From vintage Vespas to Royal Enfields, meet Thiruvananthapuram’s riding communities

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The Vintage & Classic Scooters Club Thiruvananthapuram (VCSC) at Kannanthura beach | Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

As the sun sets at Kannanthura Beach in Thiruvananthapuram , the crash of waves is interrupted by the rising hum of two-stroke engines. A contingent of vintage scooters, painted in bright metallic shades, heads towards the sandy coastline, leaving behind a cloud of dust that disappears within seconds.

The 10 scooters, ranging from a sleek silver 1982 Vijay Super Mark 2 to a blue 2000 LML Vespa, belong to members of the Vintage & Classic Scooters Club (VCSC), Thiruvananthapuram chapter. Founded in 2017, the club is among several city-based two-wheeler communities that bring automobile enthusiasts together, promote safe riding and encourage proper vehicle maintenance.

Clubs such as VCSC, Travancore Royal Enfield Club (TREC), Voyagers Brotherhood, Riders of Technopark, Royal Enfield Retro Riders Trivandrum and Trivandrum RX organise short and long rides, help members source spare parts and connect them with mechanics and other resources.

For many owners, these communities are also a way to share a personal passion with a larger group. Akshay AS, admin of VCSC Thiruvananthapuram, which has more than 40 members, says his love for scooters and two-stroke engines began with the vintage Bajaj Chetak. “Before I joined VCSC, I used to believe that old people rode scooters and they couldn’t survive long distances. But then I found like-minded people who love them. We have made so many friends in the group and across south India through our rides.”

“Not all scooters are suited for long rides, but we still do it. When problems arise, we help each other out,” adds Akshay, who owns a vintage LML Vespa.

TREC, founded by Arun S Kumar in 2020, has more than 400 members and organises over 12 long rides a year. Its recent ride was to Ilaveezhapoonchira in Kottayam. “A few years ago, I used to have a vintage Bullet. Back then, there weren’t many active groups organising rides. Those using old bikes face certain difficulties, such as identifying the right parts and finding the right mechanic. So, I began enquiring and started a support group for old Bullet riders. That evolved into TREC, which now has both vintage and new bike riders,” he says.

Members of Travancore Royal Enfield Club | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Riders of Technopark, founded in March 2025, started with four riders. “We used to go on long rides, travelling individually or with other groups. We also attended and organised events for other communities. So, we thought, why not do the same for techie riders in the city? It is solely built on brotherhood,” says Kiran MR, founder of the club, which now has more than 500 members.

The club participated in India Bike Week, billed as India’s biggest motorcycling festival, in 2025. “We were only a few months old when we attended the festival. From a club’s perspective, that would have been impossible for a new club to achieve. We needed 35 riders.