I’ve been to many motorcycle garages in my time, but certainly none that calls itself a ‘Moto Collective’ — which is what Garage 52 was set up as last year. The brainchild of Joshua Crasto, Mario Pereira, Vir Nakai and Harsh Man Rai, the garage functions in a democratic manner — all the stakeholders pay a share of the monthly expenses, depending on how much space they take up and what resources they use. If you’re interested in renting some workspace yourself, either for a short-term project or for a longer duration, you can go right ahead and have a word with them; you can also hire motorcycles from them and use the space to store your own bike. Just be aware that they’re quite picky about whom they welcome into the fold.

Crasto runs his motorcycle customisation and repair shop, JC Moto, out of Garage 52. Pereira, one of Mumbai’s best-known motorcycle repairmen, helms Mario’s Garage, and Nakai and Rai head Helmet Stories, an outfit specialising in premium motorcycle tours. All of them function independently for the most part, but they put their heads together and hold barbeques, impromptu music sessions, motorcycle repair clinics, race viewings on a big screen TV and other such testosterone-tinged activities, whenever they feel like it.

“We don’t want to make these regular events, because then it all becomes too formal — we just want to have some like-minded people over every now and then” says Crasto, putting the finishing touches on a motorcycle he’s been working on. That seems to be Garage 52’s essence — come over (if we like you), hang out, grab a wrench and have some fun.