UDUPI: Nestled amid coastal Karnataka’s verdant hills is a house that has become something of a personal historical record of motorbikes available in India, thanks to Roshan Shetty’s love for vintage wheels.The 31-year-old civil engineer’s house in Athrady, Udupi district, is encircled by gleaming vintage two-wheelers that he has collected since 2015. He has 30 of them now. “I collect them because I feel they are treasures lost in time,” says Roshan. His collection includes both the indigenous and the exotic, with each bike known for something unique – either its performance or the nostalgia it evokes.
While pursuing a degree in engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology in Manipal, he became interested in bikes through motorcycle stunt shows. He also used to hang out at his friend’s garage, and picked up the workings of different two-wheelers, and nuances of the machinery. It was around this time that he began to dream of collecting vintage two-wheelers.
Roshan got his first treasure in 2015, a Yezdi CL2, a year after he first saw it. Yezdi bikes were hugely popular when they were launched in the 1970s and 80s, and acquired cult status among Indians for their performance and design, but were eventually edged out of the market by newer bikes. He saw a man with the Yezdi CL2 in Udyavara (near Udupi) but couldn’t approach him. It was only a year later that he was able to meet the man and managed to convince him to sell them the bike. In 2016, he stumbled across an ad for the sale of a Yezdi Roadking on online marketplace OLX. Ecstatic, he bought the bike from its Bengaluru-based owner and had it delivered to his hometown.
The next year – 2017 – was the year of nostalgia. Roshan acquired a Lambretta scooter – another classic from the 1970s – which for many Indian families was the first motor vehicle they owned and which could easily accommodate a family of four. Many people have memories of standing in the front of the scooter as a small child, not to mention the scooter’s depiction in Indian and Hollywood movies of the time. Vintage bikes are neither easy to find, nor easy to procure – nobody wants to part with a vintage machine. “Some of them were almost scrap. I had to contact mechanics from faraway places to get spare parts. I restored them myself,” he says with pride.
Roshan’s bikes may be lined up outside his house, but they aren’t just for show. Two years ago, he went on a road trip with seven others from Udupi to Kerala on his Lambretta. He has also undertaken such trips to Goa, Madikeri, Sakleshpur and other destinations with his group. “Collecting vintage bikes and going on road trips once in two or three months is a stress-buster for me. I made many friends because of my hobby. As the saying goes: birds of a feather, flock together...,” he says.
Initially, Roshan’s parents Anand and Rathnavathi Shetty weren’t too happy with their son’s hobby, which is rather expensive. But gradually, they too began to develop an appreciation for Roshan’s wish to own pieces of motorbike history. Besides, he could balance his profession and hobby, and that made them happy. Roshan has 30 vintage bikes, but there are more out there. He is currently looking for a Suvega moped and Rajdoot GTS 175, made famous by Raj Kapoor’s 1973 film Bobby. “I will get them too. I am looking for them,” he says simply.
For now, as it has been for a while, every Sunday is vintage bike ride day.
Vintage wheels
Yezdi Deluxe
Rajdoot
Harley Davidson Street 750
Vijay Super
Royal Enfield Mofa
Lamby Polo
Hero Majestic (35 cc)
Hero Puch
Luna Super
Bajaj Priya
LML Vespa
Lambretta