Royal Enfield grew under Eicher banner

Eicher Motors is Royal Enfield's parent corporation.

 It's a familiar story, how Royal Enfield was saved by a young and visionary Siddhartha Lal. Not long out of school, the young man took on the challenge of pulling the motorcycle maker out of its doldrums and, eventually, raising it to become a successful international enterprise.

It's a cliché, but I guess you could say he was born to do it.

Siddhartha's father Vikram Lal was leader of Royal Enfield's corporate parent, Eicher Motors.

Vikram's father, Man Mohan Lal, had founded a business called Goodearth in 1948, to import and sell  tractors in India. In 1958 it joined with a German firm, named Eicher, to manufacture tractors, eventually achieving full India content.

Today, India's Eicher Motors makes commercial vehicles. But it is best known to consumers for the remarkable success of its Royal Enfield motorcycles

Royal Enfield began making motorcycles  in 1901 in Redditch, England. In 1955 the British company and Madras Motors, of India, created Enfield India. Enfield India would assemble and eventually entirely produce the Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle in India.

Royal Enfield went out of business in the UK in 1970, but Enfield India production of the Bullet, still largely in its 1955 form, continued.

Eicher gradually acquired the Enfield India business in the early 1990s, by which time the original 1955 Bullet was severely outmoded.

Although something of a cult product in India, and appreciated by fans of vintage motorcycles, its survival was hardly likely.

We have the generations of Lals to thank for taking over and continuing production of the Royal Enfields we ride today.

Eicher and the Lal family have a bigger story, however.

I recently came across a short article in India's Financial Express that briefly touches on Siddhartha, Vickram, Vickram's wife Anita, and their daughter Simran. It's a story of a family's enterprise, creativity and philanthropy.

You'll find an even more complete version of Eicher's history in this article on the Forbes India website.

On Eicher's own own website is a list of its corporate landmarks. Here are some of highlights:

1948 Goodearth Company set up to sell and service imported tractors.

1952-'57 Goodearth Company imported and sold about 1,500 tractors in India.

1958 Eicher Tractor Corporation of India Ltd. incorporated.

1959 First indigenous Eicher tractor built.

1965-'75 100 per cent "Indiagenization" achieved in Eicher Tractors.

1980 Eicher Goodearth Ltd. name adopted.

1990 Eicher Goodearth buys 26 per cent equity stake in Enfield India Ltd.

1993 Eicher acquires majority stake in Enfield India (60 per cent equity shareholding).

1994 Enfield India Ltd. changed its name to Royal Enfield Motors Ltd.

2005 Eicher Motors Ltd. has disinvested the businesses of tractors and engines to TAFE Motors & Tractors Ltd.

2013 Royal Enfield opens second manufacturing facility in Oragadam. In September, 2013, Royal Enfield globally launches the Continental GT 535cc café racer in London, UK.

2015 Royal Enfield acquires erstwhile collaborators Harris Performance of the U.K., a motorcycle engineering and design firm, to enhance its engineering and product design capabilities.

2015 Royal Enfield sets up its first direct distribution subsidiary outside India, in North America. Royal Enfield North America is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis.

2016 Royal Enfield debuts its first purpose-built adventure tourer motorcycle, the Himalayan.

2017 Royal Enfield moves into its state-of-the-art Tech Centre at Leicestershire, UK to design and develop new motorcycle platforms for the global market.

2018 Royal Enfield launches its first air-cooled parallel twin cylinder motorcycles in 50 years, the  Continental GT 650 and Interceptor INT 650 for the international and domestic market.

Royal Enfield: Brit brand, made in India

Royal Enfield brand originated in England, but they're now made in India. 

 What do you say when a seller in Wisconsin, U.S.A. lists his 2018 Royal Enfield for sale, and notes that its color is Silver, its Engine Size is 500cc, and its "Brand Origin" is England. 

All true! 

Except... that's possibly not the impression he means to give. Suspicion arises is that he intends to suggest that the motorcycle was actually MADE in England. 

Some buyers, we know, will attach value to such a claim. More historic. More original. Higher quality; they hope. 

Even if unintentional, the seller's implication (that "brand" equals "place of manufacture") is a trap for the uninformed. 

Americans who watch the ads for Royal Enfield motorcycles are accustomed to encountering claims that Royal Enfields made in India were "made in England." 

Some of the sellers may in fact just not know that Royal Enfields were not made in England after the 1970 model year, and were subsequently made only in India. They may not realize that, even before 1970, a great number of Royal Enfields were being made in India. 

This probably was case for a different seller, this one in California, who claimed his 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet (with an India-style license plate) was "All original British built." 

He also claimed that it was a 1968 Royal Enfield Bullet, although the accompanying photographs suggest it was made much later, in India. Perhaps the paperwork the seller received when he bought it was bogus (it is easier and cheaper to import a vintage motorcycle than a newer one).

