At the time of its launch, the 700cc Meteor was Britain's largest parallel twin. Charming to ride, it was a highly capable and versatile tourer that would not exhaust its rider if ridden all day long. The Meteor was superseded by the 40bhp Super Meteor in 1956, becoming the first Royal Enfield that could hit 100mph straight off the production line.
The early 1950s were boom times for the British motorcycle industry with manufacturers competing fiercely with each other for market share. Top of the tree were parallel twin motorcycles. In this segment bigger was definitely regarded as better and 500cc twins were soon eclipsed by 650cc models..
In November 1952 Royal Enfield entered the fray, top-trumping the rest by launching Britain’s largest parallel twin, the 700cc Meteor.
1952 Earls Court Show new 700 Meteor advert.
Although this might have appeared little more than mechanical one-upmanship, introducing a 700cc capacity twin was based on sound principles. Instead of copying its competitors by designing a new 650cc engine from scratch, Royal Enfield doubled up the bore and stroke of two 350cc Bullets. This ensured that all future development work carried out of the Bullet’s piston and combustion chamber could immediately be passed on to the big twin.
The Meteor was charming to ride and, moreover, was a highly capable and versatile tourer that would not exhaust its rider if ridden all day long.
A highly favourable first road test dubbed the Meteor as ‘docile’. That description was not regarded as derogatory in those times; today we would translate that as ‘accessible’ and ‘unintimidating’. The Meteor was charming to ride and, moreover, was a highly capable and versatile tourer that would not exhaust its rider if ridden all day long. Putting out 36bhp and capable of 94mph, it was certainly no slouch and sold in large numbers around the globe.
The year 1956 saw a major redesign and the Meteor was superseded by the Super Meteor. Now all-welded, its frame had enlarged pivot lugs for the rear suspension and a large steel box that sat the whole width of the chassis, incorporating air filter, battery and toolbox. An alternator was enclosed within the alloy primary chain case and ignition was provided by a Lucas rotating magnet magneto.
1953 Tester Brian Crow with the new 700 Meteor (promotional photo).
The most noticeable change, however, was to the engine. The fins on the cylinder heads and barrels were greatly increased, 7.25:1 pistons were fitted, the inlet valves enlarged and the heads gas-flowed. In combination with an Amal 1 1/4” Monobloc carburettor, the Super Meteor delivered 40bhp.
Over the years, many Royal Enfields had been tuned to race at 100mph and beyond but the Super Meteor was the first Royal Enfield capable of hitting the ton straight off the production line.
The 1956 MotorCycle road test proclaimed: ‘Touring character… luxurious specification… performance literally on tap.’
Whether used for fast solo riding, touring, commuting or hauling a sidecar, it quickly became a firm favourite with discerning riders. Production continued until 1962.
In 2020 Royal Enfield resurrected the Meteor name. One challenge when reviving the name of a once-famous model is that the latest bearer must not only live up to the standard set by the original but must also show improvements on some of its most notable attributes. Royal Enfield’s original Meteor and Super Meteor were magnificent motorcycles whose reputations have more than stood the test of time. The new Meteor 350 cruiser, like its forefathers, carries Royal Enfield’s signature styling but also has many firsts and is set to be an equally outstanding machine for our times.