Panjang Garage: A trusty motorcycle repair shop for older model motorcycles up to 600cc

At Panjang Garage's shop front

28 May 2019

It is too easy to miss this shop out. Being sandwiched between units with eye-catching signboards makes his shop seem like the neglected sibling in a large family. It is a shop sans signboard which is located at Block 53, Paya Ubi Industrial Park at Level 3, #03-37.

Ah Peng, who is the man at the helm, is a lanky and sinewy figure (hence the name of the shop as 'panjang' in Malay means tall) walking around the shop with his cigarette in his right hand brooding over prevailing bike faults for solutions is a sight that many of his regulars are familiar with. His banter with his customers is a regular feature as well. Most importantly, there was never a time when he could never solve any pesky bike issues on our 2004 FZ6 as it had relatively simple electronics

Cool eh? Like a boss. Lol! (Pic taken from the Panjang Garage Facebook Page)

The shop is fuss free with its basic fixtures like its dangling white florescent lamps, slightly blackish flooring and its greasy tools strewn across the space. However, do not let that faze you. There is definitely order in that mess. You should definitely let your next visit to the mechanic be at Panjang Garage if you are riding an older model motorcycle without too many buttons and electrical functions. Panjang's mechanical servicing is reliable and priced competitively over other shops.

I have known Ah Peng for 11 years now, I have seen him progress in life from a chief mechanic at Planet Motorcycle Repair Shop to a boss of his very own shop.

It was 5 years ago that I started learning how to do bike maintenance in preparation for the upcoming trip. There was no course out there that I could sign up to learn. Hence, I started looking at YouTube videos, committed the steps that I had seen to memory and hoped for the best when I executed them.

Ha! There were many times I was stumped as the problems that I encountered differed totally from those video tutorials I had studied. Whenever I got stuck with a step, Ah Peng would point out my mistakes and I would improve. He has graciously lent a helping hand when others have totally ignored me.

After many years of cuts, bruises, burns, scars and toughened skin on my hands, I finally tasted the fruits of my labour and I could finally be accountable to myself that I gave it my all. I would not have been able to do these maintenance if not for Ah Peng's kindness. His gift to us will benefit us for life.