Someone Finally Made an Electric Motorcycle That Looks Like a Retro Bike

Among the traditional OEMs, it’s the likeliest of suspects, too.

Published November 5, 2024

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As they push the envelope of innovation and technology, most electric vehicle makers develop products rocking futuristic looks. It’s a perfectly logical place to end up.

Dropped in specially made steel cradles attached to parachutes, the original Fleas were just about ready to go upon landing. A paratrooper only needed to remove the bike, rotate the handlebars 90 degrees and give ’er a kickstart.

However, one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers is going electric with a totally different aesthetic. Taking inspiration from one of its own WWII-era bikes, Royal Enfield announces the launch of its EV-focused spinoff brand, Flying Flea.

Chute-ing star

First, a quick history lesson. The original Flying Flea was the nickname of the WD/RE, a motorcycle that saw action during World War II.

Used mainly by soldiers of Britain’s newly formed Parachute Regiment for reconnaissance and communication, it also traveled in assault gliders and even made its way to the beaches of Normandy via amphibious landing craft.

Working off a 1934 German model spirited to England by a Dutch moto distributor (long story), chief Royal Enfield designer Ted Pardoe reverse-engineered and updated the bike, bumping its engine capacity from 98cc to 126cc. Weighing just over 123 pounds, the final product had a range of 150 miles at speeds of 35-40 mph.

original royal enfield flying flea — An original Royal Enfield Flying Flea in its parachute-ready cradle.

Ultimately an estimated 8,000 were produced, all painted Standard Camouflage Number Two, or ‘Fresh Dogshit Brown’ as British soldiers called it, due to a shortage of the traditional olive drab.

Dropped in specially made steel cradles attached to parachutes, the bikes were just about ready to go upon landing. A paratrooper only needed to remove the bike, rotate the handlebars 90 degrees and give ’er a kickstart.

A small percentage of Fleas made it back to England after the war, where they were painted black and sold for civilian use. You’d be hard-pressed to find such a bike still in action today, but now reinforcements have arrived.

Charged up

As you’d expect, the 2024 editions of the bike are a bit different. While you can certainly see similarities in the basic silhouette, there are monumental changes under the proverbial hood.

Here are the major bullet points on a bike about which details are rather scant — not too surprising considering the FF-C6 won’t hit the streets for another year and a half. (Its brother, the scrambler-style FF-S6, is expected to follow shortly thereafter.)

royal enfield flying flea badge — The new brand’s badging neatly reflects its parachuting heritage.

The FF-C6’s frame is made of light yet sturdy forged aluminum carrying an almost organically finned magnesium battery case optimized to shave weight and keep cool.

Maintaining the old-school aesthetic is a forged aluminum Girder fork and articulating mudguard, reflective of the original Flea’s clever ‘rubber band’ style girder fork and a classic round instrument cluster.

Of course, that cluster is a touchscreen that accesses the bike’s modern technology. It’s headlined by a central Vehicle Control Unit, powered by a tailor-made chip and said to enable over 200,000 ride mode combinations while monitoring your bike while you are away and accommodating over-the-air updates.

royal enfield flying flea s6 scrambler — First look at the FF-C6’s scrambler-styled brother, the FF-S6.

The idea is that riders can modify on the fly to suit not only the terrain and conditions but their personal needs and moods.

While Royal Enfield has yet to share any hard specs on the FF-C6, we do know that RE’s engineers have developed a proprietary motor, battery, battery management system and custom software, with more than 28 patent applications for native and connected apps.

royal enfield flying flea front — The C6’s classic Royal Enfield styling — highlighted by round headlamps, gauges and mirrors — is unmistakable.

The bikes will be manufactured in an EV-specific facility at Vallam Vadagal, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

We also know that the FF-C6 will boast lean-angle-sensing ABS, cruise control, fast-charging and what RE calls “ample range.” Hey, if it can even approach the 150 miles those 1940s Fleas were hitting, those gorgeous retro looks will just be a bonus.