He may have been a victim of a phony sales job and innocently passes the misinformation along.

Knowing the year a Royal Enfield motorcycle was produced can help determine where it was built, whether in England or India.

In particular, after 1995, Royal Enfields officially imported into the U.S. (ALL of them by then made in India) should bear standard VIN numbers.

The 10th position in the VIN tells you the model year. These repeat, so you need some idea of the decade the motorcycle was built. Here's a list that covers the years up to 2036.

For bikes without VIN numbers there is some room for confusion. Here's why:

The earliest Royal Enfields "made" in India were manufactured in Britain, and imported as "Completely Knocked Down" (CKD) kits for local assembly. India gradually developed the ability to manufacture the motorcycle itself, continuing to use some parts made in Britain and elsewhere for some time.

But the curtain falls around 1967, when Royal Enfield in Britain discontinues the sales of Bullet-style single cylinder motorcycles (the big twin-cylinder Interceptor types carried on into 1970). By 1968, the Bullets were being made only in India.

If I am correct that the advertised "1968" motorcycle up for sale is an even later model (based on photographic evidence), there is no way it was built in Britain. Certainly it is not "all original British built."

So what is a careful seller, or cautious buyer, to do? The answer is simple, thanks to the generosity of a Royal Enfield  authority in the UK.

If you would like to know how old a vintage Royal Enfield is just email the frame and engine numbers to Graham Scarth at Graham.Scarth01@gmail.com

Graham has made a study of the numbers stamped into Royal Enfields by factories in the UK and India. He is happy to be of assistance in this matter to all Royal Enfield owners wherever they reside (be sure to thank him). Note that you may be asked to provide photos of the number stampings, along with one of the complete machine. Graham does not charge for this service.

Looking at the photo in the ad, Graham had his own opinion of the motorcycle's age. He wrote:

"The engine has no fins around the cast-in breather which means very late 1989 or 1990 at the oldest. It does not have the raised pad for the engine number stamping so early 1997 at the newest."

One of the photos in ad for supposed 1968 Royal Enfield Bullet.

It's still a valuable motorcycle, and a Brit-styled one at that, very, very similar in important ways to Royal Enfield Bullets made in Britain circa 1955. Just let's get the place and year of birth correct.

How the Royal Enfield brand keeps the magic going

Scene from Royal Enfield video "Astral Ride" on YouTube.

Blogger Jorge Pullin recently pointed to a YouTube presentation that explains the power of the Royal Enfield brand.

"The Enduring Magic of Royal Enfield: Understanding the Mojo of the Brand" was the topic of Royal Enfield brand manager Shubhranshu Singh's presentation at the Great Lifestyle Brands conference in India recently.

You can watch his entire talk on YouTube, but it's 40 minutes long.

Here is a quick summary, not that he needs help from me in explaining, but I'll take a few shortcuts to save time.

Singh begins with this:

"Things endure because they're relevant at each stage of their evolution. It's not like they are enduring simply because my grandfather still thinks that Royal Enfield is a cool brand and they make great bikes. It's because millions of consumers today — the ones who are intending to buy — also think it's relevant for them."

I take from that he means that while Royal Enfield clearly honors its heritage, as its decidedly retro-styled products attest, it doesn't ride on heritage alone.

He quoted Siddhartha Lal's 2005 statement, "We will put the world under the spell of a new order of motorcycling from a brand that continues to transcend time."

Critically, that was before the introduction of the modern Unit Constructed Engine and the new Classic 500 that together made Royal Enfield a roaring success in India and a player in motorcycling around the world.

Yet Lal's 2005 statement remains a guiding principle, Singh said.

It's not that nothing about the product changes. A brand that does one thing and one thing only risks consumer fatigue, Singh warned. But a brand that can be many things to many people over time can endure.

What does stay the same is this:

"There is an unwavering nature in the way in which the brand conducts its business," Singh said.

And what is that?

"So, for Royal Enfield, it is a feeling. It is a sense of passion," he said.

He goes on to say that it is also "a sense of belonging to a tribe." If you're riding a Royal Enfield and you see someone else riding a Royal Enfield, you feel "he's my kind of guy."

That may be true in India, where Royal Enfield has a long, uninterrupted history (almost as long being built in India as in Great Britain) and fantastic sales. But that sense of community, augmented by long-standing mass events in India such as Ridermania, doesn't much exist yet in the United States or anywhere else outside India.

That's OK. Royal Enfield will work to "create culture" around its brand everywhere, Singh said.

"So you take things at your slow and easy pace, you focus on doing few things but doing them very deep, and you try to build culture. So my submission would be that almost every brand can make an ad, most brands can do a reasonable job at marketing, very very few brands in the world can create culture from scratch."

