[TusharK]

In his book - 'Indian Icon - A cult called Royal Enfield', journalist and author Amrit Raj takes a look at a motorcycle brand that was born in England in the 1950s and that would later attain cult status in India.



The brand went through its worst times in the 1980s, only to be revived a decade later by Vikram Lal of Eicher. The reigns were later handed down to his son Siddhartha who has since lead the brand into the 21st century.

Here's a short review of the book by BHPian ninjatalli:

Indian Icon - A Cult called Royal Enfield: 2.5 / 5
Author: Amrit Raj

Honestly, extremely disappointed with the author and his depth of investigation/analysis into the company, especially the last two decades.

Starts out on a strong front detailing out the history of Royal Enfield and the dealings/actions of the folks at the helm, including Vikram Lal and Siddhartha Lal (initial years). The book goes into depth into the workings till early 2000s - there is a clear view on what worked and what went wrong with proper analysis/details to support it.

It's the last decade and half where the author loses all logic - the book goes from factual points to almost folk-lorish kind of views, clearly hero-worshiping the younger Lal. The Himalayan gets a few chapters worth of reading but the Twins and the expansion of the organization into higher levels of motorcycling are dealt only across a few pages in the end.

Give it a miss. I sincerely hoped there would be a good sound biography of the company given the depth of content available in the world.

Link to Team-BHP News

[drt_rdr]

Is it really a cult when it's got as much sales and presence as it does?

More like mass mania.

[ariesonu]

In the first place, he has got the wrong HEADING itself;

It should have read Indian Icon - A Cult called BULLET.

The word BULLET is more recognised that Royal Enfield. The moment that word is uttered the second person knows that this the heaviest motorcycle (not bike) in India, would be black in color & make DUUG DUUG sound.

Regards.

[IntoTheStorm]

Why So much negativity towards RE ?. I finished this book few weeks back and I feel it can be given a rating of around 3.5/5

[GTO]

Big thanks to ninjatalli for the heads up ! Must say, this book was pretty poorly marketed. Even as an avid reader, I'd not heard about this book.

I am going to give the book a 4 / 5 rating and recommend it to BHPians. I love reading, especially automotive books whose launches are so rare (1 book a year average). And I absolutely devour reading any book / article on the Indian automotive scene.

Criticism of their bikes aside, there isn't a doubt that Royal Enfield & Bullet are among the most iconic brands to emerge from the Indian automotive scene. Just like a Jeep / Thar, they are selling not just a motorcycle, but an image + lifestyle + experience.

I enjoyed reading the book (am 90% done). I don't know much about the motorcycle industry, so I found the details on Royal Enfield's journey very insightful. I also really, really respect Siddhartha Lal for his business acumen, attitude & style. Read the book and you'll know that the brand survives today only because of a decision he took as a 26 year old! Furthermore, the book has some really juicy insider details on Rudratej Singh's reign at the company.

On the flip side, the author does come across as a fanboy of Siddhartha Lal and the bias is obvious. Still, the book has lots of dope for enthusiasts and I'd strongly recommend a read.

[tharian]

I read the book last month. The first one I ordered was stolen after it was delivered at the security cabin

I would rate it 4/5 as well. Yes, the last bit looked hurried and had not much information about the twins which I waiting for.

The history part in the first half of the book was insightful, including Eicher's.
Good in depth information on Siddhartha's father as well as Rudratej Singh. ( Unfortunately a good example of a person who worked too much and paid the price for it).

[Jeroen]

Sounds great. It has a five star rating on Amazon, just ordered it.
Jeroen

[Jeroen]

Today my copy of this book arrived! That is pretty good going. Came all the way from Pune, India, to Spijk, the Netherlands in less than 7 days!

My wife has confiscated it though. It’s my birthday next month and this and some other very cool item also on order by me, are her gifts to me.

Jeroen

[gkveda]

Even I have ordered this book although I am not fan of Royal Enfield. Delivery is due tomorrow. Probably will write a detailed note after reading.

I only hope, this is one Royal Enfield that doesn't spill oil, one that does not visit Service centre very often, does not live stranded on mid of its pages, and still sells like hot cakes

[Jeroen]

Got the this book a couple of days ago for my birthday. I am really enjoying it.

I am not a biker at all. My RE Bullet has been the only bike I have ever owned. But I do recognise that very special feeling riding a Bullet, especially through India.

I have had some of my best adventures exploring India on my 1974 Bullet. The book describes well that special RE feeling. When you rock up with 20-30 REs thumping away in a little rural village you feel like a celebrity with the whole village coming out to see.

I have interacted with all sort of other bike owners. Whereas many will share the general sort of “freedom” feeling riding a bike brings, none came close to the overal RE experience as many RE owners will claim.

It was good to come across my old friend Bobbee Singh of the Old Delhi Motorcycle Company early on this book. I have riden along Bobbee on numerous occasions and some of my friends own bikes build by him.

My own Bullet came from Joga Motors in Delhi and I would recommend them highly for anybody looking for a second hand classic RE, or to rent one.

It also makes for a very interesting read on how this company went from all but actually broke to the huge succes they have been enjoying in recent years.

For RE enthusiast this book should provide further insights into the company and what makes them successful. A very pleasant and informative read.

It will be interesting to see if RE can continue its succes of the last decade. Part of their succes is definitely connected to their past and core values. That can work really well, up to a point in time usually. See what is happening to Harley Davidsson. You always need to adapt to changing market situation, without loosing your core values and heritage. Difficult at best in todays consumer society.

I hope RE continues to do well. Their products might not always be the best. But the overall experience of riding your RE could well still be. I find them a very sympathetic company and I wish them well.

Jeroen