09-05-2025
Flying Flea: the motorbike from heaven
Electric cars we have all become used to. But electric motorbikes, not so much — something that one historic company is keen to change. Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in continuous production. Bob Walker Smith and Albert Eadie built their first bicycle in 1893 in Redditch, Worcestershire, before their company turned to motorbikes in 1901. It has been gaining traction recently by making authentic models that resemble its originals. This year the brand will reach another milestone when it releases its first electric motorbike from its factory in India.
When Royal Enfield sought a name for its electric creation, it had an enormous back catalogue to scan for inspiration. Several evocative names were available — not least the Bullet, which has the longest unbroken production run of any motorcycle — as well as the Super Meteor, the Fury and the Machismo.
The problem was, for its first electric-powered machine, some of these hairy-chested monikers did not quite fit the image of this clean, forward-facing mode of transport.
There was one, though, in Royal Enfield's long history that it felt would fit: the Flying Flea. It referred to the WD/RE 125cc machine that had been developed during the Second World War to be dropped into combat by parachute. This robust, lightweight bike was deemed the ideal style — and name — to revive.
When it goes on sale in 2026, the bike will be something entirely new, says Mario Alvisi, the maker's chief growth officer. While it will bear a passing resemblance to its namesake, its combined retro and futuristic touches will make it more than a nostalgic recreation. The distinctive girder forks, for instance, will be similar to those of the original, as will its forged aluminium front suspension with articulating mudguards. The teardrop-style faux-fuel tank will obviously not be in use; instead, beneath it sits the bike's magnesium battery case, elegantly lined with veins for cooling.
This FF.C6, the first motorcycle in the Flying Flea range, is a stunning machine that feels both new and authentic. Beneath many of its traditional shapes lies sophisticated technology. The old school-looking speedometer, for instance, houses the bike's navigation and diagnostics systems along with the interface that connects with the Flying Flea app.
Royal Enfield is not the first motorbike company to branch out into electric models: Harley-Davidson was a surprise early adopter of electric power, and challenger brands such as the British-made Maeving are also shaking up the traditional motorcycle industry. But Royal Enfield is hoping that this stylish and unintimidating machine, as well as attracting dyed-in-the-wool bikers, will tempt those new to motorbikes. As Alvisi says: 'People who are scared of riding a motorcycle — or maybe they're riding a scooter now — can look at this and be like, OK, this can be my first bike, this is the entry door for me to finally access the motorcycle world.'
During the war you would have seen the Flying Flea surreally sailing in from the sky under a parachute. Eighty years later the idea is to transport a contemporary urban population about with zero emissions. It's a different solution for a different problem, but the combination of progress and pragmatism prevails.
