Hyderabad-based 36 Moto hit their Arrow on mark at India Bike Week which went on to win the Bike Build-Off at IBW 2017.
Earlier, we had reported that 36 Moto is making new leaps in the world of custom motorbikes and we’ll be waiting to see what they have to offer next. Well, here we are with another one of Mohit Chawda’s creations. And what a creation it is!
Before we tell you all about it, let’s take a step back in time to India Bike Week 2016 when Chawda broke on to the scene with one of his creations from his then-custom house Deccan Custom Motorcycles. Since then, Chawda has changed his base twice and his garage three times. But what’s not changed is his ability to wow the audiences with his amazing creations; if anything, he’s only become more mature and refined. Hence, while in 2016, the Deccan Custom Motorcycles bike only for show, this time around, the rechristened 36 Moto’s creation was enrolled in India Bike Week’s famous Biker Build Off Challenge. The bike which took “23 days (and 23 sleepless nights) to build” was built as a tribute to RD fans. In Chawda’s words, “There are very few classic motorcycles which have the same appeal and fan following as the legendary Yamaha RD350 in India. Thus, it was crucial to do justice to this epic bike and this rendition was our tribute to a bike which has set the bar for badass machines since decades.”
36 Moto’s ‘Arrow’ not only warmed up the hearts of the audiences but also fired up the judges enough to it take the top spot in their books and made him win the Bike Build Off at India Bike Week 2017.
Here’s a closer look at this award winning machine:
Name: Arrow
Builder: 36 Moto
Style: Cafe Racer
Concept: Mohit Chawda has always had a philosophical side to him which always comes forth in his builds as well. It was the case with his first build Shaheen which was inspired by Allama Iqbal’s poem while Arrow comes out from one of Khalil Gibran’s ideology. “Ideas and thought are great Arrow but there has to be a bow. And as it goes with my builds I try to blend my love for poems to get inspirations to create a mechanical form of poetry. Considering anything that you give your heart and soul to build is a brainchild of all the thoughts that can possibly cross your mind. A line from Khalil Gibran’s poem makes sense to be that BOW where he says, ‘You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth’,” explains Chawda.
Chassis: Stock RD350 slighty twisted
Handlebar: Clip-ons
Engine: 1985 Yamaha RD350 High Torque
Tank: Cafe-style tank blended with the fairing
Grips: Retro style curve grips
Fuel gauge: Brass-tube housing and the glass attached to the tank which acts like the fuel gauge
Headlight: Single LED projector lamp
Ignition: It’s a beautiful emotion to kick start the oldies and we like it that way
Switches: Less switches, more fun. There’s only one kill switch in the machine
Seat: Hand crafted wooden seat leather tooled by 3000 lights
Battery box: Battery gets a new space underneath the tail
Suspension: Front has inverted forks while there’s a mono suspension at the rear
Brake: 300mm front disc and 240mm rear set
Drive: Mechanical chain drive and machined rear sprocket
Wheels: 36 Spokes. We wonder why!?!?!?
Tyres: Ceat Vertigo on both front and rear
Swingarm: Custom made cross tube Swingarm
Air filter: UNI Performance Air Filter
Exhaust: Calculated expansion chambers made out of 36 pieces; each piece and weld tack is clearly visible on the pipes, adding to its retro grunge look. The wooden panel at the top of the exhaust saves your skin from getting barbecued
Tail lights: LED integrated under the tail of the bike
Paint job: Retro two-tone silver and gold paint
Currently, 36 Moto is undergoing a sea change with changes to their garage but once they’ve settled down well, we can only imagine what more they’ll come up with. Keep watching this space for more of their upcoming builds.