Later in the talk Singh mentions that this could be as simple as having a weekend ride at a dealership — perhaps just a few riders merely going out to breakfast. From this comes a bond, increased interest and, for a few, commitment.

He was on firmer ground, still, I think when he emphasized this principle:

"No boundaries; which means everybody's welcome. It's an 'inclusivist brand,'  there is no exclusion, there is no platinum grade rider and life behind the velvet rope and you're not eligible because you've not clocked 30,000 kilometers, nothing like that."

"Pure motorcycling," gets mentioned, of course, by which Royal Enfield always means "authentic; not being plasticky; not being — you know — talking about features alone; it's not about compelling you to do something, it's about motivating you to do something. So it's always a 'pull' orientation rather than bombarding you with commercial-seeking messages."

"When others are zagging we would like to zig and when others are zigging we would like to zag, and that's also provided a lot of distinction to the brand. For instance, even today, as a motorcycle, we are naked, we are metallic, we are heavier, we are not necessarily the fastest motorcycle, we are not the most tech laden," he said.

Others can do those things, he said. There's no need to join them.

If you have the time, it's worth watching the full 40 minutes to get a full sense of why Royal Enfield does the things it does. But, even if you don't, take just a few seconds to watch this excerpt, in which Singh concluded with a tribute he didn't expect his boss Siddhartha Lal, would ever see.

Royal Enfield global brands manager Shubhranshu Singh

Royal Enfield's "head of global brands," effective immediately, is Mumbai marketing guru Shubhranshu Singh.

He could be a pivotal choice for Royal Enfield's future in lands outside India.

Royal Enfield, a powerhouse brand in India, is fondly remembered in Britain, vaguely remembered in Canada and Australia and little remembered in the United States and most everywhere else.

Singh has put his thoughts about marketing into guest columns for exchange4media.com

These make interesting reading. One is entitled "India has no global brands of any consequence." (There are global Indian businesses, but no global Indian brands, he writes.)

So what? Well, he points out, global brands can withstand the shock of economic crisis in any one country, and have the strength to ride out even international downturns. There's also the fact that, whatever you think of them, "they rule consumer minds."

Obviously it is an advantage to be a global brand and Royal Enfield ought to strive to become one.

Why is it that India has no great global brands of its own although India owns a variety of signature "Western" brands (Jaguar Land Rover), makes a lot of what goes into Western products, and possesses enormous marketing and Information Technology muscle?

"Western brands and the Empire came hand in hand," Singh writes. "They were the products of a mass production world enabled by the Industrial Revolution and fostered through the rise of affluence, media and literacy in Europe and America."

He doesn't mention it but, of course, the name "Royal Enfield" tells you everything. Royal Enfield rode into India at a time the newly independent nation needed motorcycles and Britain, a familiar supplier, had just the motorcycle it wanted.

Now India has Royal Enfield and deep devotion to it; how can it become the motorcycle the world knows and wants?

Singh effectively lays out the necessary steps, in reverse, when he explains why Indians are "not a brand building people." Turning these around, they are:

Brand stature is not about immediate profit.

Brand sensibility must be the concern of the entire organization, not just the marketing department.

Brand building demands discipline and persistence.

Brand appeal to global customers requires building awareness and trust.

Sounds great.

And there's something else Singh mentions that strikes me as interesting.

With globalization, does it even matter where a brand is "from"? Does it matter that my iPhone is "Designed in America" when it is made in China? By extension, does it even matter that a Royal Enfield is a "Brit style" motorcycle when it is made in India?

Singh says it does matter.

"The irony is that the more we globalize, the more the rootedness and urge to belong becomes stronger."

Within India, Royal Enfield is tremendously active in marking itself as an Indian brand. It sponsors massive events for riders, and its newest motorcycle in the marketplace, the Himalayan, was introduced in Delhi in 2016.

Yet, even as its sales in India exploded in recent years, Royal Enfield has sought to emphasize its long ties to Britain.

The Continental GT cafe racer, a style of motorcycle especially British, was introduced to the world at Brooklands race track in 2013. Royal Enfield honored the British dispatch riders of World War II at the prestigious Goodwood Revival in 2014. It opened its new technical facility at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in 2015.

In April, 2018 Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal personally showed Britain's Prince William the coming Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor, on display at an economic conference at Westminster.

In May, a limited edition Pegasus model was introduced at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, with a background of British military equipment and soldiers.

As head of global brands for Royal Enfield, Singh could continue to shape Royal Enfield as an Indian brand in India, but a legacy British brand in the world. Or he could take a new road.

Royal Enfield hires designer Pierre Terblanche

Royal Enfield brings on Pierre Terblanche.
(Photo from Twisting Asphalt.)

Royal Enfield has engaged the services of Pierre Terblanche, a South African widely considered "one of the most influential motorcycle designers in the world today."

