The new Litas of Manila
The Litas is a ‘worldwide, all-female motorcycle collective’ that was started in 2015. They are a group of women who loves motorcycles, love to ride, and values ‘community and individuality’. Their branches span over 27 countries, 180 cities, with over 4700 members.
(Image: Instagram/Litas Manila)
A new Litas chapter was added to the impressive branch count of the all-female rider collective in the Philippine’s capital city, Manila. The kuyas (brothers) of the crowded streets of Manila better shake in their boots as these gals can be found aboard a mix of Harleys, Ducatis, and KTMs.They are far from being a cultic motorcycle club who sings koombayah around a circle of bikes, with motor-revving rituals, however. “We don’t operate or appear as one,” as their website says.
Yellowstone Bound from The Litas on Vimeo.
Erika Fernandez, one of the three founding members told the Phillipine Daily Inquirer echoes this value: “We’re not a motorcycle gang. We’re a group of strong women with a common interest in adventures and motorcycles.”
The Manila chapter was formed just last month when the three founders met at a dirt track during a riding clinic for women. Founder Gaki Azurin is a personal fitness trainer, musician, and motorcycle video blogger with the YouTube handle GakiMoto. She had been looking for other women to form a club, and hooked up with Fernandez, advertising company owner, and Carol Karthe, a swimming coach and adventure rider.
(Image: – Carol Karthe and Gaki Azurin, two of the founders of the Litas Manila branch.)
Stow away your scooters, though, ladies. They are not welcome in the Litas. They do, however, allow you to ride with them even without a motorcycle license. We’re not sure how well that will work out in Singapore, but we’re keeping our judgment to ourselves for now.
No nomads allowed either. They are a community, not hell-raisers, although they did spark some naughtiness last week as they crashed a Distinghuished Gentleman’s Ride for the fun of it.
Their excuse? Azurin said they wanted to show the boys how it was done.