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Biker Sumar Al Kassimi Riding High
BY TARIQ KHONJI |
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MEET Sumar Mohammed Al Kassimi, the country's one and “I've always liked Harleys. I like the sound of them, the history behind them and everything that goes along with them,” said the 24-year-old. “The only thing that was missing was a motorbike, so two years ago I decided, why not?” Although she felt a little uncomfortable at first, Sumar was easily accepted into the predominantly male Harley Davidson Owner's Group (HOG). Although the group includes female expats, Sumar is the only Bahraini woman. “It's like one big family. They respect me and I respect them. They are like brothers and they keep an eye out for me, which is good,” she said. Sumar rides mainly on weekends, including at a weekly HOG ride which begins at the Harley Davidson dealership in Hamala, every Friday. She is also a Ladies of Harley officer within HOG, which means that it's part of her responsibility to encourage other women to get into biking. However, she hasn't met with much success so far. “It's not easy to get women in Bahrain interested in riding bikes,” said Sumar. “I was close to convincing a few of them, but couldn't in the end. My sister Amna also took a few riding lessons, but so far she didn't take to it like I did.” But Sumar's interest in riding has rubbed off on her father Mohammed, who is getting his riding licence soon. “My family don't mind that I ride. They just tell me to take care,” she said. So what does it feel like being one of the few women motorcyclists on the road? Are people in Bahrain more courteous or does being a female biker bring troubles men wouldn't normally have to worry about ? “Thankfully, 90 per cent of the time people don't realise that I'm a woman because of the helmet and heavy gear that I wear,” she said. “But if they do notice, then they usually beep at me, flash their lights and things like that. I ignore them and concentrate on riding safely.” Bahrain has many crazy drivers unfortunately, says Sumar, but she does her best to be aware while riding. “Many drivers don't pay attention to bikers, especially since they are not used to seeing them so much on the roads here,” she continued. “Bikes should be treated the same as a car. Drivers shouldn't try to overtake them in the same lane, which is what they often do.”
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only female Bahraini biker, but not the last if she can help it. Sumar, who is an information technology (IT) specialist at GBM, has been interested in bikes and biking culture since she was a teenager but only started riding two years ago, when she bought her Harley Davidson. She was into rock music, biker-themed films and had all kinds of Harley merchandise, from T-shirts to mugs. 