Nimisha Patel

Posted in Snapshots, UK | 1 comment

 

Please introduce yourself. My name is Nimi. I was born and raised in North London and work in the financial planning industry although I’m a qualified interior designer. I enjoy meeting new people and seeing new places. I have a strong passion for urban exploration, especially interesting places like abandoned World War bunkers, forts and secret underground tunnels.

I absolutely love riding off road, whether it be on a motocross track or an enduro mine field. Five years from now, I see myself being my own boss, making a living doing something I enjoy, possibly something creative.

Describe your path into motorcycling. My love for bikes started pretty early on. I had twin brothers who are absolute hooligans, one of whom used to take me out on his ZX-10 when I was 11. My friends and my partner live, eat and breath bikes!

I had ridden a few bikes in my teenage years before actually taking the CBT when I turned 21.  I rode my 2-stroke Aprilia RS125 for three years . I also had a KX 85 which I used off road regularly. I finally took the plunge and did the entire test. I sold the RS125 and bought a CBR f4i which I still have, use and love. As the passion grew so did the garage! I now ride both CBRs, a supermoto and an off-road bike as much as I can.

Two years ago, I wrote out a post on the original Woman on a Motorcycle Facebook page to reach out to any female riders who lived nearby and fancied meeting and riding locally. I met up with a handful of local girls whom I still see and speak to now. Since then I’ve met and got to know a huge heap of motorcyclists who brighten up my life! With the help of the girls I met, I’ve created a Facebook group for female riders in and around South East England.

I’ve been on numerous rides and off-road trips in Wales with some of these awesome people. I even had the idea for the world record attempt for the largest women biker meetup because of all the positive feedback from the women on our group. I’ve made some pretty awesome friends – all from one post on a women’s Facebook group!

Can you share a good story? I met a fun loving lady called Katie via various Facebook biking groups, who joined me and other awesome women on bike trips. Shortly after meeting her, she accompanied me on our group’s very first two day enduro trip in Wales. The laughs, drunken evening shenanigans, falling off the bikes and the excellent company made this trip that bit more amazing!

A few trips back to Wales went by for some more off-road action. Not just that but it resulted Katie finding new love, not just for enduro riding but her future partner Mickey, who was an irreplaceable photographer at the Kawasaki Experience school. Now, Katie and Mickey have plans in place to travel the world on off-road bikes in 2016. How amazing is that?

Any other kind of motorcycling that you’d like to try your hand at? I would love to try Speedway! Some sideways action? I may not be any good but yes please!

If you could go ride with any of your motorcycling heroes – living or dead – who would they be? Oh, that’s a hard one. Can I pick a few? Valentino Rossi for one. Ashley Fiolek and Travis Prastrana for some dirt tips, seeing as they are both at different levels of riding and completely awesome! Lastly Polish stunt rider Rafal Pasierbek. I wouldn’t mind just sitting on his tank while he drifts away!

If you could change one thing about the world of motorcycling, what would it be? The biking scene itself? No, I wouldn’t. It is what it is. As for the apparel available, I find myself shopping on ebay USA because half the cool clothing for women isn’t actually available in the UK.

What’s your dream bike? I’m going have to be greedy here. I have two dream bikes. Although I could never kick start this bike, I want a Honda CR500 fully road converted supermoto for hooliganism on the road. Since it’s a dream bike, in my dream this bike also has an electric start! (laughs)

The newly announced Honda RC213V-S Base for road and track use. Just because life would be so much fun with this beauty in my hands!

If you could design your dream motorcycle, what would it look, sound and feel like? If I could dream up my own, it would need to be a monster! Just to be different, let’s have that 200hp electric engine from the Lightning LS-218, tweaked up to technology released in twenty years. It would sound like a super car on steroids and be the size of the nimble RSV4, with single sided swing arm, fully carbon faired in stealth black with pretty colourful wheels. Oh, and then I wake up!