Facts

History And Interesting Facts Of Royal Enfield

The Enfield Cycle Company founded in 1893 had the brand name, Royal Enfield. They used to manufacture motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers, and stationary engines. The first Royal Enfield Motorcycle was built in 1901. The Enfield Cycle company is responsible for the design and original production of Royal Enfield Bullets. They were the longest-lived motorcycles in history.

The Redditch factory used to produce bicycles for Royal Enfield until 1967. After that company was closed in early 1967. The last bicycle released was ‘Revelation’ in 1965.

The Enfield Cycle Company started its business as a weapon manufacturer. It was famous for ‘The Enfield rifle’. As the logo resembles above.

In India Royal Enfield was first introduced in 1955 when The Enfield Cycle Company partnered with Madras Motors a Chennai-based company. They started assembling a 350cc Royal Enfield motorcycle in Madras. Firstly the company used to import all the components from England. All the components which were required to build a Royal Enfield motorcycle were made in India after 1962.

Now I will display from the start how it used to look like a bicycle and then transformed into a motorcycle. Today almost everyone is crazy about this motorcycle.

1893 – The Enfield Cycle Company registered its company to manufacture bicycles under the brand name ‘Royal Enfield’

1899 –  They started producing Quadricycle.

1901 –  The first motorcycle was built with lots of experiments done before that with putting a heavy framed body on a bicycle.

1907 – They merged with Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co. of Birmingham and started manufacturing Enfield-Allday automobile.

1912 – The Royal Enfield model 180 sidecar was successfully raced in Isle of Man TT. Brooklands had a 770 cc V-twin JAP engine.

1914 – a large number of the motorcycles were supplied to the British War Department and won the contract for the Imperial Russian government.

1924 – Launched, the first Enfield four-stroke 350 cc single using a Prestwich Industries engine

1931 – Albert Eddie, the founder of the company died.

1933 – R.W. Smith, the other partner of the company also died.

During the Second World War (1939 – 1949)  the British authorities called upon The Enfield Cycle Company to develop and manufacture military motorcycles. From here they started creating a military version of the Royal Enfield which is very famous. Royal Enfield WD/RE also called ‘Flying Flea’ was one of the famous models of that time. It was a lightweight motorcycle that was used to drop by parachute along with airborne troops.

The company started its production of single-cylinder Model G 300cc and Model J 500cc after the war. During 1946-1954, Ex-military C and CO were also offered for sale to all.

From 1949 this motorcycle was sold in India. Therein 1965 Indian government was looking for a suitable motorcycle for police officers and the army to patrol borders. This motorcycle was suitable for the place where it was going to be used, so the government ordered 800 350-cc model Bullets.

In 1999 The Enfield of India started its branding in the name of ‘Royal Enfield’. After UK’s company bankruptcy also The company in India were still making bullets.

Matt Holder had purchased the rights and the name ‘Royal Enfield’ at a bankruptcy sale. They have produced the spares for Enfield since 1967. After The business passed on to David holder of the Velocette Motorcycle Company of Birmingham, UK. The David holder objected the Enfield of India for using the name but the UK court ruled in favor of Enfield India. It’s now the trademark of the Indian motorcycle.

Darsh Patel

Darsh Patel an Indian writer Living in Mumbai. Started this blog in 2017. I am the owner of this and many other blogs.

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