5 Things Every Motorcycle Enthusiast Should Know About Royal Enfield – SlashGear

Royal Enfield has a lengthy history in the motorcycle space. The brand has existed in some form since 1891, when Bob Walker Smith and Albert Eadie purchased a needle manufacturing company that had recently transitioned into producing bicycles. Alongside many other early motorcycle brands, bikes were a common endeavor.

Bike production was just one of the brand’s focal points, however. The operation began manufacturing precision components for the Royal Small Arms Factory in 1893, contributing to English rifle manufacturing in Enfield. The next year, they renamed their bicycles Royal Enfields, and affixed a new trade slogan that would remain central in the company’s marketing to this day: “Made Like a Gun.”

The company later worked on motorized bicycle designs, and in 1898, Bob Walker Smith developed a quadricycle. The vehicle was designed with two bicycle frames, and was powered by a 1.5 horsepower De Dion engine. Finally, in 1901, a distinguishable Royal Enfield motorcycle is born. The motorbike was powered by another 1.5 horsepower engine, and made its debut at London’s Stanley Cycle Show. The bike was operated with the help of the front-mounted engine and a rawhide belt to drive the rear wheel.

The date of this design places Royal Enfield as the longest producing motorcycle company in the entire world. In 1909, the bike would see a substantial upgrade with the inclusion of a V-twin engine, and in 1914, a two-stroke powerplant would grace the bike’s frame.