The appeal of an old motorcycle is rarely just about its engine. Brands are tapping into memories, design and riding communities to make heritage relevant to younger buyers.
Vivek Ratnakar13 Nov 2026
05:20IST
New Update
On a dusty roadside in a Tier-2 town in Uttar Pradesh, a mechanic everyone calls Chotu Mistri, swells with pride when somebody curiously asks about the old Yezdi parked outside his garage.
“You know, I have ridden this motorcycle on kerosene oil sometimes and it never gave me any trouble,” he says. Then he points towards a couple of BS6 motorcycles parked behind the old workhorse. “They don’t build motorcycles like this anymore.”
It is a familiar sentiment among motorcycle enthusiasts across India. Older machines are remembered not merely for their engineering but for the experiences, associations and identities they represented.
Indian automobile companies have recognised the marketing potential of these stories. Over the last decade, a striking transformation has swept the Indian motorcycle industry. Names once thought eclipsed by time—Royal Enfield, Jawa, Yezdi, BSA, Norton, even Chetak—have all thundered back to life, nurtured by Indian manufacturers who recognise the enduring value of a good story.
How brands are selling nostalgia
For older riders, these brands are a passport to a cherished era. For younger consumers, retro-styled bikes offer distinction in a crowd, combining timeless aesthetics with individuality.
Mahindra’s Classic Legends, TVS Motor, Bajaj, and Eicher Motors (Royal Enfield’s parent) have all invested deeply in legacy. The business logic: emotional resonance opens doors that no amount of advertising—or engineering specs alone—can unlock.
The sentiment was perfectly captured by Boman Rustom Irani, the founder of Classic Legends, in an interview with Economic Times. “People are going back to stories of legacy and history,” Irani explained. “They want to own something with a story they can take pride in.”
His partner, Anupam Thareja, agreed, saying the resurrection is “not about the money”, but about identity. “Our motorcycles are built with passion and perfected by engineering. Today, people want things that are well-made and speak a particular language—stories that appeal to their heart,” he added.
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The duo founded Classic Legends Private Limited in 2015. Mahindra & Mahindra acquired a controlling stake in Classic Legends on October 18, 2016.
In 2018, Classic Legends brought Jawa back after a two-decade hiatus; Yezdi followed in 2022 and the British-born BSA resumed Indian sales in 2024. The offerings borrow familiar design cues but deliver modern reliability: fuel injection, ABS, liquid cooling, and refined frames.
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Meanwhile, TVS Motor acquired Norton in April 2020 for £16 million. Its subsequent product development programme included the Atlas and Atlas GT, designed and engineered in the UK and manufactured in India. The first Norton Atlas rolled off the line at TVS Motor Company’s Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu in June this year.
“We have been inspired by Norton’s story for sometime. Its bespoke design, motorsport legacy, heritage value and strong customer base excited TVS,” Sudarshan Venu, chairman and managing director of TVS Motor Company, was quoted as saying in an interview with UK-based motorcycling news platform BikeSocial.
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There is also a commercial consideration. India’s commuter motorcycle market is highly competitive, with manufacturers often competing on price and mileage. Premium motorcycles offer an opportunity to sell design, lifestyle and riding experiences alongside the product.
A heritage name can help establish that premium proposition, while Indian manufacturing capabilities can make products more accessible than imported alternatives.
Communication around heritage motorcycles often extends beyond horsepower and engine capacity. Travel films, riding stories and owner experiences help establish an emotional connection and give consumers reasons to identify with a brand.
Royal Enfield’s blueprint: Modern classic
Yet perhaps the greatest example of nostalgia as strategy is Royal Enfield. Born in Britain in 1901, the brand survived in India after its UK closure, immortalising the Bullet.
When Eicher Motors took over in 1994, CEO Siddhartha Lal steered an evolution—new motorcycles like the Classic 350, Himalayan, and 650cc twins expanded the brand, even as the company invested in manufacturing, global distribution, and a vibrant rider community.
Royal Enfield’s success paved the way for the modern revival. The product is only part of the story—the real traction comes from community-building, rides, and events that turn ownership into lifestyle.
Why heritage works
So why this bold bet on the past? For Indian makers, heritage is a shortcut to premium markets, a bridge to global credibility, and an emotional lever that newer brands struggle to access.
“Our ambition is to be global, and we are making serious strides to move in that direction,” said Lal in a 2017 ET interview.
TVS Motor, which acquired Norton in 2020, also framed its mission as honouring history while harnessing modern execution. Venu called the iconic British brand “an immense opportunity to scale globally”, citing Norton’s “design, dynamism, and detail” and TVS’s strength in engineering and supply chain.
Today’s buyers want more than horsepower and price-point: ownership culture has become the product. “We don’t make motorcycles; we’re into motorcycling,” Thareja said, referencing Jawa and Yezdi’s network of 50 clubs and 15,000+ pre-launch enthusiasts. Community precedes the sale.
Also, these revitalised brands aren’t just Indian stories—they are entry points to lucrative export markets. Royal Enfield and TVS have ambitions stretching from Europe to Latin America.
The road ahead
Despite its appeal, the heritage strategy carries risks. An established name may attract enthusiasts, but younger consumers are equally likely to evaluate a motorcycle on performance, reliability, pricing and after-sales support.
Norton’s experience offers a cautionary example. Its earlier India entry through a Motoroyale tie-up around 2017–18, with imported Commando and Dominator models reportedly priced between Rs 21 lakh and Rs 34 lakh, failed to establish meaningful volume.
Its current revival under TVS is a separate undertaking, but the Atlas and other new products will still have to prove their commercial appeal once they reach consumers.
Ultimately, a famous badge can open the door, but it cannot compensate for an unsuitable product, weak distribution or poor service.
As Chotu Mistri’s old Yezdi outside his garage suggests, the strongest brand associations are built over time. Companies can acquire a name and inherit its history, but earning the affection of a new generation is a different exercise altogether.
TVSRoyal EnfieldBrand strategyYezdiClassic LegendsNortonJawa & Yezdi MotorcyclesNostalgia MarketingLegacy
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