Komukama challenging more women to ride motorcycles

Despite the number of women who ride motorcycles increasing, there are still reservations by some sections of the public. Anita Komukama is here to quell these uncertainties.

“I have made it my mission to inspire more women to ride motorcycles,” Komukama says, adding that the best way to get more women to ride motorcycles is by showing them that it is fun.

In 10 years of riding, Komukama has seen women enjoy the biking experience despite challenges such as motherhood and tight work schedules.

“A number of women come along (as bike pillions) and go back home excited about the experience. You only have to be part of a biking trip to ascertain if it is your thing or not. I would definitely encourage more women to experience the thrill,” she says. 

Childhood dream

Now 37 years old, Komukama, a nutritionist, traces her love for riding to childhood.  Her first encounter with riding was in Kitgum District in northern Uganda almost a decade ago. During her stay there, Komukama frequently saw women riding both bicycles and motorcycles and this inspired her to try it out. A co-worker laid the foundation.

“My colleague, who had a motorcycle, showed me how to start it, engage the clutch and accelerator and then finally ride. I must say that my ability to drive a manual shift car came into play and helped me to easily learn the basics,” Komukama recollects.

It was not until 2019 that she finally bought her own motorcycle, a BMW F650GS, which she named the ‘Fortunate Stallion’. 

 “Following a lead from a friend, I bought a motorcycle from a South African businessman whose business had unfortunately closed due to the effects of Covid-19 lockdowns,” she says.

Specifics

The motorcycle is a 2001 model, blue and silver grey in colour. It is also a five speed gear transmitter with a horsepower of 50 at 6500 raves per minute, weighing 200kgs with a height of 820mm. Komukama takes good care of it, something she promises to do even better if she ever gets her dream bike, the BMW F850GS, which she says would help her fulfil her dream of riding around the world.

Her bias towards BMW bikes is obvious as she also goes for the F1250GS as her all-time favourite motorcycle because of its high performance and appearance. She also has riding around Lake Victoria in all three East African countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania on her bucket list.

Maintenance

Komukama says she services her motorcycle after every 3000kms where she changes oil that usually costs Shs65,000 per litre. She also changes the air filter and other parts according to need and to do all this, labour costs Shs10,000. So far, she has serviced the motorcycle once since acquiring it in 2019.

Fuel consumption

Komukama’s motorcycle has a 17 litre capacity tank and to fill it up, she spends about Shs40,000 and this can take her for about 350kms.

Cost

Komukama says in order to save money on buying riding gear, she only buys high quality products albeit at a higher cost. For example, she says, a riding jacket costs $200 (about Shs701,000), Shs300,000 for shoes, Shs100,000 for gloves, Shs500,000 for a helmet and, Shs200,000 for riding pants.

“I buy these one at a time and I have opened an account where I save money for maintaining my car, motorcycle so I do not overspend on my monthly budget,” she says.

Group rides

Komukama covered more than 900km when she rode to Kasese for a weekend of local tourism. The route entailed setting off from Kampala on Friday to Kasese via the Fort Portal route and then returning to Kampala on Sunday via the Ishaka Bushenyi Mbarara route. It was a group ride where bikers moved in a convoy.

“For now I prefer riding in a group because it is a lot more fun for me and I get to learn new tricks. I am also advised on what I am doing right or not. I know, sometimes it is inevitable to ride alone but group rides work for me,” she says.

For Komukama, riding has come with blessings such as exposure to the biking fraternity where she feels at home. She is also a registered member of the Uganda Bikers Association. To her, riding has alslo become a place for networking and building strong lasting relationships.

Caution

Riding a motorcycle is fun but also dangerous. Komukama refers to herself as a cautious rider who adheres to road rules and regulations.

“There are numerous ways to ensure that one is safe on the road. These include wearing protective gear, following and obeying all road signs, keeping your motorcycle in good working condition and being able to “read’ other road users,” she says.

Memories

Riding through Queen Elizabeth National Game Park remains her best experience on the motorcycle. Riding while seeing wildlife including elephants, buffaloes, warthogs and birds was a thrill.

“The road was straight, and the air was clean and crisp. For a moment, I did not want this moment to end,” she recalls before turning the pages to her biking nightmare that also took place in a game park. A dirt road in a dark Murchison Falls National Game Park proved a bit hard to navigate. She hit the road at breakneck speed with poor visibility and hit a massive mound of earth that left her fighting to control the motorcycle.

“I hit it so hard that the bike was thrown into the air. I fought hard to control it once back on the ground. I had to stop for a few seconds and thank God for sparing my life,” she says.