Rather a surprising move from a company that hasn't found the need to change the basic look of its most iconic products since — actually? — at least 1955.

Most famous for his designs at Ducati, Terblanche is responsible for motorcycles that look to me to be nothing at all like any Royal Enfield marketed so far.

Here's a short YouTube video of Terblanche discussing one of his Ducati designs. Never mind the motorcycle. Watch the way he strokes the motorcycle with his hand as he speaks.

This is a person who cares about design. He obviously hasn't joined Royal Enfield to reinterpret the glories of its 1949 model.

And Royal Enfield hasn't hired him to turn back the clock. Here's the quote from Siddhartha Lal, managing director and CEO of parent company Eicher Motors Ltd.:

"I am very excited that Pierre Terblanche has recently joined our team; he is one of the most prolific industrial designers for motorcycles, and is best known for having created some extra-ordinary motorcycles as the head of design for Ducati for over a decade."

The key words there are probably "extra-ordinary." On Twitter Lal referred to Terblanche as "the motorcycle design genius of our generation."

The BikeEXIF interview with Pierre Terblanche is three years old, but it is revealing and it is the link Lal provided on his Twitter feed.  It may provide a further clue to what Lal is thinking Terblanche can bring to Royal Enfield.

My favorite part is Terblanche's reply to a critic under "Comments."

"You have to remember that I am a designer and that we are notoriously romantic."

I like that.

I also liked his passing reference to the classic (and often beautiful) fighter planes of World War II.

"I like Spitfires. Not as much as the Mustang P-51 or the P-38. But it's nice."

Is Royal Enfield bringing back the old Bullet? Not yet

My 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet, how I love it.

An Internet story recently reported that Royal Enfield has gone back to producing motorcycles that shift on the right side, as Brit-style motorcycles did in times past.

It's not true. New Royal Enfields shift on the left, the international standard. But there are some who wouldn't have minded if the story had been true. These same fans of the brand would like the iron barrel back, too, and the separate gearbox with neutral finder.

No Unit Constructed Engine (UCE) and front disk brake for them.

The topic of the good old days vs. compromise with modern times was intelligently explored in 2012 on the Ace Performance Bullets Yahoo Group.

"Kris" opened the conversation with this:

"It surprises me that there seems to be an interest for the new UCE Enfield in the West. I can understand in India, where the choice of bikes is sparse. But why would one buy a UCE Enfield in the West? It is no longer an Enfield, but a totally new design. It does not have at all the feel that one gets when driving a real classic engine. On the other hand, it is much poorer quality than modern bikes. Why not buy just a good Japanese bike instead?"

My own answer:

"Kris, I am far less qualified than others on this forum to respond, except to point out that any motor vehicle purchase past an economy car is an emotional purchase. I have a 1999 Bullet and love it, but my test runs on a new C5 UCE definitely made me feel that the company hasn't 'lost' it.

"It's still a single-cylineder, pushrod, slow turning, low compression motorcycle that (except for a few built without a kicker) I can kick start. Still slow enough to encourage me to stay off the Interstate. Upright seating... well, it goes on an on. My point is, the Bullet is still the fastest way back to 1955 you can buy in America with a warranty. If that is the trip you have planned, it's the best choice."

Kris asked why Royal Enfield didn't just modify the Bullet "with soul" to meet emission requirements, without making it modern. His guess:

"There are no enthusiasts there, just a bunch of old guys trying to make money."

And make money they do, as the new UCE Royal Enfields have proven immensely popular in India.

"Vivek" wrote a long post explaining how, with modern touches and vastly reduced maintenance, the UCE hit a sweet spot in the market. "That means they are doing something right, in terms of getting customers."

"Rattan" rejected the argument that "if it sells it must be good."

"I love the Enfield Bullet for what it  stands for," he wrote. "An Iron Dinosaur that made it through the Ice Age. And going by the current prices for the 'standard' Bullet in the used bike market in India, I believe a significant number of enthusiasts agree."

Vivek, in fact, is one of those.

"Someday when Royal Enfield is rich enough, I hope they bring back the old school Enfield, but that's a long shot. My strategy is to get rich and acquire as many of those as it would take to ride out my life. As long as I have a frame and a crankcase, I'm all set!"

Royal Enfield's new logo is Liked and Unliked

Royal Enfield's new brand logo swirls in a new direction.

Royal Enfield introduced its new logo and branding May 9 to anguished howls from traditionalists, especially in India. The company's Facebook page was treated to screen after screen of criticism like this:

"Bad bad news. We love you for what you kept, not for so call innovations. Plus the new logo is just ugly!"

"Old British charm has gone."

And one fan noted the irony that the announcement of the new logo on the Royal Enfield website was presented against a backdrop of the old — and preferred — tank badge.

Many seem to prefer the old logo (left).

