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1891

In November 1891, entrepreneurs Bob Walker Smith and Albert Eadie buy George Townsend & Co. of Hunt End, Redditch. Townsend’s is a well-respected needle manufacturer of almost 50 years standing which has recently begun manufacturing bicycles.

1893

The duo win a contract to supply precision parts to the Royal Small Arms Factory of Enfield, Middlesex. To celebrate this prestigious order, they rename their undertaking the Enfield Manufacturing Company Ltd. and call their first Bob Walker Smith designed bicycle, the Enfield. The following year, their bicycles are renamed Royal Enfields and the trademark ‘Made Like A Gun’ is introduced.

1898

Bob Walker Smith designs the company’s first motorised vehicle. Known as a quadricycle, it uses a proprietary 1 1/2 hp De Dion engine. The company finalises its trading name as The Enfield Cycle Co. Ltd., a name it uses in Britain for the following 70 years.

1901 - The Mighty Quad

A Royal Enfield quadricycle is awarded a silver medal on completion of the inaugural 1000 Mile Reliability Trial. Following a torturous cross-country route from London to Edinburgh and back, the heavily publicised event does much to convince the British public of the viability of motorised transport.

1901 - Royal Enfield's Holy Grail

The first Royal Enfield motorcycle is produced. Designed by Bob Walker Smith and Frenchman Jules Gobiet, it is launched at the Stanley Cycle Show in London. The 1 3/4 hp engine is mounted in front of the steering head and the rear wheel driven by a long rawhide belt. It costs £50.

1904

The first documented road race is won by John Paul Burney on a 350cc belt driven Royal Enfield in 1904. Burney crosses the finish line 45 minutes ahead of the second place rider after 200 punishing miles on Ireland's rough roads.

1909

Royal Enfield’s first V-twin, using a 297cc Swiss-made Motosacoche engine, is launched at the Stanley Cycle Show. The model achieves numerous competition successes the following year, including in the John O’ Groats to Lands End Trial.

1914 - 5th Motor Machine Gun Battery to the Rescue

Royal Enfield's first 2-stroke motorcycle goes into full production. As Britain becomes embroiled in World War I, production of the company’s biggest motorcycle, the 770cc 6 hp V-twin, takes precedence. During the conflict, the company supplies motorcycles to the British, Belgian, French, United States and Imperial Russian armies.

1917 - It's A Fair Cop

Three trailblazing members of the Women Police Service, who weren’t even eligible to vote at the time, become Britain's, and possibly the world's, first women police motorcyclists. Their chosen motorcycles are 2 1/4 hp Royal Enfields.

1924

Continuous development results in a range of eight models, including the launch of the Sports Model 351, the first Royal Enfield 350cc OHV 4-stroke motorcycle with foot operated gear change. A unique 225cc 2-stroke step-through 'Ladies Model' is also introduced.

1925 - Call The Fire Brigade

A major fire breaks out at the 18-acre Redditch factory. The company's own fire brigade manages to fight the flames which threaten to engulf the entire plant.

1928

Royal Enfield adopts saddle tanks in place of outmoded flat tanks. It is also one of the first manufacturers to change its front fork system from a Druid design to centre-sprung girder forks.

1930

The decade begins with a diverse eleven model range, from the 225cc 2-stroke Model A to the 976cc V-twin Model K. New 350 and 500cc side-valve and overhead valve machines with dry-sump lubrication are also produced.

1932 - The Virtual Launch of the Very First Bullet

The legendary "Bullet" motorcycle is born. Three versions are produced: 250, 350 and 500cc, all with inclined 'sloper' engines, twin-ported cylinder heads, foot operated gear change and high compression pistons. The 500 Bullet has a sporty 4-valve cylinder head and is capable of 90 mph.

1932 - The Futuristic Tax Dodger

The groundbreaking Model Z 'Cycar' goes on sale. Aimed at commuters, this 148cc 2-stroke features a fully enclosed engine and legshields to protect its rider from the worst of the elements.

1932 - A Remarkable Prediction

Founding partner and joint Managing Director, Bob Walker Smith, passes away. His son, Major Frank Smith. who has been joint Managing Director with his father for a number of years, assumes full control of The Enfield Cycle Company.

1933 - Overland Pioneer

K S Jones, riding a 225cc Royal Enfield Model A, becomes the first person to ride a motorcycle from South Africa to Britain. His six month, fifteen country, 12,000 mile odyssey ended on the Royal Enfield stand at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in London.

