From Urban Commuter to Globe-Trotter

Anita Yusof’s Commuter Conquered the World and Won a Race Team’s Respect

The little bike that could, belongs to Malaysian adventure rider Anita Yusof, and it has clocked nearly 200,000 kilometres around the world - twice. This budget-friendly bike, built for urban commuting, has carried its rider across all seven of the world’s continents - many for the second time - including its deserts, jungles, cities, and even to the edge of Antarctica. And now, with the bike having displayed the incredible durability synonymous with the Yamaha name, but also the expected wear-and-tear a ride of this magnitude will inflict, the impressed Yamaha Racing Team offered to strip and rebuild the engine, giving it the mechanical refresh it deserved before Anita rides the final leg home to Malaysia. 

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With a forced break in Brisbane while she and the Yamaha Racing Team awaited the required rebuild parts from Yamaha in Malaysia, we caught up with Anita Yusof to find out more about her inspirational travels.

Anita’s motorcycling journey didn’t begin until she was 45 years old. Before that, she was a solo backpacker and a physical education lecturer at Sultan Idris Education University. Her transformation into a global motorcyclist was born from personal adversity.

“In 2012, I went through a difficult relationship conflict. I felt like my world was falling apart. I told myself, ‘Before I go crazy, I should do something crazy first,’” she laughs. That moment led her to read about a cyclist’s journey to Kyrgyzstan. “I reached out and asked how I could go to the same places. He said, ‘Ride a motorbike.’ So, I did.”

Within 12 months Anita learned to ride a motorcycle and headed off to Kyrgyzstan. Her steed of choice was the Yamaha FZ150i, a fuel-sipping 150cc commuter bike designed for Southeast Asian city streets. It's the same bike that has also taken her on her world travels. “I have bigger bikes at home,” Anita says, “but I chose this one for two reasons: comfort and fuel economy. It’s lightweight, I can handle it easily, and it gives me nearly 400km from just a 12-litre tank, even when fully loaded.”

Modifications have been added to the bike over time including panniers, a windshield, Hippo Hands for cold climates, and a custom bracket for additional fuel cans. But the core of the bike remains stock. “The engine had no issues with all the travelling I have done, it was only after almost 200,000 kilometres that it has started to get a bit tired,” she says.

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The First World Ride | 2015–2016
In 2015, just three years after learning to ride, Anita embarked on her first round-the-world ride. She took a year off work and rode solo across four continents and 40 countries in 370 days, covering more than 65,000km. In doing so, she became the first Muslim woman to ride solo around the world on a motorcycle, earning recognition in the Asia Book of Records.

The Second World Ride | 2019 - Present
Not one to rest on her laurels, Anita set off again in 2019 for what she called Global Dream Ride 2. This time her mission was to ride all seven continents across the globe.

She began in South Africa and rode through 14 African countries before heading into the Middle East and Europe. From London, she shipped her bike to Canada and rode across North, Central, and South America. She even managed to tick off Antarctica before continuing through Australia—her final continent before returning home. “This ride isn’t only about seeing places,” she explains. “I wanted to meet people, connect with local communities, and support underprivileged children through book sales.”

Yamaha’s Helping Hand
In the closing stages of her second global journey, Anita has made a racing teams pit stop unlike any other. When she rolled into the Yamaha Racing Team workshops in Brisbane to ask for, the guys were so impressed by her achievements they wanted to make sure Anita completed her epic journey without any last-minute dramas. “They were so impressed by what I’d done they said they wanted to give the engine a rebuild to make it as fresh as the day I set off on my journey,” she says. Parts were flown in from Malaysia via the hand luggage of a friend of Anita travelling to Australia, and Dylan and Kevin Marshall from the race team got stuck in.

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Memorable Moments
Anita enjoys sharing tales from her travels, from the humerous, to the dangerous.

In Mexico, she unknowingly checked into what she describes with a laugh as a love motel. “Each room had its own carport with a curtain for privacy for the car. I’d never seen anything like it,” she laughs.

In Rio de Janeiro, Google Maps inadvertently led her into a favela – a notoriously dangerous part of town. “A man with a rifle stopped me and the two locals who were helping me. He questioned us but let us go without robbing us. That one still feels like a miracle,” she explans.

The question of favourite countries is a tough one to answer for Anita.  “Africa was unforgettable especially Malawi,” she explains.  “The national parks of the USA are also amazing. But what makes Africa unique is that you can only find Africa in Africa.”

Inspiration and Empowerment
Anita turns 58 this year. She began riding just 13 years ago. In many ways, she is an unlikely adventurer - female, Muslim, middle-aged, solo. And that’s why she says her story matters. “In my country, boys ride motorbikes at nine, girls at 12. I started at 45. But it’s never too late,” she says. “If life knocks you down, it doesn’t have to be the end. It could be the beginning of something extraordinary.”

When Anita eventually returns home, it is planned that her beloved FZ150i will live on as a permanent exhibit in Yamaha Malaysia’s museum.