Men of Mettle

Over 20,000 bikers from all over India recently roared down to Goa to celebrate a week of riding, brotherhood, bikes, music and motoring heaven, and Hyderabad-based Mohit Chawda bagged the trophy for the Custom Bike Build Off. 

Talking about the challenge, Mohit of 36 Moto customised bikes, says, “The wrench is your paint brush, and raw steel, your canvas. But only a few chosen ones can build something with their bare hands. IBW’s Bike Build Off provides the perfect stage for the finest metal craftsmen to showcase some of the best custom-built motorbikes. Entries were received from across India but only the shortlisted ones got the opportunity to build something at the Build Off in a record time frame of 23 days.”

Mohit, along with his team — Md. Abu Sufian, Gautam (Engineering and Fabrication), Syed Zain and Syed Altaf (Mechanical), Preetham (Designing and Branding), Devireddy, Santosh and Jagmeet Singh worked out a Café Racer from a 1985 Yamaha RD350 High Torque which in itself is a legendary machine. 

Mohit Chawda

“Only the engine and chassis have been retained, everything else on the bike is handcrafted with a lot of love and passion. The exhaust is a 36-piece expansion chamber totally custom designed and calculated. The body line is made from scratch and the wood and leather craft is done by experts,”  explains Mohit, whose journey with wheels goes back to 2014. Starting off with Deccan Custom Motorcycles during his college days, he has now re-branded it as 36 Moto (Chhattis Moto — a reference to Chhattisgarh). 

The trophy that Mohit won for being the best in the Bike Build Off competition.

When asked how he feels about the recognition, Mohit says, “Building motorcycles is the expression of the thoughts that pass through my head. It’s like the old poem which translates to “Spring blossoms wherever the birds sing; and without a doubt, you’ll be recognised if you do anything amazing.”