28.Dr SPEED -dream GARAGE!

Dr Arun Thareja AKA Dr Speed has been nothing short of an inspiration for innumerable superbike enthusiasts. Thanks to him many went on to realise their dreams. Doc is the Founder and President of arguably the oldest and the largest organised superbike club in India, The Group of Delhi Superbikers(G.O.D.S).I’ve had the honour to have met Doc over a year ago. For all the achievement he has had, you’ll be surprised by his humility and generosity. I’ve heard though common friends about his fabled garage that houses toys that would make grown men cry. I requested Doc to let me have a preview of the place and he graciously obliged. We spent an hour at the garage and Doc patiently took me through all the finer details of the place. Its incredible! I’ve requested Doc to share this place with the world and give other fellow riders a peek into it. Hence the post below from Doc himself.

Hope this would help all you bikers out there to one day take things into your hands and set up your own garage.

GODS – garage of dreams

1984- the year which changed my life forever. Two things touched my soul that year, motorcycles & body building & I dived into them headlong. My dormant passions were ignited like nothing before & motorcycles became my sole purpose of living. I got involved with the 2 BB’s- bikes & bodybuilding, like a man possessed but my friends wanted the 3rd B also added- babe :)& sure enough, they were not disappointed.





In 1984 I picked up my brand new beauty, the Yamaha RD350 & I still remember I was the happiest man alive at that moment but my happiness was short lived when I came home & was not happy to park it in the drive way.i wanted my own garage but sadly that was taken up by my dads car & I knew it was going to be an uphill task to wrench that garage from him coz he was also an automotive lover & that also a possessive one but I had to something for my beauty. Lots of discussions followed including the cost difference between the car & the bike blah blah blah but ultimately he agreed to let me park the bike inside but only till the new garage got constructed & surprisingly he also told me to take the new garage. I guess he spotted the engine love inside me.Love u dad.




After a month or so I parked my red beauty into the freshly constructed garage & it was like a homecoming. I felt so elated to see it safe n secure inside with no threat from any kind of weather n human interference. By the year end my Yamaha had company, the Kawasaki 440 LTD & suddenly I was a father of two.

I was clear from day one that I wanted a garage of my own despite having a parking space inside my house. Like a baby needs a cradle my bikes needed a garage & that’s how it all started in 1984. Owning bikes is one thing but to maintain them on your own is totally a different thing altogether & thanks to my RD350 there was no dearth of maintenance being a 2 stroke with ignition points & twin carburetors, I had no choice but to learn all the intricacies of de-carbonizing , setting the timing & synchronizing the carbs as all these needed attention very frequently..Thanks to the guys at Yamahas workshop at Green Park, new delhi that I was able to learn all the things by first watching them do it & then getting involved in them myself; very special thanks to Mr Tandon & Paramjeet.





RD350 taught me a very invaluable lesson – to have the correct tools for the job & they should be of high quality & from then onwards I have collected almost every tool in my garage needed for motorcycle maintenance. It took me a couple of years to get the right stuff but in the end it was worth every penny. Every bike taught me something, whether it was an electrical or mechanical problem the right tools rescued me every time, no doubt the basic knowledge is important but the tools are also equally important.

Another very important early addition I made to my garage was the Air Compressor. I feel it is one of the most important part of my garage when I see the host of functions it can do. Apart from regularly checking the tyre pressures I use compressed air to clean the nooks n crannies of my bikes where normally a hand wont go; also it’s the best way to clean the stock air filters of any vehicle. Its also very helpful when I’m cleaning the carbs of my RD350 or my karizma, the air from the sharp nozzle just clears the jets very effectively. Another benefit of the air compressor is in painting ,though I have done that minimally ,just painted the rims of my bike,but its a good option to have.



After loading my garage with all the appropriate tools I wanted to beautify it & so out came my biking pictures & posters which I plastered on all the four walls & the ceiling it was very tough but with a little stamina & a 9 foot ladder,I managed it  I collected some posters from around the world when I travelled, some from motorcycles shows & some from the dealers. I also collected & still collect miniature bike models which I have displayed on glass shelves on the garage walls, their number must be around 100 by now. Similarly I have displayed some biking memorabilia like a Ducati towel, Harley Davidson bike shaped telephone & a shopping bag,etc etc.







