Co-founder Jeffrey Kidd of Gasket Alley (Photo: Patrick Goh/The Edge)
Melaka-born Jeffrey Kidd is friendly, but rather camera shy. He is the co-founder of Gasket Alley, a lifestyle hub across the road from Jaya One shopping mall off Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya. The industrial themed space has numerous bike-centric stores such as Stronghold Cycles, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Zero Engineering and Gimme Shelter Service Chop. Visitors can even grab a meal from Makhan by Kitchen Mafia, sip coffee at Shack Coffee Stand and buy stylish accessories from shops like Mutha Puaka and Tiga Supply Co.
Growing up, Kidd dreamed of being a fashion designer and at the age of 18 he moved to Kuala Lumpur where his first job was at G2000 in KLCC. “I wanted to study fashion design, so I worked part-time in the fashion industry to save enough money to go to the Parsons School of Design,” he says. But life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned and, in his case, the working world opened up completely different doors than he had expected. “I only have an SPM certificate but I have different areas of experience,” he says. A jack of all trades, Kidd has worked in retail, sales and advertising, stockbroking and even logistics for a plastic bag manufacturer.
At 21 years old, he had to choose between a job in Singapore with UOB Bank or at Tyco Fire & Security in Kuala Lumpur and he decided to stay in Malaysia. He thrived and discovered his talent for sales, “I like meeting people and making sure they get what they want.” It wasn’t long before Kidd began his own security company, Centrix Security, with a few partners. He stayed in the security line for around 12 years before finding himself at a crossroads. “I was 33 and I realised that I was not really doing what I wanted. I decided that I needed to do something new, because once I passed 35 or 40, I’m going to chill and not want to start again,” he says.
In 2009, Kidd had bought his first bike, which he restored to look brand new. “I got my Lambretta, which is a vintage scooter. It is something like a Vespa but rarer.” Kidd reminisces about jaunts to Changkat Bukit Bintang with fellow motorcycle lovers, dressed to the nines, riding their bikes while listening to music from the 1950s and 1960s. He also laughs about the nights they were stuck outside a bar, “sweating like hell”, as they attempted to fix their scooters when they didn’t start.
Coming across café racers and modified classic bikes, Kidd began the search for a motorcycle that suited him. His friends were interested in high-powered bikes but he had different priorities. “Motorcycles for me are all about the style. I like styling bikes. I like fashion, so you need to dress up to match your bike. Everybody has their own preference or style and the bike must represent you. I’m not interested in stock bikes,” he says. His second bike was sent to the workshop within a week of purchase for a complete makeover. Soon, his hobby turned into a bike workshop that he ran with a friend.
Making new friends and travelling became part of Kidd’s life, and during his travels he found something Malaysia needed. His friends showed him charming vintage markets in Thailand and Japan’s Glion museum, which is filled with rare antique cars. “We need more places like these in Kuala Lumpur,” Kidd says, as he had very few options to show his guests when they visited him.
“If you have a hobby, such as golf or motorcycling, you tend to meet people from different backgrounds,” Kidd says, and he used his connections from his workshop to start up Gasket Alley.
“Although our main business is selling bikes, Gasket is a lifestyle place. Its a bike-centric venue but it’s not really a bike place, anybody and everybody is welcome,” he says.
Gasket Alley’s main corridor has a mixture of concrete and terracotta tiled floors and brick walls, with stylish bikes on display. All of its residents (Kidd insists they are not tenants but family-like residents) have unique personalities and offer various services or products. For example, Dirty Army customises and restores sneakers, caps and bags. Even the name of this establishment was carefully chosen. “A gasket is a part of an engine or machine that removes the friction. So Gasket Alley is a place where anybody and everybody can come together and there is no friction because we get along, says Kidd.
Despite Gasket Alley’s current popularity, Kidd has encountered many naysayers who don’t see a future for the lifestyle hub. “When you’re creating something, you’re not copying, so nothing is proven. This has not been done in Malaysia,” he says. Still, Kidd insists that it is the dedication and passion of his team of 10 that fuels their success.
Kidd loves his job, so much so that it doesn’t feel like work at all. “I’m not working actually. A couple of months ago some business associates asked me, ‘What is your retirement plan?’, I started to think about it and realised I don’t need a retirement plan because I’m enjoying every moment of what I’m doing now,” he says. It’s clear that Kidd has found his niche.
Gasket Alley plans to expand soon into the warehouse behind the current space. Kidd says, “We hope Gasket Alley will be a full-fledged lifestyle venue. Whether you want to do events or just get together, Gasket Alley is a place for people to come and have a good time. Leave your race, age, background, status and all behind. Because when you come here, you have the same interests and everybody is a friend.”
This article first appeared on July 9, 2018 in The Edge Malaysia.
