To be honest, I was half-expecting a formidable, leather-clad, tattooed figure to emerge from behind one of the bikes on show. After all, I am at Storm Troopers, the newly-opened, bike-themed café in Utorda, Goa.This restored, 250-year-old Indo-Portuguese house in South Goa is now a new destination; equal parts café, bar and a community space. As I clamber up the red stairway, past the wraparound verandah, and step inside, I am greeted by a woman dressed in black, all smiles. Neha Bhola is a biker and mountaineer, whose passion project, Storm Troopers took shape, not as a fad, but as a leap of faith. “I knew I wanted a place like this and started the search last year. Standing at this crossroad in Utorda one day, I was eyeing this beautiful old mansion, wishing for a place like this, and the next thing I knew, it was up for sale, and I was the next owner.” An Army kid, Neha was the typical rolling stone, but always had a penchant for Goa. She dreamt of having her own café like space, where she could showcase the bikes that she so dearly loves. .Vintage spiritedThe setting is central to the experience. This Goan-Portuguese home in Utorda has been restored with restraint; heritage tiles, weathered wood and generous courtyards have been preserved.There is a garden space in front, and the cheery yellow and white façade is welcoming. From the ceiling of the portico, there hangs a model of a motorbike, harkening back to 1913 from the famed James Cycle Company in the UK, with a front that seems more like a bicycle, with its lightweight handlebars and pedals. “This is not just a showpiece. It still is very much functional, and it took me eight-and-a-half years to restore,” points out Neha as she takes me around, stopping next at her late father’s old Bajaj Chetak scooter-front, which she has wall-mounted, like one would, a prized taxidermy mount. Anchoring the space is a curated display of six to eight vintage motorcycles, each celebrating the romance of the open road, that Neha collected at various stages of life.