The Royal Enfield Bullet is likely one of the most exceptional bikes in historical past. Launched in 1931, it was powered by a 350cc single-cylinder engine and stayed true to the RE slogan, ‘Made Like A Gun’, a slogan derived from the time when Royal Enfield made, effectively, weapons! In 1949, the third technology of Bullet was launched an that’s the mannequin that we all know so effectively at this time. The Indian Army ordered so many of those that the corporate determined to open a manufacturing facility in Madras, India, to assemble kits despatched out from England.

By the Sixties, Royal Enfield was in hassle and the UK manufacturing facility closed in 1967, with the Bullet’s manufacturing ceased in 1962. But that didn’t have an effect on the Enfield India operation and, from that day to this, the Bullet has been a mainstay of the manufacturing facility, promoting in enormous numbers in India and slowly gaining a robust following worldwide. Even although it stays largely unchanged in primary idea, there have been many variations on the theme, and listed below are ten of one of the best.

11 1932 Royal Enfield Bullet

Royal Enfield started in 1851, manufacturing first stitching needles and, later, bicycles. Its first bike got here in 1901. For the primary thirty years of bike manufacturing, RE produced many alternative fashions, powered by single and twin-cylinder engines. But, in 1932, the primary Bullet mannequin appeared, powered by both a 350cc or a 500cc single-cylinder engine, the cylinder being angled ahead, after the style of the day.

The cylinder head featured twin exhaust ports and the gearbox had a foot gear change, a relative novelty on the time. The 500cc mannequin would attain a claimed 100mph, with exceptional smoothness. There was no rear suspension, so insulating the rider from bumps was a sprung leather-based seat, a characteristic that’s nonetheless seen on some modern-day RE fashions.

Key Highlights

• Four valves per cylinder weren’t widespread on pre-war bikes, however the Bullet had this characteristic
• In 1933, a 250cc Bullet was launched, however it bought poorly compared to the 350 and 500cc variations
• The valve springs and stems have been uncovered on early fashions, which wasn’t superb for put on

10 1949 Royal Enfield Bullet

This is the place the Bullet we all know at this time first emerged from the manufacturing facility. The cylinder was moved to a vertical place on the engine and featured an alloy head and better compression than its earlier iteration. The largest change, nevertheless, was to the body, which featured rear suspension within the type of a swing arm and twin, non-adjustable shock absorbers with inner springs.

At the entrance, there was a model new telescopic fork of Royal Enfield’s personal design, topped by a Triumph-like headlamp nacelle incorporating the speedometer. The four-speed gearbox featured a singular neutral-finding lever, which allowed impartial to be chosen irrespective of which gear you have been in when coming to a cease. The Indian Army ordered a major variety of items for border patrol duties, prompting the manufacturing facility to open a manufacturing facility in India to assemble kits despatched out from England. Soon, this manufacturing facility began producing full bikes underneath license.

Key Highlights

• For the primary time, due to the brand new rear suspension, a brand new twin-seat could possibly be fitted
• RE Bullets received Gold Medals on the 1948 International Six Days Trial
• By 1955, Enfield India was producing over 20,000 Bullets yearly

9 1977 Royal Enfield Bullet 350

The Royal Enfield manufacturing facility closed for good in 1967, with English Bullet manufacturing having ceased in 1962. This didn’t have an effect on the Indian Enfield operation, although. In 1977, it began exporting the Enfield Bullet again into the UK. Bullets got here from India in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits, shipped in crates for the shopper to assemble themselves, like a package automobile.

Because Indian-built Enfield Bullets have been used extensively by the Indian navy and protection forces, they have been solidly constructed, powerful, and rugged, to not point out easy. Therefore, they could possibly be simply maintained and repaired by anyone with even probably the most rudimentary mechanical information. However, even India wasn’t resistant to the impact of cheaper Japanese imports, inflicting Enfield India to be bought to Eicher Motors. It purchased the rights to the Royal Enfield identify in order that the bikes may as soon as once more be known as Royal Enfield and never merely Enfield.

Key Highlights

• By the Seventies, the Bullet was wanting very old style in opposition to fashionable Japanese bikes
• Eicher Motors was a producer of tractors and business automobiles
• The new house owners made few modifications to the Bullet, other than bettering high quality

8 1984 Royal Enfield Bullet Diesel

The first instance of Royal Enfield India considering outdoors the field got here in 1984, with the introduction of a diesel-engined model of the Bullet. Diesel engines have hardly ever been used for bikes, largely as a consequence of their extreme weight. The engine was made by Italian producer Greaves Lombardini and, with solely 6.5 horsepower and 11 pound-feet of torque, it was desperately sluggish. The gas consumption was spectacular, although, with 200 miles per gallon potential. You may go a good distance on a tank of fuel. A giant drawback was vibration from the high-compression engine, to not point out thick black clouds of exhaust smoke. These emissions ultimately killed off the Bullet Diesel.

Key Highlights

• Many diesel engines are turbocharged however this was an impractical and costly answer for the diesel engine within the Bullet
• Vibrations have been so dangerous that house owners needed to test nuts and bolts nearly each day
• Top velocity was solely 40mph

7 1989 Royal Enfield Bullet 500

Up up to now, Enfield India had produced solely 350cc variations of the Bullet, regardless that the unique engine with forged iron barrels and cylinder head had been changed by an all-alloy unit. The 1989 Bullet 500 was geared toward export markets and got here in three totally different trims: Classic, Deluxe, and Superstar. The engine was a direct improvement of the 1956 500cc unit, up to date with coil ignition and alternator electrics, which have been customary tools for each single bike bought around the globe. Meanwhile, a carburettor was nonetheless used. The Bullet 500 shared a chassis, four-speed gearbox, and cycle elements with the Bullet 350. Eventually, the Bullet identify can be partially moved apart, the mannequin known as merely the Classic.

