A passion for the classics
View(s):Recently at the Colombo Bike Show our photographer Amila Gamage came across an unusual corner hosted by the Ceylon Scooter Club.
Janith
The club had started as a meeting of four classic model scooter enthusiasts who had one concern: a scarcity of parts. “We had difficulty in finding parts. So we formed a network to help each other out,” said Janithra Chathuranga, 31, from Kaduwela.
This was in 2004, and thereafter the group formed the Ceylon Scooter Club and set up a Facebook account to reach out to other enthusiasts. To date they are 121 members strong. They claim to be the only classic scooter club in Sri Lanka. The registered members own classic scooter models from 1960 onwards. “Our attempt to network has now developed in to a strong friendship. We have an annual meet where we discuss our problems and we help each other out in any way possible.”
Janith explains that the club is an affiliation of many small groups that have no commercial intent, only a passion for classic scooters. The club is currently helping one of its older and impoverished members build a house.
“We are keen about doing the right thing. For example a majority of us are passionate about the environment. On a trip to Devundara, we saw how dirty the beach was and we immediately started a clean-up. After which, we enjoyed ourselves as we had set out to.” The group has affiliations with an Italian and a Vietnamese club.
For more information about the Ceylon Scooter Club log onto
ceylonscooterclub@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.ceylonscooterclub.lk
