Royal Enfield made the ‘Flying Flea’, which saw use in the 1940s during the Second World War. Light enough to be dropped from planes while strapped to a parachute and used to carry messages along no-man’s land, this humble 125cc motorcycle was instrumental in the war effort.
This then, becomes an apt name for Royal Enfield’s new electric motorcycle sub brand. It’s not just the name, the new brand’s first motorcycle, the Flying Flea C6 is also modeled around the 40s motorcycle, down to the cantilever forks.
Available in single or double seat configuration, it sports a slim and athletic design accentuated by a curvaceous forged Aluminum frame and the front wheel slung between seldom-seen girder-design forks. A familiar all-LED headlight unit sits upfront and both brakes are controlled via hand levers. The Battery wears a cool texture and has been positioned in the center, along with the drive motor. Thin 10-spoke alloy rims wear Ceat Ride Energy EV tyres and the rear wheel is driven by belt. The front gets a single disc while drums come equipped at the rear.
The Touchscreen TFT dashboard with clean and large fonts will also support OTA updates. The onboard electronics have enough processing power to study the rider’s style and adapt the powertrain to match for efficiency or for performance. The focus is said to be on ease of riding and city-focused performance. This motorcycle, with its low seating narrow girth, is meant to be accessible and allows the rider to put both feet down easily. True to its name, the Flying Flea C6 will be agile and nimble, thanks to the lightweight Aluminum components and clever packaging for good weight distribution. Royal Enfield has extensively tested the C6 in Barcelona, a singularly bustling metropolis famous for old architecture and cobbled and brick roads. We can expect the suspension to be tuned nicely for our Indian roads then as well.
The motorcycle also gets cornering ABS and traction control to better safeguard riders. Although the C6 is capable of sustaining some highway speed, Royal Enfield has made it clear that this motorcycle is meant to trundle along mostly within the cityscape, while giving riders the ability to venture out into suburbs, at best. For people looking to utilise this lightweight motorcycle and its instant electric torque on the dirt, a Scrambler version is also supposedly in the works!
While looking properly spic and span, Royal Enfield insists that this is a concept for now, and the production-ready version will be introduced only in 2026.
