Manufacturer Yamaha Bore / stroke 52.0 x 45.6mm Top speed 95 km/h | Class Utility farm bike Compression ratio 6.6:1 | |
Engine 97 cc (5.9 cu in) air-cooled, 2-stroke single-cylinder | ||
The Yamaha AG100 is a Yamaha motorcycle introduced in 1973 for use in agriculture, humanitarian aid and other rural professional use. Its is only marketed in select regions, and is popular in Africa, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. Initial advertisements described it as, "built tough for tough Australian farm use". The bike has a single-cylinder two stroke engine, with five gears, and weighs 99 kg (218 lb) dry.
The motorbike has many features designed for hard rural use, including a full-enclosed O-ring chain drive, autolube, kick start, both left and right kickstands for parking on sloped ground, and generally being a simple bike to maintain and repair. New Zealand's Farm Trader describes it as, "the best all-round performer in the low-budget farm bike sector". The New Zealand Herald describes the bike as "King of the two strokes".
Healthworker use in Africa
In the 21st century, the AG100 received media coverage for its popular role supporting healthworkers in Africa. As of 2015, the NGO Riders for Health maintains over 1,400 motorcycles, primarily the AG100, in seven African countries. The group cites the AG100 as a preferred choice due to its durability, ease of maintenance, and its small size being accessible to female healthworkers.
In 2012 the government of Rwanda distributed 237 AG100s in 2012 for community outreach on tuberculosis and malaria follow-up.