Island Romance

Being surrounded by the sea on all sides did not keep Saurav from bringing his dream motorcycle back to life. Here is how he went about it

TStory: Joshua Varghese here are motorcycle riders and then there are motorcycle enthusiasts. today, we focus on the latter. these are the people who buy a motorcycle because their heart tells them they must have it. Beyond all reasonable thought that includes value for money, dealership network, resale value, and so on, these seemingly crazy ladies and gentlemen buy the motorcycle that speaks to them in a way none other could.

this is the tale of a man and his motorcycle from one of the most beautiful islands in our country. allow me to briefly walk you through the story of andaman and nicobar’s saurav Kumar Guchhait and his resurrected 1998 yamaha rX-Z (that he named “legend”).

saurav is a motorcycle enthusiast who hails from havelock, andaman and nicobar islands. the rX-Z under discussion here was owned by his uncle previously and saurav fondly recalls all the beautiful memories he had with it. By the time he turned 20, saurav acquired the rX-Z for himself, but it was clear that the journey ahead was not going to be easy.

Photography: Saurav Kumar Guchhait the motorcycle’s condition had deteriorated and it was obvious that key parts needed rebuilding and, in some cases, replacing. the list included chassis, fuel-tank, headlamp, fairings, rims, and tyres.

to aid him in this project, saurav sought the help of a mechanic from the neighbouring island. after sourcing all the necessary parts from chennai and Bengaluru with the help of an rX series specialist, mujib Khan of champions racing, mylapore, saurav and his mechanic buddy began work on the rX-Z. the duo began the restoration on a sunday and worked their way through the whole project over the rest of the week, completing the motorcycle, including paint, by Friday morning. throughout this process, Khan supported them with crucial information about the motorcycle’s repair procedures over video calls whenever necessary.

the rX-Z is now a proud motorcycle, a fully restored two-stroker in an era of Bs6 norms. saurav guarantees that everything on the motorcycle is stock barring the paint, which is a stunning shade of

adrenaline red, a factory colour that is offered on the yamaha yZFr15s, and, after looking at the pictures, we are not going to complain.

We would like to take a moment here to appreciate saurav’s passion for his motorcycle. rebuilding and maintaining an rX-Z in a location as remote as havelock is not an easy task. it is always endearing to read stories like this where someone has gone the extra mile to make their dream a reality.

towards the end, saurav told us something that we think is worth sharing. his rX-Z was delivered to its first owner on the exact same day saurav was born. co-incidence? looking at a happy saurav astride his bright red rX-Z, we think not.

‘this is one motorcycle which i will never sell. i want to grow old seeing this bike and would want to die seeing the bike for the last time,’ said saurav.