Most motorcycle producers did not begin as producers of motorcycles. It complicates the argument about who has been in operation for the lengthier period. Still, from the outset, we will stop counting those years and instead pay attention to the dates when these companies produced their first motorbike.
Oldest Motorcycle Companies in India
1. Benelli – 1911
Although this isn’t fully true, and their history is more complicated than that would seem, Benelli is the oldest Italian motorcycle company that is still in operation.
Since being acquired by Qianjiang Motorcycle in roughly 2005, they technically have been a Chinese business. Their production has moved to China, although Benelli Motorcycles corporate offices are still in Peraso, Italy.
2. BSA Motorcycles – 1910
They got their start, like other motorbike businesses, by jamming a tiny engine onto a bicycle frame—hence, motorcycle!
The BSA Motorcycles would go through various ups and downs over the ensuing 60 years, but ultimately, they failed in 1972 after a dud combination with Norton and Villiers. Only to be almost abruptly revived this year in an effort to tap into the expanding retro market.
3. SACHS – 1905
Although they are currently more recognized for their suspension parts, they were once a major engine supplier for a wide variety of various models.
Through the course of its existence, they have produced motorcycles on and off. Recently, they have enjoyed a slight resurgence, partly because of their MadAss, although they are currently spending more on electric mobility.
4. Husqvarna – 1903
After spending several years on its own, Husqvarna returned to the BMW Group looking quite battered.
KTM aimed to revive the failing business, but not in the way you might anticipate from a joyful ending. Actually, with all of their new bikes being KTMs with new skins, only the name survives.
5. Harley Davidson – 1903
Harley-Davidson is one of just two American motorcycle manufacturers to have survived the Great Depression.
Additionally, although coming close and experiencing its fair share of ups and downs, they are the only business to have lasted this long without really going bankrupt. The fact that Harley-Davidson bikes have been manufactured for almost 120 years is an incredible accomplishment.
6. Triumph – 1902
Triumph introduced what would later be referred to as the first genuine motorcycle in 1915, although the majority of early motorbikes were still just bicycles with engines.
For decades, the Triumph name was highly esteemed, right up until the wheels fell off in the 1980s and the company went under. It was groundbreaking and forced others to move forward with them. They quickly recovered, however, and began making competitive motorcycles in the 1990s. Since then, Triumph Motorcycles have grown to become one of the largest motorcycle producers in Europe.
7. Norton – 1902
In the first half of the 20th century, Norton won a number of races and championships, making it one of the top motorcycle manufacturers at the time. The second half saw a slow decline till it closed its doors and auctioned off the naming rights in the late 1970s.
As it complicated and confused their past, selling those naming rights proved to be a crucial turning point for them. However, by the late 1980s, they were back with a Wankel engine. They had another attempt in 2008, which also halted. Now that TVS owns them, we will soon see how it goes, although their prototype is in decent shape for us.
8. Royal Enfield – 1901
The company Royal Enfield is commemorating 122 years of continuous motorcycle production, a tremendous accomplishment. Even yet, as the British era ended and the Indian age was just getting started, production actually increased rather than decreased when they switched from being a British firm to an Indian one in the late 1960s.
9. Indian – 1901
They continued to set the early pace after surviving the Great Depression, frequently outselling their fierce competitor, Harley-Davidson. Although Harley-Davidson was now the undisputed favorite, the postwar era was not kind to them, and by 1953, they were doomed.
It was basically the third time they were fortunate after they tried and failed once more in the early 2000s. The third attempt had enough potential that Polaris decided to buy them out and introduce a number of new models that are now doing well all over the world.
10. Peugeot – 1898
Some people might be surprised to learn that they are still making scooters today, but this is mostly because of the Indian juggernaut Mahindra.
Their motorcycle sector was mostly neglected since they turned their attention to cars in the 1950s until Mahindra acquired it in 2014. Since then, they have obtained 100 percent ownership and manufacture scooters under the Peugeot brand in China and France.
