Not too long ago when people heard and saw the loud, thumping 'Bullet' on the road, they were rest assured that it was either an army or police officer or simply the 'macho ' in town riding in with authority . But not anymore. The new generation is increasingly falling in love with the motorbike's retro style.
So how did the Bullet vroom back into the spotlight?
Says Bullet buff Satish Bopanna, who works for a public sector company: "Earlier , the bike was so heavy that it needed a person with big built and mechanical skills to kickstart and manoeuvre it on the road, especially when stuck in traffic. But that's no longer the case." Bopanna owns a Classic 350.
Makers Royal Enfield, according to him, tasted much success after they developed elegant and modish lighter machines with a right-side footed brake pedal and gearshift with left side, besides an easy self-start .
This makeover turned the tide in favour of the 119-yearold company, which was on the brink of bankruptcy a decade ago. It has been swiftly selling its new avatars in Karnataka in the past two years on the strength of its new wider handlebars design, refurbished engines, mileage and reducing emissions.
Gen Y is only too happy with this. "Earlier, I used to hate the machine because it was too heavy and difficult to handle. I was happy riding Japanese bikes for 10 years, but recently got to ride the new Thunderbird 350. I fell in love with it and now proudly own one," says Vasudev Prasad, a bank executive.
For many enthusiasts, owning one was no easy ride either. "I grew up hoping to own a Bullet but could afford one only when I reached 40, when I recently bought the Classic 500," says Avinash Sarathy, who runs a food outlet at RT Nagar.
The girls love them too. N Gowri, a longtime Royal Enfield enthusiast, is a proud owner of 2010 model STD 350: "I just love riding this bike. When I was in college I use to ride my father's old Enfield which has left gear shift. With the new one, it took time to adjust to the right foot gear shift, but I was amazed by its performance and lighter weight," she says.
Company officials, too, vouch for it. "From an average monthly sale of 257 bikes in 2010, Royal Enfield volumes in Karnataka have shot to 883 till September this year," says Shaji Koshy, senior VP. The newly launched Thunderbird 500 and upcoming Cafe Racer (legend model) are expected to further boost the Enfield market in India.
Making of an icon
Royal Enfield originally built motorcycles to be parachuted into enemy territory by British forces during the Second World War. The classic styling and trademark thumping of its engine at full throttle drew lot of fans worldwide.
It rolled out its first motorized bike in 1901 and entered the Indian market in 1949. When Royal Enfield stopped making bikes in Britain in 1970, India's Eicher Motors bought it in 1994.
