In the heart of Bengaluru, the Flying Flea showcase recently unfolded not just as a motorcycle reveal, but as a statement of intent—rooted in legacy, fuelled by imagination, and geared toward a creatively charged future. Far from being a routine unveiling, it offered a vibrant intersection of design, mobility, and culture, channelled through the timeless ethos of Royal Enfield and its new vision for the electric age.
Held at Sabha — a 160-year-old building thoughtfully reimagined as a haven for community and creative exchange — the event embodied the spirit of the Flying Flea: lightweight in form, but rich in meaning. As Mario Alvisi, Chief Growth Officer, Flying Flea & EV, articulated, this initiative isn’t just about electric mobility — it's a canvas for creative minds to help shape the style and soul of future city+ mobility.
The showcase drew power not only from the machine itself, but from the artistic force surrounding it. Three notable artists — Ansh Kumar, OG Goji, and Lekha Rathnam — brought their unique brushes, AI tech and lenses to the experience, infusing it with a burst of colour, form, and perspective. Their art didn't just frame the bike — it animated it, transforming the event into a living installation of movement and meaning.
Art In Motion
As we explored the Bengaluru showcase, one of the most poignant expressions of Flying Flea’s ethos came from artist Ansh Kumar and his evocative series Shaped by the Wind. According to him, his intent was to strip away surface appearances and reveal the inner narratives that connect us, urging a gentler, more empathetic way of living.
Kumar viewed the Flying Flea “not merely as a motorcycle, but as a metaphor — a symbol of moving through life lightly, with agility and intention.” Its design speaks to this philosophy. The striking fins on the battery pack aren’t just cooling devices or in terms of aerodynamics; they are “sculptural homages to impermanence, fluidity, and the quiet collision between past and future.” For Kumar, these fins tell a story — of continuity through change, of tradition reborn in motion.
This fusion of engineering and emotional storytelling elevates the Flying Flea from product to artefact — a “piece of kinetic art that doesn’t just move on roads but stirs thought. Its silhouette becomes a symbol of transformation, and its physical form, a canvas for ideas.”
Capturing City’s Soul Through Lens Of Flying Flea
While the art installations at the Flying Flea showcase stirred thought and provoked reflection, photographer Lekha Rathnam offered a different kind of storytelling—through the deliberate gaze of a lens. Her visual narrative turned Bengaluru into both stage and character, bringing the Flying Flea to life as a quiet, constant companion in the city’s rhythm.
Shunning the usual skyline views and landmarks, Rathnam sought out the city's overlooked points—underpasses, everyday streets, fleeting textures of local life. These were the unsung corners that hold a truer portrait of Bengaluru. In this setting, “the Flying Flea wasn’t staged as a centrepiece, but rather as a silent force—anchoring the frame without shouting for attention. It existed naturally within the scenes, absorbing and reflecting the city’s mood,” she said.
The photographs weren’t about showcasing a machine—they were about evoking feeling. Each image carried a pulse, a sense of harmony between the bike and its surroundings. Through this approach, Rathnam transcended product photography, elevating it to an expression of urban emotion. Her work didn’t just present the Flying Flea—it suggested that the bike and the city were extensions of each other: both crafted by movement, culture, and quiet strength.
Digital Dreams Meet Classic Spirit
For the AI artist OG Goji, the Flying Flea wasn’t just a machine—it was a moment suspended between eras. His work, developed through the lens of AI-generated visuals, explored this duality of legacy and progress. “When I first saw the bike alongside the original Flying Flea,” he reflected, “it emulated the feeling of moving forward with the confidence of your roots.”
Reimagining Flying Flea For A New Era
The spirit of the original Flying Flea—a lightweight, nimble motorcycle airdropped from aircraft during wartime—served as both inspiration and challenge for Royal Enfield’s latest electric concept. The key focus of this reimagining was a simple yet profound question: how do you honour the past while propelling into the future?
The answer lies in a design philosophy rooted in emotion and purpose. As Alvisi put it, the Flying Flea “isn’t just a motorcycle—it’s a statement of intent. Lightweight, agile, and intuitive to ride, the Flea’s character reflects its historical DNA while embracing a contemporary interpretation suited to modern urban mobility.”
According to a representative from the company’s design team, every element of the new Flying Flea is “designed to evoke emotion—from its bold, over-the-body forged aluminium frame to the striking girder fork that replaces conventional telescopic suspension.” These features don’t just perform—they narrate. The wishbone-linked fork system, for instance, turns mechanical movement into visual appeal, he said, bringing back the tactile engagement many modern bikes have lost. Cast in aluminium, the swingarm reflects the same design discipline seen across the build: lean, strong, and refined.
Central to the design story is the battery case—cast in magnesium and styled with sculptured cooling fins that do more than manage heat. According to him, these fins tell a story; the sharply contoured front fins represent disruptive, fast-evolving technology, while the rearward, harmonised patterns symbolise the brand’s enduring tradition. Their union creates a dynamic, wing-shaped structure that seamlessly blends form with function. The team designed the battery case to make the most of the manufacturing process—so even on its own, it looks like a “piece of art worth displaying.”
Equally innovative is the bike’s floating headlamp, tactile mode controls embedded in the grip, compact navigation switches, and wireless phone charging tucked beneath a removable panel. The round, touch-enabled digital cluster is a nod to classic dials, updated for the digital age. The bike features teardrop-shaped indicators on both sides, reminiscent of aircraft engine turbines suspended beneath the wings.
The egg-shaped tank shell—the electric equivalent of a petrol motorcycle’s fuel tank—retains the familiar form for aesthetic and ergonomic purposes, such as knee grip or storage. Though it no longer stores fuel, it now houses electronics, onboard charger, charging ports, and compact compartments.
Even the footpegs tell a story of adaptability—designed to be swapped for a relaxed or upright riding posture depending on the rider’s mood. According to him, the Flying Flea, in its totality, is a machine built not just to move people through space, but to move them emotionally.
This philosophy extends to the powertrain and system integration—'minimal yet meaningful,” intentionally keeping technical specifications under wraps to shift focus from numbers to experience.
Every element—from the aerodynamic contours of the cooling fins to the thoughtful integration of the onboard charger and ECU—reinforces the Flying Flea’s identity as a symbol of transformation.
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How Flying Flea Aims To Redefine Royal Enfield’s Electric Legacy