The Rise and Fall of Royal Enfield, the Oldest Motorcycle Brand Nobody Took Seriously

Comments · 123

• JO

  @johnperkins8884 · 2 months ago

  US resident, 50 years of riding - bought my RE Himalayan 411 in 2024. Loving every second on it!

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• SU

  @sulusulusulu1 · 1 month ago

  I live in Switzerland up in the mountains on 1800m (5400 ft) and drive a RE Classic 350 from April to November, until the first snow. Here is only one road from Chur in the flatland to Arosa, a road &nbsp;with 360 courves &nbsp;in 27 km. 20 hps are enough for the roads up here, lot of them are &apos;natural roads&apos;, without asphalt. The bike has enduro tyres. <br>The people here know the bike and tell me everyday, how wonderfull it looks like and the sound is great! They say: &quot; Hans, before we see you, we hear you.&quot;<br>I use the bike for daily work and had never any problem.

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• PO

  @powellmountainmike8853 · 2 months ago (edited)

  Title should be, &quot;The Rise And Fall and Rise Again of Royal Enfield.&quot; On another note, you don&apos;t mention that during the demise of the Indian Motocycle Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A., Royal Enfield motorcycles were marketed in the U.S. as Indian motorcycles from 1955 to 1959. They were not terribly successful because to work on them riders needed to buy Whitworth tools, whereas the old U.S.A. made Indians used S.A.E hardware; and also, parts availability was a problem. How do I know ? For nearly than half a century, from the time I got home from the Navy in 1972 on, I rode an American made Indian, a 1950 Arrow. I became friends with many of the OLD Indian riders, and I even worked on weekends at the last Indian Motocycle service shop in Rhode Island, Don&apos;s Modern Cycle Service on Warwick Avenue in Warwick. I learned a LOT about the history of the brand. Were I in the market for a new motorcycle these days, I&apos;m pretty sure I would buy a Royal Enfield, either the Bullet 350 or the Classic 650. For the Classic 650 I am particularly attracted by the removable passenger seat, so one can swap between a solo and passenger capable bike.

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• BI

  @Bigthinker-c7t · 2 months ago

  I live around 20 miles from the old Redditch Factory and yes! &nbsp;I have a lovely 1959 R/E clipper 250 and it&apos;s a joy to ride.

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• DA

  @DavidVaughan001 · 2 months ago

  I have two classic 350s. <br>2024 &amp; 2026<br>Both are excellent bikes.

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• FI

  @firetail006 · 2 months ago

  As long there are desi Indians who want to stand out with some metal, literally, RE won&apos;t die

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• MI

  @michaelmclarney1994 · 2 months ago

  I&apos;m from Redditch, a couple of miles from the old factory and own a 2019 Interceptor and love it. It&apos;s the smallest bike I have but ride it the most as it always puts a smile on my face! 👍

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• GG

  @GG-ub4ej · 1 month ago

  I just got a Bullet 650, it is incredible. It is my 5th Royal Enfield and no other bike I have had has brought me the joy these simple, wonderfully built motorcycles have.

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• TH

  @thesollys9540 · 1 month ago

  I rode a bullet down Goa, India back in 1991 along with about 18 others, what a trip! that was......

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• RO

  @Rodrigues-Pablo · 1 month ago

  I live in Brazil and I&apos;m on a second RE. Today I have a blue Shotgun 650, named Joanna. Before that, I had a Continental GT 650. Her name was Judith, I miss her so much. ;)

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• TH

  @TheTigerman62 · 2 months ago

  After almost 50 years of riding motorcycles I bought my first R.E. Classic 350 last year and it quickly became my favourite bike even though I have 4 other larger capacity motorcycles.

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• JI

  @jimgarrett6558 · 2 months ago

  From Maryland USA. Great story! Great bike! I have a 2022 650 Interceptor. A fantastice ride. The best thing is the originality. No one in this area knows about Royal Enfield. I sing it&apos;s praises!

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