Modern History of the Royal
The Royal Enfield Bullet, in its present form, was first introduced
in Britain in 1949 as a 350cc bike. It incorporated an innovative design
element: swing arm suspension. This feature along with its extremely
strong single cylinder engine allowed it to excel as a trials bike. The
500cc model was introduced in Britain during the 1950's, winning hundreds
of races. This brought the Bullet international recognition and orders came
into the factory in Redditch, England from all over the world.
In 1954 the Indian government placed an order for 800 Bullets for "immediate
service" on the Pakistani border. This order placed an incredible
burden on the factory, but it was met. The Bullet proved very successful
in India, and the government placed orders for 1955 and 1956 of a similar
magnitude. This caused the home factory to make the decision to set up
a factory in India.
an Indian partner was found and trainees were
sent to Redditch to learn the production methods.
At first, knock down units were shipped to Madras
where they were assembled. By 1956 a full factory
had been established in India and the Enfield
India, Ltd. began producing the Enfield Bullet
in its entirety. In India they produced the machine
they had been trained to make, the 1955 Bullet.
They made the same bike in 1955, 1966, 1976,
1986, and 2006! The demand for this great
old motorcycle has never stopped. Every year they
have produced over 30,000 motorcycles, all a 1955
The Bullet is made today in the same manner
it was in 1955. However over the years improved
metallurgy, modern machining methods and the passage
of time has produced stronger, more durable parts,
making the Bullet superior, in some ways to the
same bike made in 1955.
the kicker: you can also get a Bullet with a sidecar!