1942

The Royal Enfield Underground factory opens in a disused Bath Stone mine in the Wiltshire village of Upper Westwood. As well as oil motors for tank turrets and Oerlikon guns, generators and diesel engines, the 600 workers produce Kerrison anti-aircraft gun predictors, mechanical computers of more than 1000 parts which calculate the future position of an enemy aircraft.

1943 - The Flying Flea Has Landed & 1941 Going Underground

Royal Enfield produces over 55,000 military motorcycles during the Second World War. The most unique model is the 125cc 'Airborne', also known as the Flying Flea. These lightweight 2-stroke machines are loaded into specially fabricated parachute cradles and dropped with paratroops behind enemy lines, most notably ahead of the D-Day landings and during Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne assault in history.

1948 - The Suspension Revolution & 1948 - The Toughest Motorcycle Race In The World

The post-war 350cc Bullet prototype, with radical oil-damped swinging arm rear suspension, is previewed in the Colmore Cup Trial of February 1948. Two Bullets form part of the victorious British Trophy team in the 1948 ISDT (International Six Days Trial), held in Italy. Both their riders win gold medals.

1949

The new 350cc Bullet and 500 Twin models are launched in the UK. Both bikes share the same frame, groundbreaking swinging arm suspension, telescopic front forks and gearbox. K. R. Sundaram Iyer launches Madras Motors to import British motorcycles into India, including Royal Enfields.

1952 - Sublime Scottish Success For Legendary Brittain

Royal Enfield's star rider, Johnny Brittain, wins the prestigious Scottish Six Days Trial on his 350cc Bullet, HNP 331. His motorcycle is now on show in Britain's National Motorcycle Museum.

1952 - Army Tough

The Indian Army orders 500 350 Bullets to patrol its borders in Kashmir and Rajasthan. The Bullets prove inimitably suitable for the tough terrain, as well as being hardy and easy to maintain. Several more large orders follow.

1954 - Casquette

First showcased on Bullets, Meteors and 500 Twins in 1954, the die-cast alloy casquette was conceived to streamline the motorcycle’s front end while making the speedometer, ammeter and light switch accessible. In India, its small sidelights have since become known as 'Tiger's Eyes'.

1955

The Redditch company partners Madras Motors in India to form 'Enfield India'. Work commences on the construction of a purpose-built factory at Tiruvottiyur, near Madras.

1956

The Tiruvottiyur factory opens and Bullets begin to be manufactured under license. These machines are initially shipped from England in kit form (CKD) then assembled in the Madras plant. Over the following years, the fabrication of components gradually moves to the Madras factory.

1957

Johnny Brittain wins the Scottish Six Days Trial on a Bullet for the second time and also finishes top of the British trials championship. The 250cc Crusader model is launched in Britain. Producing 13 bhp, the motorcycle features a unit construction engine and alternator electrics with coil ignition.

1960 - Fast eddie Tames The Big Bear

Sixteen-year-old rookie, Eddie Mulder, wins America's most arduous and famous desert race, the Big Bear Run, on a 500 Bullet. Riding 158 miles across the Mojave desert, 'Fast Eddie' comes first out of 765 starters despite a broken rear shock absorber caused by a crash down Rattlesnake Canyon.

1964 - Tip Top Old Chap

The iconic Continental GT café racer is launched to great acclaim when a team of journalists ride one 1000 miles from John O’ Groats to Lands End in under 24 hours, including 8 laps of the Silverstone circuit. The GT features a fibreglass racing petrol tank, clip-on handlebars, rear sets, a humped race seat, rev counter and a swept-back exhaust.

1970 - Go Interceptor!

With only two models left in production at the start of the year – the 250cc Continental GT and the 736cc Interceptor – Royal Enfield’s Redditch facility closes and the site sold to developers. Production of the Interceptor continues at Enfield’s underground facility at Upper Westwood, near Bradford on Avon, until its closure in June 1970.

1977 - Going Back To Its Roots

Royal Enfield India begins exporting the 350cc Bullet to the UK and Europe. Sales grow rapidly as the bike develops a loyal following amongst classic motorcycle enthusiasts.

1990- The Born Again Biker

A new 24 bhp 500cc Bullet is released. The bike is primarily aimed at export markets where it is available in Classic, Deluxe and Superstar trim.

1993 - The world’s most economical motorcycle

Royal Enfield India produces the world's first and only mass-manufactured diesel motorcycle. Known as the Enfield Diesel, it uses a highly fuel efficient 325cc, 6hp, power unit installed in the standard Bullet rolling chassis. An heavy load carrying version designed to meet the needs of India’s flourishing agricultural sector, known as the Taurus, follows.

