READ MORE: Ducati Superleggera V4-Complete review in 2025

Royal Enfield has won the hearts of motorcycle enthusiasts all over the globe with iconic design, a powerful thump and classic appeal. What seemed to be a miracle of British engineering has turned out to be a symbol of rugged individuality and adventure most particularly in India.

An Introduction to Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield is an old motor cycle company that has been in production.

• The brand is associated with nostalgia, roughness and cult supporters.
• It is retro-styled, has a thumping sound and is a tough ride, which brings pride to many bikers, mostly in India.

Royal Enfield History

Founded: 1893, Enfield Cycle Company, Redditch, Worcestershire, England.

• First Motorcycle: It pioneered the building of a motorcycle in the year 1901 and became one of the first motor cycle industry in the world.
• Name Origin: It is as a result of its collaboration with the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield thus becoming Royal Enfield.
• The company initially involved itself in the production of bicycles, lawn mowers and soon ventured into production of motorcycles.
• Famous because: The slogan was: Made like a gun, goes like a bullet.

Coming in India

• Royal Enfield joined with Madras Motors in India in 1955 to create Enfield India.
• They began to produce the 350cc Bullet on license.
• By the 1970s the motorcycles were being produced in India completely within country.
• The rights to Royal Enfield name were later on acquired by the Enfield India.
• Today the brand is owned by Eicher Motors Limited (since the 1990s).

The Iconic Models Over the Ages

1. Royal Enfield Bullet

• The Bullet, the longest-lived model of motorcycle in production since 1932, was introduced in 1932.
• It is a single-cylinder 4-stroke machine with an old-school design.
• Comes in 350cc and 500cc versions.
• Decades long symbol of Indian army and police forces.

2. Classic Series

• Classic 350 and Classic 500 – introduced in the year 2009.
• The retro design with modern engineering.
• The model of RE that gained wide popularity.
• Newly overhauled, J-series engine to work smooth.

3. Himalayan

• Introduced in 2016, this is an adventure tourer designed and manufactured specifically.
• This was made to travel off roads and in high altitude areas such as the Himalayas.
• 411cc engine, long-travel suspension and in-your-face design.
• Brought forward Tripper Navigation and other contemporary features.

4. Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650

• These are twin cylinder, introduced in 2018 motorcycles.
• First RE modern twin-engine bikes.
• Interceptor is a modern classic roadster, whereas, Continental GT is a cafe racer.

5. Meteor 350

• It was released in 2020 and was an update of the Thunderbird series.
• Modern technology: Modern technology tech like Tripper Navigation.
• Riding on a new J-platform engine.

6. Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor 650

• Shotgun 650 is the custom styled version of 650 platform.
• Super Meteor 650: Super Meteor 650 is an appropriate cruiser motorcycle released in 2023.
• The two models target mid-capacity touring segments in the entire globe.

Technological Evolution

The old models of RE were those where they had cast iron engines and simple suspensions.

• Over time there were upgrades such as:
  • Unit Construction Engines (UCE) more integration.
  • Higher safety, disc brakes and ABS.
  • Digital-analog instrument clusters.
  • Google Maps-based Tripper Navigation.
  • J-platform engines which have balancer shafts to ensure less vibrations.

Production and International Affairs

Key sites of production:

• Chennai, Tamil Nadu (Oragadam and Vallam Vadagal)
• Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, South East Asia, and Middle East.

CKD (Completely Knocked Down) assembly in such countries as:

• Argentina, Thailand, Colombia and Brazil.

Enfield in the Pop Culture

• Prominent in films (Bollywood-Indian) and t.v. (Indian).
• The icon of rebellion, liberty and machismo.
• RE Wave Celebrities such as John Abraham, Ranveer Singh, and MS Dhoni and others ride RE bikes.
• With bike rallies, wedding processions and long distance tours; bikes were common in the Indian scene.

Cultural Communities and Riding Community

• The fan following/rider base of RE is huge.
• Fronts events such as:
  • Rider Mania (Goa)
  • Odyssey Himalaya
  • Ride One
• Formal clubs such as riding clubs and thousands of unofficial clubs all over the world.
• Fosters the exploration, brotherhood, and adventure way of living.

Innovation and Sustainability

• Electric future: on path to becoming fully electric; EV likely to come first in 2025–2026.
• In Chennai and UK based Technology Centre.
• Emphasis on the minimisation of carbon footprint and incorporation of sustainable solutions.

Market Strategy, Position

• Leads by market share in the mid-size motorcycle (250–750cc).
• Critical rival to Jawa, Yezdi, Honda H’ness CB350, Benelli and Triumph in India.
• Stable Indian sales of 70,000 to 80,000 per month.

Global strategy consists of:

• An increase in the dealer network.
• Introduction of accessories, riding gear and lifestyle products.
• Creation of quality brand image at the international level.

Why You Like the Royal Enfield

• Heritage & Legacy: A legacy bike.
• Thump Sound: Stunning sound of the exhaust.
• Customization: Comes enticingly easy to make into café racers, bobbers, scramblers.
• Riding Experience: Proprietary combination of power, comfort and presence.
• Pride of Ownership: Not just a bike—it is what you feel.

Attacks and Objections

• Vibrations have been an old complaint.
• The past older models were heavy and had no modern feature.
• Quality problems with earlier builds in early 2000s, no longer so much of an issue.
• Harsh competition of new global brands making their way into the market.

This is the Road Ahead

Dedicated to:

• Internationalisation.
• Sustainable mobility and ebike.
• Improved technology and safety features of riders.

Seeking to reconcile its retro image and the innovativeness of today.