First standard question: what are some things about you that you definitely want everyone to know?
I am somewhat small and fine ... I was taught very young to understand that the bike was not made for me; on the one hand because I was a girl and that according to some people the bike was reserved for men, and partly because I would never have the strength to hold a motorcycle. You must know that there is one thing that makes me advance in life: my spirit of contradiction and the fact that I always want to surpass myself, to give the best of myself!
And that's how I got the maximum rating on the motorcycle license ... And yet it was not won! I fell many times, my passenger was more than double my weight, ... My legs were covered with bruises!
That is where I came up with the idea of my pseudonym "P'tite motarde" ... a model that shares her unpretentious passion on social networks. Moreover, I receive a number of messages from girls hesitating to pass the license because they are told exactly what I was told a few years ago.
You mentioned that you started riding when you were 6. What was your first bike and what interested you in motorcycles?
I've been riding since I was 6 ... I started the bike a few years later ... as a passenger behind my father. I do not remember his first bike ... but he had a Yamaha FZ1 and now a Harley Davidson V-ROD. Two totally different motorcycles but both of which have a lot of charm.
So it was my father who made me love the motorcycle for the first time. Then one day I enrolled in the license, without asking my parents for advice, which I knew was going to be negative. It was with anxious eyes and at the same time full of pride that they then saw me ride for the first time. I've had two bikes that were on the track as well as the road: a Honda CB500F and a Yamaha MT07.
After only a few kilometers, I realized that I did not really know the world of motorcycling ... I discovered this feeling of freedom, this happiness to see landscapes all more beautiful than each other, but also ... a family!
What are the things you like about the culture and community of motorcycles that surround you? Is there anything would you change?
As I just said ... the world of motorcycles is above all a great family. There is no distinction of age, sex, displacement, race, religion, level ... We are all gathered around a common passion (even if it can be lived differently) -- the motorbike.
Something to change ... I would say that the universe of the bike remains rather macho and as a girl it is difficult to make a small place and to be respected.
What has been your favorite motorcycle and what do you ride now?
Of all the motorcycles I've tried, the one I liked most is unquestionably the Yamaha MT07! Its weight, its distribution of mass, its seat-height, ... much like a bicycle, very nimble! I also like the the torque of the twin-cylinder.
Also, I'm in love with the beautiful Italian Ducati. A small Multistrada for the roadtrips, a street fighter for the smallest trips, a Panigale 899 for the track ... it's a beautiful dream, for sure!
Unfortunately, I am currently a motorcyclist without a motorcycle. I had a serious motorcycle accident a little more than 4 months ago which earned me two and a half months in the hospital, and my motorcycle did not survive the crash. But I do not want anyone to pity me! I am very lucky to be alive and I look forward to the physician's agreement to ride again.
In America, there are several cultures of motorcyclists who do not always approve of others. Are there different types of riders in France and how do they get along?
I do not think there are any problems between the different types of bikers ... in general we all get along well and we usually all give the famous "V" sign when we meet on the road.
Are you considered rebellious or dangerous because you drive a motorcycle? How do people respond to your love for motorcycles?
It is indeed a cliché that lasts ... For people who do not know the world of motorcycle, the biker is a rather masculine, rebellious person who uses vulgar language and has a strong, bad character ... A picture that I wish to break.
In the beginning, my entourage did not understand this love that I have for the world of the motorcycle. There were a few remarks until they saw this big smile under the helmet and they understood that this allowed me to flourish.
Describe your favorite road to ride. What do you like about it?
You have to know that I drive both on the track and on the road. The circuit that I enjoyed most when driving with my CB500f is that of Ledenon, near Nîme, France. It is reputed to be one of the most technical circuits in France. It allows me to let off steam.
As for the road, I would say that as long as there are beautiful curves, beautiful landscapes and friends, it becomes my ideal road. I love to go for long hikes, or just for the day leaving very early in the morning and returning late at night ...carrying only a sandwich in my bag. One of the best ways to rest your mind!
What is your perception of the "American biker"? (Be honest, we will not be offended!)
