Iraqis gather at the Nahda Street 'Vespa Market' in Baghdad's city centre
© AFP Ali Yussef BAGHDAD (AFP) - The weekly wheel-dealing is shrouded in a cloud of dust and smoke as buyers and sellers jostle among the goods, ranging from heavy, growling racing machines to ancient, spluttering scooters.
Musthafa Ahmed may be only 16-years-old but he already considers himself a seasoned biker.
Dwarfed by his Honda CM250 Custom bike, he proudly showed off his skills by tearing off down a one-way street -- the wrong way -- and weaving between oncoming traffic with heart-stopping dexterity.
Motorcycle broker Ahmed Hussain, 22, said demand for two-wheelers has been rising since the US-led occupation in March 2003, as bikes prove a safer and more practical way to negotiate Baghdad's treacherous streets.
"It is easier to go through checkpoints when you are on a bike," Hussain said while scouting for bargains at the market on Nadha Street, in the city centre.
Mopeds and vespas line the road at the Nahda Street 'Vespa Market' in Baghdad's city centre
© AFP/File Ali YussefHaitham Fahmy, 53, had just bought a black Honda 250 cc motorcycle for 650 dollars (420 euros) after haggling his way along the 300-metre (yard) roadside bazaar. He said he had snapped up a bargain.
Motorcycles are regarded as safer than four-wheel vehicles in Baghdad where bomb blasts and gun attacks are so common they rarely make headlines.
"It is safer to ride a motorcycle in Baghdad than drive a car," Fahmy said. "Snipers can't get you easily. If there is a blast, you have a better chance on a bike. Besides, you can always get in and out of traffic with a bike."
Cars stuck in gridlocked traffic are easy prey for gunmen or suicide bombers, who have claimed many lives on Baghdad's streets, but peppy bikes are gone before attackers can strike
Under Saddam Hussein, people needed special permits to own motorbikes and the machines were treated with suspicion because they were a popular means of launching hit-and-run attacks against the regime.
Today, there are no restrictions on ownership. Registration is not required. Helmets are optional and few motorcycles have number plates.
Iraqis at the Nahda Street 'Vespa Market' in Baghdad's city centre
© AFP/File Ali YussefSaad Kadhim, 28, had spent half an hour at the market trying to sell his customised 60 cc Yamaha.
With its 600-dollar (390-euro) price tag, his cream and maroon coloured scooter, complete with six rear-view mirrors mounted on the handlebars, had received only four inquiries.
Kadhim was convinced he would find a buyer for his vehicle because of the green ribbon tied to the handlebars -- a Shiite blessing said to be from the Imam Ali Ridha shrine in neighbouring Iran.
He said the ribbon could protect the rider from danger, a valuable asset a city where residents must run the gauntlet of Shiite and Sunni militants who have waged war on each while also fighting Iraqi and US troops.
On the other side of the six-lane highway running under the Mohammed Al-Qassim flyover, Thasin Abud, 27, was looking for a powerful bike to thrill.
"I offered 1,200 dollars (775 euros) but the owner wants 1,500 dollars (970 euros)," he said revving the engine of the metallic red Kawasaki 400.
A gunshot rang out under the flyover, but no one paid attention. A security guard said it was nothing unusual.
Iraqi inspect his moped at Baghdad's at the Nahda Street 'Vespa Market
© AFP Ali YussefThe informal Vespa market has survived the tough times. It thrived in Baghdad during the days when the majority of two-wheelers on Iraqi roads were Vespas made by Piaggio.
Now original Vespas are a thing of the past, although Iraqis still use the term "vespas" for all two-wheelers.
Vintage Vespas, with their streamline one-piece pressed-steel bodywork, have now been replaced by cheaper look-a-likes made mostly of plastic.
Iraq was under UN sanctions from 1990 and local mechanics turned out parts for the old Vespas, which at one time symbolised the easy-going life before the war of the 1980s with Iran.
A few relics of the sanctions-era can still be found in the junk yards that come alive on Fridays when second hand auto parts go on sale, but despite the market's name, Vespa scooters are now only a memory there.
©AFP