jimi

On 2018-01-30 at 12:44 PM, leonardjones625 said:

you might be able to find somewhere quiet in Chiang Mai Land that's empty or the end of that street with orchid and the tower.

 

In terms of that area

Is this the Chiang Mai Land you talk about? I checked it out today, and I couldn't find any big parking lot or similar place there. And not sure what the "orchid and the tower" is about.

Instead I ended up on a small road up to the Doi Suthep, coming from the Sutep road. I had a vague memory of having riding a motorbike there before, many years ago, and I found the spot today. The street is much more narrow that I would have hoped. It's basically no room for a u turn even if you pull the handle bar all the way. But it's OK for a straight slalom track. It's a dead end road (or just about, it is a circle, but blocked off in one end).

But even out there in the woods there are people coming and going. Not many, but during my ~ one hour stay there I saw one thai "hiker" (dressed just for a casual walk), one forest ranger, and a group of farang scooter riders (they had to turn around, because of the dead end). I guess it's impossible to find an area in the city where I could be totally alone 

43 minutes ago, jimih said:

P.S. I have just switched accounts to this one, from the account "jimi", in case you or someone else wonders who I am, and why I suddenly jump into this discussion. D.S.

hmm, I decided to switch the other way. I like the shorter display name of this account... 

30 minutes ago, jimi said:

 

 

Thanks guys. I'll try and check out both these places today.

Lol, I confused Promenada and Central Festival. I'll think I wait with checking out the Promenada parking lot until I go to Immigration Office, planned next week. :)

On 2018-01-30 at 12:44 PM, leonardjones625 said:

you might be able to find somewhere quiet in Chiang Mai Land that's empty or the end of that street with orchid and the tower.

 

In terms of that area

Thanks. But just to be sure, is this the street you talk about?

https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/193294097#map=14/18.7630/99.0195

On 2018-01-30 at 6:05 PM, amexpat said:

True that.  They set up a market Monday and Wednesday evenings. Otherwise vacant. 

Good to know that about 89 Plaza. I'll try and check it out later this week, same time I go look at Chiang Mai Land.

On 2018-01-29 at 1:52 PM, lordblackader said:

There's a massive paved space directly behind The Hip Condo 2 in Nongpakrang (near Big C Extra) - No sure if it was supposed to be a car park but there's rarely anyone ever it in, and when there is it's only down the west end. Would be an ideal space to practice. 

 

Map here.

15 hours ago, Genericnic said:

When I need to do a self-refresher on slow/low speed riding, I head to Promenada Mall and use their parking lot. Because of the low level of people that go there, most park inside. That leaves the outside parking mostly bare. 

 

Here is a Google Maps link to shows where I am talking about.

 

David

Thanks guys. I'll try and check out both these places today.

2 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Yes, at Promenada. The two options I listed still stand. You can do it now or do it at the same time you apply for the extension.

Ok, then I misunderstood you, sorry. I read your second option as: "Apply for the extension and hope they don’t fine your gf for not submitting the TM.30 at all (and hope you get no problem with extension)."

I see now that I read your post to quickly.

1 minute ago, BritTim said:

If you are fined for a late TM30 notification, it will not create any future problems. It is a minor transgression with no more effect on your immigration status than a fine for littering.

Good to hear that. Although I was not actually worried about that part. The only reason I talked about wanting to avoid future problems was to try and make it clear that I was not interested in suggestions like "Don't worry, you probably will be fine. You can ignore the TM30."

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

You could apply for an extension the same day you submit a TM30 (and are possibly fined).

Great! Thanks a lot. Then I guess we'll make a day out of it, my girlfriend and I. We don't usually like going to malls a lot, but I guess I can think of some stuff to buy. And haven't been to the Duke's for a while...

On 2018-01-29 at 1:10 PM, Rama said:

Honda has a track in Hang Dong especially to practice on. Go and ask the Big Bike place on Ratchadamnern (Sunday night walking street) where it is. I think its free and they give lessons as well.

Interesting. When I asked the people at the Honda Safety Riding Park about any place where it would be possible to practice on my own, they did not mention this Honda track in Hangdong that you talk about.

