Saturday 2 March 2013

A motorcycle museum in Bangalore

Two wheelers, particularly motorcycles, have always fascinated people and heavier the bike, the more attractive it becomes. Bangalore has been fortunate in the sense that today almost all motorcycle majors such as Harley Davidson, Ducatti, Yamaha, Kawasaki have their exclusive outlets for selling their brand of sports and adventure bikes.
However, enthusiasts always felt that something was missing in the world of motorcycles. It was not the adventure or the mean machine that was missing. They were always there though they came with a hefty price tag.
Enthusiasts always missed the beat of the old motorcycles such as a BSA, Royal Enfield and a Triumph. They also missed seeing at first hand these bikes along with other older makes.
Thus, Bangaloreans always missed a museum dedicated exclusively for a motorbike. Not any more.
There is a small but handsome (yes, this would be the more appropriate word for the manly bikes. You see, they are masculine and not feminine, right) outlet in Bangalore where you can have a sip of coffee or tea and snacks looking at some of the older generation of motorbikes.
This is the Legends Motorcycling Cafe and Museum in Fraser Town which is owned by a biker, S.K. Prabhu.
The café sum museum is perhaps the first of its kind in India and the two storied building has a range of old bikes. The café too is tastefully done up and it reeks of a motorbiker’s love for the machines.    
The café is on the ground floor and the setting is appropriately vintage. What adds to this ambience is the biker memorabilia and “motorcycling quotations”.
The first floor has on display no less than twenty motorcycles, some of which are imported from countries like the United Kingdom and New Zealand. A few of the motorcycles date back to the 1920s and 1930s. You can get to see England made, military-modelled motorcycles of the second world war like the BSA 500 cc, Norton 500 cc and James ML 1942 Handgear.
There is also a 1962 German Florette, NUS and a DKW Hummel. The n Italian Lambretta Innocenti 1960 will make your jaws drop. Other models are an American 1962 Whizzer.
The museum has a few BSA bikes, all of them made in England.
The Legends Motorcycling Cafe and Museum is located at 15, Wheeler Road, Fraser Town. It is open on all days from 6 a.m., to 11 p.m. For details you can contact mobile No.  94480 81969

2 comments:

  1. Hey would you happen to know if this place is still open? I have been trying to reach them since the morning.

    - Apurva

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  2. Hi I am photographer by hobbiest & a bike loving guy... Coming to B'lore for a official training for 2 days.... Can plz just confirm photography ok there??

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