Saturday, April 13, 2013

Interview: Joshua Crasto





Who are you? 
Writer, pilot, beer drinker, dog-petter, adventure whore… just another guy who (re)builds rusty remnants of motorcycles - to save them from eternal damnation

When did you first get interested in bikes? 
I grew up spending my summer vacations at my neighbour's workshop. It was a car shop but I was under hoods and had seen the insides of engines much before I learnt how to play board games. So it was more about engine than the type of vehicle. Of course motorcycles are easier to work with and more fun.

What was your first bike you ever owned?
A Yamaha RD350. Bought it even though it didn't run and pushed it all the way home. (That's the story for most of my purchases)


What is your favorite bike?
It's hard to say. I'm a big fan of the Meridien Triumphs. But of all the motorcycles I've ridden,  I've had the most fun on a KTM 640SMC. Bad-ass to the bone. It carved corners around some of the best handling litre-class bikes and chewed up dirt like it was a vacuum cleaner on steroids.

Whats the worst bike according to you?
I believe all motorcycles are built for a purpose and there's no such thing as a bad motorcycle. But that said have you ever seen the Morbidelli V8? Oh and I don't think they could ever make a Suzuki B-King look Sexy even if they put a naked Beyonce on it.

What bike would you like to see in India?
Any dual-sport or dirt bike that you can get off the showroom floor. Maybe a Honda XR650 or a KTM640. It will give Indians an all new perspective on riding a motorcycle fast.

Functionality vs bling?
Functionality for me. I like to have a motorcycle with an engine, two wheels and sometimes a little bit of brakes. Customers usually prefer Bling so I'm learning to adapt. 


What is your favorite road to ride on?
Road? Roads are for cars and cows and pedestrians. Old highway 6 in Cambodia from Siem Reap to Koh Ker. 140kms of thick red earth and land mines strewn by the sides of the road. So much fun, I've ridden that route about six times.
We can see why Joshua loves Old Highway 6 in Cambodia.
What was the first bike you chopped up?
My dad's 1969 Royal Enfield Bullet. It went from Scrambler to Cafer racer to the corner of the shop.


Who are your influences?
To name a few, Sideburn, WrenchMonkees, Co-built, Death Spray…But more than influences, the drive comes from turning a block of metal  into something you can use. And to know that there's so many people out there doing exactly the same thing, yet you've to be different and unique

Do you work alone?
Yes. I do have a bunch of machinist and painters that I out-source to. Although if I had it my way, I'd like to learn their trade skills too

What are you riding now?
A little modded Honda 125 Twin that's my daily commute, but I've just got myself an RZ350 to add some excitement on the longer trips into the city. 


What are you working on now?
A 1979 HondaCB400 and a 1986 GSX-R1100 that will both be reborn as Cafe Racers. And yet another Royal Enfield Bullet!!! (Why won't they stop making them)

What do you do when you are not working at the garage?
Rinse, Read, Ride, Wrench…Repeat. May not be in that particular order. Oh and drink beer.


How does one get in touch with you?
Email mail me at joshuacrasto@gmail.com or just drop by the garage in Bandra
Or just check out his blog for his ramblings

Monday, April 8, 2013

Coastal Route to Goa by Rishad Saam Mehta

Rishad rode with us to India Bike Week 2013 and was testing out his new GoPro. Here is a something he put together.
We want to see more Rishad do a longer version.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

A Time To Read

April is always a slow month around here. We are basically willing the snow to melt faster so the passes will open and we can start getting our bikes ready for our mountain adventures. These last two months have been no different except for the fact that we have captured the intrest of magazines like Lonely Planet India, Outlook Traveller and R2 (an indonesian motorcycling magazine) and they have got us to write a few words for them.



Friday, April 5, 2013

Special Helmet Stories ride from Leh to Manali

Today we hit 4000 likes on our facebook page so Harsh and I thought as a thank you we will run a four day bare bone ride from Leh to Manali in the first week of July 2013. So here are the details.


We will start early from Leh and ascend the world’s second highest motorable pass Tanglang La. We will take a short detour to our camp at Debring set up near the ‘white’ saltwater lake of Tso Kar where you can sight migratory cranes from Siberia and the Kiyang—the wild ass of Ladakh.

The Second day is another early start as on this day we cross the MorĂ© Plains—a flat stretch of 40 km, At an average height of 4200m. Stop at Pang for a bite to eat and then onward to the double-humped Lachulung La (5060m) and then the Gata Loops. It’s awe inspiring scenery all the way to our camp in the plains of Sarchu.

On the third day we ascend Baralacha La and ride onwards to Jispa and make our night hault overlooking the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers that become the Chenab at Tandi. This is one of our most favorite places in the world.

On the last day we leave Tandi and start to climb the steep Rohtang La leaving the arid landscapes behind and ride into the lush Kullu valley towards Manali where we end the ride with a BBQ and many a cold beer.


The cost for the ride is Rs 20,000 per person. The cost will only include motorcycle rental, accommodation for four nights on twin sharing basis, Breakfast/Dinner and experienced tour leaders (thats us). There are 5 seats open for this ride so better book yours spot soon.

Check out the ride on our facebook events page or drop us an email at info@helmetstories.com if you are interested.