Royal Enfield produced its first motorcycle in 1901, and last year 50,000 machines rolled off the production line at its factory in Chennai (formerly Madras) in Southern Indian.  

  

The survival of this historic British marque is thanks to a lucky twist of fate.  Back in 1949 Royal Enfield opened a satellite operation in Madras to manufacture its 350cc Bullet model for the Indian armed forces.  When the UK factory closed its doors in 1967, the Indian plant continued to produce these classic British bikes, which had achieved cult status in India by that time.  Following its acquisition in 1995 by the Eicher Group, a significant player in the Indian automobile industry with a gross sales turnover of $424 million, Royal Enfield has benefited from significant investment in new plant, machinery and models; the company recently announced plans to invest $13.8 million in order to double its motorcycle manufacturing capacity to meet demand. 

For European customers the introduction of a new fuel-injected engine in 2009 has made the Bullet far more accessible.  Introduced to comply with tough European emissions regulations, the all-new 499cc engine retains the original unit’s bore and stroke of 84mm x 90mm, giving it the essential character of the ‘British single’ from which it has evolved, but with electronic fuel injection by Keihin of Japan and a 5-speed gearbox for modern levels of reliability.   Power output is 28 BHP in standard form and with 41.3 Nm of torque at 4000rpm the motor pulls cleanly from low revs. Tested under Euro 3 conditions the engine returns just under 80 mpg, which means an impressive tank range of 200 miles before switching to reserve.  A catalytic converter is cunningly concealed inside the traditional-looking silencer, while a new 7-plate clutch makes the 5-speed gearbox light and easy to use.


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We are situated on the A16 in the village of Stickney in Lincolnshire. Stickney is approximately half way between Boston and Spilsby, being about 6 miles from each. Our postal address is:

F. Tempest & Sons,
Main Road, Stickney,
Boston,
Lincolnshire.
PE22 8AA.

Tel: 01205 480252
Fax: 01205 480545

E-mail: info@tempests.co.uk