Executive Chef JD (Jaydeep) of Indigo seems to be spreading his s(p)eed far and wide. When he’s not in the kitchen whipping up meals for uptown lunchers, the motorcycle enthusiast is at his Mumbai workshop designing all kinds of cool bags and luggage for bikers. These, created in collaboration with fellow motorist and aviation engineer Mandar, he now retails under the label Dirtsack. Jackets and other riding apparel will be on the chef’s specials board soon.

Playing the Enfield

The need for Dirtsacks came from the growing number of riders taking long road trips around India and the dearth of good equipment. “When I bought a Chinese motorbike bag from America and got it shipped to Mumbai at a prohibitive price, I knew something had to be done,” says JD.  This led to the creation of his first saddle bag, an enjoyable but painstaking process that JD compares to the making of the Reuben sandwich at Indigo. Both involved hunting down top notch vendors, sourcing the right materials, building and dismantling, and starting over.  “Since then we’ve sold a few thousand Reubens and hope to do the same with Dirtsacks,” he grins.

Currently, the motorcycle luggage brand comprises four pieces, the coolest of which is the Forester, a pack with magnets that cling to your bike tank instead of your back. There’s two types of saddle bags for short and long trips and the Overniter tail bag with compartments for maps and GPS devices and maybe even a tiny groupie. JD assures us that they’re super durable, embellished with zippers and reflective tape of the best caliber, and come with straps that easily turn them into off-road accessories. Also, they’re crafted out of an awesome-sounding fabric called ballistic nylon. Hold that testosterone shot for now, thanks.

Next Stop

Under his larger firm Road Company, JD is now developing abovementioned motorcycle apparel and also a laptop backpack for riders with a flexible helmet carrier attached. Stand back and learn as JD uses your head to make his next smart move.

Getting there: To order visit www.dirtsack.in or call JD on 9819883283 / Mandar on 987022529, Rs 1,650 for an Overniter tail bag and Rs 1,950 for the tank pack, shipping across India.