My Father's Son

Guilty pleasures and vices, the imagery and blessings of an earlier generation. A great Helmet Story...

Interesting Image

Came across an interesting Image and we had to share it.

(Photo credit Press Info. Bureau ,G.O.I)

The Dare Devil bikers, during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade-2011, in New Delhi on January 23, 2011.These guys hold the record for Maximum No of people on a motorcycle pyramid. A staggering 251 men on 11 Royal Enfields!

Malshej Ghat Weekend Ride

Laid up in bed with arthroscopic surgery on my creaky old knee and fretting about missing the fantastic riding weather here in Mumbai. To make matters worse, Mehdi sent me this video of his weekend ride to try out his Contour helmet cam - Damn you Basanti! The 600 cc cast iron lump is assembled, along with a 5-speed gearbox. Hopefully next week, I'll be able to assemble the bike. Watch this space!

A Proud War Record a new book by Gordon May

At the end of WWII, Royal Enfield produced a beautifully bound 44 page book about its work during the conflict. The book was designed to show the strength and diversity of the company, promote sales of its new peacetime products and encourage investors to buy shares in the Redditch-based manufacturer.

A Proud War Record shows motorcycle production and the deployment of these machines amongst the wartime services. It also highlights other products the company made, including bicycles, oil motors, generator sets, two-pounder armour piercing shells, anti-aircraft gun predictors, gyroscopic sights, air cooled diesel engines and fire control instruments.

Finally, there are views of the four Royal Enfield factories, the work force, production and an outline of post war developments, including the new motorcycle range. 

Gordon May, Ladakh 2009. Photo Harsh Man Rai

Gordon has made in to a sweet book which you can order from his website or check out the PDF available thanks to barnstormers.co.nz 

Interview: Bobbee Singh

Looking to restore or get your hands on an awesome old school Enfield then Bobbee Singh is your man. Beautiful is the word for his bikes you can see how much blood, sweat and love goes into each of his builds. We caught up with him and talked about what we know best.

Who are you?
I am Bobbee Singh, a recovering alcoholic who chose the wrong spirit before, now ever grateful for a second chance...feeling exceedingly lucky that i get to do what i was sent for, make motorcycles.

When did you get interested in bikes?

I was too young, its difficult to say... I  had a South Indian neighbor, who worked for the American embassy... he used to build motorcycles in his living room.... I hung out with him at age 10 or 12, there were parts, many parts and I would pretend to help him I would put grease on my face to look involved. When he left he gave me his Triumph painting.

Bobby says making motorcycles is what he was sent to do.

What was your first bike you ever owned/rode?

A family friend parked his Enfield in my back yard, i stole it put it next to a tree and took off....it was a great ride ! when i came back, the whole family were standing outside with their chins touching their knees !! Got the first & the last slap from my father (good days) i was 14/15.

The same friend, let me clean and polish his Enfield and let me have a ride around my colony, I took 2 or 3 rounds before I returned the bike.

Was still in the process of dropping out of school, and doing had 3 or 4 sales jobs at the same time, I saved some money....my mother gave me the rest for my first Enfield. (She was a 1987 model)

What prompted your first build?
There was no such thing as my first build, I was forever building, designing etc etc. there was this Jat Sikh, extremely rude and arrogant (like all Jats are) bullet mechanic called Ravinder Singh. He was a drunk, but a magician with Enfields. We built my so called bike a 1962 Royal Enfield (DLN 1210) A beauty beyond description. Emperial marroon in colour I later added a 500 cc fearing to it (much to Ravinder Singh distaste) he once refused to put the ape-hanger handle bars and almost hit me swearin in punjabi 'aa kee shatarmurg liyayaan he maachoda."(no translation needed)

Late Ravi Bhaajee is the ignition of my motorcycles. God bless his soul.

Who are your influences?
Seriously, I understand why some people say, " i am a old soul' ! everything old school, is very very precious to me books, philosophy, music, movies,furniture, weapons, times, letters, clothes, people, values & motorcycles. The entire range of old motorcycles are my motivation/inspiration Triumphs, BSA, AJS, Indian, Rudge Ulsters, Brough Superior, Nortons etc etc. Their simplicity, primitive power & hard style is what moves me.