There were thousands of Facebook "Likes" as well, but it's safe to say that people in general dislike change. Blogger Jorge Pullin investigated and found that the old logo had been in use at least as far back as 1923.

Outside India, a different sort of reaction might be expected — or feared. I suggested that the new logo was a way of saying that Royal Enfield is a "proud product of India."

"Glad my bike has the classic Royal Enfield graphics; this new look is not Western taste in my mind," was one comment on my Facebook page.

But Aaron Toma, also commenting on Facebook, dismissed the notion that the new logo only caters to India.

"The old logo is just as 'Indian' as it is 'British' if you ask me. Sixty years in India and it's an icon."

The company itself wasn't replying to criticism, but others spoke out for the new look.

New Royal Enfield badges.

"What we see when we look at the new Royal Enfield brand is PROGRESS!" responded Royal Enfield of Fort Worth.

"They are keeping up with the times and making a huge push to claim their place in the biker world — especially here in the U.S. This new image they have taken on is showing the others that we're ready to take on this modern world with our vintage ride. Royal Enfield said it best: 'Our logo is now fresher, more vibrant and contemporary, while rigidly holding on to its British-motorcycling roots.'"

And there is the future to think of.

"I am really excited to see the new branding for Royal Enfield," said Ignacio Catral of Catral Doyle Creative Co. The Milwaukee design firm supports Royal Enfield marketing efforts in the U.S.

The new monogram may become the most familiar element.

"I think it does a great job modernizing the logo and brand elements. I think it will make the brand more approachable to a younger audience while still retaining some of the flavor of the original. I specially like the new monogram and the resurgence of the Made Like a Gun crest. I am looking forward to seeing it on the new bikes."

They're still "Made Like A Gun."

Is a Royal Enfield better than just an Enfield?

I was confused when a member of the Royal Enfield Yahoo group asked this question:

"Would like to find out what is different in terms of mechanical and price of Royal Enfield and Enfield. I own an Enfield instead of Royal Enfield. But friend said it is of less value and mechanicals are so much different than Royal Enfield. Please advise."

I (wrongly) assumed that he was asking if the words "Royal Enfield" on the tank make a motorcycle more desirable than one with just "Enfield" on the tank.

I certainly don't consider my 1999 "Enfield" Bullet automatically less valuable just because, the very next year, the Bullet began being imported to the U.S. labelled as a "Royal Enfield."

The question is much — much — more complicated than that, as other members of the Yahoo group realized. The answer doesn't (necessarily) have  much at all to do with the name on the tank. At various points, the factory in India has used the name "Enfield" and "Royal Enfield."

Here's the real issue: the very early Bullets in India had a great deal of British content in them. Some people  consider these earlier machines more desirable than the all-Indian motorcycles that came later.

Graham Scarth, chairman of the UK Royal Enfield Owners Club, gave members of the Yahoo Group a capsule history. And he added more detail in an email to me. In sum:

"...Separate Madras Motors from Enfield India as they are two completely different companies, even though the owners of Madras Motors were part of the Enfield India set up.

"Madras Motors received complete finished motorcycles from Redditch (England), with the ledgers showing their last batch of 50 bikes as dispatched in early June, 1956.

"Enfield India started receiving the Bullet in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kit form from mid July 1956 onwards.

"At first, Enfield India assembled the 350cc Bullet from complete kits of parts supplied by the UK factory. These machines are to the 1954 UK specification, with the machines sent to Madras Motors in 1955 and early 1956 having a different frame.

"Over subsequent years, Enfield India begin to make the components themselves until the bike is of entirely Indian manufacture. I do not know the exact year of this complete 'independence,' but it is not as early as commonly believed.

"Whilst the UK built bikes used Imperial bearings throughout production, the Enfield India factory changed to metric ones in the engine in 1974. I would assume the gearbox changed at the same time, but cannot confirm this. I do not know when the change took place for the wheels.

"The Madras (now Chennai) factory continued to trade as Enfield India until they were taken over by Eicher Industries in the early 1990s. Eicher changed the name to Royal Enfield."

Member David Hill added that "During the period of concurrent production (1955-1962) Redditch carried out some retooling and redesign and regearing which were never adopted by the Indian version. Thus the Indian Bullet remained essentially the 1955 frame and 1960 engine."

There were changes made in Chennai as well. Tom Lyons of Ace Engineering explained that "In the 500 models, the Indian-made cylinder heads have a larger inlet port than the UK-made Bullet had. The Indian-made cams have different valve timing. The Indian made engine has a different carb and manifold. Later Indian-made Bullets have many metric threaded fasteners. Most of the parts are interchangeable, but there are some differences."

So are the British cams better than Indian cams? Lyons answered: "It depends on the ports." Aftermarket parts are available that could be better than either, he wrote.

OK. So how to answer the original question? Are those early Bullets from India more valuable than later Bullets from India?

