Listeners to the previous episode of my podcast "Motorcycling Days" will know how the Royal Enfield motorcycle came to my attention in India, more specifically in Shimla, the old British hill station in the foothills of  the Himalayas.

In India, the Royal Enfield is much more than a brand or a bike. Its distinctive look and, perhaps more importantly, sound and feel, create an aura around the machine, and a devotion from its riders, to which other brands can only aspire.

This near-spiritual response to the Enfield by Indian riders, evoked by an iconic machine with looks that recall its British heritage, completely won me over, especially so amongst the ghosts of the British Raj which can still be sensed in Shimla.

When back in England I would seek one out.

In this episode of "Motorcycling Days", I talk about the first meeting with the motorcycle I now own.