1994

Commercial vehicle and tractor manufacturer, The Eicher Group, acquires Enfield India Limited. Eicher has roots in India dating back to 1948. It renames the company Royal Enfield Motors Limited. The production of lightweight motorcycles ceases as the brand decides to focus exclusively on the mid-size motorcycle segment.

1996

Royal Enfield introduces cruising to India with its first home-grown cruiser, the Citybike. That name is soon changed to the Lightning. Based on a 500 Bullet with a bored-out 535cc engine, the traditional casquette is set aside in favour of an exposed chrome headlight topped with a couple of firsts for Royal Enfield − matching speedometer and rev counter plus a fuel gauge.

1997

Forty Royal Enfield Bullet Club motorcycles climb to Khardung La, Ladakh, the world’s highest motorable pass. The ride sets a precedent for epic rides across some of the world’s most difficult terrain and creates a blueprint for the annual Himalayan Odyssey ride.

2001- Lean Times

Utilising the design skills of Austrian company AVL, production of a revised 350cc all-aluminum lean-burn Bullet engine, known as the A350, begins at a new Royal Enfield plant near Jaipur, Rajasthan.

2001 - Daredevils With Bullets

The Daredevils, the motorcycle display team of the Indian Army Corps of Signals, Jabalpur, forms a human pyramid of 201 men on ten 350cc Bullets. They ride a distance of more than 200 metres to set a new world record.

2002

The Thunderbird, a stylish lean burn cruiser, is launched. It features the first 5-speed gearbox used on a Royal Enfield since the 1960s. More than a 1000 Royal Enfield motorcycles of all ages descend on Redditch for the Royal Enfield Owner’s Club ‘Redditch Revisited’ event.

2004

The Electra X, an export Bullet with a 500cc version of the all-alloy lean burn engine, goes on sale. The retro-styled ‘Bullet Machismo’ is rated the ‘No.1 Cruiser’ in a TNS Autocar survey.

2005

Royal Enfield celebrates its 50th anniversary in India with the release of commemorative Thunderbird and Bullet Electra models and ‘The Legend Rides On’ coffee table book.

2008

The Thunderbird Twinspark is launched in India with the new Unit Construction Engine (UCE). Royal Enfield begins exporting the Classic 500, India’s first EFI, Euro III-compliant motorcycle, to European markets.

2009

The retro-styled Classic, built on both the 350 and 500cc UCE platforms, goes on sale in India. It immediately achieves cult status and sales grow rapidly.

2011

Royal Enfield riders around the world are encouraged to go for a ride on the inaugural ‘One Ride’. It becomes an annual ride. The company acquires 50 acres of land at Oragadam for its new factory. A Royal Enfield organised trip crosses the Nepalese border for the first time with ‘Tour of Nepal’.

2011

A modified 500 Bullet, built and ridden by Steve Linsdell, becomes the first British pushrod single to lap the hallowed Isle of Man TT at an average 100mph (102.52 mph).

2012

Royal Enfield launches its first highway cruiser, the all-black Thunderbird 500. Work on the new Oragadam factory continues briskly while the Tiruvottiyur plant sets a new production record to meet 113,000 motorcycle sales.

2013

Manufacturing commences at Oragadam, Tamil Nadu. A Classic 500 Desert Storm is the first motorcycle off the assembly line. This state-of-art factory, which includes a robotic paint facility, is the nucleus of Royal Enfield’s future global ambitions.

2013 - Rocker's Revival

Forty-eight years after developing its first production café racer, Royal Enfield rolls out the all-new Continental GT. Featuring a cradle frame designed by Harris Performance and a 535cc UCE engine, this new café racer is well received internationally and introduces café racers to India for the first time.

2015

Harris Performance, a renowned British motorcycle design and fabrication firm, is acquired to enhance Royal Enfield’s engineering and product design capabilities.

2015

Royal Enfield North America is established. With headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it’s the company’s first direct distribution subsidiary outside of India.

2016 - Fiercely Unique

Royal Enfield debuts the Himalayan, its first purpose-built adventure motorcycle. With an all-new 411cc SOHC engine and long reach suspension, it’s designed to give adventurous riders the right tool for all roads and no roads.

2017

The Royal Enfield Technology Centre (UKTC) opens at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, near Leicester, in the UK. A team of over 170 engineers, designers and testers begin work on research, development and long-term product strategy.