There is no doubt that many think so, although 50 years of maintenance and restoration to any one motorcycle would surely have reduced the distinction by now.

Was this Royal Enfield once more British than Indian?

As an illustration, consider the veteran Royal Enfield Bullet pictured here, which is for sale on CraigsList in Durham, N.C.

The seller describes it as a "British made 1965 Royal Enfield Bullet 350. Rebuilt in India with some Indian-made parts."

Its appearance, with the Indian style front license plate and modern looking turn signals, suggests it did service in India, and may be newer than 1965. However, the front and rear fenders look like they could be British designed.

Does that make it more desirable? Perhaps once it was. It now "needs some tinkering to start."

The New York Times notes growth of Royal Enfield

The new Continental GT takes Royal Enfield to the world.

The New York Times business page last week lavished attention on Royal Enfield in an article entitled "A Cult Motorcycle From India Takes On The World."

Samanth Subramanian, a New Delhi-based writer, noted the explosive growth of Royal Enfield production and sales in India, and added:

"The company is now looking to push harder into British and American markets, hoping to follow in the wake of other Indian motor vehicle manufacturers that have competed hard with overseas brands even as their peers in other industries have struggled."

That sentence seems to be the only one omitted from the article when it was picked up from the New York Times News Service by The Times of India.

Perhaps The Times of India editors just wanted to get more swiftly to the following paragraph. In it, Royal Enfield boss Siddhartha Lal described the new Continental GT cafe racer as "the first bike that we've developed keeping the world market in mind."

Or maybe the Indian editors considered talk of exports still preliminary. The article quoted Lal as saying that, last year, Royal Enfield exported 3,500 motorcycles, of which 600 went to America, its biggest overseas market.

These are small numbers compared to the quarter-million motorcycles the article predicts Royal Enfield will build in 2014.

One-time U.S. dealer Dan Holmes of Goshen, Ind. told The New York Times about his early days selling Royal Enfield Bullets after they were re-introduced here in 1995.

In 2003, his best year, Holmes sold 35, the article states. No longer a dealer, Holmes long ago took his love for the Bullet to the Bonneville Salt Flats to attempt to pursue speed records instead of sales records.

In preparing his article, Subramanian interviewed me about Royal Enfield's prospects in the U.S. I wasn't quoted in the article but, on the phone with him, I described the situation as I experience it here in Florida: I rarely see another Royal Enfield on the road.

Rather than going for mass rides together, U.S. Bulleteers typically meet only in online forums, I said.

The Continental GT's broad appeal — and attention from The New York Times — could help change that.

Subramanian, who told me his home town is Chennai — headquarters of Royal Enfield India — obviously understands the status of the Bullet in India.

It's " a cult product for enthusiasts who love it for its vintage feel as much as for the thrum of its engine," he wrote.

But when he asked me how I first learned about the Bullet, I described how, already into middle age, I read about it in my local newspaper!

Royal Enfield to grow in India and elsewhere, CEO says

Siddhartha Lal rolls the first Royal Enfield off the line at new factory in April.

Part discussion of Royal Enfield motorcycles, part restaurant review, India's Business Standard reported Aug. 23 on its lunch with Siddhartha Lal, CEO of Eicher Motors, builders of Royal Enfields (and big trucks) in India.

As usual, the confident and optimistic Lal impressed his interviewers with his youthful attitude (he's 40) and grasp of his business.

The Royal Enfield motorcycle business is fantastic: "50 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue and much more in profitability," Lal told the Business Standard. (Eicher's truck business has slowed, with the market.)

The Business Standard interviewers wanted to know where Royal Enfield goes from here. This is where it gets interesting for a reader outside India.

First, Lal predicted that Royal Enfield will continue to grow in India.

"Motorcycles are the core of personal transportation in India and it will grow as people grow more affluent and move up from cycles," he said. Royal Enfield will offer these buyers an "evocative" mid-size motorcycle with a proud brand name they can enjoy even when not commuting.

Meanwhile, in countries where motorcycles are a leisure activity (the U.S., etc.) buyers are no longer as rich as they used to be.

"There is space for interesting, brand-led, evocative mid-size bikes. That's what we want to build," Lal told the Business Standard.

The Business Standard said Lal used the word "quirky" to describe the existing export market for Royal Enfield motorcycles.

That's an amusing term but probably accurate. Royal Enfield buyers in the U.S. likely know the history of motorcycles and appreciate the styling and "quirky" mechanical habits of British motorcycles of the 1960s.

Can Royal Enfield move beyond that (count me in) quirky market, selling "mid-size bikes" that are at the bottom edge of Interstate capability?

There's lots more in the Business Standard article. See if you can read between the lines as the interviewers attempt to draw out their subject on the Eicher partnership with Polaris and other matters.

