While some folks might not readily associate the Indian subcontinent as being a hotbed for classic motorcycles, the truth is that this region is actually in love with not just old-school two-wheelers but two-wheelers of all kinds, actually. Ever since India became a British colony, and British classic bikes consequently began to circulate through the nation, India’s love affair with classic bikes has only grown stronger and deeper.
As such, there has been a considerable influx of classic motorcycle brands making their inroads once again in the Indian and South Asian markets. Old-school names like Enfield, Norton, BSA, and Jawa, along with a few others are hard at work making their presence felt once again not only in India but in other parts of the word too. We take a deep dive to see how things stand in the current classic bike market of India.
Why Are Classic Bikes So Popular In India?
To begin with, the popularity of old-school rigs in India and neighboring regions can be rightly attributed to colonialism. As a former British colony, India once served as a manufacturing capital for the British bike industry in its heyday, alongside other former colonies like Hong Kong and Malaysia. While colonial rule ended in these parts in the previous century, that hasn’t stopped motorcycle manufacturers (from the UK and also other parts of the world) from collaborating with Indian brands in resurrecting their classic bikes.
Secondly, classic bikes have indeed steeped into the consciousness of Indian folks as tough and affordable road-worthy machines that are perfectly suited for Indian road conditions. For the most part, this assumption holds true as classic bikes in India do feature stronger builds, with generous use of iron and aluminum parts, as compared to modern bikes that feature an abundance of plastic parts.
Another reason for the popularity of classic bikes in India, one that is not so well-known outside the nation, is that Indian manufacturers are always keen to buy out struggling companies with a view of turning their fortunes around. This is the reason why famous Indian luminary and automobile manufacturer Anand Mahindra now owns the classic British motorcycle manufacturer Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) – in hopes of revitalizing the brand both in India and the UK. Similarly, famed Indian manufacturer TVS Motor has bought out Norton with the same view in mind.
This trend of acquiring an underperforming brand and then resurrecting it for the greater good of all has served Indian entrepreneurs well in the past. Another classic example of this would be Indian giant Tata taking over the struggling Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford, and turning them into profitable ventures over the years.
Unconfirmed yet reliable reports suggest that there has been an upsurge in the classic motorcycle market in India with many overseas brands being bought out by Indian manufacturers, while some are collaborating with existing Indian brands in order to revitalize their own lineup of bikes. To this end, many new trademark applications have been filed in India for resurrecting classic bikes too. Here’s a closer look at how some of the most popular classic bike brands are faring in India in this day and age.
Royal Enfield
If there is one brand that every Indian citizen likes to call their own, it is the British-bred Royal Enfield brand. Being one of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world, Royal Enfield bikes have been manufactured in India since 1925, when the nation was still under British rule. In 1994, India’s Eicher Group acquired the brand, and since then the company has not looked back at all.
Even today, the brand is expanding at a rapid pace, with a view of improving its overall market hold in Southeast Asian motorcycle markets. To this end, Royal Enfield even opened up a new manufacturing plant in Thailand about a couple of years back. Collaborating with local Thai company OEM GPX, this new facility is manufacturing the hardy Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle alongside other 650cc offerings.
As further testament to Royal Enfield’s soaring popularity in India, the company’s sales have been growing steadily each successive year in the region of late. Back in 2021, sales for the company grew by 88% across the Indian subcontinent as compared to 2020. More recently, domestic sales in India were up by 10% in August 2023 as compared to August 2022, while overseas sales also grew by approximately 13% in the same period.
Birmingham Small Arms (BSA)
Originally founded back in 1861, BSA was once credited as the world’s largest motorcycle market circa 1950. In its heyday, BSA not only produced some of the best classic bikes under their own brand, but also owned the Triumph and Sunbeam brands. Unfortunately, the company was declared bankrupt somewhere in the 1970s and all production was ceased as a result.
After being acquired by the Indian automotive manufacturer Mahindra in 2016, there was a lot of speculation that the once iconic classic Brit-bike brand would finally see a welcome resurrection. Owned by Classic Legends, in which Mahindra owns a 60% controlling stake, BSA was awarded grants to the tune of 4.6 million pounds by the UK government too, so the company could develop new electric bikes while also resurrecting older models.
One among the many BSA offerings planned for manufacture and assembly in the UK is the new version of the legendary 650cc Goldstar motorcycle – a bike very familiar with old-school bike enthusiasts. The original idea was to reintroduce the bike in the British market, following which it would be sold in international markets, including India, the U.S., and Japan, among some other countries. Unfortunately, the bike is yet to see the light of day in India as well as the U.S. – a fact we hope changes in the near future.
Norton
Norton was bought over by Indian manufacturer TVS Motor in April 2020, and there was an immediate announcement following the acquisition which stated that the Indian company planned to invest a whopping 100 million pounds into the brand to bolster it in the modern motorcycle market.
True to their intentions, TVS did in fact pump money into the classic motorcycle brand once known for creating some of the best motorsport-focused bikes. Besides the construction of a new global headquarters featuring state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, a considerable amount of money was also invested into a new research and development (R&D) wing. Shortly after, in 2021, production began for the Commando 961 Classic bike, a true icon in Norton’s lineup of classic bikes.
While TVS has been working steadily in order to resurrect more classic Norton motorcycles, including a few V4 offerings, Norton bikes are yet to retail in the Indian market, quite like BSA. Once again, Indian biking enthusiasts are left waiting with bated breath to get their hands on a bike they have seen being ridden on the silver screen by Bollywood superstars back in the day.
Local Brands
Apart from the British motorcycle brands mentioned above, there as few other brands that have entered the fray of classic bikes in India too. Prime among these is Jawa, a Czech brand that also enjoys Royal Enfield-like cult status in India. Owned by the Mahindra group, and once prominent on Indian streets, Jawa motorcycles have made a reappearance in the Indian bike market with a few bikes like the Classic Jawa and Jawa Forty Two.
U.S.-bred Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycles has also seen Indian intervention, as top Indian automotive manufacturer Bajaj has filed for intellectual property rights to make use of the Excelsior-Henderson name and logo. While there has been no official announcement since this news surfaced back in 2020, there is still hope that this heritage brand from the U.S. will also be revived to its former glory, when many considered it as a viable alternative to Harley-Davidson bikes.