Geared beauties steal the show

Just imagine! A rally of classic scooters in various colours rattling down the roads of Bangalore. Takes you back in time, doesn’t it? This is what happens when the members of the ‘Bangalore Classic Scooter Club’ meet and ride an array of colourful classic beauties.

The club was founded on April 11, 2009 in Cubbon Park. Explains Siddharth, one of the founder members, “I was searching for someone to restore my 1970 Lambretta scooter in March 2009 when I met Arun. He suggested we call anyone we know who has a classic scooter and do a small rally.”

So the duo called Gokul, who had earlier contacted them after seeing some photos of their scooters online. “Gokul brought his friend Yatish along. The four of us did the first rally, which mostly covered Cubbon Park. Later, we decided to set up the ‘Bangalore Classic Scooter Club’,” adds Siddharth.

Arun’s love for scooters started in his childhood. “My father had a 1977 model scooter, which was a derivative of Innocenti Lambretta. I grew up on it,” he says. Arun has a big collection of not just vintage scooters, but even vintage cars. “When it comes to two-wheelers, the rarest one I own is the Innocenti Moped.” In fact, the first thing Arun does in the mornings is to check on the condition of his vehicles. “It’s like a daily dose of adrenaline for me,” he laughs.

Most of the members own Vespas or Lambrettas. Other scooters in the club are Vijay Super, Lamby 150, and the Vespa-based scooters made by Bajaj. The club also has a few rarities like the Rajdoot Runabout scooter.

As far as maintenance is concerned, Siddharth says, “Older mechanics can do the best possible job on these scooters. You also need to know where to get the spares. Fortunately, Bangalore has a relatively good supply of spares. A few need to be sourced from Delhi, and sometimes even the UK, USA or Italy.”

And can these scooters be ridden on the traffic-stricken roads of Bangalore? “They can be ridden here but not on a daily basis as they are not fuel-efficient,” says Arun. “Plus, you have to make sure they are parked safely.”

From four, the membership of the club has now grown to 35. “We have rallies on the last Sunday of every month. But soon we may decrease it to once in two months,” says Siddharth.

The club is open to all, provided one owns a classic scooter and attends one of the rallies. “At the rally, you must provide your name and contact details to any of the founder members of the club. We will keep you informed of all our future rallies,” adds Siddharth. The members usually meet at the Cubbon Park and have a community on Facebook called the ‘Bangalore Classic Scooter Club’.