This iconic name is the longest standing motorcycle manufacturer, which began making bikes in 1901 and is still producing great machines today! Based in India, Royal Enfield make machines all over the world, including here in Australia and has actually surpassed Harley Davidson global sales, which is an amazing achievement.
The Humble Beginning
The Royal Enfield held its own in the huge Indian motorcycle domestic market and after the Second World War, in 1947, the Indian government was looking for a motorcycle for their frontier guards and the Royal Enfield Bullet was chosen to be the machine, with 800 of the 350cc models ordered. The range of bikes grew in popularity among Indians, as the engines were very reliable and spares were easy to obtain and customers were happy.
The 1990s
Under intense competition from the major Japanese bike manufacturers, Royal Enfield merged with the Eicher Group in 1994, an Indian automobile manufacturer and despite making good sales, their Jaipur factory closed in 2002 and in 2013, the company opened a new factory in Chennai and such was the success that they opened another factory 2 years later at Oragadam.
Harris Performance Products
This was a British company that Royal Enfield took over, which had developed the chassis for the Royal Enfield Continental GT Racer and they teamed up to open British factories in 2017 and with more than 150 employees, they produce popular models like the Royal Enfield Classic 500, which is very popular here in Australia.
Interceptor & Continental GT Series
In November 2017, Royal Enfield announced that a new 650cc engine would be powering their new product range, namely the Interceptor and the Continental GT Series and they entered the US market with positive sales. Of course, the new models sold very well in the UK and are also extremely popular here in Australia.
Retro Classic Style
The Royal Enfield Classic 500 is perhaps the most popular of all their models and with a Google search, you can be viewing this stylish single-cylinder bike and with low-interest finance, you can spread the payment over a few years.
As this iconic company is the longest continual motorcycle manufacturer in the world and it is holding its own with the major Japanese bike manufacturers. The timeless style of this rugged and reliable machine means we can expect to see Royal Enfield at the top of the tree for many years to come.
