In pictures: Royal Enfield motorbikes lovingly restored in New Delhi by Bobbee Singh

To New Delhi-based motorcycle restoration expert Bobbee Singh, the Royal Enfield motorcycle is far more than just a means of transport. It’s an icon of India, a symbol of the legacy of colonialism, and a lifelong passion.

“The first time you ride a Royal Enfield, you’re f***ed for life,” says Singh. “They have this magical quality that gets under your skin.”

The Royal Enfield was brought to the subcontinent from England in the days of the British Raj, and, to Singh and a growing circle of vintage Enfield enthusiasts, the bike embodies all the power and romance of this bygone era.

“Our fathers and grandfathers would tell us stories of how the British in their cantonments would polish their imported motorcycles every Sunday until they gleamed. And when they rode through the streets, the loud thump of the engine would make everyone look around and ask, ‘Oh, who’s that?’ It was the sound of authority,” he says.

“We appreciate what the British did here, building the railway, the beautiful buildings … maybe it’s just our generation, as we didn’t go through all the s*** [of colonialism and partition], but we have no resentment. To us, the British Raj seems so clean and structured. They lived in the same style as our maharajas – the only difference is they drank tea and ate fish.”

Singh is now reviving the nostalgic glamour of yesteryear in the form of gorgeously restored vintage Enfields. While Royal Enfields came to India with British colonists sometime in the early 1900s, they have been sold in India since 1949. In 1955, the British company, which since 1893 was based in Redditch, England, partnered with Madras Motors in India and formed Enfield India. In the 1960s, the influx of more affordable Japanese motorbikes brought the once-mighty British motorcycle industry to its knees. Royal Enfield UK closed in 1971. Since then, the Royal Enfield motorcycle has been manufactured only in India.