Super Meteor, 700cc Constellation, and a range of 250cc motorcycles, including the Continental GT. Its last model during British ownership was the 736cc Interceptor, which gained immense popularity in the US, but lived a short life due to demand and supply issues. The British-owned brand closed the business in 1970, except in India, where the new owners took over the ownership and the rights and continued the legacy of Royal Enfield.

The ‘Second Innings’ In A Different Land, India

1955 Royal Enfield Bullet, from the past
via Classic Drives

Royal Enfield was one of the first motorcycle brands and the chosen one by the newly-appointed government after India gained independence in 1947. At that time, the Bullet 350 started becoming a mode of transport for the Indian armed forces, a purpose it continues to serve even today.

In 1955, the Redditch company partnered with Madras motors to form a new brand called ‘Enfield India’. This new brand got the rights of series production of 350cc Bullet, which was made using tooling sourced from Royal Enfield in England. Towards the end of the ‘70s of the 20th century, Royal Enfield started halting production of motorcycles, but the Indian unit continued making licensed Bullets. In 1978, the Indian arm of the brand, which still was under a partnership, bought the rights and renamed itself Enfield India Limited.

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The new brand continued making motorcycles like the 350cc Bullet and even started its exports to the UK and Europe. The forthcoming years saw Royal Enfield introducing new models, including the 24 hp Bullet and the niche Enfield Diesel. In 1994, Eicher Group, the current owner, took over the ownership of Enfield India Limited and renamed it Royal Enfield Motors Limited.

Under the new ownership, Royal Enfield gradually started introducing motorcycles like the revised Bullet with the new all-aluminum engine, Thunderbird, Bullet Machismo, 500cc Bullet, and Bullet Electra. It also inaugurated a new plant in North India as a part of its expansion plans. However, the lower-than-expected sales of these models hit Royal Enfield, which faced challenges like labor strikes and the shutdown of its North Indian plant just after three years of its inauguration.

The ‘Classic’ Turnaround That Changed Its Fortunes

2022 Royal Enfield Classic 350 rear third quarter hd wallpaper
Via: Twitter.com

The first sign of good things to come was the appointment of Siddhartha Lal as the new CEO and MD of parent company Eicher, who is credited for reviving the brand. Royal Enfield finally got the much-needed ray of hope in 2008 when it launched the all-new Classic with a 500cc Euro-III version, followed by the 350cc Classic in 2009. These two models worked magically for Royal Enfield and set cash registers ringing for the company. With the 500cc Classic, Royal Enfield started exploring newer export markets.

After 2011, Royal Enfield started riding high on the success of the Classic and introduced newer models like the all-new Thunderbird 350cc and 500cc and Continental GT 535 Café Racer. Royal Enfield also made new moves like starting the annual ‘One Ride’ event in 2011, expansion of production with a new plant in South India in 2013, inauguration of a new Technology Center in the UK, and a new third plant in South India.

The 2021 Interceptor 650 Starts At $5,799 While Its Café-Racer Brother, The Continental GT Is A Slightly Pricier Start At $5,999
Via Pinterest

In 2015, Royal Enfield entered the US market with a headquarters in Milwaukee, which became the company’s first direct distribution subsidiary outside of India. Furthermore, Royal Enfield explored new worlds with its first adventure tourer Himalayan in 2016 and the new Interceptor 650 (known as INT 650 in the US) and Continental GT 650 with 650cc parallel-twin engines in 2018. Recent years saw Royal Enfield launching its new motorcycles with the new 350cc J-Series engine, such as Meteor 350, Classic 350, and Hunter 350.

The future of Royal Enfield already seems bright with new models in the pipeline and expansion in more new markets. This growth shows the persistence of Royal Enfield as a brand, which has set up a perfect example for other brands too.