2017

Production commences at the company’s third plant. Located at Vallam Vadagal, near Chennai, this world-class manufacturing facility is dedicated to producing Royal Enfield 350cc machines.

2017

The new 650cc Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT twins are unveiled at the EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan, Italy, and at Rider Mania in Goa, India. The company opens its first café, called the Royal Enfield Garage Café, in Baga, Goa.

2017

The Tornadoes motorcycle display team, comprising Personnel of Army Service Corps, sets a new Guinness World Record of 58 men on a single motorcycle. The team travels 1.2 Km along the runway at Yelahanka Air Force Station near Bangalore on a 500cc Bullet.

2018

The Royal Enfield Classic 500 Pegasus, a homage to the WWII Royal Enfield Flying Flea, is launched at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, UK. Limited to just 1000 individually numbered motorcycles worldwide, the Indian market allocation of 250 machines sells in under 3 minutes.

2018- Speeding Across Salt

Cayla Riva, an 18-year-old racer from California, sets a new land speed record of 157.053 mph during Speed Week at the Bonneville Salts Flats. Her bike, a Continental GT 650 twin, is specially prepared for Bonneville with S&S Cycle engine tuning.and a Harris Performance frame.

2019 KX Concept Steals The Show

With design cues taken from the 1140cc KX V-twins of the late 1930’s, the 838cc KX Concept V-twin demonstrates the capabilities of the design team at the UK Technology Centre. Featuring girder forks with an integrated headlight and a single-sided softtail rear, it is the star of the show when unveiled at EICMA.

2019 - Himalayan Heights

A team of eleven Indian Army and Royal Enfield riders summit the 5,540m Karakoram Pass on Himalayans despite treacherous snow, ice and temperatures below -30°. It is the first time the pass has been reached by motorcycle. The Bullet Trials Works Replica 500 is launched as an homage to Johnny Brittain’s all-conquering trials mounts of the 1950s.

2019

The Interceptor 650 wins the prestigious Indian Motorcycle of the Year award, named Bike of the Year in the Times Auto Awards, Motorcycle of the Year by Autocar and Two Wheeler of the Year by Bike India. It is voted Best Modern Classic Middleweight in Thailand and Best Retro Bike of the Year by MCN in the UK.

2020 - Last Hurrah for the Big Single

Production of the 500cc UCE engine comes to an end. Its swansong is the limited edition Classic 500 Tribute Black.

2020 - History Repeats Itself

A new Royal Enfield CKD assembly line is set up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, attends the opening ceremony.

2020

Royal Enfield’s groundbreaking new cruiser, the Meteor 350, is launched. Designed and developed as a collaboration between the new Chennai and UK Technology Centres, the Meteor is the first model on the new J platform, Royal Enfield’s next generation 350cc engine. An authentic cruiser with a high level of refinement, it wins many awards including 2021 Indian Motorcycle Of The Year.

2020

Make-It-Yours (MIY), a unique motorcycle personalisation initiative, goes live. Customers can configure their motorcycle when making a booking on the Royal Enfield App, website or in-store. The Royal Enfield Tripper, a new Turn-By-Turn navigation pod built on the Google Maps Platform, debuts on the Meteor 350.

2020 - The Art of Winning Races

Royal Enfield racer, Johnny Lewis, wins the American Flat Track Production Twins FT1 race at Daytona aboard a Royal Enfield FT Twin. His victory marks Royal Enfield's successful return to racing after more than 30 year absence.

2021

Royal Enfield celebrates 120 years of Pure Motorcycling. Project Origin, the faithful working replica of the very first 1901 Royal Enfield, is built by volunteers from the Royal Enfield UK Technology Centre and Harris Performance with the assistance of experts from the world of pioneer motorcycling.

2021

Royal Enfield personnel, Dean Coxson and Santhosh Kumar, ride a 411 Himalayan to the South Pole. It is the first motorcycle to conquer the South Pole Traverse and only the second motorcycle to ever reach the Pole.

2021

The all-new Classic 350 Reborn is launched to great acclaim. Powered by the same J 349cc air-oil cooled single cylinder engine recently launched on the Meteor 350, it brings a new level of comfort, smoothness and refinement of ride experience while retaining the unmistakable Classic thumping exhaust note.

2022

The Scram 411, Royal Enfield’s first ADV crossover, is launched. An engaging and capable street scrambler, it is built on Royal Enfield’s proven LS-410 engine platform. The Scram 411 combines spirited agility ideal for in-city riding with competent rough-roading capabilities for unpredictable trails off the urban grid.

