It’s the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production, and it’s just announced that it is diving head first into the high-tech 21st century, with a bike that draws a host of inspiration from WWII. Welcome to the world of Royal Enfield’s new brand, Flying Flea, the arm of the once British, now Indian giant, which will drive its electric powered vehicles into the future. Unlike some other manufacturers who have attempted to break into the electric motorcycle market with adventure machines and race bikes, Flying Flea will focus exclusively on the commuter consumer for the foreseeable future. So, let’s dive in and find out just what the C6 and scrambler-styled S6 are all about, and find out if Royal Enfield has cracked the code.

The first interesting thing to note has nothing to do with the bike, but the fact that Royal Enfield has decided to create a sub-brand for their electric endeavours. This is very common in the world of four-wheels, think Toyota having Lexus and Nissan having Infiniti for their luxury range. Hindsight shows for those manufacturers it’s been a winning move, but it does provide a parachute in case the new venture fails, allowing Royal Enfield as a brand to walk away relatively unscathed. Speaking of parachutes, that’s exactly where the name Flying Flea comes from.

Produced during the Second World War by Royal Enfield, the WD/RE 125cc was known as the Flying Flea and was designed to be dropped by parachute with airborne troops. Now behind enemy lines, troops could use the lightweight machine to whiz around and pass vital messages where radio communication had yet to be established. The bike became a popular commuter post-war and in 2020, Royal Enfield registered the Flying Flea trademark once again. And it’s clear they are tapping into that history, not just with the name, but the styling, which the company describes as being “retro-futuristic”.

And to kick things off there are two very retro-themed machines, the first motorcycle released will be called the C6, which will be followed by the S6. C in C6 stands for Classic, while S in S6 stands for Scrambler. The number in the meantime tells you where in the price, range, and performance hierarchy the model stands. Given there are no obvious cubic capacity figures to identify the motorcycles, the following models with a lower number will be of lower spec and models with a higher number will be of both a high spec and are also believed to provide an extended range.

Speaking of range, there are no figures yet available as to how far a Flying Flea will take you or how fast it will be able to do it, but early indications suggest a range of around 100km, plenty for the urban commute. Enfield are also quick to explain that refilling your battery will be a breeze, “fast charging at a domestic three-pin plug.” But don’t think that means Enfield doesn’t care about the numbers, more than 200 engineers are on the project, instead they’re taking an all-new approach. While other manufacturers have spruiked peak power and maximum range, we know now, that most have failed to deliver those in the real world.

So, to ensure their electric motorcycles exceed expectations, the British and Indian engineering team have developed a dedicated Vehicle Control Unit for the Flying Flea models. That VCU automatically enables and adjusts over 200,000 different ride mode combinations, by constantly monitoring data and optimising the experience as you go, either for improved mileage or “a captivating riding feel.” And just as six-axis IMUs have revolutionised the modern super bike, the VCU by RE, shows all the signs of doing the same. The idea is like Auto-Tune in the music industry, which can turn even the worst voice into a Grammy winner. The motor, like the voice, suddenly becomes much less important to the overall soundtrack.

And then there is the weight, which is also a key part of the look, because you don’t need any more power than your competitors if you can reduce the pounds around the belly. To achieve this, RE has developed a forged aluminium frame, which supports a magnesium battery case, with plastic used to create the traditional fuel tank look. The single shock supported rear swingarm is another low mass item, as is the aluminium girder front end, which personally I think looks beautiful. Matched up with those long flowing fenders and the classic front headlight, you really do get the retro vibe with plenty of styling cues taken from the original Flying Flea.

Now for the price, while Royal Enfield hasn’t yet given a figure, sources in India have been told pricing in their local market will start at just US$2,900, and that budget price taps into something that Enfield is very keen to point out. While the Flying Flea range will be perfect for the global commuter market, for the hardcore biker, it means you can have a C6 in the garage for your daily run through the traffic to work and still have plenty of cash on hand for your second, gas-powered motorbike. And that might be the one-two punch for the company, a Royal Enfield 650cc twin to get the heart pumping on the weekend, and a Flying Flea C6 that costs you next to nothing to run; two cool bikes at less than a third of the cost of a single HD Livewire… Royal Enfield are still shooting their shot.