Key Highlights

• The first 500cc Indian-built model of the Bullet
• The Bullet remained old style however, by now, markets outdoors India have been waking as much as the engaging qualities of a model new ‘traditional’ bike
• Royal Enfield India correctly left the Bullet just about alone, counting on its traditional enchantment, with out updating the mannequin an excessive amount of

6 2000 Royal Enfield Bullet Deluxe

5

While Royal Enfield India had produced nothing however a ‘retro’ mannequin for the previous 40 years, the corporate noticed match on the flip of the millennium to delve into its previous for a brand new variation on the Bullet theme. The Bullet Deluxe took its fashion cues from the 1955 Bullet, full with a sprung single seat, a lot of chrome, and colourful paint finishes. Available in both 350cc and 500cc versions, the electrics have been up to date to 12-volt, though that was about it by way of updating. The suspension was nonetheless primary, the gearbox was the identical notchy unit that had been used for years, and efficiency was leisurely. But high quality and reliability have been improved as Eicher Motors invested some huge cash into element enhancements, making the Bullet a traditional that could possibly be used on daily basis.

Key Highlights

• Before the ‘new’ Triumph Bonneville got here alongside, Royal Enfield had the ‘fashionable traditional’ market all to itself
• Whereas the Bonneville was a completely fashionable bike design made to look previous, the Bullet actually was an previous design that also seemed previous
• Even although it seemed the identical, the engine was now a very new design, manufactured in aluminum.

4 2005 Royal Enfield Bullet Electra

While there are lots of house owners of traditional bikes who love the act of bodily kicking a motorbike into life utilizing a kick-starter, there stay the perils of the engine ‘kicking back’ whereas the rider’s full weight is on the lever, leading to many a sprained ankle. RE belatedly equipped the Bullet with an electric start within the mid-Nineties which, at first, was unreliable. By the mid-2000s, the system was perfected and, when accompanied by digital ignition, the Bullet was dragged kicking and screaming into the twenty first century. The kick-start lever was retained for each look and emergency-starting causes.

Key Highlights

• Royal Enfield lastly received round to transferring the gear lever to the left-hand aspect
• European fashions received a left-foot gear lever, and Indian fashions retained the right-foot gear lever
• The left-foot gear change gearbox had 5 speeds, and the suitable foot ‘field had 4 speeds

3 2007 Royal Enfield Bullet Machismo 500

If the concept of working a largely out-of-date and easy ‘classic’ bike imparted a specific amount of machismo upon the rider, then Royal Enfield made positive to capitalize on it when it launched the restricted version Machismo 500. Royal Enfield India saved up with the event of the Bullet, nevertheless, altering the gear change lever to the left-hand aspect (solely about 30 years after the remainder of the motorcycling world!) and including a fifth gear to the gearbox. Elsewhere, the Bullet 500 Machismo was precisely the identical because it at all times had been: an old style bike with traditional beauty and a particular driving expertise.

Key Highlights

• The introduction of the all-alloy engine was not well-received in India because it sounded totally different from the iron engine
• A entrance disc brake was supplied for the primary time on the Bullet (elective in India and customary tools for the remainder of the world)
• One results of the brand new aluminum engine was elevated fuel mileage

2 2012 Royal Enfield Bullet Clubman

Back within the Sixties, Royal Enfield had been one of many first factories to provide a ready-made café racer, the Continental 250 GT, to capitalize on the craze sweeping by way of younger bike riders within the UK. Witnessing the success of the trendy Triumph Thruxton 900, Royal Enfield knew {that a} modified Bullet can be the right base for a similarly-styled mannequin. A 4.5-gallon, polished aluminum fuel tank, clip-on handlebars, an upswept exhaust muffler, rear-set foot pegs, and a seat full with fiberglass cowl have been all customary inclusions, turning it right into a ‘racing’ single-seater. It seemed the enterprise whereas 27 horsepower from the 499cc single-cylinder engine gave it brisk, if not precisely quick, efficiency.

Key Highlights

• Stylish redesign to seize a slice of the nostalgia market
• The engine remained separate from the gearbox
• Relatively uncommon, so for those who discover one, purchase it!

1 2019 Royal Enfield Bullet Trials

The authentic 1949 Bullet had been very profitable in off-road kind, successful the International Six Day’s Trial and Scottish Six Day’s Trial a number of occasions and changing into a mainstay of British off-road competitors for a few years. With Royal Enfield India about to pension off the 500cc Bullet as a consequence of ever-tightening emissions and falling gross sales, what higher means than to exit with a bang and a commemorative Trials mannequin?

By this time, the all-aluminum engine and gearbox have been constructed in unit, whereas gas injection was used for the primary time in addition to ABS on each wheels. It seemed purposeful and rugged (maybe the best-looking Bullet ever?) and appeared like a a lot sought-after mannequin general. An off-road-ready Bullet; fairly positive the British forefathers did not have that of their bingo card!

Key Highlights

• Some would say one of the best Bullet
• Any semblance of off-road means was merely window-dressing
• Royal Enfield has gone from energy to energy with this lately, with a brand new journey mannequin, the Himalayan