Royal Enfield does not just make bikes; they curate a museum of mechanical dinosaurs. Most rule the road, but some were sent to the great scrapyard in the sky.
Below are the top 5 legends that went extinct:
1. The Taurus (Diesel Bullet)
The Vibe: A tractor on two wheels.
The Tea: 90 kmpl fuel economy? God-tier. 65 km/h top speed? Grandma-tier.Killer Blow:It vibrated so hard it didn’t just leak oil; it tried to shake the rider’s teeth out.
2. Continental GT 535
The Vibe: Pure “Look at me” energy.
he Tea:A gorgeous single-cylinder café racer that looked fast but felt like a jackhammer.
Killer Blow:Your spine couldn’t handle the posture, and your hands couldn’t handle the buzz. The 650 Twin killed it for mercy.
3. The Machismo 500
The Vibe: Chrome. Everything.
The Tea:The “fancy” Bullet with an aluminum engine for people who liked polishing more than riding.
Killer Blow:The Classic 500 showed up and made it look like a shiny relic.
4. Thunderbird 500
The Vibe:The Highway King.
The Tea: A massive 20L tank built for the long haul. Riding it felt like being pushed by a very polite elephant.
Killer Blow:Low sales and the Meteor 350, which offered the same cruise without the “old-school” baggage.
5. The Flying Flea
The Vibe: A bike that literally fell from the sky.
The Tea: A 125cc featherweight designed to be dropped out of planes in a cage during WWII.
Killer Blow: Peace happened. Turns out, people prefer riding on dirt to falling from 10,000 feet.
Sources
- The Taurus (Diesel): The Diesel Bullet Legend – RideApart
- Continental GT 535: The Rise & Fall of the 535 Café Racer – Wikipedia
- The Machismo 500: The History of RE’s Big Singles – Royal Enfield Official
- Thunderbird 500: The Highway King’s Retirement – BikeWale
- The Flying Flea: WWII’s Parachuting Motorcycle – Airborne Assault Museum
- The Himalayan 411: End of the 411 Era – Autocar India
Our Social Media Handles
- Instagram : LivingWithGravity
- Medium : Akash Dolas
- YouTube Channel : Gear and Shutter
- Facebook : LivingWithGravity
