JonnyF

I'd much rather go for a higher mileage bike that had been used daily and regularly maintained according to the schedule, than a lower mileage bike that had been left to rot or just driven until something fails.

Of course, the high mileage bike might not have been maintained either. Just ride it and judge the condition. It will be dirt cheap to fix anything anyway and for 10k you can't really go wrong as long as it runs OK and looks OK.

I had a feeling this would be an article by The Nation article when I saw the title. Very little point reading that "newspaper" any more. 

33 minutes ago, taninthai said:

^

I don't think it's about trust yourself to ride at a slower speed ,,,for me it's more about the riding position on sports bikes just encourages you to go faster....it's getting a sportbike for the road that pushed me and got me addicted to trackdays.

Had a Daytona 675 for 2 months on the road and the only time I was comfortable on it was when I was  arms parallel with the ground and tucked in behind the screen,, riding a sports bike with arms upright and trying to sit upright is just pure uncomfortable....and you look like a dick in the crouched up race position that sports bike automatically throw you into riding around at low speeds,  changed to a cbr600rr which is a lot more comfortable for the road but it still just became a trackbike for me and prefer bikes more upright position for road riding.

Bigger engines are fine on more naked bikes versys ,z1000,supermotos etc etc,but for me the sports bike are much more suited to and more enjoyable on track riding.

My point was really about big bikes being safer than small bikes (as opposed to sports bike vs. naked). There are loads of "big", powerful naked sportsbikes available now if that's what you like, I'm looking at an MT09 myself.

In the city I'd agree, naked/more upright bikes are more comfortable even if you do use your core body strength instead of putting all your weight on wrists on a sportsbike. But once you get up to a bit of speed on a sportsbike the air resistance takes all the weight off the arms and shoulders and you get the benefits of the fairing/screen. Conversely, naked bikes get a bit painful on the neck/torso on longer rides. I'd much rather do BKK - Chiang Mai on a sportsbike than a naked, and I also do track days so obviously the sportier riding position is more beneficial there as well.

Each has their own merits, but as I said any modern big bike (naked/tourer/sports) will be more stable, more noticeable, quicker to accelerate and quicker to stop than a small bike. For me, the idea that anything over 500cc is "too much bike" for Thailand is simply not true.

23 hours ago, Strange said:

aid the price, I'm all healed now. The point is, all that stuff you are knocking about the US, the cops, the insurance, traffic schools, tickets, etc... Thats all there to make sure idiots don't drive shitty pick-ups with lights that don't work in the bike lane. Insurance is there to make sure we can get patched up. Its all there for a reason and its a bitch when you never use it, but a lifesaver when you need it. 

 

Personally I think bigger bikes are better all round bikes in Thailand, and I say that with over 30,000 kms on sub 150cc bikes, 20,000 kms on a Ninja 250R, 23,000 kms on a GSXR600 and 13,000 kms on a 899 Panigale over the last 10 years here in LOS. 

The only thing smaller bikes are better for is Bangkok rush hour traffic, and I'm talking about sub-20 kph speeds. Apart from that, bigger bikes are the better choice, more stable at speed, better brakes etc. They have the power to accelerate out of trouble in any gear and have a bigger presence on the road so they tend to get more respect from the locals. You can ride a big bike as slow as you want, but you can't make a smaller cc bike go as fast as you want.

Of course, if someone has the mentality of a 14 year old and needs to ride a 260 kph bike at 260 kph everywhere, or can't trust themselves to ride within their limits and according to the conditions then yes, a 50cc moped might be more appropriate. For everyone else, a modern bigger bike is a better option (although the latest R1 is probably the last litre bike I would buy for the road, an S1000RR or CBR1000RR would probably be better all rounders). 

Even though it's much less likely, I would MUCH prefer someone pulled out on me at 80 kph on my Panigale (big Pirelli SuperCorsa tyres, Brembo brakes, very good ABS system) than on my Ninja or worse, my scooter. They're just safer, and the only argument to counter that generally involves people who say they can't trust themselves to ride a big bike at an appropriate speed like that's some kind of badge of honour.