U.S. is biggest but Royal Enfield eyes other export markets

The U.S. is Royal Enfield's largest export market, at about 600 motorcycles, The Times of India reports.

It quotes Siddhartha Lal, chief of Eicher Motors Ltd., parent company of Royal Enfield in India.

The article states that Royal Enfield exported 3,500 motorcycles out of a total combined sales of 113,000 last fiscal year. Obviously, the company would like to increase overseas sales.

"We have absolutely tremendous global ambitions Lal says in the accompanying Times of India video.

A note to Americans watching the video: "Lakh" is a common term for 100,000 in India.

"With our new plant in Oragadam near Chennai we have the possibility of scaling up our total production to 500,000 units a year, so we have no dearth of capacity," Lal is quoted in The Times article.

He said the company would even consider local production if a market such as Brazil required it.

"There are interesting mid-size motorcycle markets in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America — countries which are a bit like India," he said.

His comments suggest that he's thinking of growth in places Royal Enfield's 500cc Bullets would serve well, not the expressway strewn North America and European markets.

Royal Enfield motorcycle sales roaring: in India

Did you see the amazing mass of Royal Enfield motors
at the Chennai factory in the Vita Brevis Films video?

Future historians of Royal Enfield may view our time as a crisis for the company as it struggles to meet demand for  motorcycles in its home market, India. Customers there have to wait as long as 14 months for their new Royal Enfields, the Indian financial web site Dalal Street reports.

Will future authors mourn that sales opportunities were missed? Or will the new factory at Oragadam, to open in March, come to the rescue in time, boosting production by 50 percent?

This a crisis corporations elsewhere in the world must dream about. Except for the occasional long lines at Apple Stores, Americans mostly don't line up to buy consumer items unless prodded with low prices.

Supply seems to meet demand, even in the case of Royal Enfield motorcycles. U.S. dealers are advertising Royal Enfield Bullets, for immediate delivery.

In fact, if you watch the ads, there are some nice bargains out there on barely used "demonstrators."

There is no comparison, of course. Motorcycle sales in the U.S. are steady, but Dalal Street says the Indian market for motorcycles above 250cc "grew by 73.5 per cent."

"Royal Enfield, due to a loyal customer base, fan following, niche positioning and pricing (lower than Harley Davidson and Triumph), has managed to see massive growth in demand," Dalal Street writes.

It's hard to beat those attributes.

Dalal Street provided a chart of Royal Enfield sales in recent years. The numbers are impressive.

Year	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012 (est)
Sales	36,786	43,298	51,955	52,576	74,626	100,000
Growth (%)		17.70	19.99	1.20	41.94	34.00

New chief executive officer to head Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield's new CEO is Balakrishnan Govindarajan,  India's business press is reporting. He takes over from Venki Padmanabhan, who becomes head of new initiatives for Royal Enfield's parent corporation, Eicher Motors, Ltd.

As senior vice president for industry, Govindarajan was one of three executives who, with Padmanabhan, ran Royal Enfield, The Economic Times  reported in 2011.

A special responsibility of his has been preparing the new 50-acre factory in Oragadam near Chennai, intended to help meet the surging demand for Royal Enfield motorcycles.

He was previously head of operations for Suzlon Energy Ltd., one of the world's leading manufacturers of wind turbines. It appears that he was with Royal Enfield as general manager of operations from 2001-2005 before joining Suzlon.

He has a BE degree from Annamalai University, in Tamil Nadu, India, which he attended from 1985-'89.

This report is pieced together from information found on the Internet. A report in The Hindu refers to Govindarajan's new title as "Chief Operating Officer."

Royal Enfield has done well in its home market of India. Aside from unparalleled sales growth, it recently announced two new models and a line of branded riding clothing and equipment.

Royal Enfield CEO keeps it interesting on Twitter

@VenkiWithAnI

Royal Enfield CEO Dr. Venki Padmanabhan finds time away from introducing new Royal Enfield models to maintain an active life on Twitter. He's well worth following, at @VenkiWithAnI

He sometimes banters about Royal Enfield matters but more typically takes note of items he finds interesting, from "12 New Year's Resolutions for Happier Families" to "4 lessons in leadership from Honest Abe."

Those lessons from Abraham Lincoln are particularly interesting ones for a CEO. Two of the four are "Look for inspiration in unlikely places," and "Connect with people on a personal level." These may be factors in explaining what a busy executive is doing on Twitter.

Reckless Rockers weave through traffic in vintage video.

Dr. Venki recently tweeted a link to this YouTube video, a period newsreel item on Britain's "Ton-Up Boys" of the 1960s. It's a fascinating look at the leather clad youngsters whose interest in fast, agile motorcycles was propelling Britain's motorcycle industry to world leadership.

Behind the faux disapproval of the  voice over is a clear recognition that youth, danger, sex appeal and horsepower are good for business. We see factory workers crating multi-cylinder British bikes for export.