You (or someone else here?) don't happen to know what that place is called, or where in Hang Dong it is located? Sure I could go to Big Bike and ask, as you suggest, but I'm a lazy person, and if I can avoid a trip just to ask a question, then I try to 

Yesterday I took a full day course at the Honda Safety Riding Park, and even though the overall experience was really good, I still have some mixed thoughts. I'll write them here, in the case anyone is interested:

Pros:

• Really experienced and confident instructors
• Helpful instructors, that notice and point out drivers faults in a friendly manner, and help correct them
• Lots of driving practice during the course day
• Strong focus on safety
• Decent selection of safety gear
• Good size of track, with many different areas for different kind of practice
• Track in good condition, with no visible debris
• Good facilities all around (classrooms, bathrooms, exchange rooms, waiting area, water cooler etc)
• Decent restaurant (they took food orders before class started) and coffee shop with decent prices

Cons:

• The safety introduction class in the beginning had a large part of it consisting of watching a Honda "commersial" video, and then some youtube videos with MC accidents
• About 90% of the instructions are in Thai, and 10% in English, even though I specifically asked them about an English speaking instructor before booking
• The course labeled Basic big bike was more advanced than I expected
• No introductions to the assigned bikes (I got to choose when booking the course, but I don't have any knowledge about different models)
• No introduction to the track, we just started driving (following the instructor)

The reason I consider the overall experience to be really good, even with those cons above, is partly that I already know most important safety stuff from my courses in Swedish (they focus heavily on safety) and partly because my basic understanding of thai, combined with understanding body language (most instructions were illustrated using the bike) made me understand a lot even when they spoke thai. Also, they translated some things, things that I think were considered the most important. But for someone with less knowledge about MC safety, and/or without any understanding of thai whatsoever, I think the course would not be suitable.

Also, regarding the difficulty level of their courses. I actually thought the basic course would mean something like beginner course. Ie a course for people who have little or none experience with riding a big bike. I selected it because I thought it could be good to re-practice what I already have learnt. Instead I ended up in a group where I was the least experienced one, and the driving part of the course started with each one being assigned a bike and then just following the instructor as he started driving the track. And he drove quite fast right from the start. I managed to keep up, just barely, and after a while talked with them about feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. But a change to a less powerful bike (from 500 to 300, I had not driving a 500+ bike since last summer, and in total only been riding such bikes for maybe 50 hours effective driving time), combined with some new knowledge (I had been handling the throttle wrong in some situations), I managed to keep up with the pace and started to feel that I really was improving my skills.

So, anyone considering doing a course there, my advice would be to first carefully consider your skill level, and choose corse accordingly. If my description of the basic course seems a bit intimidating, consider their Pre-riding course.

Edit: I also talked with the one of the instructors (the one who spoke decent English, even though he needed a translator for some of my questions) about practicing outside their normal courses, and he said:

• It's not possible to rent/borrow their track (or part of it) for own practice runs
• It's not possible to get private lessons by the instructors

5 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Two choices.

1. Submit the TM.30 now and hope they don’t fine your gf for reporting late.
2. Wait until you apply for the extension and hope they don’t fine your gf for not submitting the TM.30 when you arrived.

There is nothing you can do to guarantee not being fined if you apply for an extension.

I think you missunderstood my question. I'm not looking for a way to avoid the fine. I want to and plan to file the TM30 (or, more correctly, make my girlfriend do it). I just want to know what options I have in how to do it. The main two questions being:

1. Can she file the TM30 in IO in Promenada?
2. Can she file it just minutes/hours before I go get my extension, or does a certain number of days have to pass for the papers to clear?

5 minutes ago, elviajero said:

You could do a ‘visa run’ instead and get a 30 day visa exempt entry. Your gf could then submit the TM.30 as soon as you return. You could then apply for a 30 day extension if required.

Thanks, but a visa run is not really an option for me. 

I had completely forgotten about this requirement, and now I am unsure how best to handle my current situation. I arrived in Thailand just before new year. Within the end of this month I need to go to the IO to extend my visa to get the full 3 months. I stay with my girlfriend here in Chiang Mai, in an condo she is renting. She has not done any reporting of any kind. The condo adress is the adress I entered on the arrival card.

What is the best way to handle this? Can we go together to the IO in Promenada Mall, and she first file a TM30, then right after we go to handle my extension? 

Or does she need to do it at the Airport IO? Or does she need to do it X number of days before my extension, for the paperwork to get register properly first?

Note, I'm not asking about how to avoid being fined. I want to focus on the best way to avoid problems with my visa, now and in the future.

