At the 1901 Stanley Cycle Show, the first Royal Enfield motor-powered cycles were showcased to the public. In November 2021, exactly 120 years later, a team of engineers from the UK and Indian Technical Centres unveiled a faithful working replica of the original 1901 motor-bicycle as a homage to our history.

Patented in 1912, and used in every Royal Enfield since 1932, the cush drive rear hub was quickly adopted by other manufacturers and significantly helped the fledgling motorcycle transition from belt to chain drive. A 109-year old giant leap that more than deserves its place in the 120 years of Royal Enfield.

The Royal Enfield team achieved outstanding successes at the legendary Brooklands 2 3/4 mile race circuit. Riding 350cc V-twins in the Open Six Hours Race of July 1913, Enfield racers E Keyte, H Greaves and H V ‘Bert’ Colver took the manufacturer’s team prize. Colver, the fastest of the three, travelled 302 miles, 1521 yards.

In 1893, founders Bob Walker Smith and Albert Eadie started using the now legendary slogan that Royal Enfield is synonymous with — Made Like A Gun. This slogan was often teamed with a visual representation of a field artillery piece or canon. Pushing the envelope, Royal Enfield actually acquired a Maxim machine gun for promotional purposes until it was seized in Ireland being mistaken for an actual weapon!

Royal Enfield 770cc V-twin sidecar outfits, equipped with Vickers machine guns and 1000 rounds of ammunition, were delivered to the British Army in December, 1914. They formed the 5th Motor Machine Gun Battery and were first pressed into service in April,1915. During the following year, the 5th saw extensive service and helped counter enemy attacks again and again.

From our earliest days, innovation was imprinted deep in Royal Enfield’s DNA. Take, for example, the inline two-stroke triple invented during the First World War, or the four-stroke four developed right after. While high costs curbed the production of these cutting-edge machines, these two excellent experiments have found their showcase - the inline four at the National Motor Museum and the two-stroke triple at the National Motorcycle Museum.

The improved roadways of the 1930s allowed motorcycles to maintain consistent high speeds, but the rapid deterioration of roller bearing big ends were a major stumbling block. At Royal Enfield’s experimental department, a breakthrough happened in the form of floating bush big end bearings. Tested to the limit at the 1935 Isle of Man Senior TT race, the floating bush ends proved their mettle and became an integral part our engines for years to come.

In 1934, Royal Enfield unveiled its first OHV motorcycles with fully enclosed and automatically lubricated valve gear - the 150cc Model T and 250cc Model S. A welcome change from manual lubrication systems where riders had to pump the oil by hand and splattered grease left its impression on the their trousers.

In the Second World War, Royal Enfield delivered the Flying Flea, an innovative motorcycle that could be airdropped by parachute behind enemy lines. Once it landed, all a paratrooper had to do was unscrew the single wing nut, lift the bike out, rotate the handlebars 90 degrees, kickstart and go… a matter of seconds!

The neutral selector made its debut on the 350cc Model G and 500cc Model J. Operated by a quick stab of the rider’s right heel, the neutral lever allowed neutral to be located effortlessly from either second, third or fourth gears, a huge bonus when riding in stop-start traffic. An innovation that was utilised right up to the final Cast Iron 350 Bullets in 2010.

The 500 Twin made its first appearance in the 1948 London Motorcycle Show. Miles ahead in comfort to its contemporaries, thanks to the same revolutionary swinging arm rear suspension as the Bullet, the 500 Twin was the genesis of a long line of iconic Royal Enfield parallel twins.

Royal Enfield’s swinging arm rear suspension was revealed in 1948 on the prototype 350 Bullet trials. Its success in competitions ensured it was then used on road-going 350 Bullets and 500 Twins, making them the first full production motorcycles to feature this design anywhere in the world. Within a few years, virtually all manufacturers had adopted this Royal Enfield design and most still use it today.