Royal Enfield: The Postwar Models

Learn More Discover books, learn about writers, and more. ROYAL ENFIELD THE POSTWAR MODELS The 125, 150, 250, 350, 500, 700, 750 Singles and Twins: 'Made like a gun' is the slogan most often quoted for the Royal Enfield motorcycle. The company used it for years, incorporating it with a drawing of a small field gun as their trademark. The truth is that it meant what it said - Enfields were 'standard' unglamourous machines, but built with quality in mind and a job to do. Somewhere between a BSA on the one hand and a Velocette on the other. Another sales line, in fact the one used to head up the front cover illustration when it was used back in 1954, was 'There's inbuilt Quality throughout the Royal Enfield range...' No fuss, nothing too clever, just the 'universal' postwar British motorcycle. Today the Enfield has a large and strong enthusiast following, a reflection perhaps of that special position the bikes had during the 1950s and 1960s. Postwar the bikes sold readily throughout the world, principally because they could offer a large range, from 125 'pop-pop' to the lusty 500 or larger twin, which could be tailored to special ordering. The fact that the 1955 350 Bullet is still made in India today illustrates the point. The company should never have ceased manufacture for they were often enterprising enough to maintain their market, showing off their versatility with their many models. No one dislikes an Enfield! All the postwar REs are here analysed as never before with a multitude of photographs (most of which are previously unseen) and a long but easy to read specification section designed for the collector, restorer or just the avid British motorcycle lover.