Royal Enfield Motorcycle

The Enfield Company was established in
England in 1890 and was almost a part of the
government. They not only manufactured
motorcycles, but also lawnmowers, stationary
engines for commercial use, plus weapons. The
British Army was supplied in both World Wars
by the Enfield Company. The Enfield .303 rifle
was the standard issue for the British Tommy
in both World Wars. Enfield also made field artillery
for the government. They originally started with
bicycles. Their lightweight bikes were the rage
in England and carried the logo, "Made Like A
Gun,..Goes Like A Bullet." Enfield's first motorcycle
came along in 1899 when the company clamped
a Minerva two-cycle engine to the frame of a
bicycle. It was such a sensation that over half of
the bicycle plant was now devoted to making
'motorized bikes'. The first sidecar model came
along in 1912 and in 1914 Enfield began to supply
not only England but Russia with motorcycles. Since
they were imported to another country, the models
were called "Royal Enfield" for the first time. Enfield
was a major supplier of bikes in World War I, sending
motorcycles to England, Russia, Belgium, and Holland.
These wartime bikes were outfitted with a sidecar
featuring a Vickers machine gun. The unit was powered
by a 425cc air-cooled engine. In 1928 Royal Enfield
became the first company to incorporate a center-
spring girder in the front fork. This would come to be
called a 'Springer Front End'. Royal Enfield did a lot
better than most in the Great Depression due to their
government contracts and large reserve of capitol.
The two co-founders of the company died within 18
months of each other..Albert Eddie in 1932 and R.W.
Smith in 1933. World War II found Royal Enfield to be
the dominant supplier of motorcycles to the Allied
Nations with five different models, including the "Flying
Flea" which could be dropped with airborne units.
All during the 1950's and 60's Royal Enfield enjoyed
good sales in the U.S.A. with their 250cc engine and
five speed transmission models. The Japanese invasion
of bikes in the late 1960's hurt Royal Enfield, as it
did most British bikes. In 1968 an American model Royal
Enfield went through a drag strip and turned 105 mph in
less than 13 seconds. Some Royal Enfields had been
manufactured in India as early as 1959 for police and
military use in that country. In 1970 the English plant
produced its last Royal Enfield motorcycle and the plant
in India is still in operation. Royal Enfield is the only
motorcycle company to have made motorcycles in
three different centuries.