So what can we say about the infamous Kiki ...... We first met her at Babes Ride Out when we'd just rolled in after a 3 hour marathon along the highway. Stood on top of a 6 foot high podium swinging her hair around like a nutty windmill it was pretty safe to say we were gonna be good friends.
While at BRO she was riding one of the most bad ass Triumph scramblers we've ever seen, built & lent to her by British Customs, with her 2 friends Liz & Marie & filming an incredible video for caferacerxxx. Impressed yet?
This girl is an absolute adventurer in every sense of the word & rides road, dirt & well, anything that she can get her hands on with two wheels. Born & raised in Pakistan, shes spent the last 13 years living all over the world from the South of France to travelling through the US & finally calling Portland her home, & now we're lucky enough to have her for a hot minute with us in London. On top of all this she is one of the friendliest, warmest & craziest moto ladies we've met so far. We caught up with her while she was in London recently to her to talk about how she first got into riding, her welding skills (?!) & how she got on on a recent trip motoring through her native Pakistan!
KIKI FOR MAYOR!!!!!!!!!!!!
PHOTO: BECKY GOEBEL AT www.themroadapples.com
How long have you been riding?
I officially started riding 3 years ago just before my 30th birthday
What was you first bike?
A HONDA Z50 monkey bike with a 125cc engine.
What do you ride now?
I still ride the monkey & my 1976 Honda XL250. I modified the lil guy a little with motocross handle bars & customised bmx racing bar pads & oury grips. Changed the air filter & installed minimalistic indicator lights. the enduro is pretty much all stock & in mint condition!
KIKI WITH LIZ @DEATHRODDIXIE & MARIE @MARIE_VILL BY @PAIGE_LONEWOLF
Dream bike?
As much as I think a chopper would look & feel damn good, i would have to say a Dirt/street/Flat tracker style bike is the ultimate Moto for me as far as aesthetic & comfort & dynamic is concerned.
Road or dirt?
Ah ha ha! You're asking a girl who loves her enduro & wants to rip around on every kind of surface possible but ideally I'd choose the best of both worlds.
Built or bought?
Both again. It's great to have a solid base to start a project with & sure, modifications can come along the way if you're patient & get creative. I can mig & tig weld so I dream of working on my own custom bike one day!
IMAGE FROM: https://www.instagram.com/ainjul/
VIDEO FROM WWW.CAFERACERXXX.COM
Favourite moto builder?
Tough one when I know so many out there that I respect & just stare at their work in awe, but my Salt City Builds boys in Utah won my heart with their Honda Xr650 custom they did for Dustin Haggett. Check her out!
Favourite moto place to hang in the world?
Dude, put me on any damned place in the world on something with a motor & 2 wheels & it'll be my favorite! But seriously though, home. OREGON.
Tell us about your recent trip to Pakistan! How you've found riding there?
HOLY MOTHER OF CHRIST it's a total shit show I am surprised I am still alive but once you get a hang of the chaos you realize just how organized & completely sensical it is. I'm pretty much the only female rider here. Personally I don't know how my parents are okay with me riding in Pakistan as socially it's not acceptable for a woman to be straddling a motorcycle for some cultural/religious/stupid reason I guess. I generally cover my face & try to venture in remoter areas, where the villagers are more open to the idea of a woman rider. People are really curious, children are in awe, road conditions are not exactly ideal, it's a poor country & lacks proper security. In the city they still ride while side saddling their husband with one child on her lap, another between her & the rider & yet one more child carefully holding on for dear life on the gas tank! It's my homeland & where my love for motorcycles began in the first place so it's a dream come true for me to finally roam my childhood streets and favorite spots on two wheels and you never know, I might hopefully change the mentality of the existing Moto community to be more accepting of female riders.
IMAGES FROM @monicasemergiu , @el3_productions & @ainjul