Lastly to store my helmets I got a wooden cabinet made which accommodates around 10 helmets but right now I need a bigger cabinet. All my tools are also stored in a big L shaped cabinet which runs along two walls & its upper surface is dotted with all the lubes & fluids. Theres also a small glass trolley in one corner where I keep all my cleaning n waxing polishes along with filter cleaning solutions.
Last but not the least , to spice up working in the garage I have put in a 5 speaker audio CD music system though its doesnt sound better than the bikes exhaust but believe me, it s a must have.:)





My garage & the exact tools have helped me many a times when diagnosing the problem was not at all easy.eg one my sbks refused to start & the F1 light came on the dash without any blinks,so there was no way I could diagnose the problem with the blink code. My humble multimeter came to my rescue when I located the fault in the wiring coming from the ECU,thanks to a hungry rat who had nibbled it! Though it took me 2 days but finally I could sleep properly. Similarly another sbk suddenly died n refused to start, no F1 light & no battery issues either. Finally after a week I could find the fault in the fuel pressure regulator whose diaphragm was not working & as a result it was not letting the fuel pass on to the injectors. It was all because of the tools I had that I could open up the entire bike & reach till the injectors & the regulator.



A properly stacked garage made me a complete biker over the years & it gave a me a lot of confidence on the long trips outside the city, the confidence that I could tackle almost any bike related problem if it occurred;it also made me self reliant & not dependant on any mechanic with half baked knowledge & in my early years there was hardly any mechanic of a superbike. It was do it yourself by hit n trial & that made me what I am today- a true lover of bikes, inside out

My garage is my favourite place in the house ,as you would have guessed by now, its big n airy, full of bikes & everything related to bikes. In all these years numerous bikes have gone thru my garage that I have lost count but I remember each one of them distinctively coz they were my babies & how could I ever forget my children? in fact I grew up with them & each on of them taught me something or the other & in return they got the best of TLC; many people think I’m mad but then they don’t know what love is & that’s why my garage has some very beautiful & emotional memories attached to it which I fondly remember & enjoy almost everyday when I sit inside with a cup of coffee in my hand & my favourite music playing in the background . this is my nirvana. my life is complete.
Some tips to have a workable garage-

1)it shouldn’t be cramped. Make sure there’s ample space for the bike & the tools & it should be ventilated.
2) good lighting- a garage must have adequate light, 2 tube lights are a must & if the space is big then put a 300 or 500watt halogen also,like I have done.
3) pick appropriate & standardized tools. No point having lots of tools but all substandard, such tools ruin the part you intend to work upon. Don’t pick your tools in a hurry, build your collection gradually . tools fall in 2 categories – the routine ones or must haves & the exotic ones.





The must haves- these as the name suggests are a must in any garage

- All the spanners starting from no6 & going all the way to no36
- All the sockets starting from n08 till no20
- Socket bits of varied sizes & tips
- Allen keys of every size
- A screwdriver set-all sizes n different lengths & if some have magnetic tip ,still better
- pliers of different tips n lengths
- A digital multimeter,rs150-200
- An impact driver with different bits-very helpful when you are stuck with hard or rusted bolts
- A good option is to pick up a tool kit or a box which has almost all of the above mentioned tools.the good companies are snap-on; garware;etc & they cost around 3-5000rs
- Sprays, mainly multipurpose lubricating sprays like WD-40, & the chain lube sprays



The exotic tools

- an air compressor with appropriate nozzles & a spray gun if required & most importantly ,a good quality rubber tubing. Don’t go in for a big compressor ,a small to medium size will do & it will cost around 5 to 7000 rs
- a paddock stand- a very important thing if you own a superbike. A painful chore like chain lubrication becomes very easy. Tyre removal also will not scare you then. Cost ranges between 5 to 7000rs
- a good quality drill with all the appropriate bits- 800 to 1000rs
- a small battery charger,costs 1500 to 2000rs



Make your garage good enough to sleep in coz one day you are gonna get the boot for being a bike maniac unfit for the house ,im the living proof
Thankfully after all these years,27 to be precise, the 2 B’s are still going very strong but my friends are not pleased that I dropped the 3rd B- bodybuilding

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