Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle brand in the world that is still operating. The Royal Enfield brand was set-up in India in 1955, and it has been 64 years, and over the years, Royal Enfield has launched quite a few models. While the modern day line-up is extremely popular, there are a few models that were launched by the brand and are now forgotten. Here is a list of such motorcycles and two-wheelers that were launched in the past but are soon forgotten.
Royal Enfield Fury
Royal Enfield launched the Fury 175 in India in 1959. The bike was rebadged Zundapp KS175 from Germany after the company became defunct in 1984. The Fury became quite popular in India among the automobile enthusiasts because of its German connection. It came with a five-speed transmission and front disc brake from Brembo. The engine also came with a sleeveless hard chromed cylinder barrel that was a brilliant piece of engineering.
Royal Enfield Explorer 50
The Royal Enfield Explorer 50 was another rebadged bike from the Zundapp brand. It was only available for a brief period in 1980. In Germany, the bike was sold to the Mokick license holders that were meant for the 16-year olds. The bike was powered by a 50cc engine and had a 3-speed transmission.
Royal Enfield Lightning
The Royal Enfield Lightning can be termed as the spiritual predecessor of the Thunderbird. The Lightning was a cruiser bike, and the design was quite similar to the Thunderbird. However, just like the Thunderbird, the Lightning did not become as popular and was discontinued in 2003. The Lightning came with 535cc single-cylinder engine that produced a maximum of 26 Bhp and 38 Nm. It came with a 4-speed transmission, and the bike could go up to 125 km/h.
Royal Enfield Silver Plus
The Royal Enfield Silver Plus was a step-through motorcycle. It was launched in the 1980s when step-through motorcycles were gaining attention for their practicality, ease of riding and utility space. It was one of the first step-through motorcycles in India. The Silver Plus had a hand-operated cable linked gear shifter. The bike featured 65-cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine with a two-speed transmission. The step-through was manufactured with assistance from Zundapp. Later in its life-span, the Silver Plus got a three-speed transmission.
Royal Enfield Fantabulous
Royal Enfield introduced the Fantabulous to gain a share of the growing scooter market in India. Yes, Royal Enfield also made a scooter but it never became too popular in the market. A 175-cc, 2-Stroke engine powered it from Villiers and it churned out a maximum of 7.5 Bhp. It also featured a self-starter, which was a rare thing even in bikes in those days.
Royal Enfield Taurus
Royal Enfield Taurus was the only diesel-powered bike in India that went into mass production. The bike was powered by a massive 325-cc, single-cylinder that got Lambardini indirect injection. It only produced a maximum power of 6.5 Bhp and 15 Nm of peak torque. The bike could reach a top speed of 65 km/h as it was quite heavy at 196 kg. The bike featured an engine from Greaves-Lombardini and was popularly known as ‘Diesel Bullet’ among enthusiasts.
Royal Enfield Mofa
Royal Enfield entered the moped segment in India with the light-weight suspension-less 25-cc Mofa. The bike was designed in Italy by Morbidelli and was the smallest capacity motorcycle ever produced by Royal Enfield in India. The step-through got a single tube design and looked like a motorized cycle. There are only a few examples of the Mofa in India so it is quite rare to spot one here.
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