23 minutes ago, Saastrajaa said:

 

In over 15 years in Thailand, I have had overwhelmingly good experiences with taxis.  NEVER has anyone tried to raise the fare at the end of the ride.  If they won't turn on the meter, I either won't get in, or, if I don't realize it until I've gotten in, I get right out (and DON'T say anything snarky or slam the door).

 

Do you tend to get into parked taxis?  That's a big mistake--worldwide, not just in Thailand.  Excepting official queues such as airports, train stations, Skytrain stops, etc., a general traveler's rule is to always flag a MOVING taxi, never get in a parked one.  I do this all the time, especially in touristy areas: walk right past a row of parked taxis, and flag down a moving one.

 

Finally, one more question, which you're probably not going to like, and which I think I already know the answer to: do you speak Thai?  I'm betting not.  I have several friends whose bad taxi experiences far outweigh their good ones, like you (and the polar opposite of me), and to a person, they happen to not speak Thai.  One friend, who admittedly is a bit of a hothead and a prick at times, has been punched several times by taxi drivers.  He speaks no Thai. 

 

Learn to speak Thai.  I'm betting your positive taxi experiences will multiply.  I'm not saying it will solve all taxi-related problems (I too get annoyed when they refuse to pick up passengers due to their destination, or are surly/less than courteous), but I think it will make a big difference.

I agree on not getting in a parked taxi but disagree on all the other points. My Thai GF gets all the same issues I do, probably worse as they speak to her (not normally an intelligent or pleasant conversation, often complaining about traffic/politics, swearing etc.) whereas they tend to just drive when it's me alone. There are plenty of posts on FB from Thais either getting touched up or worse (women) or generally treated badly. One video in Phuket from a Thai a couple of days ago showing a rigged meter and insisting the driver returned to the airport. Also, what are tourists that are lured here supposed to do? Learn Thai so they don't get ripped off?

Also, getting refused a destination or choosing not to accept a rip-off price, or managing to get out without being beaten up when they refuse to put the meter on doesn't really constitute great service IMO.  It just means you've learnt to avoid the ripoff tactics and violence. Pretty low expectations if that's seen as a positive.

Taxi drivers would obviously prefer it if Uber and Grab went away so they can remain the only show in town and continue to arrogantly pick and choose their customers and destinations, drive with the crackly radio at full blast, no air con etc. 

I'd say 10% of them are good, 10% are OK, 80% are dicks. No sympathy from me. 

I never really "got" the big adventure bike thing either, unless you're riding around the world. Too big and heavy for serious off roading, and clumsy on the road (compared to real sports tourers). I guess it's a compromise but for the price they charge you could get a decent road bike like a CBR650/Ninja 650/Versys for touring (all are pretty comfy and capable of 200+ kph) plus a decent off road bike like a KLX250 for off road, plus a new Aerox 155 for the city/711. 

I do think the 650-800 capacity is more of a sweet spot than a 300 though. I've met guys touring on a CB500X that said it was underpowered in the mountains so I'm guessing this 300 would really struggle 2 up on something like the Mae Hong Son loop (I know I had to rev the pi$$ out of my Ninja 250 on that route and can't imagine this 300 would be that much stronger).

2 hours ago, Richard-BKK said:

 

If you looking for Zongshen Thailand you can easily look on the internet, http://www.zongshenthailand.com/

 

And sure Kawasaki has dealers in all major cities, I totally agree with that - but what is a dealer if they not sell parts from a motorcycle that is about 3 years old? Not forget that most of the Kawasaki's now on the road are on the edge or over 5 years old. In an official statement Kawasaki Thailand only stocks parts for a specific model for 5-years... So for everybody with a ER6n from 2011 or earlier start counting as the model is EOL and parts are not re-stocked... Kawasaki Thailand was unable to explain why they cannot supply the engine parts of the 3-year old Kawasaki ZX130...

Never had an issue with my 2007 KSR110 or 2008 Ninja 250. I ordered parts for the KSR last month, just messaged them on the Line app and they posted them to me the next day. Never had to leave my desk.

I never see ZX130's on the road so I'm guessing they didn't sell many and get very few inquiries for spare engine parts and therefore don't keep stock. I'd be amazed if they wouldn't order them for you though.

