Royal Enfield: A Cult Beyond Petty Conventions

For the biased and the myopic, motorcycles are stupendous mechanical creatures emerged due by careful engineering. But the veracity regarding the making of these being is not bound by any limitations. Motorcycles in its true nature are an extension of human minds, backed by years of a long haul, holding the true spirit of man to excel himself in all adventitious expeditions, and finally staying close to being a part of himself as a whole.



The necessity of robust engineering as a pre requisite and groundwork for a plant to survive in the ever booming automobile industry is somewhat a fallacy. This could be easily understood when inspecting it from a sales point of view, as the overwhelming response for the cult and classics are high in its respective classes. The marvel manifested by science must certainly impact the growth and advancement of the automobile industry, and needless to say, its application and practicality are worthy to hold privilege. However, it’s extension may not always require reflecting the demand and choice of the public, inasmuch as the need for technology to empower them as a contrary.



The case with Royal Enfield; an English born Indian motorcycle manufacturer can be used extensively to support this notion. From the production of their first motorcycle in 1901 to till this day, the company pays homage to many legendary motorcycles and even survived the great depression and two world wars.

Ever since its inception to the current day, the sales figures of this motorcycle brand witnessed the significant rise in sales charts and exists among as one of the oldest motorcycle company to still be in production. But one of the serious and most sought out dilemmas of this motorcycle brand is its abstinence from modern technology. The motorcycle lineups ranging from the iconic Bullet to their new off-road bike Himalayan shows serious curtailment of build quality, while also leaving hints of retrenchment in making the array of fully metal motorcycles when the competitive market is filled with low-cost fibre beasts.



The abstinence from modern technology must act as a counterintuitive, yet these retro lineups still inspire a clan of avid motorcycle riders and fans over the globe. However, despite having these shortcomings, the motorcycles demonstrated by the company gained significant rise in popularity. The Bullet, one of the most recognized and adored pieces of true motorcycle making still inspire and holds the aesthetics and glory of the British Engineering, and stays close to the hearts of enthusiast and fans even to this day.



One of the leverages held by these motorcycles is their cult status, which can’t be matched by any entry level classic commuters around the globe. The chivalry and machismo held by the man who owns a Royal Enfield were made as an image of respect and proud, and the testimonials of these stories could be seen in Bollywood films made in India, the country which the company calls its home. The manliness and respect gave by the public for the owners of these legendary motorcycles once made the company go as far as to name one of its series of Bullet lineups as “Machismo”; one of the costliest motorcycles in the country at that period; confirming the inside pride and joy enjoyed by the manufacturer in its elite times.



Even though a Royal Enfield motorcycle attracts serious maintenance issues, oil leaks and worriment regarding critical components, the loyalty showcased by owners towards these thump makers have been bewildering and astonishing. The need for constant pampering towards this fuel gulping, loud machines made these vehicles remain as a true friend of the tenacious and the affluent while also restraining others from owning it for the same. The cost and maintenance of these harmonious thump brewing metal beasts limited its ownership and consequently gave it an extraordinary cult status and prominence attention in the society.



The hard and bull-headed character exhibited by these metal varmints made many to adopt it as an inevitable companion in their audacious expeditions. The practicality and vigour of these motorcycles witnessed the Himalayan foothills and even conquered the worlds highest motor-able pass; the Khardung La Pass. All these tales of prodigious sagas can be authenticated from both the reputed and the unrecognized lives of many and live among the souls of the novice as an unstoppable force to seek, explore and reach the true spirit of what seems to be one of the scouts of all times; the true spirit of pure motorcycle riding and the uncompromising love for motorcycles. The scraps of these enduring fury may not be a fair-minded game for the ordinary, but it is a vehemence truly hold by the bona fide.