bobbin

Oh oh...

Now I feel bad.

I've actually posted something in this sub-forum, which is Libya 115's personal soap-box in his one-man mission to scan the local rags (Brit run?) in search of anything and everything that could possibly blacken Pattaya's reputation more than it already is.

We're not encouraged to to say, because everything is so PC (that's Politically Correct, for those yobs that can read), but much of the Soi Buakhao area looks like the (British) reality television version of Prison Break!

They are the Cons mentioned in my signature.

However, I'm not sure it's totally the heat and humidity. As we were always fans of Clarks shoes, we have bought several pairs, but we had the same problem in the states as here. The soles just start disintegrating. In the states they replaced the shoes for us, but the soles on those replacements have done the same thing....so no more Clarks for us.

It seems the spongy black soles just do not hold up very long anywhere, but especially here.

Beachbunny

I just found this thread after following the related thread in the General forum.

I have had the same experience with TWO pairs of really nice Clarks shoes. One pair I managed to have re-soled with Vibram soles. The only downside to this is that the Vibram soles are much stiffer so the shoes aren't quite as comfortable as before. The other pair are water-proof and the stitching is hidden (part of the water-proofing) so although I haven't gone looking for a shoe repair shop yet ( the shop that repaired the previous pair is no longer there), I'm not very confident they are repairable in the same way. I will try that though before tossing them.

I have even considered emailing Clarks to express my displeasure but figured they would not follow-up even though Clarks are available here in Thailand. May just do that now and include the link to this thread.

Oops. Forgot to add..

While there is no sticker on the helmet, the attached usage booklet has DOT on the front cover.

While at a Mittyon Pattaya shop on Thepprasit today, I saw a new model Index as described in the heading.

Being from the New World, we do not have this style available to my knowledge. I vaguely remember reading that Snell or whoever would not give their approval. However, I have seen that German motorcycle police use it, and i think that is a good endorsement.

The face-shield and jaw-protection swing up after pressing a button. The interior padding is removable for washing and the fit is very good. Snug.

Since my Shoei is reserved for longer highway rides, I use Thai helmets for city riding and replace them every year or two. At least that is what i have been doing for 6 years now, as they get too funky after much use in this climate and the stop and go of city riding.

Since this model's padding is washable that is a plus.

Perhaps some of the European riders with some experience with this style of helmet could give some feedback on the pros and cons of a flip-up full-face helmet.

BigBikeBKK

Nice report. Good to see that the rainy weather hasn't put you off an out of town ride.

Khao Yai looks like a great area for a nice leisurely cruise...yeah right!

Where are your map pics coming from?

Who makes the Ninja's tires?

How many litres of 91 fit in your tank? I think I read 16. Correct? 400km. isn't bad.... but....

I get the same range on 10 litres on the bike we shall not name on this thread.

I actually started the thread so that we could "discuss" the relative merits of the 2 machines without taking the "Ninja" threads OT.

And of course choices like this are completely personal.

But.....motorcycles are commodities. i.e. How much motorcycle am I getting for my money?

We Cbr owners made our choice. Probably several years ago now and with no alternative choices. The Ninja owners have made their choice. A few days ago now. Excited early-adopters. We are interested in their feedback.

The question arises more for someone just walking into the showroom wanting a new "baby sportbike". Then it becomes a fair topic. I spend this much and get this much bike. I spend that much more and I get more bike. Is it worth it? This is not a problem for those with the "readies" to buy whatever they want but many in the real world have had learn to do a cost/benefit analysis.

The Ninja has 66% more engine. Increase the price of the Cbr by that percentage and you arrive at a price-point of approximately 105K. At that price I am a buyer. Any more and I start asking this fair question. Is it worth it?

Before we get too much further into the thread I would just like to say that the only negative about the Ninja 250 for me is it's price.

If it had come priced in the 100-110K range i would be down there ordering one tommorow! That is figuring up from 63-65K for the Cbr 150 and 85K for the Phantom.

Naturally, since I have decided that the Ninja is too much money, I will support my current machine. And I made the point that for being so much more money, it just isn't that much more bike. i've read several good reviews on the Ninja and it is a good machine. The question then becomes...how much better than the Cbr?

We'll probably have to wait for road reports involving both machines to get much more detail about real world usabilities. If both machines can ride together (no crazies ) then how much better off will I be spending alot more $$?

Bard

Good breakdown on the differences. Thanks.

Well, the guys who are proud new owners of the just released (in Thailand) Ninja 250 are reporting their initial riding impressions, but are starting to get a bit defensive in response to some posters suggesting that the Cbr 150 still offers more bang for your buck.

Like many here riding the smaller machines, I was excited by the first reports that Kawasaki would be offering the Ninja 250. As the story developed and the price of it became more obvious, my enthusiasm waned. Now we are being told that the current all-in price of 150K will likely appreciate to 160K very soon.

That price range alone is a "deal-breaker" for me. In the real world we regular folks are always having to weigh the pros and cons of potential purchases. For me that means I won't be riding a Ninja 250 any time soon.

