$100 Bicycle Motor Gets 50 km per Liter

Another great picture and story from Mark Steudal who sends this image and description:

This is a motorized bicycle, made in Kisumu, Kenya and purchased in Kakemega. They hold about 2 liters of petrol and can get theoretically around 50 km a liter. They cost around 7,000 Kenyan shillings. To start the bicycle you start pedaling manually, then you flip a switch on the left handle that starts the engine. Then you have a normal motorcycle throttle control on the right side.

Motor On A Bike in Kenya

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Author: Erik Hersman

Erik is the owner of White African, a blog about technology and Africa. He is the co-founder of Zangu, a new web and mobile phone application that he hopes will change communication in Africa. AfriGadget is another web project of his, not that he doesn't have enough of those already...

51 thoughts on “$100 Bicycle Motor Gets 50 km per Liter”

  1. By the way, I’m very happy to announce that Mark is now a contributing author on AfriGadget. Welcome aboard Mark!

    Also, please forgive whatever blog-craziness happens over the next few days as I’m trying to find and tweak a problem with the layout on the homepage.

    Cheers,

    Erik Hersman

  2. great bike!

    i remember how back in the days every watchman (security guy) in the estates used to ride around in one of those. we used to call these bikes “black mamba” (as opposed to the bmx us kids used to ride) – nice to see how they have evolved.

  3. This is so cool. Wish I could try it out and see how fast the thing goes. It has to be really nice for those crazy hills in Western Kenya.

  4. Hello, from Canada.
    I was just browsing the website and stumbled across this conversation.
    That is a nice bike.
    I also sell bicycle engine kits for people to install on their own bikes…I ship world wide.
    My engines are 2-stroke (mixed petrol and oil), 80cc, and my top speed is 57 km/h. My average fuel use is about 100 km per liter of petrol (gas).
    Take a look at my website for more information. I answer all inquiries as quickly as possible.
    Thanks

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  6. Just great!
    This is just the ingenuity and sense of recycling and innovation we do miss in France!!!

    Keep hope alive 🙂

  7. Some independent company should take the extra step and begin to commercially produce those. It is sad that we do not have those on the market, because you know the government knew about the information. Sad.

  8. Do you have the web address where I can purchase the bicycle engine for $100.? And do they ship to the United States?

  9. I am looking for engine for use in Lumbadzi Malawi.
    Please tell me cost and shipment to there.
    Thank you

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  11. please e mail me some info on this bike motor. The engine size or sizes the cost and shipping info as I would like to build meself one of these bikes. And the contact address to purchase one of these engines. I live in Canada BC

  12. How about information on buying these $100 bicycle motors? Price in US dollars, shipping, etc. I might really want to sell these.

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