The Bullet is an iconic retro bike with plenty of character that’s well-suited to city streets as well as highway driving. With its distinct road presence, you’re sure to stand out in traffic.
Royal Enfield first produced its Bullet in 1931 – nearly 91 years ago! Since then, production has moved to India where they continue manufacturing today.
Engine
After World War II, Royal Enfield sought to expand their markets, and found success in India. Kit importation of their Bullet was initiated and production at Tiruvottiyur was started shortly afterwards – these Indian-made bikes being nearly identical to those produced at Redditch, England.
Indian’s motorcycles quickly gained widespread acceptance, and by 1960 they had established themselves as major competitors on the motorcycle market. Later, Eicher purchased it.
Eicher-owned company continued production of traditional Bullets while simultaneously undertaking a development program designed to modernise them. As part of this change, they introduced what became known as the unit construction (UC) engine. This included an integrated five-speed gearbox on the left side of crankshaft that could be found both domestically and exported models; unfortunately many prospective buyers found its lack of sound ‘unsatisfying.
Design
Mehmet Doruk Erdem created this custom-made bullet bike to emulate land speed bikes found on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Featuring carbon fiber fork and aluminum frame construction, its weight is lighter than most road bikes making it easy to navigate while coming with various paint shades including Desert Storm and Squadron Blue to further personalize it.
The first bullets were created in 1931 using rigid frames with telescopic front forks. Although simple in design, they proved highly reliable during World War II for British troops.
After World War II, Bullet’s profitability declined until 1949 when a large order from India’s army saw them make a turnaround and return into business. They began producing civilian motorcycles there with their original name; later modernizing the design with an Austrian all-alloy engine sporting an alternate camshaft which failed miserably due to consumers not liking its sound as much.
Safety
Bullet bike riders should always wear a helmet, as it will help protect their head in case of an accident. Though helmets cannot stop bullets from hitting, they can reduce impact force by dissipating energy more evenly, helping prevent serious injury or death to their riders.
Another key safety precaution for owners of bullet bikes is regularly checking fuel levels to prevent going beyond reserve levels. Furthermore, pressure cleaning your bike once a month and lubricating cables and chains will keep the bike running smoothly and help prevent engine and component damage.
No matter the purpose, customizing their bullet bike may include making modifications such as adding horns and high-powered lights – however these changes must be installed safely or else they could lead to fire hazards or short circuits, leading the bike into flames!
Performance
The Bullet’s 27.5-hp engine makes for an enjoyable ride on city streets or occasional highway trips, though if you need to stay ahead of traffic this might not be your bike of choice; it takes 12.6 seconds to hit 60 mph, making it hard for soccer moms on their way to pilates class to pass you by.
Although its styling may be outdated and its single-seat design uninspiring, the Bullet is actually an impressively quick and smooth ride on the road. It handles tight turns well while remaining manageable when fully loaded; furthermore, its relatively light weight makes maneuverability easy even with full loads.
The Bullet Bike is a small drifting/inside drifting vehicle found in Mario Kart Wii alongside other vehicles like Gravity Racer, Mach Bike and Flame Runner. Its appearance is inspired by World War II-era British bike called Royal Enfield; as a result it is the only vehicle without Mario’s emblem displayed prominently on it.