13 hours ago, Dante99 said:

Maybe maybe maybe....Airport Plaza parking lot after or before hours.  There is also a large new parking lot west side of Hillside 4 condo that just might be empty early am. 700 year stadium parking lot or Convention Center parking lot on non evert days of which there are many.

I'll consider Airport Plaza parking lot, but not so sure about having to do this on odd hours. I find the time around 10 am is the perfect practicing time for me, considering I'm not a morning person, and I like to stay at home in the evenings watching a movie or something with my girlfriend. The 700 year stadium is an option since before, just have to go there and have a look some day.

The convention center was a new idea, don't know why I didn't thought of that myself. But hang on, isn't there two different convention centers? One up north-west, on the 121. And one to the south-east of the city? Or maybe I'm confusing it with something else... 

4 hours ago, flare said:

You memtioned the Honda Riding Center (which I'm guessing is the one on 118 just past the second PTT station on the right heading toward Doi Saket).  While it's a bit of a ride, if you go early there's zero traffic and you can get there in less than 10 minutes from town, and I see the front gate manned as early as 6:30am on Sunday mornings as I take my sunrise ride past the area.

 

It might be worth enquiring if it's possible to pay to use it at off times, as it's EXACTLY what you're looking for.

Yes, I definitely plan to do that. Although first I will try out on of their courses (so cheep, one day for 1000 baht, that wouldn't even get me 20 minutes worth of driving lecture back in Sweden). Then when I am a paying customer, it might be easier for them to say yes to me borrowing some of their facilities sometimes. 

2 hours ago, keo said:

Car park at Royal Flora Ratchaphruek might be worth a look? 

 

Pretty sure they have large areas of car park that sit empty most of the time.

1 hour ago, happyas said:

PS   to OP  try the back of 89 Plaza..huge area unused there most days, ideal for what you need.

Thanks keo and happyas. I will look into both your suggestions. 

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Practice a U turn on a road without putting your foot down. I practiced this a lot for my test in the UK. Tricky with a big bike if still inexperienced

Yes, that maneuver is part of the slow driving exercise I already do. Although, a U turn in and of itself can be anything from super easy to super hard, depending on how much space one uses. That's why I prefer using my "traffic cones", since I then can measure the space I need in order to do a sharp turn like that. So even if I would have to be content with a smaller area for practice, I still think I would want to be able to put up these "traffic cones" as a bare minimum.

2 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

It sounds as if you are practicing for the Japanese driver's license. The slow-speed maneuvering requirements for that are a real ball-buster.  The national average for passing their motorcycle license test is 11 tries...   I met guys there taking the test for the 18th time!  Here's tip; do NOT take the test in a large city. Smaller cities are much less strict in their grading.  I failed my first attempt BEFORE I even got on the bike. I put up the kickstand with the wrong foot!  Fail!  Who knew?

Yes, I remember you mentioned that before. Scary stuff that Japanese driving test. 

I'm doing the test in Sweden this spring. Not as tricky as in Japan, but still way more difficult than the Thai counterpart. And I prefer to err on the side of caution, so I rather practice way too much, than too little. Hence I plan to do these practice runs 3-4 times per week, 1-2 hours each time, for the next ~10 weeks while here in Thailand.

34 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Jimi are you the Jimih previously, not long ago, asking about big bike rental to practice for a test in England of Finland or someplace like that?

Yes, that is/was me. Not sure why I ended up with two separate accounts. None of my accounts are new. I think I just registered one and then forgot I had one and registered another one, and on one of my computers I had the auto login for the other account. So I have been using two separate accounts in parallel for some time now it seems. Maybe there is a way to merge two accounts? (Just dreaming, I assume there is no such feature.) :)

21 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

As long as it isn't essential to be in central C M there are plenty of places nearby. The reservoir a bit to the north is 20 baht to enter and you can drive around the lake as slowly as you like.

Inside the moat- IMO no way.

The reservoir you talk about, is that Huay Tung Tao lake? That was my girlfriends first suggestion when I first started looking.

Regarding the speed, it is not that I just need to be able to drive at a slow speed. I need to put up my make shift traffic cones (water bottles) on the road, building a track for my practice. If there are other traffic there it must be spacious enough so that I don't have to move things out of the way every time a car drives past. I don't remember exactly what the roads are like there, but on all the photos I can find online it looks like normal roads, ie no free big open parking lot.

