Above and top right: The Flying Flea was deployed to WWII soldier in its own special-made crates via parachutes. It was lightweight enough for soldiers to pick it up and carry it over obstacles. Below right: The 1932 Bullet.
II, British motorcycle manufacturers, along with many other businesses, were tasked with supplying machines for the war efforts, Royal Enfield included among them. Out of these, the most enduring story comes from a little 126cc motorcycle that came to be known as the Flying Flea.
World War II required deployment into enemy territory, where troops often encountered gunfire. Getting transportation to soldiers in these areas was an issue that needed solving. Some attempts involved bicycles strapped to the chests of parachuters, as well as parachuting in crated motorcycles to be put together on the ground, but these strategies were far from perfect. The final solution to getting transportation to soldiers in enemy territory actually came from the enemy itself.
In the 1930s, German motorcycle manufacturer DKW sold small 2- strokes all over the world, and its Dutch importer was Stokvis & Zonen. However, Stokvis & Zonen was Jewish- owned, so in the late 1930s, it lost the license to sell German motorcycles. Stokvis & Zonen, which also sold Royal Enfields, sent a
DKW RT100 to Royal Enfield and asked the company to make something like it. Using the DKW as a reference, Royal Enfield reverse- engineered it and increased engine capacity to create the Royal Baby. Once war broke out, this little motorcycle was renamed the War Department Model RE( WD / RE) and put to use by the British military. This machine was parachuted down in a crate and was already fully assembled – soldiers needed only to lift the lightweight bike out of the crate and twist the handlebar into place to have a fully functioning, ready- toride motorcycle. The Flying Flea was used extensively during D- Day, as well as Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne assault in history. Even after the war, the Flying Flea lived on in the hands of civilians who were looking for a fuel- efficient and affordable mode of transportation.
ROYAL ENFIELD MOVES TO INDIA
After the brand’ s move to India in the 1950s, the Bullet continued on as the go- to motorcycle, remaining in the lineup
Left: 1948 International Six Days Trials Royal Enfield team. Right: Bullet 350s being assembled in 1957 at the Royal Enfield factory in Tiruvottiyur, Chennai. The factory opened in 1956.
RIDERMAGAZINE. COM / OCTOBER 2026 / 43