2021 marks 120 years of Royal Enfield and their passion to deliver a pure motorcycling experience. To commemorate this milestone, several initiatives will be held across the globe to celebrate the legacy and the journey of motorcycling with riding enthusiasts and communities.
From humble beginnings at its Redditch factory in 1901, Royal Enfield, the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, has been a preserver of the legacy of building simple, pared-down, authentic classic motorcycles.
Holding true to an uncomplicated design philosophy that propounds purposeful longevity, Royal Enfield has spent more than a century traversing some of the toughest terrains in the world and creating memorable experiences and legendary tales.
Continuing its journey of encouraging and kickstarting the active, lifelong pursuit of exploration, Royal Enfield is gearing up to celebrate 120 years of being fiercely unique, riding ahead with undeterred grit and resilience and building pure motorcycling culture.
Not only has the brand built products which have played an integral role in people’s lives over decades, but have also been instrumental in building a culture around riding.
“120 years is a long legacy for the brand, and we are very happy to have made it count,” Siddhartha Lal, managing director of Eicher Motors said.
“Royal Enfield is not just a motorcycle brand, it is a symbol of resilience and exploration and has been able to build a thriving culture of leisure riding around the world,” he added.
“Through these years we have endeavoured to stay authentic to our roots, continued to remain unique and distinctive, established a genre of leisure motorcycling that is accessible, inclusive, and absolutely enjoyable, and stayed relevant through the decades.”
Royal Enfield has a rich cultural heritage which transcends international boundaries. These timeless motorcycles have stood the test of time and help create many motorcycling records and memories.
One of the prime examples is Winifred Wells, a motorcycling pioneer, and Royal Enfield legend. In 1950, she rode a 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet from Perth to Sydney and back – covering more than 8,850km in just 22 days.
Less than two years later, accompanied by her father, Winifred then circumnavigated the entire Australian continent, covering almost 16,093km in 65 days, battling temperatures of up to 44 degrees celcius.
“It is a proud moment to achieve this milestone of 120 years of unbroken legacy. Not many brands have stood the test of time and enjoyed the privilege of journeying for over a century,” Royal Enfield’s head of international business for APAC, Vimal Sumbly said.
“We are fortunate to have the support, endorsement and encouragement of our customers, partners, and most importantly, of our riding community,” he added.
“It is their journeys and adventures that has made this brand legendary. This year in the APAC region, we will have a host of engaging activities for our communities as an ode to their support that have made us reach this remarkable milestone.”
Riding through two world wars, surviving near shutdown in 1967 and 1977 and emerging victorious in rides that have tested the endurance of man and machine, Royal Enfield has remained relevant and desirable through the ages.
Today a leading global player in the middleweight motorcycle segment (250cc – 750cc) with an ambition to grow and expand that market, a strong and diverse product portfolio and more than ten million riding enthusiasts across the world, Royal Enfield is 120 years old and only just getting started.
