ART DIRECTION BY JOYCE LIM / MAKE-UP BY WAN NING & RACHEL WONG / HAIR BY ANGELINE LOW & RACHEL WONG / ORIS WILLIAMS ENGINE DATE
Kimmun’s passion is fashion photography. Since leaving his hometown of Cameron Highlands at age 12 for schooling and subsequently working in Singapore, he’s become the industry’s go-to guy.
In fact, his work has often graced this magazine.
His other obsessions are dirt bikes and Kimmun rides the KTM 450 EXC. A friend who test rode his bike said you’d spend half the time trying to keep the front wheel on the ground and the other half clinging on for dear life because your body would turn into a very effective sail.
“I’ve always loved bikes and cars. But with a bike that costs between RM100,000 and RM110,000, you can have more horsepower per tonne than a Bugatti Veyron.
“And you know what guys are like. The moment they get used to a certain speed, it doesn’t excite them anymore. They want something more, something crazier.
“Same thing with cars. Every time you modify a car, it gives you a different driving experience,” he explains.
He goes on to tell me with superbikes, there’s very little room for mistakes.
For instance, average drivers might reach cruising speeds of 140-150km/h on highways. A superbike can travel at 150-180km/h and cars aren’t used to this. One moment the rider is a speck in their rear-view mirror. The driver signals to switch lanes and as he glances again to the mirror, the superbike is already next to him.
“Dirt bikes let you make more mistakes. And there’s no social status. If you fall, you fall. When you’re in the jungle and on the trail, guys tend to let their guard down and there’s less ego.
“And you have to have the correct attitude if you want to take up this sport. You got to come in with a lot of determination and grit. Back when I started, I had five friends with me. We signed up for a riding programme. And after the first day, three of my friends had already given up.
“Riding to me is a wonderful metaphor for life. You have to pay 100% attention, you got to know when to take risks and when to stop pushing the limits. The more prepared you are, the longer you can enjoy your game.”