But even if there would exist some big empty space there, being about 20 km away, or 35-40 minutes, one way, it is not really an option for me anyway. That would mean I would spend about 3.5 to 5 hours per week, just for transportation back and forth for this thing.

Of course, theoretically, I could go there less often, and compensate that by staying there longer time per visit. But the kind of practice I aim to do involves a lot of clutch and gas manipulation, and my hands hurt after a while. That's why I want to limit my practice time to 1-2 hours per occasion, and instead do it often (preferably every second day or so).

It isn't at all essential to be within the moat, or to technically be in the "center" of the city. I was just thinking about traveling distance from my apartment on Changklan Rd.

Hi,

I want to practice some big bike slow driving (walking speed) techniques, and I'm looking for a good space where I can do this in central Chiang Mai. Preferably not too far from my apartment on Changklan Rd, as I want to be able to go there often (3-4 times/week) for short practice runs.

First I thought Prasertland in the nimman area would be perfect for this. But after going there a few times a serious looking security guard told me today, in no uncertain terms, that it was not allowed to drive like that in that place.

So, now I'm looking for a new place for this. Any one know of a good place? A paved road or parking lot, not dirt road or grass or anything like that. The practice track I build (using water bottles) is either a ~8 meter x 40 meter track, or a ~2 meter x 50 meter track for simple slalom practice.

I'm prepared to pay some money for this, if that would be needed. But like I said, I want to be able to do this 3-4 times per week, so I can't have the hassle of having to meet up with some person, or go through some long winding payment process, every time.

I'm also considering doing some courses at Honda Safety Riding Park. But even if I do that, I would still need a place where I can practice on my own, closer to the city, so I can go there when I feel like it without an appointment or anything, and practice for 1-2 hours, and then go home.

/Jimi

How can people not see that this is a slow motion video?

Some simple observations and calculations:

• The car moves about 5 car lengths during the clip, before the impact, that means about 25 meters
• The clip takes about 5 seconds to show the car traveling this distance
• 25 meters in 5 seconds is 5 m/s or 18 km/h

If my observations and calculations are good, then the assumption that the video is shown in normal speed is simply absurd. A crash in 18 km/h would hardly result in a crash that hard, where the motorbike driver is flung high into the air.

No, I would say that the speed was more like about 60 km/h, meaning that the video was shown at about 1/3 of normal speed, and the length of the clip up until the crash is about 1.5 seconds at normal speed. It is not uncommon for drivers to require up to 2 seconds to perceive an unexpected object and perform the thought process needed before applying the breaks (or until the perceived situation is "scary" enough so that some reflex kicks in). So even if the driver didn't break at all, it would still be possible to explain that with the slowmotion video and the normal reaction time. 

And if the driver did break, then it would be even more obvious that the video must be shown in slow motion. Because that would mean that the speed of the car at the impact would be even lower than 18 km/h, assuming the clip was at normal speed.

ok, I just picked up the N-Max, and it feels great so far. But one thing cought my attention a bit... It felt like the acceleration was just *slightly* weaker than the one I rented. Could it be because it is brand new, and the engine isn't "broken in" yet?

Or... could it be that I got the 125 cc version? For some stupid reason they don't print the full name on the bike (ie including 125 or 155). Is there any way I can tell if it is 125 or 155 by just looking at it?

They don't make a 125 in the nmax as far as i know.

A google search of "yamaha n-max 125" gives plenty of results. But I realise now that I can't seem to find any thai web page or video about the 125 version. Maybe the 155 version is the only one sold in Thailand, while the 125 seems more common in some other contries (like in Europe). That would make it highly unlikely that I got the 125 version, I guess...

ok, I just picked up the N-Max, and it feels great so far. But one thing cought my attention a bit... It felt like the acceleration was just *slightly* weaker than the one I rented. Could it be because it is brand new, and the engine isn't "broken in" yet?

Or... could it be that I got the 125 cc version? For some stupid reason they don't print the full name on the bike (ie including 125 or 155). Is there any way I can tell if it is 125 or 155 by just looking at it?

