People always say that we should learn from the past. Perhaps no other motorcycle manufacturer embodies that axiom as deeply as Royal Enfield. And it seems all the more relevant to me when I think of a number bouncing around in the past, both distant and recent - 500. It's quite the impeccable number, halfway between zero and 100, and yet it doesn't feel like a waypoint like other numbers on the side of a motorcycle. If The Proclaimers had threatened to walk 450 or 650 miles, it just wouldn't be the same, would it? And that's what led me to the two motorcycles you see here, the Bullet 500 and the 500 Twin.
Now, these motorcycles' shapes will be familiar to Indian eyes, but other than the rounded-off displacement figure these motorcycles have nothing in common except that whimsical Albion gearbox and their owner, Shivdutt Halady, whom I can easily call one of the biggest RE nuts I've ever met. The cast-iron Bullet 500 started simply as an Enfield, and was made in India from 1989 till the mid-2000s, eventually making way for the 500 LB. Meanwhile, the 500 Twin was born in Redditch with the Royal' in its name and lived from 1948 to 1958 before going on to turn into the Meteor Minor which later led to the stupendous Redditch twins. At the time, many people thought that its straightforward name was rather unremarkable, which probably swung the folks at Redditch towards the majestic-sounding names that RE uses today.
Denne historien er fra January 2024-utgaven av Motoring World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 2024-utgaven av Motoring World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sedan Sensation
Volkswagen Virtus is India's definitive choice for sedan!
PLEASANT X-FACTOR
The X3 delivers a thrilling driving experience without sacrificing comfort, making it the ideal SUV for the discerning driver
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
In the last two decades, India has seen unprecedented growth in public infrastructure. We set out to experience some of it first hand, in partnership with Mahindra and JK Tyre
THAT FAMILIAR FEELING
There's a new Swift in town. Is it a case of 'so what else is new?'
COFFEE CULTURE
Two friends head out to explore the coffee capital of India with the Nissan Magnite HRAO X-Tronic CVT
PLEASANT X-FACTOR
The X3 delivers a thrilling driving experience without sacrificing comfort, making it the ideal SUV for the discerning driver
P FOR VENDETTA
Makes sense considering that a V-Strom comes with a parallel-twin engine, right?
ONE FOR ALL
Pretty obvious thing to say about a scooter, right? Yet here we are...
GOOD COLD DAYS
Riding the new Himalayan in the new Himalayas (sort of)
A MOTHER'S EMBRACE
Volvo C40 Recharge: A safe and sustainable choice!