Return of the Royal Enfield

After missing from our shores for the last 60 years due to war, the Royal Enfield is back. Still built like a gun but this time with some modern bits to make it even better. The local distributor, SNH Bumi Corporation Sdn Bhd, is bringing in all the bikes available from the Royal Enfield Classic range - the 350 and 500 Classic - with prices ranging from RM25,888 to 39,888, all CBU from India.

The evergreen 350 Classic comes in red, sky blue and black, whereas the 500 Classic range comes in sleek royal maroon and black, both of which are chrome-finished. There are also the Limited Edition Desert Storm and Military Green units, the former comes in tan and the latter in green; both colours inspired by the post-war era, a time when Royal Enfield bikes were of service to soldiers. The models are also very customisable with kits available for various looks, including a cafe racer kit.

“Although we have not made any official announcement, we already received much interest in the bikes,” said Fadil Ali, SNH Bumi Corporation sales consultant.

“Unlike others in the market, which are modern bikes with retro looks, the Royal Enfield is a true classic with a few modern parts added on such as fuel injection and disc brakes. And these bikes are built tough, designed to be able to even go offroad like what some enthusiasts do every year when they get together for the Himalaya ride.”

Fadil said that SNH Bumi Corporation will employ dealers nationwide for both sales and maintenance of the bikes when it launches the bikes locally.

The Enfield Cycle Company made motorcycles, bicycles, lawn mowers and stationary engines under the name Royal Enfield out of its works based at Redditch, Worcestershire in England in the beginning. The legacy of weapons manufacture is reflected in the logo comprising the cannon and the motto "Made like a gun". Use of the brand name Royal Enfield was licensed by the Crown in 1890.

At the time of the outbreak of World War I, Royal Enfield supplied consignments of its 6 HP sidecar outfitted motorcycles with stretchers to the Crown. This same motorcycle also came with a Vickers machine gun side car attachment which could also be turned skywards and used against low flying aircraft. Royal Enfield supplied large numbers of motorcycles to the British War Department and also won a motorcycle contract from the Imperial Russian Government.
During World War II, like other manufacturers of that time, Royal Enfield was also called upon by the British authorities to develop and manufacture military motorcycles.

The models produced for the military were the WD/C 350cc SV, WD/CO 350cc OHV, WD/D 250cc SV, WD/G 350cc OHV and WD/L 570cc SV. One of the most well-known Enfields was the Royal Enfield WD/RE, known as the Flying Flea, a lightweight 125cc motorcycle designed to be dropped by parachute with airborne troops.

After the war, the factory continued manufacturing the models that it had developed and the legendary J2 model appeared, which went on to be the ancestor of the legendary Bullet.

The same motorcycle perhaps had the honour of being the one with the longest production run in the world.
Although the company stopped producing bikes in England in the 1960s, the bikes are now still being built in India under contract.

For more information, call the Big Bike Shop at 03-8944 9822.

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