paulian

You have to measure the current going through the switch to make sure it can handle the current. But if you can find a switch that can handle 20 amps it should hold.

There's a few places it can be installed, cdi/ecu, fuel pump, rectifier,key switch.

I do not know how to measure the current, neither does the Honda dealer that installed it, I suppose, since it failed so soon. Anyways, I will look for a switch tomorrow in an auto parts store I guess, if I can find a store.

In the meantime ..... I was browsing through Lotus today and bought a switch that I thought I would try, maybe. Doesn't say anything about being 20amps though, so maybe it's no good. Is that 20 amps at 12 volts ? This switch I bought must be for a higher voltage because it has no ratings for 12 volts on it. It says, 10A 250VAC, 15A 125 VAC Then under those specs are more specs that say, 15/30A 250V. Wonder if that would work for the small wire going to the coil, which I think is where it was hooked to. It has three terminals on the bottom, so I figure, it must have a light in it.

Any thai style autoparts store should have it.

Tell them "swit-som-sip amp" (30 amp switch)

ok, Thanks. Will try tomorrow. Paul

A lot of radio shack type switch (toggles etc) will suffer from vibration shock and motorcycles are reknown for their harmonics. Whether it be a screaming 4 cylinder or thumping 2 cylinder. Swtiches do get effected by this, as some fall apart internally with no obvious signs looking from the outside.

Waterproof Illuminated Double Pole, Double Throw 3 Position On-Off-On Rocker Switch

DPDT On-Off-On

Rated at 30A @ 12VDC, 18A @ 125VAC, 10A @ 250VAC.

Panel Cutout: .82" x 1.44" (I haven't found one with smaller dimensions in this amperage range)

Waterproof to IP66 UL,CSA & CE Approved

Note, you don't have to wire up the illumination, as far as I know,

The switch the Honda dealer installed didn't look anything like your image. It was jut a small black rocker switch that looked like a piece of junk and that is probably why it failed so fast. Any idea where I can find a decent switch like you show in the Pattaya area ?

I use third class insurance on my new Suzuki. Covers damage to the other vehicle, my bike, medical for the other guy, me and my passenger if I have one. No theft, so I lock it where ever I go. Suzuki 125, ThaiSri Insurance. Price was about 3500 per year. You get the government insurance which covers a little medical when you register the bike.

"I'm not the type of rider who sits in centre lane motoring along at 40km below speed limit rather tries to enjoy the road and its curves without being a loon."

sounds like you have the right attitude and it should be a blast. I suggest 8-10 Buddhas on the dash for luck just in case ...... as long as you don't decide to trade up to a 1000cc when you return.

I have edited, to correct things and other reasons, many of my posts in the past. However, I posted a question about a motorbike kill switch here, http://www.thaivisa....heft-deterrent/ and ... a box popped up and said I do not have permission to edit this post. Wondering why that post is different than the other ones I made ?

Having been in Law Enforcement and always having been a little paranoid about certain things, I treat my new Suzuki as it were some kind of exotic MotoGP bike, as far as security goes. I have insurance, however, not theft and really cannot afford to replace it at my current income level. So ..... I always, wherever I park use my 1000bt Solo fork lock and if something stationary is around I tie my modified car tow cable through the front wheel and around it and for good measure, at times, I use a disc brake lock. Having a little bit of experience in what we call GTA (grand theft auto) I am aware, especially in Thailand, it is usually not the locks that stop the bike from getting stolen but just the sight of them normally makes the thieves move on to much easier prey. Anyways ... at my first service a couple of months ago I decided to have them install an added measure, a kill switch. Which they wired to some electrical device, looked like some kind of relay on the right side of the bike (under the side panel) and put the switch in the seat compartment. My question is do any of you use this type of deterrent ?

I ask the question because as I was traveling today to the outdoor Zoo in Sir Ratcha in the middle of the boonies my bike just quit at 80 and there I was stuck with no one in sight and not a clue what had happened. My guess was a fuel delivery problem (wrong of course). After finding three of the nicest Thai men I have ever met they took one of their motor bikes and pushed mine 3 km to a Castrol Bike point. It took the mechanic about 5 minutes to diagnose that the switch was bad and that was what caused the bike to quit. Cutting the wires to the switch and hooking them back up to the relay, or whatever, and I was on my way. I think this is a good deterrent but was wondering if any one else uses it and where and what is the best way to install it. Maybe hooking it into a different place on the bike or using a better quality switch although I have only seen the normal low voltage plastic toggle switches used in all car and bike applications. Any advise appreciated.