Britain's motorcycle industry provides powerful products to the world.

On its face, the "Look at Life" film short "Behind the Ton-Up Boys" presents another side to the reckless rockers who weave through traffic on powerful motorcycles and often "pose a menace."

They are decent people, the film reveals, proud of their machines, anxious to help others and even attend church (at the famous 59 Club).

Leather clad Rockers are cool, and so are their bikes.

I didn't spot any Royal Enfields among the many great motorcycles, but I am sure they are there.

The video is well worth viewing. Thanks, Dr. Venki, for pointing it out.

Royal Enfield makes it easy to become enchanted

Royal Enfield CEO Dr. Venki Padmanabhan.

Wheels Unplugged, an automotive news source based in India, posted an outstanding Q-and-A interview with Royal Enfield CEO Dr. Venki Padmanabhan, by Anamit Sen.

The CEO neatly summarizes the complete transition to the Unit Constructed Engine (UCE) in 2010 and predicts an outstanding sales year in 2011. Outstanding in India, that is. Exports account for only 5 per cent of sales, he says, split among 30 different countries!

What I like about Dr. Padmanabhan's statements is his appreciation of the history of Royal Enfield: its defeat by the Japanese in Britain, the long but bumpy road in India, and the turnaround engineered by the Eicher brand.

"Royal Enfield is an aspirational motorcycle brand in India, and a 'Romantic British' brand in the rest of the world. In my opinion, we occupy a clear niche and mean to make it fantastically easy for people to find us, ride us, and enjoy a life of leisure," he says.

I particularly like the headline of the article: "All are welcome to be enchanted." That sums up the appeal of Royal Enfield for me.

Recommended reading.

Royal Enfield's new factory will bring new awareness

Royal Enfield will build a new plant near Chennai, India capable of building 150,000 motorcycles a year once it is completed in 2013.

The announcement is the natural sequel to the ongoing story of Royal Enfield's inability to meet surging demand in India. Even with the present factory turning out 70,000 motorcycles a year, customers in India can wait seven months to get the Royal Enfield they've ordered.

A modern factory naturally implies improved products. In addition, CEO Dr. Venki Padmanabhan apparently encouraged The Hindu to speculate that, with economies of scale at the new factory, Royal Enfield could "pack more value into the vehicles, perhaps more than the competition."

The results would be motorcycles that appeal to a wider audience, world wide.

Royal Enfield made its announcement July 12. It's too soon to guess when some of that increased production will begin to muscle into the U.S. market.

However, it is apparent that the once simple story of Royal Enfield as "the motorcycle they just forgot to stop making" is over. This quaint little tale was always something of a fantasy. Royal Enfield was well known in India. It's just that nobody outside India was paying attention.

Now, with a new factory and growing respect for India in every aspect of the world economy, U.S. customers will expect Royal Enfield to take its place among better known brands.

Someday, Royal Enfield owners here will look back on the years before 2013 with nostalgia. We'll remember the days when other motorists would yell "An Enfield? What's that?"

Royal Enfield offers great online magazine

If you're interested in Royal Enfield motorcycles, you already know that the company maintains a magnificent website. Royal Enfield executive Praveen P. Sathaye emailed me recently to point out one aspect of it, the online magazine, The Beat.

It's the equivalent of a glossy magazine for Royal Enfield fans and owners. The photography it contains is stunning. You can download it here.

The latest edition is devoted to the rides Royal Enfield sponsors in India, which are truly spectacular events. Looking at the ice and snow, the vast sweep of deserts and the massed motorcyclists on the road engenders some wanderlust, I admit.

But — realistically — I am not going there anytime soon.

One article points out that these rides to the farthest stretches of the imagination prove that the Royal Enfield is "not just a commuter motorcycle."

Very true. But let's not ignore the daily triumph (sorry) of the commuter.

In India, commuting to work by motorcycle is no cause for comment. Millions do. In the United States, motorcycle commuters are a tiny minority. Those who commute by Royal Enfield, as I did, are still more rare.

Commuting by Royal Enfield was always a source of pride for me. I proved that the old Royal Enfield Bullet was reliable enough for daily use, would run in any rain or heat, and was fast enough for many U.S. roads (not all!).

I also learned to carry a spare clutch cable. But, for 40,000 miles, I had no other mechanical difficulty.

Commuting was a daily Odyssey of sorts, although probably not worth a magazine article, certainly not in India!

Video proof that dogs hate motorcycles

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a dog chasing a motorcycle actually caught it? What would the dog do with the motorcycle? Here is video evidence of what would happen.

Is it that dogs hate motorcycles? Or do they actually enjoy the sound? This video was posted on YouTube by Bantujatt of India and shows his dog and his Royal Enfield Bullet Machismo.