In today’s time when it comes to the two wheeler high-end machines, the action has moved from the manufacturers. Now, it is the boutique customisation houses that has gained the spotlight all over the country. Modified bikes are now in the upcoming spotlight.
Given below are India’s best bike builders, who are rewriting the rules on how a motorcycle should look and run today.
Tushar Jaitly of TJ Moto Delhi:
Tushar Jaitly had spent a lot of time sketching cars in his childhood. This worked in his favour, as he studies automobile design at Turin’s Istituto Europeo di Design. This was where Anders Warming, Mini’s global chief of design, singled out his concept Mini. On his return back home to India in 2012, he made a career switch, opting for building modified bikes instead of cars. The reason behind this move? He found it was a smaller canvas to start with. In fact, he first worked on his bike as a project. He chopped up his own hardtail Harley-Davidson Iron 883. He transformed it, putting on a British racing green paint job, suede and leather accents and a drag-racing handle bar. But what made this bike more unconventional was the floating petrol tank, where the chassis was brought above it. ‘Nadia’, as he christened it affectionately, exhibited it at the India Bike Week, where it was profiled by Silodrome and Pipeburn, two of the best international motorcycling blogs.
Bobbee Singh of Old Delhi Motorcycles Delhi:
Bobbe Singh, is best known as a restoration specialist. In his last 15 years, he has built a network of ‘informants’, who have constantly updated him about vintage Royal Enfield’s that are up for sale. Once he gets his hands on the bike, he restores them, and sells the upgraded and modded motorcycle to customers all around the world. What influenced his passion? Listening to stories about individuals who romanticised these motorcycles, right from British officers methodically maintaining their Triumphs after Sunday Mass within the boundaries of their cantonments, or even of riding them to events like the Jabalpur Ball. In fact, you can get a clear insight into his passion, through the documentary starring him and his co – workers.
Vijay Singh of Rajputana Custom Motorcycles Jaipur:
It was one winter of 2009 when Vijay Singh decided to work on a custom made motorcycle around a Royal Enfield 350cc engine. With over six months to spare before he took on a job as a sports journalist, he decided to utilise his free time, by schooling himself on bike engineering. Having spent time countless hours watching YouTube videos, he finally built an Enfield, named the Original Gangster, which he showcased at the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo. He garnered rave reviews, which also caught the attention of celebrity bike aficionado, John Abraham, who was looking for his first custom build.