Nagpur Based Teenager Sohail Sheikh makes Eco-friendly bikes from junk
Nagpur – Someone’s trash is someone’s treasure, and an old axiom seems to come true for the Nagpur-based teenager – Sohail Sheikh. The teenager proved this adage right by making a functional bike using spare parts from junkyard. In his conversation with Dr.M.A. Rasheed and Md. Ziyaullah Khan, the boy, unfolded his incredible journey of making a bike from material and spare parts collected from trash and a junkyard.
Sohail Shaikh hails from a simple family. His elder brother Faizan works in SBI Railway Station Branch, while his mother, Razia Shaikh, does housework. He is a school dropout as he faced difficulty reading and writing while in high school. Thanks to his interest in exploring and developing bikes and other things from junk.
In 2019, Sohail Sheikh was the first to make a single-seat cycle 8-9 feet long and three and a half feet high from Jugaad in 2 months, spending about Rs 1500. He said the front tyre of the standard cycle and the rear tire were off the adventure cycle. Its weight was about 25 kg. The project could not materialize due to some technical issues. Nevertheless, this did not deter him from taking up another venture.
In conversation with Sohail Sheikh, it was also learned that after making a water motor and angle grinder in his childhood, he made a modern-style cooler from an edible oil tin.
With the help of scrap and various parts of a remote control car, he made a robot at Rs 400 with its hands rising simultaneously. While catching a glimpse of the electric bike of Soul Motors Company of Germany, his wish to develop a petrol bike emerged in his mind. Then he chased his mission to make a bike by purchasing a Honda Steiner for Rs.5000. There was a problem with the engine assembly.
The bike’s wheel was connected to the engine of this bike, but Activa’s wheel failed. To make it successful, he made some necessary changes in Activa’s drum and aligned the hub. He was finally successful with the rear wheel. Access 125 has been converted into a shockup of this bike for the front wheel. The Chassis spare parts were given to him by Anil Fabrication for free from scrap. The Chassis was made by cutting it at home according to the requirement.
He brought the required pipe grass from the market, which he made from a 5-inch square of iron. However, when the stove tank failed to settle down on the tank, he then made a 3×3 inch round pipe with a new fuel tank. Besides, he drilled the tank lid to add the connection for the carburettor. In this, he used the engine of Honda Steiner; thus, he improvised the older model into a new and functional petrol bike.
He then developed a seat using iron plates and installed the electric headlights used in modern vehicles. The rear brake system is the same standard system found in the modern-day two-wheelers, while for the front brake, he got it from Access 125. The clutch and accelerator were also adapted from Steiner, and the handlebars were from Honda Hornet. He said its average mileage is 35-40 without a filter with a speed of 90 to 100 per hour. It is an eco-friendly bike. It pollutes less than a regular bike and the total cost of making it is 10 thousand.Due to the non-availability of a battery, the work of the horn has stopped. This vehicle has a Kick and a Self-start.
When this bike was completely ready, it started from the first kick. Without the silencer, the sound was awful. When it started, people of his family and locality looked at him with shock and surprise and were very happy. They patted his back and appreciated him with a complaint about using a silencer. It took almost a year and a half to collect its material. The lockdown hit it. Otherwise, it would have been ready in two and a half months. His mother borne this cost, and I collected some amount from my work as a caterer.
Seeing his scattered belongings, he used to scold him and instead of spending money, he used to tell the boy to focus on his studies. Besides his passion for bikes and the auto world, he is also fond of making Paneer Chicken Roti Dal Fry. He makes Pasta, Maggi, and Chana Poha. Now, he intends to make a four-wheeler from a sports car. He is confident of making one and is mentally prepared for this venture. The boy is multi-talented and is fond of making sounds of animals and birds. They also do mimicry and love playing cricket. Amid all his innocence found in his late teens, he needs to be supported and guided to tread the right path and should be helped to follow his passion so that he can contribute to this world and keep on adding value to the place he lives.