The Auto Doctors

They are men we always look for when the bike we trust gives up. We visit them only when we need them. Very few of us care to stopover to see how they’re doing when we pass their place. They care for something which is ours, not theirs. Some of them give us more than we need. They are Automobile Doctors - Call them Engineers, Auto Experts, Ustaad, Guru or simply Bhai.

This blog is dedicated to all those people we refer to as ‘mechanics’ but who actually are much more than just that. They give life to our Automobiles. To the cars and bikes we use day in and day out and cant do without. At times their minds work better than qualified engineers even though they do not have any degree in what they do. Tell them a problem your vehicles facing and they know the reason before you’ve finished telling them about it. Genius!

Take Anand for example - A man who knows everything about motorcycles with 50 years of experience to back him. Anand learnt the art of motorcycle maintenance from his father and elder brother. He has now taught the same to his son Prabhu. Three generations in the business of motorcycles. Talk to him and experience speaks. It’s always a pleasure to sit with him over a cup of tea to listen to tales from the fifties and sixties. And mind you, all his narrations are true. I remember the one where Anand, still a teenager, was asked by one of his father’s friends to kick start a Matchless. If he did the bike was his. His eyes light up with pride when he says that’s how he got his first bike. In fact, Anands my inspiration for this article.

So many such people go unmentioned. According to him, hardly anyone today knows how to give and earn respect. “In the old days, people used to spend time inquiring after how we were doing, they sat with us and we chatted over a meal. We went home to deliver bikes and the respect was very much there.” Anand’s knowledge on old wonders like Matchless, BSA, Triumph and Norton is amazing. He can tell you when different models of the Yezdi were launched. He still has an old BSA lying at his workplace! Among contemporary bikes, he likes 2 stroke powered engines like the Yamaha RX and Suzuki. He admires the Pulsar too. I have learnt a lot from Anand. If you want to get your bike restored to better than new, he is the man you need. He operates from Balaji Motorcycles and Scooters, Kamaraj Road near Commercial Street, Bangalore.

As I write, I cannot miss mentioning B.R Gurunandan, better known as Nandan, the guru of the Royal Enfield. Bullet owners bank on this man for knowledge and advice. Nandan is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and got into Bullets full time because of his passion for the machine. Talk to him and he speaks like a doctor speaks about the human body. Nandan goes right into the engine to explain what happens in there. It’s not just piston, crank and rings for him - Its how parts do what they do and what can go wrong. He is like an open book on the Bullet. It’s no surprise that he has his own webpage (http://www.cybersteering.com/cruise/feature/bullet/bullet.html) and has authored books on the machine too. He replies to queries by Email. To him an Enfield is a classic. “Japanese bikes cannot take in much and their lifespan is shorter. A bullet is a bike for life. We all love our bullets”, he says. His humility is praiseworthy. Nandan operates from M.Tech – Modern Technologies for Classic Bikes, Srinika Complex, Ring Road, Bhadrappa Layout, Nagashettihalli, Bangalore. (Better explained: Go straight on Tumkur Road, from the Hebbal flyover. Make a right after around 2 km).

I want to tell you about another person I regard as an expert on cars. The name is Subhan. Fondly called Babu by friends. To me he is Subhan dada. Dada’s father took care of my grand father’s Ford Prefect and later the Ambassadors back at home in Sagar, MP. Today his sons take care of our cars! It’s an amazing feeling when I think of it. They are like family to us. They come home every Christmas and we go over to their place for Id. The relationship thus goes on unaffected by time. Dada knows cars in and out. Ask him about old British cars or about the latest MPFI. He is there. Even though he is close to 70 now, dada continues to come to the workplace for a few hours everyday. His control at the wheel is truly awesome! I am greeted by a hug each time I go and see him.

I wonder what we would do without these people being there. I do agree that there are a lot of them who do not deserve to be spoken about. It’s difficult to find genuine people in today’s world. It’s the same with Auto Docs too. So if you’re fortunate enough to have found one, consider yourself blessed…