In Africa
Getting around in Dakar, Bamako, and N'Djamena with a motorcycle has made life much more pleasant. It's a wholly different experience than in the United States. In Africa, a moto is:
- a middle class family's economic necessity
- a daily work commute
- for taking kids to school
- for running family errands
- for deliveries to market or business
The engines are small -- low-powered 100cc to 150cc max with up to 4 or people at a time, sometimes a couple sheep, occasionally a metal door or generator strapped on the back. Filling up is cheap. A tank of gas is $7 USD. I top up every 2 weeks. Most mechanics in the can fix them and parts are every where. They have transformed transportation networks. Many cities on the continent have moto-taxi service. A moto-taxi run is often less than a dollar. And a new bike is relatively inexpensive -- $600 to $1,500 USD.
In the States
I have mixed feelings about riding in America. I love riding, but car and truck drivers sometimes pay little attention to motorcycles. I feel safer riding in Africa where traffic is slower. I rarely go faster than 35 mph or 56 kph in the city. And everybody expects pedestrians, goats, sheep, donkey carts, and other cars to cross the road at any moment from any direction. It's nice slow chaos. In the US, motorbikes are often seen as:
- an extra
- a second vehicle
- a luxury hobby
- a power tool for a high speed rush
- dangerous, cool
- a weekend group ride in the hills
- big and pricey. Many might suggest a serious bike starts around 600ccs and costs close to $10,000 USD.
In any case, ride safe and enjoy!