Do you ride one of these?
Apparently "People love that old-school, retro Indian army look"
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Barely ten years after being on the brink of bankruptcy, the 80 year old Enfield, named for its association with London's Royal Small Arms Factory, has sold more bikes than at any other time in its history.
Company officials said it sold just under 80,000 motorbikes last year – almost four times its sales figures of a decade ago – as a new generation of Indians have fallen in love with its retro style.
Since the late 1960s, it has won admirers throughout the world who associated its high handlebars, low-slung seat and rasping engine with the hippy dream of riding the high-altitude switchbacks of the Himalayan foothills.
But according to the company and specialist Enfield touring companies, it is its Indian military association which has brought thousands of new customers.
The Enfield was originally brought to Madras in southern India in the 1950s from the Midlands where it had built sturdy, speedy bikes for British forces in the Second World War. Its first Indian orders were from the Army as patrol bikes for its border guards.
Ever since then, the Bullet has been a symbol of Indian pride and authority, the company's chief executive Venki Padmanabhan told The Daily Telegraph. "When people saw an Enfield on the road in the 1950s and 60s, it was either a military man, policeman, or the big man in town with authority," he said.
Its problem was that the bike was so heavy it needed a "big man" with mechanical skills to kick start it and carry out regular roadside repairs, he said.
His company's success came when they developed a lighter, modern and more reliable motorbike to meet Western emissions standards but found it appealed more to slighter and less mechanical riders who still aspired to the Indian Army hero image.
"The brand has always been strong in England, but it's deeply embedded in the Indian psyche as the big man's macho bike. Now you don't need to be a big man with mechanical skills to start it," said Mr Padmanabhan.
Bobbee Singh, who customises Enfields and leads Himalayan bike tours, said the Bullet makes its riders feel like "super beings".
Many Indian bikers will be temped by Harley Davidson and Triumph, which have hope to capitalise on rising demand for powerful motorbikes among India's rising rich, but according to Mr Singh, Enfield will be protected by its Army image. "That's the kind of emotion you get. You feel like an army officer, looking cool. People love that old-school, retro Indian army look," he said.
Royal Enfield Bullet enjoys Indian summer - Telegraph
