The man and the machine

Vintage pride

An avid traveller and food and hospitality consultant, Rishad Minocher never looks at the calendar or the clock whenever he feels like taking a ride. He simply climbs on his superbike and hits the road.

But Rishad’s superbike is not the only attraction in his stable. Also vying for attention are his two other prized possessions — a 1957 model of BSA Goldstar and a 1976 model of Honda CB 750 F1.

The two classic bikes hold a lot of memories for Rishad, who admits to buying the BSA Goldstar when it was in a deplorable condition. “When I bought it, most of its parts were missing or were damaged beyond repair. So, I had to properly repair it and bring it back to running condition from scratch. The bike was literally up and running in my hands,” he explains. Rishad recollects that he bought the bike in 1979 from a friend who was reluctant to part with it initially. Eventually, he sold it to Rishad before relocating to another country. He bought Honda CB 750 F1 not long ago.

Rishad spends a lot of time with his bikes whenever he can snatch some time between his packed schedule. “I make sure I start the bikes and tinker with them to detect any problem that they may have. And I ride them only when there’s no traffic on the roads.

Else, they tend to get overheated and cranky on the roads,” explains Rishad.

He also has his staff helping him with maintaining the bikes. “I had two old mechanics who took care of the bikes. But they are both no more. After that I’ve always repaired the bikes with the help of my friends, including Rajesh, who is well-informed about classic and vintage vehicles,” he adds.

Rishad has also spent a lot of time studying, analysing and understanding the working of these vehicles. “It pays to know about the working of these vehicles because their functioning and requirements are very different. You don’t always find the right mechanic.

You need to find people who not only know about the bike but someone who is also passionate about these vehicles,” he adds.  

Rishad feels it is much easier to get the spares now than a few years ago. “You can order it online and the hassle of waiting for months to get a spare part is slowly drawing to an end,” he says.

The love for anything that is old and classic runs in Rishad’s family. His father Rashid and mother Aban were both lovers of classic and vintage vehicles and also owned a couple of them. “I learnt to respect these old beauties from my parents and now I’ve managed to pass that same passion onto my son. My wife and daughters too are supportive of my interests,” he adds.

At 59 years, Rishad confesses that he relaxes the most whenever he hits the road on long rides. “Weekends are often reserved for long rides with several groups who I have been associated with for a long time,”he adds. Rishad and his wife used to go on long rides in the initial years of their married life.  He hopes to augment his collection and topping his wish list is a Norton Manx or a Norton International. “It’s hard to come by these vehicles and even if you do, they come at a heavy price. But, I am keeping my fingers crossed,” he says.

(Rishad can be contacted on [e-mail])