Bassan uses a car for regular commute but maintains the Vespa for this once-in-a-year sojourn. “It is not much difficult to maintain; I service it just twice a year,” he said. “On rally day, however, I oil this beauty and cover the ignition coil to prevent water from entering.”

Andrew James of Belapur, who had done a diploma in superbikes from the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Arizona, listed the advantages of a scooter from his seat on a 1996-make Bajaj Chetak. “It’s pretty cheap to maintain but is very strong and reliable. Also, since it has manual gears, it is good for climbing on tough terrain,” says the 42-year-old.

Every year he looks forward to this rally. “My neighbours look down on me since I move around in a scooter but I don’t care,” he said.

Kersi Patel of Byculla, 63, doesn’t think age is an issue. “I run a garage, so it is not a problem for me to maintain it,” says Patel.

First-timer Mohammad Shamun couldn’t resist joining a rally where he could meet others with a similar passion. “It has a 12-inch tyre at the front and 10-inch tyre in the rear which no other scooter has,” the 30-year-old said of his scooter.

The Santacruz resident is regular at drag rallies but wanted to enjoy the thrill of a monsoon scooter rally. “It’s unique. It’s really challenging and great fun because here you meet people on two wheels without a lot of the angry, competitive energy you sometimes encounter at motorcycle events,” he added.