Royal Enfield, the makers of this author's lord and savior—the Himalayan 450—are embarking on a new adventure into the electric motorcycle space. The brand's first offering, which will be joined by further additions in the near future, took the world by storm at CES last year in the form of the Flying Flea.
And the whole thing is a giant departure from the rather mechanically simple motorcycles the brand is known for. I, myself, fixed the Himmy in the backwoods of Utah with a literal stick when I binned it following a giant mud puddle.
The Flying Flea nameplate, which harkens back to a model of yore, is a joint project between Royal Enfield and Qualcomm, and has been going through rigorous testing for the last year. And the EV motorcycle is set to, theoretically, debut sometime next year, revolutionizing the brand's ethos and lineup. I say "theoretically" as the brand's EV project leader, Mario Alvisi, has reportedly left the company.