Really good video ! Pretty good information and made me feel right at home when I saw the “Rock Store”, which is only a few miles from my house in Woodland Hills and many roads that I patrolled for 13 years for the city before moving to a different position (Meter maid) .

Except ..... the information about braking with your front brake. That may be fine on a MotoGP course or with one of the exotic bikes in the video or with the superior experience a lot of the riders had in the video. But .... I think it is the absolute worse thing that can be done while driving a small cc bike in Thailand, in my opinion. As you’ve probably noticed 95% of the bikes here are 125cc or under and that same percentage applies to the braking systems. Front discs, rear drums and as we all know the front discs work twice as good as the rear brakes. I have always felt on the smaller bikes that the most common cause of single bike accidents is because of too much front braking when the bike is at the wrong attitude or even slightly out of position. This is especially true on wet pavement as the rear end will come around in a heartbeat when using too much front brake. One great point that I see so many riders failing at and getting into trouble was mentioned in the video. Braking or shifting when turning. After a few crashes earlier in my motorbike “career” that I was lucky enough to walk away from, I learned to brake before the turn and accelerate through the turn.

All in all, some great info, much of all was common sense that we sometimes forget over time. Except for the part about “counter steering”, I’m so confused ?^%# and too old to try it on my crummy 125. Think I’ll just continue to steer in the direction I want to go in.

Some good ideas, Thanks, Paul

Well ....... I think I understand, kind of ? Anyways, I just assumed most people have a record of all there credit and debit cards in case they are lost. Anyways, sorry about your dilemma and wanted to mention how I keep track of my cards in case they are stolen. Everything in my wallet and all my important documents (like passport, Thai license, Credit & Debit cards, Bank books, etc.) I normally take a photo of the front and rear of the card or document. I then resize the jpeg down and store it in a separate folder under a main folder called, "RECORDS". This way if I were to lose a card or document I just go to the image and print it out 4x6 and have a copy of it. In the "exif" info of the image I insert necessary notes and codes that I may need. You can do this with almost any decent photo editor. If I were to lose my wallet, (although I keep minimum in it and it is teathered to a belt loop) , I can print out everything that was in the wallet in a few minutes. I also have all my photos in my wallet in the same folder including photos of my motorbike and it's serial number and any damage to it in case it were stolen. I also have four Thai bank accounts and four separate ATM cards and I try to divide any money I have in Thailand evenly between the four. A few months ago, after I made a withdrawal from a Krung Thai ATM, I forgot to take my card and when I realized what I did I went back and it was gone. The next day I went to the bank with a printed 4x6 of both sides of the card and I had the card back within minutes. Lucky for me an honest person turned it in to the bank. I also never carry more than 1 credit or debit card with me unless I am traveling. Anyways hope this helps for the future , although I know it may not correct your current issue.

I seldom drive my bike at night, however, last night I got delayed while in Rayon and had to drive from Rayon to Pattaya at night. Kind of a pain driving on Route 3 at night since certain sections are lit and some are not, since my night vision is not that great.

Anyways, I noticed many riders with what appeared to be dark jackets and some had pants to match that had white reflective strips horizontally on the back of the jacket and oval stripes around each arm and leg. It made them quite visible.

Any idea where I might locate a jacket or the pants and jacket set in the Pattaya area. Tried a few Mityon stores in Pattaya and no luck.

You are allowed to turn left at any red light as long as it does not present a danger to cross traffic and there is no sign specifically forbidding it.

Thais often like to extend this to going straight through the red on 3 way intersections as long as you are in the left lane. They just treat it as if it were a left turn, but one of 180 degrees instead of 90. Imminently logical actually. There is nothing in the law which says that a left turn must be 90 degrees.

So the OP gave incorrect information to his wife. He will continue to get honks and swear words from other drivers as long as he continues his current driving behavior. In Thailand it is always allowed unless it is specifically posted that a left turn on red is forbidden.

Yea, the color red seems to be a problem for the Thai's. As just today and 2 more times in the past 2 weeks I almost witnessed 3 separate deaths from people running the reds. It doesn't take long for a person to learn when the light turns green, or the counter ticks down to zero, to look both ways before you take off. Seems to be a major cause of traffic deaths in this Country.

there is a shop in soi portisan. the shop is just up from the naklue road

Thanks for the reply, just noticed it. Since the post however, I have found a great shop that has just about everything, the right prices, selection and the people are great. Don't know their address. I get there by heading down Sai 3 (south) from So Pattaya rd, past Tony's Gym, turn left on Soi 17 and follow it all the way till it runs into Theparsit Rd. Than turn left and the store is a few stores down on the left side.