2022

The Hunter 350, a fun, tactile motorcycle with old school analogue meets new age vibes, is launched. It is distinctly unique within the Royal Enfield line-up, delivering agility on city streets and sheer, grin-inducing pleasure on the open road. It wins both 2023 car&bike modern classic motorcycle of the year and 2023 Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY).

2022

Unveiled at EICMA, Milan, in November 2022, the new Super Meteor 650 has the silhouette of a purebred cruiser, with a low stance and cool retro styling infused with clearly recognisable Royal Enfield DNA. A large fuel tank gives extended range and wide tubeless tyres on 16” rear and 19” front alloy rims provide dependability and peace of mind at highway speeds.

2022

Rider Mania is rebranded Motoverse. Still at Hilltop, Vagator, Goa, the festival continues to be a must-attend event for Royal Enfield enthusiasts and motorcycle lovers alike, a three day bonanza of riding, music, community and inspiration. In order to make the festival more inclusive, non-Royal Enfields are allowed into the vast motorcycle park for the first time.

2023

The Himalayan 450 is unveiled at EICMA and Motoverse. Built from the ground up to capture the essence of adventure, its chassis utilises USD forks and monoshock rear suspension and its 452cc double overhead camshaft watercooled Sherpa engine makes 39.5 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 40 Nm of peak torque at 5,500 rpm. It is voted 2024 Indian Motorcycle of the Year, car&bike Awards 2024 Bike of the Year and Autocar Awards Bike of the Year

2023

The Shotgun 650 is launched at Bike Shed, Los Angeles. Its modular design enables it to switch between three modes - from single seater to double seater to luggage-carrying tourer - with ease. Built by Custom for Custom, it defies categorisation in both spirit and form and offers a canvas for self-expression for builders and beginners alike.

2024

The global launch of the Guerrilla 450 takes place in Barcelona, Spain. Utilising the Himalayan’s 450 Sherpa engine set in a steel twin spar frame, the Guerrilla 450 marks a return to what naked roadsters were always meant to be: kinetic, intuitive and able to deliver pure, primal fun.

2024

The keenly-anticipated Classic 650 is launched at the Beamish Living Museum, Northumberland, UK, in September. Its design draws inspiration from Royal Enfield’s first-ever parallel twin, the 1948 500 Twin, while retaining the timeless elegance, craftsmanship, and old-school charm of the Classic lineup.

2024

A team of four riders from Royal Enfield’s UK Technology Centre successfully completes the famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on an original 1901 Royal Enfield Quadricycle. The 60 mile ride takes 4 hours 40 minutes, including stops for fuel and to adjust the differential. The largely unrestored quadricycle is on permanent display at UKTC.

2024

The Bear 650, Royal Enfield’s new retro road scrambler, is launched in California. The Bear is named in honour of the Big Bear Run, America’s largest and most famous desert race, won by 16-year-old Eddie Mulder on a 500 Bullet in 1960. Eddie was the guest speaker at its launch.

2024

The new Flying Flea EV is previewed at EICMA. Its striking design sublimely reimagines the original Flying Flea of the 1940s. Along with fast charging and an impressive range, it is loaded with cutting edge technology that enables thousands of different ride mode combinations, blending economy and comfort with sheer enjoyment.

2024

The Goan Classic 350 is launched at Motoverse. Using the same J platform as the Meteor and Classic 350, the Goan has easy-going, retro bobber styling accentuated by mid ape handlebars, whitewall tyres and vibrant colour schemes. All LED lights and edge-type aluminium tubeless spoked wheels are firsts on a Royal Enfield 350.

2025

The Scram 440 is unveiled at Motoverse 2024. Tuned for play, it features a bored out 440cc LS 411 long-stroke engine, 6-speed gearbox, alloy wheels with tubeless tyres and LED headlights. What hasn’t changed is its character - a fun-packed ADV cross-over that works in all environments.

2025

Ride Interlagos. Over 1,400 Royal Enfield motorcycles ride the hallowed curves of Brazil’s famous Interlagos race circuit in Sao Paolo. It sets a new record for the largest massed ride of Royal Enfield motorcycles in one location to date.

2025

Royal Enfield sells over one million motorcycles in a single year for the first time. Standing proud as the leaders in the middle-size motorcycle segment, it is now present in 67 countries with manufacturing facilities across six international locations.

2025

The Royal Enfield Cheyyar plant opens with an all-women assembly line for chrome plating and buffing. As part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to building a more inclusive and gender-diverse workforce, it is destined to become its first manufacturing facility managed and operated entirely by women.