What is your favorite bike?
Brough Superiors & Triumphs (twins)

What do you do for fun?
When I bring every single part from the painter, I put on a 200watts yellow light bulb, lay down that old animal skin and start putting the bike together late in the night...strong chai, cigarettes and low late night radio doing the graveyard shift is my definition of happiness :)

Listening to "one more cup of coffee" Dylan on a sunny winter day while riding my 68 "Bumble Bee" on the inroads of Khan Market on a Sunday is FUN. and to make somebody laugh.

Definition of happiness - Chai, Smokes and the Graveyard Shift

What bike would you like to see in India?
Indian Chiefs & Triumphs (so would we so would we)

What is the worst bike ever according to you?
The Rajdoot :)

Not a fan of the Rajdoot

Functionality vs bling?
Functionality is bling ! What the fuck is bling anyways...who came up with this!
an old line by Ayn Rand - Motion & Purpose ( form & function ) does for me.
Alloys on Enfields can go and fuck themselves ;)

What is your favorite road to ride on?
there are many roads...Jana in Himachal, The Great Ocean Road in Australia, Baga to Nine bar in Goa, Munnar, the inroads of the Pushkar area and any cantonment in India.

The Great Ocean Road is one of those must do rides. 

Munar has awesome riding roads and great coffee. Heaven!!

How does one get in touch with you?
Get in touch with me over facebook.

How long does a build usually take?
It takes 45 to 60 days to complete a motorcycle with me.

60 days for a bike like this I can wait.

How does one get their hands on one of your sweet bikes?
Meet me for a chai & dont ask me to put lights in your wheels (Amen Brother)

What is the latest bike you are working on?
I am working on a 64 Enfield now, it s goin to a 78 years old gentleman in Australia... she s called A A (always astride)

any sneak peaks to what is looks like?
cant do pics now its 3 in the morning and my wife thinks i have another woman.

Another Road to Ride? Osian, Rajasthan

Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone Essar
 

Apu rides again

A rebuilt Engine, all polished and chromed Apu is back on the road.

After a very very long time. Apu is back on the streets after an extensive engine rebuild. Once the engine is all run in the body work shall start and we shall get him ready for the mountains. How great it is to have him back on the road again.
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

Weekend Rides

Between career, family and responsibilities, I really didn’t get into motorcycling till my forties. As I head into the big 5-oh territory next year, I realise that at this age I owe a lot of my sense of adventure to the Royal Enfield motorcycles that I ride. Because I ride motorcycles, I've interacted with a gamut of people who share the same passion: from paupers to millionaires, from rich industrialists to bakers, from young to old. A mystical force draws us together to kick tires, swap lies, talk shop, build relationships and find that one epic ride.

For me, the epic ride has always been the annual ride to Ladakh and even as I write there’s a humming in my chest, a frisson of excitement that tingles the soul. Every road has its own personality, but the one to Ladakh changes every year. What was a dirt track ascending to Baralacha La last year is a smooth bit of tarmac this year swooping up to 16,000 feet. Over the crest heading down the north-facing descent the tarmac becomes a distant memory, the road tortured into revealing its sinister nature by the grinding snow, ice and a cutting wind that snatches your breath away. The variations themselves are a treat, delighting me with the twisting, turning, unexpected moves I must make to overcome the next obstacle. Here in Ladakh, the immediate future lies just after the next bend in the road or over the next crest, a mystery to unfold; and every year I try to push the envelope of my riding skills to deal with it better than before.

