Photo by Allison Parker Photo by Allison Parker
Building Project Origin was no easy task. Without blueprints or a surviving example, the engineers had to rely on historical photos and articles to get an idea of what the 1901 motorcycle was probably like.
wheel and sprocket, reducing wear on the chain and transmission. Cush drive also popularized chain drive in place of belt drive, and it is still in use on Royal Enfield motorcycles today. Swinging arm rear suspension is another example of a Royal Enfield innovation with continued relevance. The brand was the first to put this technology into production, and while it might seem odd to us today,
it was not well- received on its introduction. It was Royal Enfield’ s success in trials competitions, using the swinging arm rear suspension, that allowed the technology to grow in popularity.
The company’ s focus on trials riding in the 1930s through the 1950s also set the stage for what would become the longest- running production motorcycle model in the world, and the most
Royal Enfield started making motorcycles in Redditch, England. This photo is from the Redditch factory in the 1920s.
important piece to our puzzle of answering the question of how Royal Enfield was able to keep going for 125 years. The Bullet was launched in 1932 during the Great Depression, a time when people were desperate for economical transportation. The Bullet’ s versatility made it a popular choice, as it could handle not only competitive riding but also the needs of the ordinary owner.
The 1948 Bullet is what changed the game for Royal Enfield. It was well- loved for its go- anywhere capabilities, and the Indian Army took note, ordering 500 Bullet 350s during the Kashmiri War in 1951. The Indian Army needed a motorcycle that was reliable and could handle the rough off- road conditions near its northern borders, and the Bullet fit those requirements perfectly. But once the war ended and a new republic took shape, the new government imposed import restrictions, preventing Royal Enfield from selling its bikes in India. The solution was a partnership with Madras Motors to produce Royal Enfield motorcycles in Chennai, India, starting in 1956. Royal Enfield’ s enduring success can be directly linked to this first partnership in India, which allowed the brand to continue on in a new market that many others were blocked from.
The Bullet was not the first or only Royal Enfield motorcycle to find military use. During both World War I and
42 / OCTOBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM