Whether you’ve heard them quietly purring along Bermuda’s roads, or admired how they glisten in the sun, nowadays it seems like more and more people are returning their classic motorbikes to their former glory.

“It’s probably bigger than people think,” remarks Milton Stephens, a restoration enthusiast.

“There are a lot of guys who have old bikes and when they see you on the road they will stop and tell you how they have to get their own bikes together to join you.”

Mr. Stephens has been working on Mobylettes and the Triumphs for almost 15 years.

The first Mobylette he bought in the mid-90s dates back to between 1978 and 1980.

He says an absence from the Island ignited his passion: “I lived away for a little while. Coming back, the bikes were like a part of me that I’d missed, so that’s why I got into this.”

Depending on how much free time he has, Mr. Stephens estimates it can take several months to fully restore one of his bikes, but he adds that a Mobylette does not usually take that long.

“It’s just a couple of parts. I get the chrome work done at Bermuda Electroplating. They’re pretty quick and reasonable. And I usually get them sprayed by Stuart Durham, up on Tribe Road Number Five.”

Parts tend to be a little harder to come by and Mr. Stephens says he searches the Internet, on sites such as e-bay, for them.

“I try to get them as original as possible, but if not I get what I think was used back in the day. I’d like to think my bikes have the components that they did years ago in Bermuda.”

He says he will normally order more parts than he may need at any given time. Alternatively, he says he might barter for parts with other bike lovers on the Island.

“If I have extra, someone I know may come over and say that they need something that I have,” he explains.

“I might call them later and say I need something as well, and we’ll just swap. It’s not all about money all the time.”

The Customs officer also works weekends at Smatt’s Cycle Livery. When not on the job, he helps coach football for Bermuda’s Under 15’s and likes to spend time with his children whenever he can.

So where does he find the time to tinker with his toys?

“Since I don’t have much time, I’m usually up late just poking with them. I don’t like messing with the engines though,” he laughs.

“I usually get someone else to check out the engine and make sure it’s okay.”

Once the process is finished, Mr. Stephens secures his bikes in a storage facility but says occasionally space becomes limited, which is why he recently sold two of his Triumphs.

Although he figures that his restored bikes may range in price from $2,000 to $8,000, he has no other interest in selling them than to make space for more. The point of keeping them? To ride, he says.

“When you ride them, it’s like peace.”

“It’s just nice to hop on a bike like that and let it take you away from the speed of today. You just cruise on them, and listen to their sound. I get my enjoyment that way.”

On the other end of the spectrum, the four-wheeled variety of classic vehicles are rarely seen travelling along our roads.

Their chunky designs bring up a nostalgia for the olden days, when cars were a luxury and not a right.

Restoring these once-heralded vehicles to their former glory seems like less of a hobby and more of a mission for Paul Martins of Martins Precision Automotive.

“With old cars and bikes getting scarcer in Bermuda, it is time to do something to keep them alive, at least what is left, and running around our little Island,” he remarks.

As a child, Mr. Martins says he was fascinated with old cars and bikes.

His father would give him motorbikes to dissect, so he could learn about their inner workings before taking them for a test spin around his family’s yard.

“It all started as a hobby, but I found myself restoring more and more bikes,” he recalls. “And then I moved on to bigger things, to cars.”

According to Mr. Martins, who is fully certified in the automotive industry, to completely restore one of these old classics can take several months, even years, depending on where the parts he may need are coming from.

“In most cases you can pre-order the parts, but until you actually strip it down you won’t really see what you need.”

Most of the parts that Mr. Martins uses are ordered from England, and “the sky is the limit on the restoration”.

The oldest car on the Island also happens to be an English car, with no door and a bonnet that is actually wooden. It has a two-cylinder engine and a roof that resembles the horse-drawn carriages seen parked along Front Street.

With Mr. Martins’ extensive collection of old cars, bikes and memorabilia, he hopes one day to house it all in one place for everyone to enjoy.

“A museum would be great but with limited availability of real-estate it is very difficult to put it together,” he concedes.

“At one point I did have someone willing to donate the space, but unfortunately it fell thorough. I’ve been trying for years to put it together but to date, it has just not been successful.”

In the meantime, Mr. Martins is content to enjoy his love of restoring vintage cars with his wife and three children.

“I’ve worked on almost every old car in Bermuda at one point or another,” he adds.

“It’s very glorifying to see them running around the Island, just putting along. I have a great team of guys working for me, some of the best around. We all take pride in our work.”