I have measured all rides against Ladakh, perhaps unfairly so. To ride in Ladakh means a commitment of time and money, something that may be in short supply in these times. Till recently, I didn’t realise that I could have an excellent adventure riding in my backyard, figuratively speaking. Often, while on a descent to Mumbai airport, I could see lonely skeins of roads from above and wondered where they led to, a patchwork quilt of possibility in the routes I might take. I did ride these roads on the way to the Royal Enfield Rider Mania this year, as documented in this blog in November, and it gave me a new appreciation for this sublime weekend ritual and an impetus to find more such roads. Our route, casually mapped out in our heads as we rode along was based on hearsay, had but a single commandment: make it as circuitous and remote as possible. Easily done over the weekend, this kind of ride is something we can do regardless of economics — a 400km motorcycle ride represents a cost-effective escape from reality. For the cost of a few litres of fuel and a few roadside meals, you can extract yourself from the chaos of modern life for a few hours. Until someone finds a way to charge for breathtaking views, fun roads or fresh air, a good day's ride is about the cheapest entertainment you'll find. Now I have to find those back roads from Mumbai to Nashik for the Sulafest in Feb 2011. Or, do the Mumbai to Goa ride on the coastal roads without touching NH17… I’m spoilt for choices.

Interview: Vijay Singh of Rajputana Customs

Vijay Singh runs Rajputana Customs and is the newest custom bike builder in India(and he is damn good at what he is doing) we at Helmet Stories caught up with him and got a low down on what makes him tick and to know "when the hell will he pimp our rides"? 

Who are you and where are you based? 

Vijay Singh, Age 24, Mass Communication Major from Carleton University, Canada. Graduated in 2009 and started up RCM in Feb 2010. Rajputana Customs is based out of Jaipur, literally out of the house. So its rather convenient; living and working at home.  

When did you get interested in bikes?

My Dad used to race motocross back in the day (1970s) for JMC (Jaipur Motorcycle Club) and i was quite literally being ridden around on the gas tank of my dad's Yamaha RD 350 since i was 6 months old. He then restored a BSA bond/falcon (50cc) for me when i turned 6 yrs old and got me on the motocross track which has now been converted into "central park" in Jaipur. Its a balls ass place now, the track wouldve kept the sport alive and done much good for road rage. Oh well... 

Vijay on his dads RD 350

Racing in Central Park in Jaipur when he was 6 years old

What was your first bike you ever owned/rode?

BSA Bond/Falcon 50 cc. 

BSA Bond/Falcon 50 cc. a super way to start riding.

What prompted Original Gangster and how did it come about?

I was basically treating it like a post-university project to keep myself occupied during my few months of chutti before i really dove into the "work-world". I finished the bike just in time for the auto expo this year and my cousin brother Avijit Singh who is part of the heritage motoring club of India spoke to HMCI and convinced them and me to showcase my bike along with his Triumph Tiger at the expo. OG got a very positive response at the expo and since then we've been building bikes on an order basis. 

Who are your influences?

If its simply a love for motorcycles and who triggered my love for 2 wheels i will have to say my father Mrityunja Singh. As for custom bike builders i like Billy Lane, Jesse Rooke, Shinya Kimura and Indian Larry (R.I.P) 

Do you work alone?

I have 2 metal fabricators and 1 shop manager (Tappan) who is also my childhood friend (the gardener's son).

What is your favorite bike?

Ducati 996 :)

What do you do for fun? 

I shoot skeet & trap at the range on sundays, play golf with the cousins, play football in the mornings, kill the PS3 with the boys post work in the evenings, and Bissau House pool parties.

What bike would you like to see in India?

Suzuki GSX R1000 

What is the worst bike ever according to you? 

none really. 

Functionality vs bling? 

Functionality.

What is your favorite road to ride on? 

No road, would love to hop onto a ktm enduro and rip across the semi-arid Rajasthani countryside.  

How does one get in touch with you?

People can feel free to call me at 9928164795  (makes life easier) or just email me at rajputanacustoms@gmail.com or visit our site. 

How long does a build usually take?

A build from scratch takes between 50-70 days usually.

How does one get their hands on a Rajputana custom? 

Grab a beer, discuss certain design ideas (just to make sure the client doesn't want any flames and skulls on the bike), approve my sketech, and write me a cheque. haha

What is the latest bike you are working on? 

Working on 2 bikes simultaneously....one's for my uncle Vikram Singh and the other is for the actor Vivek Oberoi. 

any sneak peaks to what it looks like? 

Will send you some once i am home.  :D

Check out some of the bikes that have come out of the Rajputana Custom shop so far. Check out their facebook page for more images and info on upcoming builds.

Original Gangster

Light Foot

Nandi

It's Better In The Wind