Keshy Dhillon is the Founder of Bikes Republic that houses BikesRepublic.com, MotoMalaya.net and PISTON.MY. He is also the Managing Editor / Contributing Editor for theSun’s supplement, GearUp!. Keshy brings with him over 10 years of experience in motoring journalism.

What is your typical day like, as a Motoring Managing Editor?
Every day, including Sundays starts with me checking emails even before I get out of bed. I know it’s a horrible habit, but it is what I have been doing for years now, just to make sure everything is in order and there’s no fire to be doused. The pandemic has taught us how to work remotely, so we do not have an office anymore, and almost all meetings are done virtually, usually from 9am.

The thing about our industry is that no two days are the same. Some days are packed with events to attend, others are packed with photoshoots, and there are some where we are totally frying under the sun during a video shoot. I try to schedule in at least one quiet workday a week to catch up on articles that need to be written. That does not happen often enough though. The company also offers events management, video production and social media services, so there’s plenty of stake-holders to manage and the day usually flies by really quickly.

I try not to work past 8pm, that is usually family time.

Tell us about Bikes Republic Sdn Bhd. What inspired the idea to launch three publications covering similar spaces?
They may be in the same industry, but each has its own niche. BikesRepublic.com is fully focused on motorcycles and is published in English. It covers motorcycle news around the world. MotoMalaya.net is published in Bahasa and focuses on cars and motorcycle news from Malaysia. PISTON.MY is also published in English and is focused solely on cars. I did not want to merge cars and motorcycles because our research found that our advertisers want to be associated with platforms that focus solely on cars or motorcycles.

After working in motoring journalism for more than a decade, how have you seen the landscape evolve over the years?
A lot has changed since I first joined this industry in 2006. Back then, a motoring journalist needed to focus solely on articles. These days, a motoring journalist is no longer a journalist but more of a content creator. There are horizontal and vertical video formats that need to be produced, together with short and long-form articles.

The job has truly increased fivefold with the advent of Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. Content is delivered in many different formats, and a company needs to adapt to these platforms if it wants to remain relevant, and most importantly- profitable.

What keeps you passionate about the industry after such as long career in the sector?
I don’t think I will ever get tired of cars and motorcycles and the media industry. It is what I am most passionate about. When I was a kid, most of my friends usually played video games, but I had my face planted firmly in the latest automotive magazine like Autocar, Top Gear and Car & Driver. The mode of delivery has obviously changed but the subject matter is the same, and where there’s a story about a car or motorcycle to be told, you will find me there. The events industry is also something I am fond of. I like problem-solving and I like a good challenge with tight deadlines. For me, that's as exhilarating as getting your knee down on a motorcycle. It is the thrill that drives me.

With the many motoring and bike-focused online publications in Malaysia alone, how does content produced by BikesRepublic.com, MotoMalaya.net and PISTON.MY stand out?
We are focused on new cars and motorcycles, the very latest in the industry and that’s what our content is centred around. We also dabble in some content on classic and custom vehicles, but that’s more out of a passion than anything else. We are also one of the few organisations that have a presence on almost every online platform including Fecabook, YouTube, Instagram, and even TikTok. We also have a presence in print media not that we provide content to theSun, where I serve as the Contributing Editor / Managing Editor for the motoring section called Gear Up!.

Producing content that is unique to all these platforms is a challenge in itself. Before the pandemic, we launched our very own e-commerce platform under BikesRepublic.com which served the motorcycle industry exclusively. We did well too, attracting more that RM100,000 in sales in just two months, so obviously the platform was working. Unfortunately, we had to scale down during the pandemic so we put the e-commerce platform in the freezer for a while. But we'll get it out and let it thaw soon.

Do you have any advice for PRs wanting to pitch content to your publications?
My team and I are always open to new stories and pitches, especially ones that benefit road users of all kinds. I can be reached at keshy@piston.my

What's your dream car or bike?
No car or bike lover can ever say they only have one dream bike or car, so here's my ideal garage:
1. BMW M3 CSL for a run up to the hills with the guys.
2. Rolls Royce Cullinan for the family.
3. Lotus Exige Cup for track days.
4. Lexus LM350 when I want to be driven.
5. Ducati Desert X when I need to take a break from society.
6. Ducati Hypermotard when I need to get somewhere fast.
7. Yamaha T-Max 560 when I need to go buy groceries at the wet market.

There are a few more but you don't have enough space, and neither does my garage.