SOCIETY: THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES.

I first came across Muhammad Kamran and his 1940 Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) on a friend's social media page. Reading about an 82-year-old single-cylinder Second World War-era BSA motorcycle, making a 1,250 kilometre round trip from Lahore to Malam Jabba in Swat, had me keen to know more about the man, and his machine.

As luck would have it, assignments took me to Lahore mid-April, and I was able to meet Kamran at his workshop in Sultanpura.

I was expecting a greying senior citizen, and was instead greeted by a boyish, smiling young man, who immediately settled down to chat about his love for machines. Turns out, Kamran has been a motorcycle enthusiast for decades, and has rescued many older machines that otherwise would have gone to the scrap heap.

I have a special regard for angels like him. His days are spent servicing and fixing automobile air-conditioning systems, and weekends are devoted to the vintage two-wheelers he acquires, and who sometimes 'acquire' him! A bit like stray puppies and kittens that walk into our life.

An air-conditioning technician from Lahore rescues and restores vintage motorbikes in his spare time. But unlike those who simply hoard, this hobbyist often feels the call of the road and rides the machines as they were always meant to be

He has restored countless motorcycles over the years, both for himself and many satisfied customers. I was shown a sparkling Triumph in green and gold. It looked almost too nice to be ridden. And to me, that is a pity!

However, when time allows, Kamran goes off on long distance trips on his trusty BSA. His first foray was to Kashmir a decade ago, and that gave him the confidence in his machine to undertake many more journeys, culminating in this year's trip in spring to the mountains of Swat. The BSA performed flawlessly, and that earlier long road trip inspired him to repeat the adventure this year.

The first leg was a non-stop 475 kilometre ride to Mardan in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The next morning saw them arrive in Malam Jabba, a mere 150 kilometre stretch, but one that took them up the twists and turns of the famous Malakand pass into Swat. Leaving Mardan (altitude 1,000 feet above sea level) in the morning, the BSA reached Malam Jabba late in the day. This hill station is located at 9,000 feet!

The BSA M20 is a single cylinder 500cc pre-War design. It was used extensively by the British army, navy and air force, and many were shipped to India for use by the British...