Well, not sure if anyone still is interested, but my 8 day rental of the Yamaha N-Max 155 ends today, and I liked it so much so I already have bought one. Will pick it up today, directly after I have dropped of the rental one.

ok, yet another update... I went to a rental place today, and tried the Burgman 200. I can really see myself riding one of these on longer distances (well, compared to quick runs in the city), and at a bit higher speeds (for scooters). But when riding at really low speeds, and when moving the bike by manual power (like when reversing when parking in a tight spot) it didn't feel as nimble as I though it would be (from some online reviews). And when accellerating from stand still to really slow "traffic jam" speed (ie walking speed), it felt like the engine was almost dying, and it was a bit jerky. Considering I ride in the city about 90-95% of the time, and considering the traffic here, I just don't feel that this is the bike for me. A more experienced "big bike" rider could most likely handle it with ease, but for me it just felt awkward and I never felt really comfortable.

Then I tried the Honda PCX and Yamaha N-Max, and boy did that feel different compared to the Burgman. The PCX and the N-Max felt much more like the nimble Fino, while still having some extra power and stability. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to rent the N-Max, if for no other reason that it was almost brand new (less than 3 months, and looked almost untouched) while the PCX looked a bit worn down and the front brake lever felt a bit dodgy. So, now I am an happy rentee of the Yamaha N-Max, and will have it for one week. I know it doesn't tick all my boxes above, but like so many people have said in this thread, I just decided that some requirements just had to go, in order for me to find any bike at all...

I will try and remember to write my final judgement on the bike after my rental week has expired. But judging from the test drive at the rental shop, and the drive home, it is beginning to look like this is the bike for me.

The open foot plan is something i don't understand as a necessity. Nobody rides with their feet together in the centre of the floorboard like you're standing at attention. See the pic attached, it has room for stetching the legs or in the standard scooter riding postion which most bikes don't accomodate.

I don't ride my Fino with my feet together (ie touching each other), but they are only about 2-4 inches apart.

The multiple foot position choices on the Burgman looks nice, but the choices are all constricted to one axis (moving back and forth), so if one wants to move one's feet inwards it is not possible. Also, it seems impossible to find any information about how wide one's feet are apart on the Burgman.

You say the storage looks cheap and plasticy.The small compartment under the bars is useless. The gimmicky door that opens and twists right i also don't understand but maybe a place to store some gum or cigarettes

Yes, it was the compartments under the handlebar that I was thinking about. And the handle bar itself. I can't understand why they couldn't make these things look a bit more stylish.

I suggest you go test ride one, Suzuki Phuket let me take it for a good long ride and i returned with a huge smile and buyers remorse. Powerful engine (18hp) and a very smooth cvt transmission that's another thing that sets this scooter apart from most. No juddering at all.

The sticker price was 139k but they had a promotion at that time for 20k discount which i guess is because they don't sell well. Thai's just don't touch Suzuki from my experience.

Yes, I will try and ride it. If I can't take it for a test run at the store, or feel that I want to test it more, I probably will be renting one for a week.

I'm in Chiang Mai though, so I assume that I wouldn't get the same price here as you got at Suzuki Phuket. But I'm still curious to know if it was the 2016 version you tested. Do you know?

As said above - rent different ones. Pick the one you like. Buy it. Why talk about modifying a brand new bike when the same performance is available in a fully warrantied bike ?

What bike? I haven't found one that fits my requirements, at least not one that is available here.

You asked for recommendations for a bike for Thailand. Sounds like you have looked at - and discussed them all. If none of them suits your needs, I see two possibilities -

1. Change your needs. 2. Never find what you are looking for.

You are forgetting the 3:rd option. Find one that fits most of my requirements, and try and modify it so the missing requirements are fulfilled. That would be a reason for me to modify a new bike, instead of buying another bike that is more powerfull, but fulfilles less of my requirements. I'm not saying this will be the road I'll choose, just that there is logic behind that reasoning.

All that being said, after reading a bit about the difficulty of finding a good and trustworthy mechanic workshops around here I have more or less abandoned the idea of tuning the engine of a weaker scooter, so mainly my discussion about it now is purely on a theoretical level. So, all in all, I most likely will have to tweak my requirements until I find a matching bike. But you can't blame me for at least trying to find what I really want first, right? And the bike I really want might still be out there, but 99% of all posters here seem focused on only Honda and Yamaha, and since that seems to be the same mentality of people in general here in thailand I might never get the tip I need to find it.

So, to summarize... I am strongly leaning towards your option 1 above. I'm not just very happy about it.