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Royal Enfield Singapore shows that a soulful motorcycle can also be affordable

CarBuyer Team
02/03/2023

Royal Enfield brings heritage, engineering, and proper soulful motorcycling to riders in Singapore thanks to surprising affordability


SINGAPORE 

Old school is now cool. Cassettes and LPs in the music world, reissue sneakers in fashion – and classic-looking bikes in the world of motorcycles. But how do you get the smoke show on the road in an age of inflation, super-high COEs, and other barriers to ownership?

Here’s a brand that’s reliable, modern, and fun, and still has soul built in – more than 120 years of it – and is mega-affordable: Royal Enfield. Read on to find out how it makes something that cannot be bought, affordable. 


Watch the video version of this story here as Derryn and Luke walk you through Royal Enfield’s history and range of bikes in Singapore

Soul Survivor

Any manufacturer can make a classic-looking motorcycle, but there’s a big difference between just ape-ing the appearance, and making a proper soulful machine. It’s like what we see in the car world, with machines like the Volkswagen Golf or Porsche 911: there’s a clear line of heritage – and clear reasons why these brands and designs persist. If we define soul by the depth of history, then the British-Indian motorcycling brand, Royal Enfield, could be the most soulful bike brand in the world. To prove it, here are five facts.

The Rumble about Royal Enfield 

Fact #1: Royal Enfield’s history spans 131 years
Founders R.W. Smith and Albert Eadie took over a bicycle company and supplied precision parts to the Royal Enfield Small Arms Factory in Enfield, Middlesex, England in 1891. Eventually, it became a success alongside BSA, Vincent, and other UK motorcycle makers of the time.

Fact #2: Royal Enfield’s first motorcycle was produced 121 years ago, in 1901.
Royal Enfield’s first motorcycle was produced 121 years ago, in 1901. That’s just 16 years after the first motorcycle in the world, and two years before another influential motorcycle brand from the USA. 


Royal Enfield Project Origin recreates the brand’s very first motorcycle

Fact #3: The Royal Enfield Bullet has the longest production run of any motorcycle – ever.
The Bullet is the motorcycle Royal Enfield is best known for and was first produced in 1931. It has remained in production since 1948, which makes it one of the longest-produced vehicles – not just motorcycles – in history. How’s that for pure heritage?

Fact #4:  Royal Enfield has been established in India for decades
RE is an Indian company now, but its Asia history began in the late 1950s when India decided to adopt the Bullet for its border patrols. A factory was set up with lots of the original tooling ported over so Royal Enfield India’s origins are a direct translation – almost literally – of its British past. 

Fact #5: Royal Enfield may be a brand with lots of heritage, but it’s well-prepared for the future.
A long history doesn’t equate to a great brand. RE is fully aware of that, which is why it invests heavily in technology: Modern platforms, a range of modern engines, safety tech, and more. 

The Bikes 

Over the past decade, it’s revamped and modernised its production, technology, and its motorcycle lineup. Now, the brand offers more than just classic-souled bikes, but anything from stylish urban rides to globe-trotting adventure tourers.

In Singapore, Royal Enfield offers owners a three-year warranty and full-service support – so you can own a bike full of old-school spirit, but also one that avoids the pitfalls of real classic ownership. 

And get this: Royal Enfield has also kept its bikes mega-affordable in an age where some brands are charging obscene prices to cash in on retro/reissue fever. The most expensive bike in the local RE range, the 650cc Interceptor, costs less than S$28,000 with a COE. That sort of value is simply hard – if not impossible – to find anywhere else. 

350cc

Royal Enfield Classic 350 Reborn

A bike that really embodies the Royal Enfield brand, is the Classic 350 Reborn. 

Paying homage to the original Enfield, the Bullet, the 350’s single-cylinder engine delivers smooth characterful power. It’s also light and agile, and perfect for Singapore’s roads.

It’s the sort of bike that never loses its appeal thanks to its timeless styling, but it’s also suitable for a wide range of riders because of the tech underneath, with modern chassis and suspension, and dual channel ABS. 

411cc

The adventure/off-road influenced 411 range offers more low-end grunt and oomph, which is great for punchy performance on the road, and tractable power off it – good, since the 411s have been designed to bring you off the beaten track. 

Royal Enfield Scram

The Scrambler 411 is for riders who’ll spend more time on the road, with some light off-roading. It mixes classic scrambler style with Royal Enfield’s modern design language and even throws in useful smartphone-connected tech. 

Royal Enfield Himalayan

The Himalayan 411 adventure touring motorcycle is built to handle almost any sort of journey, whatever the distance or the terrain. Royal Enfield uses the Himlayan in its annual customer rides near the Himalayas, where the bikes tough it out on some of the world’s most scenic – and basic – roads. 

650cc

At the top of the RE range lie the 650cc class of bikes, which are perfect for those who want more oomph on the road, thanks to the parallel twin 650cc engine and modern running chassis.

Interceptor

The Interceptor pays tribute to British big twins of the 1950s, with a neutral, comfortable riding position, clean lines, and a wide range of talents for touring to commuting. 

Continental GT

Injecting a little more rock n’ roll is the cafe racer-styled 650, the Continental GT, with its contoured tank, clip-on handlebars, and sporty riding position. From nose to tail, it looks every bit like a pared-back, go-faster machine from the 1960s.

Visit Royal Enfield Singapore today to see the bikes, test ride them, and maybe even walk away with a piece of soulful motoring



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Classic 350 Reborn continental gt Himalayan Interceptor motorcycle Royal Enfield Scram 411

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CarBuyer Team

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