I bought my Cbr 150 in Dec. 2002. One of the first on the streets of Pattaya. Although it has only 20K km. on the clock, it is probably only worth a maximum of 30K in the second-hand market. That would mean coming up with another 120-130K to begin riding the Ninja. It's not worth it. It's not that much more bike for the additional investment.

I have been to Chiang Mai and back on my bike. No problems doing 100-120kph all day.

Would I like a few more cc's? Sure. Will I pay 150-160K for a few more cc's? No.

As for performance... yes the Ninja is a quicker machine. But not that much quicker. I have seen 155kph on my clock. Long straightaway, no wind and a 68kg. rider. The bigger guys might be happier with the Ninja and benefit from more engine but aren't going to run away from me. I will be right on their tail. Unless they are crazy!

At this point I am more interested in that Honda 250 single-cylinder naked bike that can be imported from Malaysia for approximately 80K. If that pans out to be easily doable, that will be next machine for me.

I am suspicious of all posts on TV. Many posters gain vicarious pleasure from the Pattaya residents misfortune. A kind of vitriolic shadenfreude that has enveloped many worthwhile posts. Ridicule can be tolerated but unkind and nasty responses are becoming all too familiar, and this suggests that TV is the target of sociopathic and possibly psychopathic trolls.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You, sir, fit my definition of a troll with your morbid insistence on posting every crime story you can cull from the local "rags".

Since no vehicles in Thailand are ever inspected for safety the odds of being killed by an overloaded vehicle, blown tire, bad brakes, no lights, etc. are far more likely.

Incorrect.

Vehicles older than 5 years are inspected every year at road tax renewal time.

Of course that does not mean that your concerns are not valid ones.

youguys are crazy

Hardly worth the effort to join was it?

What I would like to know is this.... If Thai police are are supposedly "typical" of police in developing countries, why are they not hauling in the usual suspects and tuning them up in the back room of the police station?

So you are advocating criminal behavior on the part of those sworn to uphold the law...while at the same time condeming the criminal behavior of the snatchers in this case, who are certainly not sworn to uphold the law?

I'm pretty sure that I am more of a liberal than you are and yes that is exactly what I am suggesting.

Seems to me many of us farang are so busy being guests of the Kingdom that we don't have the cojones to speak up and ask that more be done for a safer environment. Collectively we are worth a fortune to the City of Pattaya. Why don't the 2 Expat Clubs represent their members and pressure the new Mayor to put the heat on the Police?

I think they do, but in the end, it is up to the Thais to figure out how and to what extent to police their society.

Why don't the farang media start beating the drum?

Was not this story reported by Pattaya One News (one of the "farang media" in town)?

Basically, this crime is equilivent to a purse snatching or pick-pocketing. In everyone supposed to get all worked-up (Thai and farang) everytime someone gets their purse or wallet lifted? Put it in a little perspective please

Did you even read the original article? The equivilent of purse-snatching or pick-pocketing??

How's that for perspective? Works for me.

And now that my typing fingers are warmed up....

This one's for you geriatrickid...

The body has ways of dealing with excess testosterone. It turns the excess into estrogen! Hence the problem of "bitch tits" in men who take ridiculous amounts.

As for the well-known fact that androgens exascerbate prostate cancer, requiring estrogen therapy to counter those effects, if there is no prostate cancer to begin with, there is no need to fear supplementation of testoserone. Fact.

We are also, for the purposes of this discussion, talking about middle-aged and older men taking testosterone to replicate the levels they had naturally in their teens and twenties.

I appreciate that you, being a health professional (though in what field I don't know) are following the path of "First, do no harm. But without an open and enquiring mind, where do the medical advances come from?

We are talking about testosterone (and derivatives) here. The MALE hormone. (yes, I know the girls have a little bit of it as we have a little estrogen).

Why are the girls so involved as to have 2 pages of "typical chick drivel"? (I like saying that! ) And you know what I mean!

Paraphrased quoting...

So. are they legal or what?

C'mon, answer me. Legal. Yes or no...

Blah blah....

They are entitled to say if they like muscular men or not. And that's it.

Or I'm going over to the ladies forum and start giving them grief about using disposible pads every month times millions of women. Give a tree a break. Use a reusable product.

See what I mean?

There are some discussions where the opposite sex is not welcome to participate.

Go away girls, the men are talking here.

Two pages of chick drivel.

Jeez!!

What a bunch of heartless a**holes!! Most of the above posters are too busy showing how clued-in they are to show common human sympathy for the victim.

What I would like to know is this.... If Thai police are are supposedly "typical" of police in developing countries, why are they not hauling in the usual suspects and tuning them up in the back room of the police station?

The crime of necklace snatching is not simple robbery! The robbers are commiting robbery with violence. The common MO is to kick over the victim's bike at speed. This almost always leads to injury for the victim..