It could be "a little caricatural" ... but I'll have a go! For me the cliché of the American biker is a rather imposing man, bearded, with tattoos and a leather jacket (or a tattooed woman and dressed in leather) driving a beautiful customized Harley-Davidson.
Yes, I told you it was going to be caricatural! And I hope to have the opportunity to come and see for myself in the United States soon.
You also have to ride horses, you said. What are the parallels with motorcycles? What are the differences?
A lot of the bikers I ride a motorcycle behind tell me that the riders are much better on a motorcycle than on a horse. But, while riding a horse we learn a few bases of driving a motorcycle: balance, but also the look. We all know that the bike goes where our eyes look ... it's exactly the same with a horse!
What about motorcycles attracts you so strongly? What does riding mean to you?
As said before, I have a small weakness for the Ducati, despite the fact that most are rather expensive, unfortunately. Riding for me is a real outlet, a way to forget the time of one or more gasoline-filled daily hassles. It is a real breath of fresh air.
What is the current price of gasoline for you?
Around Lyon it is around 1.49 Euros for a liter of SP98.
What perfume do you prefer (if any)?
At the moment I love the perfume "Intense" by Jean Paul Gaultier. Who said the bikers can't be feminine?!
Hair up or down for riding?
Well ... on that side it's complicated to remain feminine ... The hair tied down and stuck in the neck strap to prevent them from getting tangled, otherwise they form dreadlocks like Bob Marley.
You are studying to become a dental surgeon. How did you get to that? Just started or almost finished?
Since I was very young I wanted to orient myself in medicine, yet there is no one in the medical field in my close family. I was looking for something that combines the social, the hands-on, the intellectual and the artistic ... which I found only in dental surgery. In France, to be able to access these studies, you have to spend a year in medical school in order to pass a very selective competition where we must be among the first to continue. Great pride for me!
At the moment I am juggling my physiotherapy sessions, my courses, my revisions and my patients ... it's a real marathon!
What are your plans for the future?
In the near future ... to finish and succeed in my studies. I would never put my passion for the bike before these; it is far too important. So to settle in my dental surgery office, and then get away from the city to get closer to the beautiful roads. Then, you understand, acquire myself a motorcycle of course! I have a few road trips planned including Mongolia, Iceland, North Cape in Norway and ... a Harley Davidson on Route 66 that I would like to share with my father.
Afterwards I leave the future to decide!
What is love for you? What is "art?" What is "beauty"?
Love for me? Complicity, confidence, little attention, ... two motorcycles, and a lot of madness!
Art...Valentino Rossi on a motorcycle? It's not about riding, it's about art!
In my opinion, a beautiful person is someone you want to know, someone who is benevolent, aware of the happiness of being alive. And not someone superficial ... Otherwise the curves of a Ducati Panigale 899 are beautiful too! hahaha
What is your superpower?
Being a biker is not already a superpower???
Who are you deep down? What defines you?
I think and hope to be someone simple, accessible. I am rather discreet and shy, but it does not prevent me from meeting many bikers and having a great time!
If I had to define myself in a word I would say ... "passionate!" When I do something, I do not do it halfway.
Beach or mountain?
Without hesitation ... the mountain! I am someone who cannot sit still for very long, and the mountain is synonymous with sensational sports such as paragliding, downhill biking, skiing, and ... beautiful curves as well as beautiful scenery for the bike and the Photo. I can not stay more than 10 minutes without moving on a beach towel!
What advice can you give to people who have trouble finding their way in life?
I think the basis of everything is to believe in oneself and for that one must know oneself ... When we know who we really are, what others think is not important and it cannot reach us. Do not underestimate yourself, go to the end of your dreams, your desires, ... we have only one life, and it is to be lived thoroughly!
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In any case it was a pleasure for me to participate in this interview! A big thank you to Thistle Moto and obviously to Will for having contacted me.
"Bonne continuation," I give you a "V!"
Be sure to follow Clementine on all of her pages. She has an amazing amount of great content on each of them and you can't help but be inspired by her work.
Instagram: @ptite_motarde_
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