The pleasure of riding a classic motorbike, or driving a vintage car, is made even more intense when you’re travelling through beautiful scenery. Mauritian riders and drivers get to enjoy both palm-fringed beaches and the island’s mountainous interior, as well as the gorgeous climate.

Whereas previously there were relatively few classic vehicles on Mauritius, the government’s recent decision to waive import duty on vehicles over 40 years old has seen a huge upsurge in interest among the island’s enthusiasts.

One company that is riding the wave of this passion is Revival Customs & Classics. In less than a year, they have established themselves as one of the foundations of the local classic and vintage scene, and their custom modifications, restorations and imported cars and motorbikes are in great demand.

Revival Custom & Classics’ roots can be traced back many years, to co-owner Paul Wren’s global travels. At every place he stopped, he’d involve himself in emergency home solutions businesses where quality, style and craftsmanship featured heavily.

Paul’s sole criterion throughout his career was that he must always do what he loved, and his passion for motorcycles in particular lead him to run a Harley Davidson dealership from his Mauritian home. This was so successful that by 2010 he was asked to establish Harley-Davidson Mauritius, a business he ran successfully until he sold his shares in 2016.

If you’ve ever ridden a Harley, then you’ll know that it’s impossible to be anything other than a Harley rider for life. It was in fact what turned out to be a happy accident that got Paul into the restorations business: in 2008, he was knocked off his Harley Softail Fat Boy.

Fortunately, Paul escaped serious injuries, although his bike was less lucky. It became Paul’s first rebuild project, and laid the foundation for his commitment to accuracy and authenticity, plus customer service and safety.

The Fat Boy was sold to a local doctor, and will be returning to Paul’s workshop in December for an extensive set of custom modifications.

From his earliest days in the furniture trade, Paul has always been a builder and a creator. Since moving permanently to Mauritius, he’s forged a firm friendship (and built a solid business relationship) with Julien Schmitt, now Technical Director and equal partner in Revival Customs & Classics. Julien is a master motorcycle technician, and his technical skills perfectly complement Paul’s flair for building things from scratch.

When it comes to two-wheelers, Mauritius’ biker community is still in its early days and Paul is determined both to build a collective of like-minded riders and to protect his riding friends from the negative associations that sometimes get attached to riders.

From ride-outs with friends to becoming an official Harley Owners Group (HOG) Chapter with over 80 members, the local riding community has grown exponentially. In keeping with his informal, no rules approach, Paul regularly organises rides that – in case any more incentive is needed – nearly always end up at a beach BBQ set-up.

The next of these ride-outs will take place on December 2^nd, and will end at the Parc de Mont Choisy Golf Club where Revival Customs & Classics will be showing some of their latest custom builds and Classic Cars. Participants will get the chance to vote for their favourite machine, with prizes for the owners. 

Revival Customs & Classics sees their role as being to support and encourage Mauritius’ nascent custom build and Classic Car community. Owners have the opportunity to participate in the servicing and maintenance of their machines, and customers can visit the workshops as freely as they can the showroom. This helps add to the knowledge base on the island, and is part of Revival Customs’ inclusive approach to business and community.

The company has also made itself indispensable through the additional services it offers, including their Car Finder and American Muscle Car programmes. Both of these involve close collaboration with specialist dealers in Britain and the USA, and Revival Customs & Classics have built up considerable expertise in permit applications, shipping and final clearance and registration.

While many of the custom builds that Revival Customs & Classics have completed to date have been based on Harleys, they are much more than a single-brand workshop. The team have also done some great work on Honda, KTM and Yamaha motorcycles, including both cosmetic styling changes and tuning work. Currently, Revival Customs & Classics are actively looking to create a Sixties-style Café Racer from an older Japanese or British motorcycle.

In everything they do, Revival Customs & Classics know they can rely on Motul lubricants, cleaners and coolants. Not only does Motul’s long history mean that they have an instinctive understanding of the needs of older engines and gearboxes (including those that don’t do so well on modern, synthetic lubricants).

Mauritius’s tropical, island climate presents unusual challenges, not to mention the differing needs of older cars and motorbikes. Despite this, Paul and Julien have nothing but praise for Motul products.

“Motul is a proud part of motoring heritage in many countries, and we’re delighted to help vintage car and bike owners in Mauritius continue enjoying the roads of their beautiful island,” stated Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “As a supplier of quality oils and lubricants to Revival Customs & Classics through our local agent, CFAO Motors, Motul is proud to contribute to the creation of a community of motoring enthusiasts in Mauritius.”

“We’re happy for people to visit and see what we’re working on, our garage is part of our showroom and gives us the great opportunity to engage with our clients while we work on their bikes, they’re also welcome to turn a wrench with us if they want to know more about how their bike works,” says Wren who shares more information about a current project they are busy with.   “Currently we’re busy with a 300mm rear tyre conversion on a Harley-Davidson Rocker C. This build will include specially commissioned CNC machined wheels, cut from solid billets of high-grade aluminium and the perfect example of Revival Customs & Classics’ commitment to innovation and engineering excellence.”

To learn more about current Revival Customs & Classics’ builds and projects, and how Motul products are contributing to this innovative company’s success, please visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/revivalcustoms/