| The pride of British manufacturing | | | | Flea could be dropped from an aircraft |
| companies, Royal Enfield has established | | | | along with the troops provided a means |
| a reputation that dates back to the mid | | | | of motorized battlefield transport not |
| 1800's. Like many early manufacturers | | | | previously available. |
| of personal transportation, founder | | | | The Royal Enfield line even included a |
| George Townsend focus on producing parts | | | | version of the famous red-painted Indian |
| for existing bicycle designs, and by | | | | motorcycles, after the company acquired |
| 1893 was producing and selling complete | | | | the brand name rights. The RE Indians |
| bicycles under the Enfield name. It | | | | were discontinued in the 1960's. |
| wasn't long before Townsend turned the | | | | Intense competition from Japanese |
| name Enfield and its slogan "built like | | | | motorcycle producers during the 1960's |
| a gun" into household words across Great | | | | and 1970's meant the Royal Enfield |
| Britain. | | | | needed bikes that could match the speed |
| The most endearing product introduction | | | | and performance of the Asian bikes. The |
| by Royal Enfield has to be the Bullet. | | | | answer was the Interceptor line of |
| With a single-cylinder, 4 stroke engine, | | | | extremely fast motorcycles, with a top |
| the 1933 Bullet sported a dramatic front | | | | speed of over 105 miles per hour and |
| to rear rake making for truly classic | | | | able to cover the quarter mile in les |
| line. World War II brought a | | | | than 14 seconds. Sadly, production |
| one-of-a-kind bike from Enfield, the | | | | could not keep up with demand, and the |
| Flying Flea. Complete with its own | | | | Interceptor became the last of the |
| parachute and packing cage, the Flying | | | | Enfield line to be produced in England. |