London Lowf

You can buy a complete set of the essential body panels on Shopee for less than B9,000 unpainted - I've just got mine and prepping/spraying them will now become my hobby as it's getting too hot to go to the beach every day.

This was the first thing I bought for mine - black tinted and smaller than the standard monstrosity! Ban for the buck, the best mod that I've made. Wheel rim stickers are a quick and cheap tart-up if you have the skill and patience to fit them properly. A bit naff, but that's me all over!

....and of course, they are on during the day.

Mirrors on the ADV are fine - any wider and you will not be able to filter (just like an Xmax/Tmax!).

I'm currently pimping my ADV cosmetically but really my first spend should have been on tyres - I've done two hard stops (not quite emergency) in the last couple of days and the lack of grip was a real eye-opener. Also, I am now on 8,000km plus and there is absolutely no sign of wear, i.e. rock hard, i.e. limited grip. I always swore by Pirelli Diablos in my sports bike days and so am tempted by their Angels. I really mustn't procrastinate for too long!

Have you ever ridden an ADV160 at night, or had one coming in the opposite direction? Lights are absolutely fantastic.

I've spent thousands (GB Sterling, not Baht!) over the years on fillings, crowns and root canal treatments at New Smile in the grounds of Patong Merlin Hotel. Impeccable attentive service - try to get Dr Woranis.

Eureka! Looks like your shorts could do with a rinse through under that torrent of water - no need to post photos!

Have any of your neighbours bought an electric car lately? I can see that being an issue as more people buy them and realise that, with a little surreptitious rewiring, they can charge it for free.

So, where does it say that she runs the cafe? There are plenty of people all over the world that own businesses but take no part in the day-to-day operations - this could well be one of those cases.

Where does it say that she runs the cafe?

And yes, New York always seems packed and last night the music that I heard was actually pretty good - unlike the assault on my eardrums from the music venue at the beach road end as I pass by.

Last night I got to Bangla just as you were leaving! The later you can visit there, the better. I tend to use three bars in the centre of the main drag and all of them had front row seats available when I got there and so I started at Black Horse and saw that there was some sort of fracas at the entrance to Bar Funk - although I made no effort to rubber-neck (so undignified, particularly trying to film it as well) it was clearly the usual pattern of a dozen or so Thai "guards" appearing out of nowhere and dispensing their instant justice. No ambulance was called and so it must have been quite tame, but the bar girls get so excited when these (rare) punch-ups liven up their boring evenings and desperately try to get a good look. On the subject of Bar Funk - that place really is a free show for the typical cheap charlie tourists who just want to block Bangla and ogle the dancers without spending any money. I seem to remember that, during the Sandbox time after Covid, they put plastic drapes across the front so that it effectively became an indoor venue. I probably got home to Kamala quicker than Xylophone got to his place in Patong! A lovely relaxing ride in the warm night air.

The main drag through Kamala is no more (or less) the defining attribute of the town than Bangla is the defining attribute of Patong - at least you can get from one end of town to the other in minutes at any time of day. Anyway, each to their own - I can't stand the racket coming out of Red Hot every evening!

Exactly my thoughts.

I bought one as I prefer a very firm ride - see my previous post about the PCX. The ADV is a marketing excercise - it is the scooter equivalent of an SUV and, in my opinion, the suspension has little travel and is totally unsuited for off-road (ADVenture) use but, with the very stiff frame, this makes it very stable on the highway. The "aggressive" tyre tread pattern is an unnecessary sham and I will probably replace them well before they wear out. It is a great bike though!

No, that's the point of speed bumps. Unless you have computer-controlled active suspension (not available on scooters) then you are always going to feel the bumps. I found the PCX the softest-riding scooter - which is why I don't ride one any more. Some would describe the ride as "plush", but I would describe it as "vague and wallowy". Undoubtably comfortable though!

I think that you may be right - hopefully it will reduce my stress levels.

I entered at Phuket a month ago on a TR60 evisa and the IO gave me a hard time for fifteen minutes before reluctantly stamping me in. I would regard myself as the perfect tourist - not short of a bob or two, no relationship in Thailand, not working as I no longer need to. I do spend a lot of time in Thailand - last year about seven months over three trips and I don't think that the IO liked this. However, I was always on evisas and extensions, no visa-exempt entries or border bounces and so I think that I'm within the rules? The IO did bang away on her keyboard for a long time before approving me and so I think that I may have problems in the future. Some will suggest a non-O but, for medical reasons, I can not consider Thailand full-time and need to pop home at least every three months.

No, the police warned other riders, not the perps. The lights at that junction have very slow phasing and the number of traffic violations is laughable, particularly as the Cherngtalay police station is just out of shot on the right hand side and there are invariably cops there - I've never seen them give chase, let alone pull anyone over.

Do what I do - base in Kamala and just pop over to Patong for the evening. While on this thread, peak season seems to have finished! I was going to comment earlier but have now spent three evenings on Bangla just to make sure. The ride along Rat-U-Tit is still a nightmare but the beach road and the parking is much easier. It's still busy, but I have no problem getting a ringside seat at my favoured bars (I've now overlooked Blue Lotus's poor employee relations) when In arrive at about 11pm and by the time I head home at 1am it is starting to empty noticably. I had a run-in with some Indians last night - the usual thing of buying a bottle of water at the Seven and then sitting down at a bar with no intention of buying a drink. What are these people thinking? The thing is, the bar staff just turn a non-confrontational blind eye but I always feel an urge to send them on their way. And on the international ticket, considering the vast numbers of Russians here with their muscles and kiss-me-quick hats (the guys) and their Botoxed pouts (the girls), very few seem to go for the bar scene.

Coming from South Africa I think that you are going to be disappointed with the beef - anything decent will probably be very expensive Wagyu or imported from AUS or NZ. Also, don't get excited about Thai seafood - it is mostly farmed and, although it looks great in the display case, is also sub-par compared to your home catch from the colder Atlantic waters. I hope that you aren't wine drinkers!

I've just received my B360 "Nike" trainers from Lazada - life goes on......

I've rented Nmaxs and PCXs in the past and the ADV suits my riding better as I prefer a bike with firm suspension that handles well. However, I do think that it is a little over-priced when I look at the amount of bare black plastic compared to a PCX or Click. I'm now approaching 8,000km. It's been serviced at 1,000 and 7,000 (a "Change oil" message comes up on the dash) and cost peanuts each time. I rode it gently (where possible) for the first few hundred km.

I enjoy watching people and Patong is perfect for that. I also enjoy a few beers! The ride there and back from Kamala is also (mostly) good fun.