Motorcycles now seem to outnumber people and are a part of every landscape. With an estimated local annual production ranging between 1.5 and 2 million, they afford the middle class a mode of transport to work, socials and even trips to the far north of Pakistan.

Honda was the first Japanese manufacturer to establish a factory here, and Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki soon followed. Now, we see multiple Chinese brands offering a wide range of two-wheelers at a lower price point, though buyers are suspect of quality.

All locally manufactured motorcycles operate on the policy of ‘barely acceptable’ quality. However, this was not always the case. In times gone by, quality was a mantra.

We often talk about brands and brand loyalty. Companies take years, sometimes decades, to build a reputation. Now it’s called branding, and firms take particular care to create, nurture, and maintain an image. At the top of the list are the Germans, followed by the Japanese when it comes to motorcycle manufacturing. However, there was a time when British motorcycles were a name to be reckoned with.

The Triumph Motorcycle Company, set up in the late nineteenth century, produced its first petrol engine-powered cycle in 1902 and, on the onset of the First World War, received large orders from the British Army, establishing itself as a major player in the field.

Triumph, along with other British motorcycles, became the go-to two-wheel mode of transport in the far reaches of the British Empire. India became a major market, and post-Partition, Pakistan inherited many of these motorcycles; a sizeable number of 350cc bikes served in the Pakistan Army with dispatch riders.

Triumph started exporting to the United States of America after the Second World War, and they soon found a receptive audience, especially amongst the younger riders, some influenced no doubt by seeing Marlon Brando on a Triumph Thunderbird in the film The Wild One.

As an automobile enthusiast myself, I had previously written about a young motorcycle enthusiast who rode his 1940 BSA trouble-free to Malam Jabba and back.

Shortly after, I received an email from a gentleman from Hyderabad who wanted me to write about his father and his collection of Triumph motorcycles.

I was finally able to travel to and interview Syed Muhammad Haroon Rashid, a lawyer by profession who had settled in Hyderabad for the past many decades. Now in his late 80s, he maintains an active lifestyle, still practices law, and on occasion will ride with his sons to Karachi. I hazard to guess he is probably Pakistan’s oldest motorcycle enthusiast and rider.

He inherited his love for these two-wheelers from his father and, on passing his intermediate exam, received his first motorcycle as a gift. That was the beginning of his lifelong passion, and his collection of vintage motorcycles is an impressive sight.

Ranging from the 200-cc Tiger Cub to the 650-cc Thunderbird, Syed Haroon has seven of these iconic motorcycles. He is also the proud caretaker of a Royal Enfield, a Harley Davidson, and a Suzuki.

In his words, “motorcycles are my first love, and I will continue to love them till I cross over to the other side.”

Haroon’s father, a Customs officer in Calcutta, rode a Harley Davidson and presented him with a Matchless 350cc, then a Willys Jeep, and finally a Triumph 650cc Thunderbird; it is the pride of his collection.

He and his sons frequently ride out together, occasionally completing the 150 km Hyderabad to Karachi run.

Admitting to an urge to prefer project machinery over complete and functional motorcycles, Haroon’s penchant for acquiring the incomplete and non-runner has saved many from the scrap heap. His mechanic spends the day at the residence, slowly completing the orphan, and the Triumphs now on display are a testament to his skill. Haroon keeps the man ‘fed and watered’ and the bike slowly comes back to life. Having been involved with restoring older Volkswagen Beetle cars in the past, I can vouch for the difficulty of finding the correct part and the lengths one goes to trace them.

Our conversation moved on to challenges faced by the younger generation in access to motocross tracks, as well as acquiring motorcycles that are imported bypassing the regular channels.

His advice: get organised, club together, and form pressure groups. Apply to the government, pay the taxes, and regularise the vehicle.

As a fellow enthusiast, I cannot but agree with him. A shortsighted and counterproductive amendment in 2006 to the import regulations banned the import of cars and motorcycles older than three years. Conceived with the idea of stopping used cars from undercutting the sales of locally manufactured cars, the amendment has effectively throttled the hobby.

State functionaries will go on ad-nauseum about the importance of ‘saving our heritage on wheels’ but will take no concrete steps to support the vintage motorcycle and automobile hobby.

Syed Haroon Rashid’s words ring true, that it is only by grouping together, forming a pressure group, and making concerted moves to educate the man in the ministry that Pakistan may have a healthy hobby.

The family is based in Hyderabad and is happy to hear from fellow enthusiasts. You may reach them by email: choicehyd@gmail.com

Romano Karim Yousuf is a vintage car enthusiast.
romanokarim@gmail.com

Photos: Romano Karim Yousuf