He quite articulately describes the difference between a Sports Bike and a Cruiser – while a sports-bike is a bit of a “crotch-rocket”, a cruiser is more up his alley. He’s the kind of a guy who when travels, absorbs experiences and adventures along with the wind that blows through his Robinson Crusoe beard.
Who is Vir Nakai? A Traveller, a Wanderer, a Cruiser. A Writer, Photographer, an Art Director who inhales life, then exhales pixels. An ardent admirer of good steak. Also, the co-founder of Helmet Stories – an adventure travel company that provides premium guided adventure tours in India.
We, at TheVibe wondered what an expedition it would be if a cruiser like Nakai was set into ignition, powered by a high-mileage brand like Castrol POWER1 CRUISE, and that’s how ‘Cruising Legends Episode 4’ was born. For the fourth segment of the series we’re all set to ride on – absorb, nurture, evolve. Grow, and flourish. Lose us to adrenaline, consumed in wanderlust. For a little rendezvous, with Vir Nakai, and The Rider Within!
Helmet Stories came into being when Vir met Harsh Man Rai – also an experienced motorcyclist, somewhere between the crystal-blue waters and grainy-brown hills of Ladakh. Milestones covered on roads weren’t enough to garner the musings of these two travellers with gasoline running through their bikes, and veins. So, they begun helmetstories.blogspot.com, to create a scrapbook of pictures and thoughts put together to be consumed by biking and adventure aficionados, like them.
Soon enough, other wandering souls from around the country joined hands with them and Helmet Stores, the company, begun providing complete bike de jour experiences with premium-level accommodations and meals, along with professional bikes, a superior support team, and ‘off-bike’ activities to share what Nakai and Rai garnered for so long.
Nakai believes life manifests itself in the littlest of ways – seeing places you’ve never seen before, and faces you’ll never meet again, smells – different ones for different places, colors – of different ranges, the sun reflecting his helmet, the wind and the goosebumps it leaves behind. The sound of his bike gulping down fuel, and the rumble of his engine. Castrol POWER1 CRUISE with its motto of Accelerate and Cruise takes pride in fueling the quest for adventure of such nomads on bikes!
His motorcycle collective/ Biking help-care – ‘Garage 52’ provides fellow biking enthusiasts who’ve wanted to customized their own bikes but couldn’t, for lack of equipment and information, with rented solutions like equipment and expert guidance. They also give out two-wheelers for hire to budding bikers for short and long quests for life and living!
About Cruising Legends: This month on TheVibe, we bring to you Cruising Legends, powered by Castrol POWER1 CRUISE where we look at four motor-heads who have indulged in long distance biking. We focus on their relationship with their machine while they undertook such long challenging journeys and how they celebrated it, not to compete or compare but just to enjoy the Vibe that comes with it.
Contribute with your Vibe: Help us discover new stories! If you have a story you wish to share, or know anyone who does, reach out to us at now@thevibe.me
Kartik Rao
Writer
