Royal Enfield has launched a limited run Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycle in India. The Pegasus pays tribute to the legendary RE/WD 125 ‘Flying Flea’ motorcycle, which was manufactured at company’s factory in the UK during World War II.
With production limited to 1000 units worldwide, only 250 units of the new special edition motorcycle have been allotted for India. The Classic 500 Pegasus is priced at Rs 2,49,214 (on-road, Mumbai) and can be booked through the company’s official website from 10th July 2018 onwards.
Internationally, the Classic 500 Pegasus will be offered in two colour schemes: Service Brown and Olive Drab Green. However, in India, the motorcycle will be available only in Service Brown livery. Every Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycle will feature a unique serial number stencilled on the fuel tank. It will also have the maroon and blue Pegasus emblem and a Royal Enfield logo of the said era.
The motorcycle will be offered with a set of bespoke military-style canvas panniers bearing the Pegasus logo, brown handlebar grips and a leather strap with brass buckles across the air filter. Other additions include blacked out silencers, rims, headlight bezel and engine to complete the theme.
Royal Enfield’s Head of Global Product Strategy and Industrial Design, Mark Wells said, “It was really important to work closely with the Ministry of Defence, so we approached the Parachute Regiment about 18 months ago and the collaboration has been great. These new Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycles encapsulate a lot of the history and legacy of Royal Enfield. This is something only Royal Enfield could have done. Many brands have military motorcycles in their past but only Royal Enfield has the Flying Flea. We wanted to authentically recreate the inspiration, so we have paid great attention to details. We have even recreated the yellow stripe on the engine cover which, on the Flying Flea was originally used to denote the motorcycle’s centre of gravity, when it was loaded on the aircraft.”
The significance of this war motorcycle with noteworthy. The ‘Flying Flea’ was a compact but hugely capable two-stroke 125cc motorcycle, built for the airborne forces. Due to its light weight and practical qualities, the motorcycle could be easily dropped off by a parachute from an aircraft. The Flying Flea’s strength and its go-anywhere handling made it an almost unstoppable machine. Tipping the scale at just 56 kg, navigating the Flying Flea through a fence, stream, bomb crater or ditch was very easy for the rider. The motorcycle’s extensive applications made it an invaluable asset to the soldiers of the Parachute Regiment in the battlefield.
President Royal Enfield, Rudratej Singh said, “The association with the Pegasus Parachute Regiment is another reminder of how Royal Enfield history is deeply steeped in motorcycling pedigree. I am confident that the Classic Pegasus edition will, like many of our other armed forces inspired variants, become a collectors’ piece. We have been making army tough and versatile machines – ‘Made Like a Gun’ – since 1901, and we will continue to share some of these ‘hidden gems’ and stories through our motorcycles.”
