Royal Enfield is a company that’s been around for over a century. It started as a British company, and has a long and storied past, including a little lightweight machine designed to drop from the literal sky for RAF dispatch riders during WWII. After the war, the original Flying Flea found new life as a lightweight urban commuter as the country worked to get back on its feet.
And the thing is, as much as you or I might talk about finding a Swiss Army Bike, one that can do everything we want it to do, the fact is that a lot of riders end up having a very set routine that we follow with our bikes.
For years, I was a daily commuter on mine. I rode to work, parked for 8+ hours, then rode home. During part of that time, I also rode to school. So on a lot of days, I’d ride to work, park, ride to school, park, and then ride home. Was it more fun than driving? Sure. But was it fun, flat out? I mean, fun is relative, but it definitely wasn’t a pleasure ride. (That is, unless I called in sick a day or two and just kept riding instead. Which I totally didn’t. *nods*)
And for plenty of riders around the world, that’s exactly what they want and need. A bike that can be a fantastic companion for dealing with densely populated areas, weaving effortlessly through congested city streets, around the other vehicles, humans, and animals that you happen to encounter as you traverse your city’s streets. Motorized transportation, at its most elemental.
Friends, that’s exactly what electric motorcycles (and scooters) are good at. That’s where they absolutely SHINE. I say this from experience. The nature of EV motorcycles means that they’re absolutely made for stop-and-go traffic situations. If you can make them light and agile, give them great handling, and then maybe–just maybe–give them a head-turning appearance (curb appeal, if you will), you should by all rights have a winner on your hands.
You know, depending on how you price them. Enter the Royal Enfield Flying Flea C6. Well, maybe.
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Photo by: Royal Enfield
When you think of Royal Enfield, what do you think of? If your answer is “small- to mid-displacement ICE motorcycles with classic styling,” you’re definitely not wrong.
Also, steel frames (as opposed to aluminum). Personally, I’d also add “braided stainless steel brake lines,” because that’s one of my favorite things about what’s seen as a pretty budget-friendly brand, the fact that they include those brake lines on their bikes when some more major OEMs like Honda are still sending out rubber lines on Fireblades from the factory. But I digress.
One thing most people don’t think of is futuristic design. Now, it would probably be inaccurate to say you don’t think of EV motorcycles, just because Enfield hasn’t been at all shy about making its interest in exploring EV development public. We also can’t forget that it partnered with Stark Future a couple of years ago, a fact it played up when introducing the Him-E 2.0 electric test bed at EICMA 2024, because the Him-E project has been developed in collaboration with Stark.
And yet, is that characterization even accurate anymore, either? Look at the Shotgun 650. I rode it at the international launch, where I got the chance to have a really great chat with Enfield global head of design Mark Wells about his dystopian influences on the Shotgun’s design.
Our own EJ went into riding that bike recently, expecting a cruiser. His impressions after riding the thing were much different than his expectation going in, because it’s not what you expect from a traditional cruiser. Sure, it shares an engine with the Super Meteor 650, which is very much what you picture when you picture a cruiser. But the ergos and handling, I’m here to tell you, are completely different. And if it was me, I’d take the Shotgun 650 every day, because I felt a lot more connected to the road on it (especially after I learned how to effectively trail brake, but that’s another story).
The Shotgun 650’s Design Helped Pave The Way For The Flying Flea
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Photo by: Royal Enfield
The Flying Flea C6 is one of two new Flying Flea designs that Enfield first introduced to the world ahead of EICMA 2024. Technically, they’re in Milan right now, but the event doesn’t kick off in earnest (even for press) until November 5, and they’ve chosen to get out ahead of the scrum by launching it today.
Flying Flea isn’t just a revived model badge for Royal Enfield in 2024. Instead, it’s meant to be the company’s new electric sub-brand, and to have an identity of its own. It even has its own social media channels, although the livestreamed press conference for the event was shown on the existing Royal Enfield YouTube channel.
What you’re seeing here is the Flying Flea C6, which is the first production EV that Enfield will be releasing. It’s meant to be a lightweight, nimble, urban-focused motorcycle; part of what Royal Enfield Managing Director Siddhartha Lal describes as “City Plus.”
By that, he explained, he means a bike that shines in city riding, but that can also go beyond and offer a bit of fun on top of that. That’s the intended ethos for all Flying Flea models, in fact.
On first viewing, all I could see was that girder fork and frame. And then the way the body swoops. The overhead view is also quite lovely to look at, as well. Here, take a look.
Photo by: Royal Enfield
It looks both futuristic and playful, but that girder fork just absolutely steals the show. (Yes, Mark Wells was at the drafting board again, if you wondered.)
As for bad news, this bike isn’t planned for launch to the public until Spring 2026. So, we’ll have to see if this is really what it looks like when it finally hits showrooms. But if it is, I think it’s safe to say the design team may just have outdone themselves here.
If you’re the kind of person who appreciates steampunk-y alternate histories, seeing design forks that take classic inspirations in a completely different direction than what we’re used to in the world we currently inhabit, then I wave frantically in your direction and invite you to take in this design.
It’s a total head-turner, right out of time and space. Design-wise, I’m absolutely on board.
Following on from the Flying Flea C6, there will also be a Flying Flea S6 released a few months after the C6. If you’ve guessed that it’s an electric scrambler with increased suspension travel, then get yourself a cookie.
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Photo by: Royal Enfield
Speaking of scramblers, another way it’s clear that Enfield didn’t come to play with the Flying Flea project is in who’s heading up the EV arm. After Sid Lal kicked off this year’s EICMA presentation, he brought out none other than Mario Alvisi, whose name you may recognize from his years with Scrambler Ducati, to officially unveil the Flying Flea project to the world. You know, in case you were struggling to think of extremely successful sub-brands launched by legacy OEMs to bring in a completely different rider base than the brand had previously enjoyed.
There are no guarantees, especially in the EV motorcycle realm. Things have been especially tough in 2024. But it’s clear that a lot of careful thought and planning has gone into this, as far as we can see.
Specs aren’t available yet, so we can’t offer opinions on them at this time; only the design. Given Enfield’s track record of more than reasonable pricing for its gas models, though, it seems like a safe bet to think that Flying Flea will be priced much more in line with what riders want to pay than some other EV motorcycle brands.
No, there are no guarantees and no promises, and we truly don’t know what the motorcycle world (or the world in general) will be like by the time spring 2026 rolls around. But Flying Flea has given us a lot to think about, so color us intrigued. I, for one, can’t wait to ride one.
What do you think of either of these designs? To my surprise, the C6 speaks to me far more than the S6, but that’s just one opinion. Tell us yours in the comments!
