This past week I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Sheryar Durrani, an old college buddy of mine.  I have yet to meet anyone with as much raw energy, passion for innovation, and unfettered optimism as Sheryar.  He truly is a remarkable individual who leaves a lasting impression with everyone he meets.

Sheryar is an inventor and a visionary who’s mission is to advance the use of magnesium to manufacture lightweight products from motorcycle wheels to wheelchairs. (Sheryar is also known for his god-awful puns, so one could say he wants to en-”lighten” the world.)

Back in the day, Sheryar would show me his portfolio of sleek concept cars he had drawn. His room was littered with stunning automobile artwork.  Fast, beautiful cars were in his blood.

After completing his Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Maryland, Sheryar moved to Detroit to join Ford.  I vividly remember the day I dropped him off at National Airport with his family.  Sheryar packed his belongings in a monstrously large leather suitcase which he designed and built himself.  His mom looked at me and asked, “Why must he build everything? Couldn’t he just buy a Samsonite?”  That’s Sheryar.  Once he identifies a problem, he sets his mind to solve it.  He loves to build things whether it’s leather suitcases, wooden rowboats, Ferrari engines, or motorcycle wheels.

Sheryar made an impact in Detroit–especially in advancing magnesium solutions within the global automotive industry.  After leaving Ford, he went on to design the Lexus SC430 Retractable Hardtop.  He also engineered magnesium parts for the Corvette Z06 (engine cradle), Dodge Viper, Mercedes Benz (seats), Jeep (steering column), Porche (convertible top), and he even worked with the F1 Ford racing team.  He and his team clearly have deep knowledge and expertise working with magnesium.

durrani-racing-logo

Sheryar is the CEO of Durrani Racing Components (http://durraniracing.com).  His latest invention is the Durrani 510 Series Magnesium Wheel targeted to motorcycle enthusiasts.  He’s generated quite a bit of excitement–and controversy–with his highly anticipated product.  Durrani Wheels is among the most talked about topic on biker forums.  The chatter on these boards is about the merits of the ground-breaking wheel and about Sheryar himself.  The sentiment is all over the place, but there’s no denying that everyone, including top multi-national corporations, are keeping a watch on him.  Not many are betting against him.  I’m certainly not which is why I’ve decided to lend my support to his fledgling company as an angel investor.

durrani-wheel

I’ve seen the wheel and I’ve seen a few biker’s reaction to the wheel. It’s an amazing piece of engineering and it’s amazing listening to Sheryar talk about his invention.  He’s a perfectionist with extremely high quality standards and it definitely shows in his product.

I wish the DRC team success in the coming months to deliver on their promise to their customers and to realize their long term dreams to advance magnesium solutions.