Bikes of Burden

GENERAL INFORMATION

In Vietnam the motorbike is the main mode of transport, not only for people but for every imaginable and unimaginable product and produce. Without the motorbike the economy would come to a halt. Bikes of Burden shows in 148 stunning, full color photographs how the motorbikes, the drivers and their loads ride around the cities and countryside in acts that defy your wildest imagination.
A tribute to the Vietnamese motorcycles and the drivers as the backbone of the Vietnamese economy.
Nowhere else on earth can there be found such a concentration of motorbikes as in Vietnam where the bikes are being used not only for transporting people but for carrying everything imaginable and unimaginable.
Pigs, poultry, fridges, truck tires, this book shows it all. A must have for all motorbike enthusiasts and anyone interested in contemporary Asian culture. For more info: www.bikesofburden.com

The image below is very third world. We find it amusing, but it does reflect the economic conditions of the people in a country. The shot was taken in Vietnam. Though seeing something like it won’t be very unusual here in the Philippines, such an image is commonplace in the neighboring Vietnam where there are a few cars and more than 5 million motorcycles!

But the Philippines is on the way of being a motorcycle country too like China, India & Vietnam. With the rising price of gas, the steady increase of fares in public transportation, and the affordability of motorcycles (installment terms go as low as P1000+ per month); any minimum wage earner could now afford to have one. The downside is a lot are hopping onto one without the proper know-how or awareness on how to be a responsible rider hence the increase in motorcycle-related accidents in the past four years as reported by MMDA (there were 2,092 accidents with 51 fatalities in Metro Manila alone just from Jan-May 2006). But I digress, so let’s go back to these photographs.

Here’s a sample.

good thing he’s riding automatic! hehehe.

That one’s a gate in what I assume is made of wrought iron. You can just imagine what else they can carry on two wheels? The succeeding images have these bikes of burden carrying anything from multiple passengers, livestock, trays of eggs, construction materials, and even a shark! But what takes the cake for me is the one carrying a mirror for delivery in a barbershop. Take a look at these other fascinating images of riders.

Konting usog pa! Pituhan yan!