Article by : Nishal Lama | Published originally : November 26 2010
A near fatal accident about a decade back made him redo his bike. Ever since then, he has been customizing Royal Enfield bullets; one of his recent bikes has been declared as one of the best three custom-made bikes in the country.
Owning a Royal Enfield might be an ultimate dream for many, but for some getting it customized is what adds to the whole appeal. Customizing bikes has caught on big time in the city and Bangalore-based Ricardo Pereira is a pro at what he does. With a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Ricardo’s first stint with bullet customization began with his own bike. Being a rider himself, he took to customizing bikes after meeting with an accident in 2001. “I have been riding bikes since I was 11-years-old.
For sometime, I was into racing too and thats how I met with an accident. On that fateful day I was riding a bullet and that’s when I felt the need to customize certain parts of bike to make it stand the gaff. What started as a mere interest soon became my passion. Today, I life revolves around it,” says Ricardo as he sits down with his new project.
A Proud owner of three Bullets, Ricardo specializes not only in designs, but also customization of the engines. The meticulous renovation of his own bike made him discover Street Rods – the modification he specializes in. Ricardo specializes in three forms of customization: Street Rods (Complete built), Retro built, Classic built. He explains, “Street Rods are not really chopper. They have a bit of retro look, but at the same time cannot be classified as one. Retro built is 70 percent customization and Classic is mainly the outer body customization,”
Whilst most part of the customization is done by Ricardo himself, he makes sure that everything is precision made. “For me, it’s not just about customizing but changing the over all look-and-feel factor about the bike. Sometimes, I even go back to the drawing board to start all over again. My mechanical books help me sometimes, but most of it I decide while working on the bike,” says Ricardo
A complete renovation for a Street Rod will take about 90 days, Ricardo makes sure that the client knows what they are asking for. “Street Rods are just not about designs, but also the power. It’s a complete make over of the bike. I don’t believe in cosmetic modifications. It’s for a short term, which is what I like to do in Classic built,” explains Ricardo. Ask him about his favorite models by Royal Enfield, he answers, “I love the 80’s. There is something nice about these bikes.”
He continues, “I’ve owned three bikes so far. Two of it was 84 models – Gaso and Rolling Stones. I got the other one from my Dad.” Royal Enfield has rated one of his Street Rods as the top-three custom bikes in the country, and has offered him the opportunity to display the bike in Rider Mania. “Recently, I got a call from Royal Enfield to display one of my bikes in Goa, but the client I have sold my bike to is in Nagaland; too far a place for me to bring the bike here (laughs).” He calls himself a one-man-army, but hopes to expand. “Except Khan, my assistant, I don’t have anybody who works with me. It’s all done by me – right from sketching the design to assembling”. “I want to make bikes that has got universal appeal – give the respect that Royal Enfield Bullets deserve. In the long run, I want to have workshops organized that will give an insight to bike customization,” adds Ricardo.
It all starts from the drawing board. To renovate the bike, Ricardo can strip it back to the bare frame, then repaint it in the colour of your choice and completely rebuild it. Original Parts are then fitted, which can be also be customized according to the specifications. Some of the basic modifications include customizing the fairing, open chain cover and new alignment to accommodate broader tyres. “The customization depends a lot on the specifications. Just increasing the BHP of the bike doesn’t make it a Harley, nay, that’s not my intention. I want my bike to look very personal and not like something else,” said Ricardo.
You can get in touch with Ricardo at 97380 75289 or mail to carlospiere@gmail.com