I think it was a good thing that you did. Especially, if you felt good about it. However, as most of the posts say, "once you start down that road " . But, if it made you feel good and that you were doing the right thing at the time, maybe you were and maybe she just took the money and ate and went home. However, like most of the advise given I wouldn't get into a habit of falling in love at first sight or whatever or giving out too much help, as you can be sure if you return to the same bar in a week, she will probably be there.

Some good points made in this thread, however, I find them quite amusing since the highest amount of money involved is 500 Baht, what, US$15. I can remember in another life, maybe 13 years ago before I was promoted stopping people on the Harbor freeway in LA for changing lanes without using an indicator. Harbor freeway is like the road to Jomtien a perpetual construction zone, double traffic fines. Those people paid $320 and that was 13 years ago. What's that .... 10,000 baht ? Considering the ridiculous, insulting amount of money the BIB get paid in Thailand it's no wonder things are the way they are. I plead contemporary insanity on this issue !

has anyone got a photo of a Gecko? i would like to see what excatly what it is. iwas staying in a village in Prackon Chai and at night i heard this sound

forgive me but it sounded like F---k off . also at night even in the day these little creatures like small lizzards used to crawl about the ceiling and the walls catching anything that could fly. it was my entertainment at night when i had a Singha or LEO.

Yes, I do. This is one, I think ....

I'll rent you out our cat, she is a gecko killing machine for sure. She even stared a gecko off the wall in our house, stared at it till it dropped from the wall.

Didn't they make a movie about that ?

I think this sight would not be as helpful as it is if it weren't for those banners. I hardly notice it on my 820" enormous, mind boggling, Hypersonic, Plasma computer screen.

We don't need no stinkin' Art Forums ! No just kidding, I would love to join an arts forum, unfortunately, I haven't taken control of the sight yet.

The simplest definition of trolling is 'trying to get a reaction' - it's quite obvious when this happens. It's also a commonly misused accusation for things that are simply disagreeable, controversial or incomprehensible and has lost it's original meaning for the most part.

Thank You for the input. I was close in what I thought it was. It is a good rule, as the reason I did not join this forum 5 years ago was because the antagonistic reply's I had read from normal posts of people who just wanted information. There seems to be a correlation between trolling and the amount of posts or rank a member has on this forum. Although there are many long timers that have been very helpful there seems to be many more that are just looking for a reaction or to prove how much smarter they are than the newer people. In brain power, not Thailand experience. Coincidently, my first post a couple of months ago was met by two trolls that were absolutely no help at all, other then sarscastic remarks. What may seem like a weird question to someone who has been here for 15 years may not be to a person that has just relocated 2 weeks ago and left there prior life and familiar environment behind them for good. However, since then, I have realized this truly is a great source of information for ex-pats. Perhaps, after 2000 posts a member should be "reset". Thanks for all the help, Paul

Yes, you can turn left at red as long as it does not interrupt oncoming traffic.

It was on my driving license exam.

Once I overtook 20 bikes waiting to turn left at red.

In the front there was a police bike turning right.

I overtook them all without the police even glanced at me.

So that was you !

According to most "Western" traffic laws, the vehicle traveling through the green light always has the right of way. A turn on a red whether it be a left turn or a right turn as in my country is a yielded turn only to be made if it is clear and safe to make. This is also Thai law I have been informed. Unless, of course, there's a Mercedes involved ......

He probably was the nicest guy in the world, however as they say what goes around, comes around. Just like Pattaya scammers are out of control on many issues, it has reflected on the entire City and it's occupants. A well as the Muslims, many who are as normal and nice and law abiding as anyone, but the actions of the radicals ruin it for the entire race. Far from a perfect world and getting worse.

Ikea has some nice stuff for the money, at least in the US. However, the quality of SB outclasses Ikea by quite a bit.

I notice one post said to just accept it. I don't have any small children in the country. However, if I did, I certainly would not accept it. Something should at least be mentioned to the school authorities. For some reason in this country, it appears officials don't recognize the most basic logic in life. I think many times it is not that they do not care but just do not realize the ramifications of their actions. Getting a few parents together and making a trip to the principles office can do nothing but help in a situation like this. This is not a country to let children roam around unsupervised even for a few blocks. .

If you will re-read my post I didn't say everyone has to just accept it, but rather that we accept it because we cannot change it. Truly, this is the way it is in the villages of Thailand, and I welcome you and your group of a few parents to make your trip to the principal's office. Let me know how that works out, because if you think we just accept it without expressing our feelings to the "powers that be", you are not correct.

Sorry, I didn't analyze every word in your post, just trying to help and have forgot how to read minds so had no idea what you may or may not have done. So ..... no need to get uppity with me, I’m just making suggestions and trying to help. Try it on another forum member, not me, PAL.