Good news for all Japanese manufacturers, not just Honda.

Hopefully Honda will pass this saving onto the consumer, in the past the import duty from Japan to Thailand was reduced year on year but the price of some imported models remained very high. Hopefully we'll see Thai prices on Japanese made bikes on a par with the USA seeing as the import duty will have been removed and shipping costs are lower to Thailand (and the Baht strong).

If they only reduce Thai prices by 5%, the costs will still be well above the USA prices. A 5% reduction on an Africa Twin for example would make the DCT version 550,000 Baht compared to the USA price of under 500,000 Baht. They could reduce by 10% and still charge more than they do in the US.

Which Yamaha dealer was it? I was at the new one on Kaset-Nawamin Road a few weeks back and they had the full option model on display (as well as the MT-10, an R1M, limited edition SR400 etc.)

It was a lovely looking bike and the panniers really compliment the look, I asked them how much but I can't remember the exact price now. Maybe 480,000 Baht? Don't quote me on that but maybe pop in and have a look, hopefully it's still in there on display.

The only reason this is news is that the person doing the beating turned out to be less privileged than the one being beaten. That's a big no no in LOS.

Had the General's son been the son of a market vendor, none of us would have even heard about this incident.

On 11/19/2016 at 3:25 PM, Boatman37210 said:

Companies make and sell trikes all the time and people have bikes converted to trikes, so not sure why you think this is such a far fetch idea.  I'm basically in the information gathering process right now, so difficult for me to answer your questions.  I've never owned or ridden a trike, so do not know how they are designed.  Did see a pic of a conversion where it looked like it might allow for the back wheels to lean at least to some degree.   Planning on a trip to the shop shortly to see conversions and get questions answered.  If it will not be legal to ride on the road, then it is a no go.

 

Most of my problems are at slow speeds.  Anyone familiar with landing gear and who might be able to install?  Small wheels come down when you reach a slow speed to steady the bike and come up when you speed up.  From the youtube vids looks like a possible solution if they make for a small bike.  The wheels are small and inconspicuous, so don't think the police would be a problem.  Passing a bike inspection might be a problem unless they could be taken off easily prior to. 

 

 

I have been thinking about this possibility.  If I can't find what I consider a reasonable solution on the Tricity, that will be the route I will go.

 

 

 

As already mentioned, a Tricity is designed to lean, so 2 wheels on the back would be extremely dangerous if you took a corner at speed. Plus it would be a nightmare to get the modifications legally accepted.

If you have low speed issues maybe you could consider a sidecar. Tiger made a fully legal one that had a sidecar fitted from the factory but I think the quality was poor from reviews I read. If you're not using it much and just potter around it might be OK though, I've seen them second hand for 3x,xxx Baht. Or you could do a similar conversion with a Honda Wave/Dream or an auto - although then you've got the same issues with documenting the modification.

The sidecar option might also be useful for carrying shopping, or storing anything else you need to get around etc. 

Tubeless are way better for road use IMO. I've only had one bike with tubed tyres here and it's had more punctures than all the others put together.  Tubed tyres also tend to deflate more quickly when they get a puncture which is a safety issue for me. Tubeless are easier to fix roadside as well with a 2 minute, 70 baht plug job - no need to remove the tyre.

For serious off road, tubed have some advantages. They stay inflated with a bent rim, can be ridden at very low PSI and rims are cheaper to replace after hitting rocks etc.

As for the original post, for Bangkok roads I'd definitely go tubeless.

Not really any more dangerous than the daily occurrence of multiple people hanging out the back of massively overloaded songtaew's - hanging on by one arm on the overhead rail as the driver snakes through traffic practically doing a wheelie due to the amount of weight in the back. Quite often school kids in shorts and T-shirts.

Not sure what the big fuss is about.

The new Ninja looks great IMO, a big improvement from the 2016 model and the weight loss is a big plus given the mild nature of that 650 parallel twin engine.

The ER6N/Z650 or whatever it's called now looks horrible. It was much better looking before but I'd imagine the new one is more fun to ride. 

