As much as the spectators were awe-struck by vintage four-wheelers in today’s 54th edition of The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally, vintage two-wheelers also owned their own space in the rally with the bikes showcasing each of the characteristics with which they have been making their marks throughout history and is still continuing, having the rally as an testament. Nitin Shrestha’s 1956 Lambretta Model D 150 of 150cc and single cylinder was an obvious standout among the vintage motorbikes.

The bike was first found in pieces in Bihar and was picked up by and transported to Kolkata in parts in an autorickshaw. Shrestha, describing its restoration journey, said: “Restoration was a lengthy process as parts were unavailable in India and had to be sourced from Italy, right from tires to wires, to rubber shelves, the rearview mirror, and even the horn. I must praise the bike for being sharp driven instead of a chain driven one. We still need some more work, but it’s extremely roadworthy”. Recovered from a customer in 1995 from Orissa, Gurumukh Singh Khokhar restored the 1942 Excelsior Welbike, having a Villiers junior engine of one cylinder and 98cc.

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The bike was brought to The Statesman rally the next year in 1996. “Originally designed for British soldiers during the Second World War, this paratrooper is easily transportable due to its unique ability to fold into a compact cylindrical shape. However, the lack of any suspension system, including springs, results in an uncomfortable ride, especially when it is for extended periods,” said Raunak Singh Khokhar, the son of the owner, Gurumukh Singh Khokhar. A 1973 Jawa 250 model rescued on 12 August, 2020 from a chemical factory is a new entry in the rally this year.

Owned by Zaki Anwar, the bike had been hibernating for 47 years after being ridden only for a couple of weeks in the month of September 1973 and ran 430 kilometres today in the rally, according to the owner The 1949 Norton Dominator, 500cc having a vertical twin cylinder for two outlets and the 1953 BSA A7 Star Twin are brought by Chandan Basu Mallik. Both were recovered from Varanasi under Banyan trees having Banyan roots entwined in them. Mallik said: “For the Norton Dominator, it took me about 25 years to restore it. Thanks to the power of social media, I could advance my reach beyond our country by getting vintage parts of the bike. This is one of a kind left in Kolkata and is in its 13th year of participating in the Statesman Rally. Meanwhile the 1953 A7 Star Twin was made to complete the aforementioned bike.”