Bamako by motorbike (Mali)

Four out of five motorbikes in Bamako are the ones known by the name “Yakarta”.

The bikes come from China and they are the imitation of the Yamaha 100; they have a small cylinder and no clutch, they are easy to ride and only cost a little more then 200€. The name Yakarta comes from the fact that previously,in Mali, they used to import bikes from Indonesia and they were known by the name of its capital.

The motorbikes business is so successful, that a whole neighborhood is dedicated to the sale, repair and assembling of the bikes. One single shop can sell up to 200 bikes a month.