A Royal Enfield mechanic to die for?

If you're not near a dealer, finding a mechanic to work on your Royal Enfield motorcycle can be a challenge in the U.S. With luck, there will be a guy in town who remembers working on British motorcycles when they were popular here. Such a mechanic here in Fort Lauderdale is Wes Scott.

But, no matter where you are, a competent and trustworthy mechanic is to be treasured, even in India, where the Royal Enfield Bullet is far more familiar. Gautam Raj describes one such Royal Enfield mechanic in an Opinion piece in Dubai's Gulfnews.

"Then there was someone we will call M, my brother's Enfield mechanic, who was good, but gave us the sneaking suspicion that his shop was just a front," Raj writes.

"One day, he told us, 'Don't come ... for the next few days.' My brother needed his bike, so we objected, but M. was firm. 'Don't come anywhere near here until next week.'

"Two mornings later, the newspaper carried a story on the brutal daylight murder of the notorious Bangalore gangster Koli Fayaz. It had happened just down the road from M's shop. I'm not saying M orchestrated it, but he definitely knew a lot more than how to adjust a carburetor.

"No matter what though, once you find a good mechanic, don't let go. Make friends with them, trust them and, in the case of M, never argue about the bill."