Mumbai Chai Racer

I am a fan of whatever rocks, rolls, drives, flies or glides with or without engine. Of course I am a motorbike fan. I am also a photographer and, last, I am French but I currently stay in Mumbai India.

Being a riders in the biggest Indian city I soon started to meet other two-wheeled freaks. The experience was so tasty, so exotic that I could not help take photos of it. So my project was born. The people from Mumbai are called the Mumbaikars, let me introduce you to ... The MumBaiKERS.

 This personal project takes the shape of a portrait gallery filled with hardcore bikers faces and their custom bikes such as choppers, scramblers, cafe racers, roadsters and so on. So far my portfolio houses a dozen subjects.

His name is Joshua Crasto, he is from Mumbai. He works as a freelance motorbike tester and feature writer for BS Motoring (a Mumbai based cars and bikes magazine. He is also involved in a Bangalore based Motorbike Travel Agency called Indimotard.

I call his bike the "Chai Racer" (there are not much coffees in Mumbai but a lot of tea (chai) stands), it is a 1969 Royal Enfield 350 Bullet Standard, it was bought then by Joshua's father and has always been a member of the family since. The customization is quite simple: fiber glass tank and seat, rear command set, racer low rise handles and side racing plates in place of the usual tool boxes ... All of these hand made by Joshua. The exhaust and the suspensions are adaptable parts.

I have tried it and I can tell you that it sounds has good as it runs, just the gear selection is a little tricky but it certainly not is an issue: it is a wicked piece of pleasure to ride!
That's it.

Thierry Vincent

(From Thierry in Mumbai (Bombay for old Majors) in India.)

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