Seems to me many of us farang are so busy being guests of the Kingdom that we don't have the cojones to speak up and ask that more be done for a safer environment. Collectively we are worth a fortune to the City of Pattaya. Why don't the 2 Expat Clubs represent their members and pressure the new Mayor to put the heat on the Police? Why don't the farang media start beating the drum? Why doesn't someone make the Mayor and Police aware of websites like ThaiVisa with a worldwide audience that are reporting these viscious attacks?

And yes, I know in this case the victim was Thai.

C'mon guys, can't we all just get a bong?

I'm going to line up with tropo and DLock on this one.

Testosterone has been studied since the early 1900's and is well understood by the medical community.

geriatrickid, your latest post does reflect the attitude of many (but not all) in the afore-mentioned medical community. However, as those of us in the baby-boomer population age, there are some willing to tinker with the basic model.

Some of the benefits of TRT are:

- increase in lean muscle-mass

- decrease in body-fat

- increased sense of well-being

- improved concentration

- denser bone-mass

A contra-indication for TRT is the presence of prostate cancer. Prior to starting TRT, the establishment of a base-line PSA status is advisable. In the absence of evidence of prostate cancer, there seems to be little or no evidence that testosterone supplementation is a causal factor for this disease.

My own experience seems to bear this out. My latest PSA result was .041. The previous result 4 years ago was .038. Results less than 1.0 suggest that yearly testing is not required. The average range is 0.0 - 4.0.

When I was 48, I told my family Doctor that I was interested in TRT. As well as being a GP, he practised Sports Medicine. Since my country ( Canada ) is more liberal than countries like the USA with respect to testosterone replacement ( Drug-Free America! ), he was not automatically opposed to this idea. After suggesting PSA and free-testosterone blood tests ( in which I tested at the top of the normal range ), he gave me a presciption for Andro-Gel, a topical application of testosterone. I had told him that as well as being interested in its anti-aging properties, that after 2 years of resistance training ( weight-lifting ) I also wanted to bulk-up a bit more. So he was aware of all the facts behind my request. And that I was not testosterone-deficient and did not fall into the currently used guidelines for TRT. i.e., I wanted the muscle-building steroid. Perhaps his backgound in dealing with athletes made him sympathetic to this request.

I am now 57. Here in Thailand I use Andriol, an oral testosterone product freely available.

This debate has all the elements of " Drug Debate ". Ideologues on both sides. My positions is " My Body, My Choice " If you don't agree with my choice, fine. Just leave me alone and don't impose your beliefs on me.

Why? 69+ pages already not enough for you?

Tammi is going to jump on me again for this but I have to say it.

Reading Stopvt7's posts is painful!! The man has never heard of a spell-checker, has no concept of grammar, and his logic is convoluted to say the least! He is like an illiterate CEO whose secretary is on vacation, and nobody is vetting his memos. He is the last person who should be fronting this appeal even though he may be the driving force.

Dyslexic is the word that springs to mind.

Having said that, I support the effort to clarify the laws. A good friend of mine is one of the group of 10, now reduced to 8. Until very recently, my friend was also the Chairman of the JCC commitee so I have good insight into the case.

The Thai sense of responsibility was demonstrated by a whole lot of Thais who stopped, rendered aid, called ambulance and police, etc.

I'm glad that was the case, PB. That would be the Thai sense of compassion. The Thai who was responsible however, as is so commonly reported, lost no time in fleeing the scene.

Another cultural divide. Naturally it would be unpleasant to have to stop and take the consequences of screwing up. But having insurance isn't just about being able to afford repairs to your own vehicle in event of an accident. The odds are, if the vehicle was newer, that the driver had private as well as government insurance, and so was covered for any medical expenses you might incur etc.

Why do they run?

PeaceBlondie

I thought you made a reference to coming off your bike when I was reading a post you made yesterday. I looked for a confirming post here but nothing at that time.

I hope you make a quick recovery and really sorry to hear you were run off the road and experienced the Thai sense of responsibilty.

I like that line. You've used it before.

[/b]As an aside, another member PM-d me and pointed out that OED definition of 'bobbin' is a small wooden device, used to wind up threads.

(thanks roy gsd . . . . i wish I'd thought of that)

So tell me OP . . what does the selection of my avatar tell you about my personality? That I have a penchant for 5 year plans and collectivisation? That I'm inclined to break military pacts? That former comrades hiding in Mexico better steer clear of ice shops?

Politically correct bullshit . .

Is it politically incorrect to call a spade a spade?

You are, as noted ,a graduate in Political History and obviously conversant with the details of Stalin's political career. The question then becomes why you would choose to associate yourself with him.

Censorship of avatars . . . . unbelievable. How our exiles at the 'other place' must be laughing at this one!

You are free to continue to promote 'Ol Joe but please take notice that it is offensive/in poor taste to many, especially those that know the history.

We are not talking about illegal or proscribed avatars, merely distateful ones.

Vox Populi decides what is in poor taste.

"Naming and Shaming" is merely a stategy to influence someone's behavior.

They are free to continue the behavior but are now aware of social approbation.