Classic discovery

LET'S TORQUE

While rummaging through my favourite bookstore's vast collection of old magazines, I managed to lay my hands on a couple of old issues of a magazine called Classic Bike.

Now I've heard much about this magazine and read even more about it online, and trust me, this title is like the holy book to all classic and vintage buffs across Europe. So being the classic buff that I am, I spent my entire Sunday completely devouring these mags.

Classic Bike has various features on radical mods, fantastic restorations and clever little tricks "" all on vintage motorcycles "" that makes it any wrencher's fantasy, while stories on racing celebrities and memorable biker meets appear in almost every other issue.

Nortons, BSAs, Triumphs and more common motorcycles that are found in India are quite regular and sometimes may even get boring, but it's the pieces on rarer brands like MZ, AJS, Montessa amongst others that will really excite you and maybe even help you to spot one lying in the neighbourhood junk yard.

It's the perfect handbook for a born again biker to guide him through that restoration project that was lying in his backyard for the past few decades.

The Classic Bike Dossier is another interesting feature which gives you the wows and woes of owing a particular machine, and if you're like Bijoy who gets his kicks from the classifieds, then boy oh boy, you're going to have a ball.

So if you like your cheese in fondue, your wine aged and machines wearing a patina of age, don't forget to get yourself an old issue of Classic Bike the next time you're at a book stall.

joshua.crasto@business-standard.com