Love can wait...

Boppana Shashidhar and his 1936 TWN STM 500

More than two decades ago, Hyderabad-based col (retd) Boppana Shashidhar bought a TWN STM 500; one of less than 300 that were produced, of which not more than nine are known to have survived worldwide. At that time, he was a young and dapper army officer who picked up the machine to fuel his appetite for classic motorcycles. Unconditional love is a rarity but if the photos are to be believed, the horrible condition that the TWN was brought home in speaks volumes about the fondness that Shashi (as he is referred to by friends) has for the bike. It stood around for nearly 20 years, waiting for an essential part that seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth.

He bolted on a BSA engine just to keep this old German machine on the road. But the original motor sat in a corner, waiting for that elusive part. Time went by, and with a huge stroke of luck, the part was located and almost instantly, the restoration of the motorcycle was begun. His enthusiasm can be seen in the fact that it took a mere 15 days to get the bike to mint condition! Although it’s 75 years old, this bike is no slouch and starts up with one kick even to this day. Whack it open and going through the three gears will take this motorcycle to over 100 kph. Not bad at all. Since the time the TWN came into Shashi’s life, he’s come to own many other iconic classics, like a couple of Indians and a Matchless. But the TWN will always remain his first and true love.