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MOTORCYCLE enthusiast Farhan Ali is aiming to help bikers create their own dream machines for the road.
Bahraini Mr Ali, an automotive designer who was trained in New York, is lending his technical skills to a family business launched in Salmabad.
The plan is to customise, remodel and even manufacture the legendary chopper-style bikes at Biker's Alley.
Banker Mr Ali, 28, said: "You can come in with your thoughts of your dream bike and I will design it, put the creation down on paper and then on to the road within a few months.
"Once you are OK with the final idea we will bring in experts to work on it and make the chopper as per your requirement.
"It is not a factory production but is made on an individual customer basis. It identifies you ... we will make sure that you are the proud owner of that one-and-only chopper in the world."
A chopper is a radically customised motorcycle, archetypal examples of which are the remodelled Harley-Davidsons seen in the 1969 film Easy Rider.
The style originated in the US when servicemen returning from World War II were looking for a thrill. Many veterans had been trained to work on automobiles and motorcycles and were looking to add a little excitement to their post-war lives with their newly-acquired mechanical skills.
While people assume that the chopper-style motorcycles were built purely for aesthetics, there is a real performance advantage to the raked front end on these choppers. These motorcycles have a much more stable feel at high speeds than motorcycles with original factory front suspensions.
Artistic impressions of Mr Ali's motorcycle designs now adorn the walls of Biker's Alley and he has also created biker-style T-shirts for fellow enthusiasts riding around the kingdom.
The team is also giving motorcycles an individual style by 'tattooing' designs on to their metalwork as well as giving them more power.
Mr Ali said: "Customisation is all about changing your lights, your chrome, speedometer, paint or seats ... you can totally rebuild a bike. Owners come to us if they want to change the colour or shape and even to increase the power of an engine."
He has recently remodelled a Triumph 1946 that was used by the British military in Lahore with original parts and is awaiting its registration in Bahrain.
Passionate about classic bikes and cars, Mr Ali currently rides a classic 85 Mercedes, and explained: "This is one of the rarest bikes in the world and you might find a few examples still around in the UK.
"The only other person I know who owns one lives in India. It is a very special bike with a different look and has unique features. It does not start with a battery ... it has a magnetic start.
"It is also part of what we do here. Classic bikes and collectibles offer great value and if you have an old bike which you think does not represent the look or the engine is not working, or you have problems with it, or you want to customise it, this is the right place to come. We will make sure that your bike comes back as good as new."
Biker's Alley also has a Royal Enfield 2002 on display, and a 1968 Triumph, 1100cc BMW 2002 and a 750 Tiger.
