Enfield was a London-based company that first started out by making rifle parts and supplied them to the Royal Small Arms Factory in

Enfield, Middlesex, in the year 1892. To honour this contract, they named their first design of bicycles ‘Enfield’. The word ‘Royal’ was added later that year and thus ‘Royal Enfield’ was born.

Royal Enfield released their first motorcycle in 1901. It featured a 239cc engine with innovations such as a spray carburetor and battery

and coil ignition. The original design had the engine weight on the front wheel, which led to slipping when cornering; so by 1903, two other models were introduced, one with the engine clamped to the lower frame behind the front wheel and the other with the engine

under the rider. These machines proved their mettle in both World War 1 and 2.

In 1931, the Bullets we see on the streets now were born. The Indian army chose the Bullet 500 as the bike for boarder patrolling and ordered 800 of them in 1955. This production pressure led the company to open a factory in India itself, where they tied up with Madras Motors as their partners. Built under the motto ‘Built Like a Gun’, the sound of the engine and the exhaust—almost like gun-fire—is what the machine is known for.  

Here are the modern-day Enfields classified according to their engine capacities and models:

Bullet 350

The Bullet 350 features a single-cylinder twin-spark 346cc engine that produces 19.8 Bhp at 5250 rpm and 28Nm torque at 4000 rpm. This bike is not meant for performance but for easy riding, commuting and casual adventure riding. It is one of the most famous bikes in the Royal Enfield family as many prefer this model over the rest. In recent times, Royal Enfield Motors—the company’s current name—has produced models such as the Machismo, Electra (standard) and Classic. These models are installed with the same engine but have differences in terms of their looks and the seat placement.

Currently the most sought after Enfield, this is an ideal bike for daily rides.

Bullet 500

The Bullet 500 is the bigger brother of the 350. This bike is powered by a 499cc single-cylinder engine that produces 26.1 Bhp at 5100 rpm and 40.9Nm torque at 3800 rpm. This bike is preferred mostly for adventure riding as riders say that the bike is considerably easy to use over tough terrains when compared to its 350 counterpart. With a balanced centre of gravity, great power and comfortable positioning, the 500 is almost perfect for touring the diverse Nepali topography. The 500 also is the most celebrated of the lot. This bike with a rich history now comes with an efficiency-improved fuel-injected motor.

Continental GT

Royal Enfield has taken a step forward into the café racer category with its new Continental GT. This is the fastest, most powerful and the most aggressively positioned bike in the Royal Enfield lineup. This bike features a 535cc engine that produces 29.1bhp at 5100 rpm and 44Nm torque at 4000rpm.

The bike has a retro café racer styling and a punchier engine. The riding position might make it a problem for daily commuting and long-distance travelling, though. The bike comes with a single seat and a cowl, but a double-passenger seat can also be purchased separately.

Thunder Bird 350

This bike features the exact same power as the Bullet 350 but is meant for the cruiser crowd. This bike has been given ‘the cruiser treatment’, with low seats and high handle bars, making it possible for the rider to be seated in an upright, laid-back position. Body tweaks make it look quite different from the Bullet and the signature minimalist looks—based on utility—is lost. This bike was developed for highway cruising and touring. Sadly though, it hasn’t been able to get as much love from riders as the Bullet classic.

A timeless tradition

Enfields have been charting the streets of Nepal for about 40 years now, and over time, traditions have been built around it. The Himalayan Enfielders-Nepal, which might as well be the oldest biking group in the country, has been actively doing tours around Nepal India, Bhutan and Tibet.

An annual poker run event, one of the more popular events, sees bikers travelling from Kathmandu to Pokhara. During the event, a custom bike show is held, where classic bikes—mostly Enfields—are displayed. The event features all sorts of bikes, ranging from four-seater three-wheeled Bullets and ones with hand-held gear levers to diesel operated ones. This event, for more than half-a-decade, has been a platform for bike-builders and modifiers to showcase their creativity and skills.

Bike manufacturers come and go, but the Enfield—which has been the longest-running motorcycle still in production—seems to be here to stay. The Bullets are still produced in the same way they were built in the past—except for some manufacturing technology improvements and modern additions—and are one of the best two-wheelers in the country and probably in the world.

Ride safe! Happy riding!