I'd still be leaning towards Honda's 650 range at around the 300k Baht mark though.

6 hours ago, greg67 said:

I live in Surin... There is a Ducati in Buriram but I did not buy directly from them because they said it would take over a month to get that particular model... By buying in BKK I had it delivered, free of charge, within 4 days.  I never got a red license plate either. About 4 years ago I bought Kawasaki in Korat and they registered it in there. I still have the bike with original license plate and never had a problem with renewing registration and paying road tax... I was told by Ducati that I can't start the registration process by myself and they have to do it.  I really like to get my registration papers soon so I can ride to other parts of the country.

I rode mine all over the place with no plate while I was waiting. Got stopped at a big checkpoint (around 10 cops) in Kanchanaburi and they queried why I had no plate so I told them I was waiting for it, showed them my invoice, payment receipt etc. and they were fine.

I think that rule about not riding in other provinces is one of the ones that they don't really enforce, but I understand if you don't want to risk it. 

Mine took about 4 or 5 weeks, that was including a 'lucky' number but that was bought in BKK and issued a BKK plate.

I guess it's complicated things by buying in BKK but registering somewhere else. I bought a bike on Chiang Mai plates and transferred the bike to my name in Chiang Mai, rode it back to BKK then transferred the bike to BKK plates a couple of weeks later. Not sure why they couldn't just let you transfer from BKK to your province at a later date of your choosing. Even easier would have been to leave it on BKK plates - I also have 2 bikes on Phuket plates and I never have an issue renewing tax etc. in BKK. My girlfriend also had a BKK registered car and used it in Phuket with no issues.

Not sure what this new regulation is though...

I was also looking at the MT-10 but at 620k it's a bit overpriced IMO and it's quite a big heavy bike.

So now I'm looking at the 2017 MT09. It's updated from the 2016 and will have a Quickshifter and slipper clutch, plus a new face and tail. Yamaha couldn't tell me the price of the 2017 but in other markets it's around 10,000 Baht more than the 2016 so I'm guessing an increase from 410k to 420k Baht. 

I went to the showroom on Kaset Nawamin at the weekend and they'll call me when they get more details of the 2017. They said available early next year, I guess February or March. That new showroom is big and looks well run, close to me as well. 

6 hours ago, Denim said:

Absolutely loath Sondhi and everything he stands for , but really ...if someone's wife has just died a little compassion from officialdom would not be out of place.

 

I wonder how many people missed funerals, weddings, medical treatment etc. when he shut down the airport. I'm sure he didn't lose too much sleep over that. 

7 minutes ago, robblok said:

Big fail, if they wanted to prove they were against corruption they would have done a good investigation and made it transparent and clear. Major fail here no excuses. 

They never wanted to prove anything. They wanted to return things to the way they were before and make sure the good people got to run these things, just like the good old days. They've been very successful and it's all going according to plan as this story shows. 

Are things becoming a bit clearer these days?

This happens all too often, seen it many times. Driving in Pattaya 2 weeks ago one pulled out on me in the car, I slammed my brakes on and it ran into the other lane and underneath a pickup trucks wheels. Not a great start to my day, but worse for the dog. 

I love dogs, but all these strays causing accidents, biting people, howling all night etc. Needs to be sorted out.

Glad the OP wasn't badly hurt, but could have been much worse if he was being tailgated by a car/truck.

I haven't noticed any improvements. The police are still blocking off perfectly usable highway lanes with traffic cones during rush hour (they remove them after rush hour!), then waving/whistling at me to hurry up as I crawl along at walking pace, a couple of feet from the car in front.

Nearly all the Thais I work with take vacations abroad now. Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, UK etc. It's the highlight of their year. Quite a few are looking for overseas work following these trips and a couple have been successful and gone to work in Japan on long term assignments. There seems to be a growing knowledge in Thailand that it's a big world out there beyond those borders, and some of it is pretty awesome by comparison.

19 minutes ago, djlest said:

im debating the same - either a triple or a kawasaki Z800 - both get great reports

I'd go for the Triple. Much lighter, sweet engine, better components.

But wait a few months, the new 765 is out fo 2017.

New Street Triple