1stbase

Anyone down for a scrabble or checkers game at mcdonalds ? I miss those 2 games.

I'll answer my own question. I guess it really depends on who you deal with. I am sure most of the rental companies will try to screw you in one way or another but theres always a few that if your nice to and don't lie or try to hide it they will take a reasonable cash settlement for the damage, if your lucky, 25% of what you had in your pocket ready to cough up in negotiation . Just be careful who you deal with. Last week a middle eastern guy appeared to be arguing with a rental place on Soi 13/4 where he rented and supposedly crashed an R1. They kept his passport ransom until he paid, not sure what happened after as I didn't stick around. This is the same company I rented a superbike from a few times. I looked over at the R1 and didn't notice any damage but didn't have the opportunity to ask where it was damaged. Now I am pretty skeptical about renting from these guys again but they seem to have a lot of nice bikes so it's tempting

Think I found it

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...155731&st=0

They have a copy of the Passport or the TM6 (White& Blue Departure Card), you get flagged via a police crime report and can easily be stopped from leaving the country. Possible arrest at the airport/border crossing - a bit dramatic.

Worth the risk for a few '000 of damage ?

There was a long thread in this forum a month or so ago talking about damage to two bikes, the couple that rented them I think sorted out the repairs themselves - not sure.

Do you know where I can find this thread?

Just wondering the consequences in returning a damaged motorbike to a Pattaya rental company. I assume they will charge you an arm and a leg for imported parts. If they don't have your passport as ransom though, what can they do if you don't have the money to pay or don't agree on the damages?

i also need advice on what to do if a big truck tries to crush me like a bug. would like to use it sometime. Right now I am thinking if a ferang driver ever intentially cut me off or tried to hit me with his truck, I would slam my helmet through his windshield and speed off like a baby. If it was a thai, I would smile and wave sorry.

oh btw, the other day i started counting taxi drivers whering helmets and the first 21 wore full face helmets and the 22nd didn't even have a helmet, counted another 10 with full face helmets before getting tired of counting. Do those kepah helmets even protect you in a crash? I ride here in full leather gear, probably the only one in pattaya, it's not too hot with the jacket open.

ive been seeing the scene of a lot of motorbike accidents here lately and know all the percentages and stats causing these accidents. If your alert, sober, and concentrating on you driving, there is no excuse for getting into a crash, even if a car comes out of no where leaving you no room to stop or manouver, you shouldn't be driving that fast when theres a potential opening. I am still desperately waiting for my first crash, I know that theres a 99% chance I will get out of it with nothing more than a couple scratches since I am well protected. I think my first crash will be me driving very fast on the highway and having to make a sudden stop behind a bunch of cars that just braked and theres no space to manouver, I will brake for 3 seconds or so without locking before hitting the vehicle infront of me from behind and trying to spiderman through his windshield shoulder first, that or I brake fast enough but the guy behind me doesn't.

Witnessed the aftermath of another fatal crash a few hours ago on third road. Thai guy.

Oh another thing which most of you guys will disagree with me is I think learning to ride a bike for the first time in Thailand is better than learning on normal roads because if your experienced with normal roads you won't be prepared for the bumps here or know how to handle them wheras if your learning to ride, you should be scared shitless the first time hitting a main road so will deal with the bumps, bad road conditions, and aggressive traffic like its normal.

I think that although there are many aggressive Thai drivers, they drive a lot safer than 'most' westerners.

When I see a motorbike driving down the road with his signals on, or a car driving too far to the left of the lane, preventing motorcycles from getting through, I have a fun time guessing that they are foreginers and am always right when i pass them and take a look.

You either drive aggressive here, or you stay to the left, there is no inbetween.

Another thing I noticed is that most Thais that ride motorcycles a lot such as taxi drivers, pizza delivery guys, etc, where jeans, a long sleeve sweater, and sometimes even a full face helmet. The little keepah helmets that everyone else wheres, if anything, will protect your skull only if they are strapped on tight and you fall straight on your head and not to it's side. The full face helmets here may not protect your jaw and teeth like they are supposed to, you can can insure than when you fall, they will protect your full skull (life) no matter how you fall.

In Bangkok, a majority of motorbikes drive with as much gear as the taxi guys here.

Just some observations. Take it as you please.

a couple weeks ago i was riding on my bike and saw a drunk thai kicking the shit out of a mid age lady who i assume was the bar owner and must have asked him to leave for being so drunk or something like that, tried smashing a beer bottle on her head and was throwing shit at her well her helpless friend (also a mid age female) tried to stop him. Happened right on jomtien beach road or whatever the streets called. I kept my distance and had my hand on the throttle incase the thai didn't like me watching.

The Bangkok Bus Station here in Pattaya on Nort Pattaya Rd has a bus once a day. It goes from Pattaya to Mukdahan which passes through Arnapathet(sp). Go to the station and find out what time it leaves and maybe buy a ticket a day ahead. It will be the cheapest ride in town but leave at an inconvient time.

Happy Trails

Thanks, I went over to the station to check and theres a bus at 7am for only a couple hundred baht. Can't buy the ticket ahead so will have to go there in advance tomorrow. Takes 6 hours, as opposed to 3 but I find that these bus companies always overestimate the time and it should only take 4 hours or so if traffic is good.

Well i went a month ago and only paid 2500 baht for a taxi. It's 310 km, about 3 hours. Is there a bus that goes them from central station?

I am heading over to Poipet Monday from Pattaya and doing my own visa but staying in Cambodia. Not aware of any buses that go one way. Anyone interested in sharing a taxi with me early Monday morning? I figure up to 2500 baht for the taxi split 2 or 3 ways.

You can post here <snip>

Also someone mentioned CM racing on sukumvit road but I couldnt seem to find it.

Thanks for the links, I heard somewhere there is a Power Station on theppasit, is this true? if so does anyone know where exactly?

bumpbump

Anyone know of a good place to go shopping for motorcycle gear in bangkok? I am in need of an arai helmet, some gloves, shoes, and hopefully draggin jeans if anyone carries them here.

Wow in Pattaya they were everywhere. I am around sukumvit and soi 10 in Bangkok now, anyone know where I can rent a motorbike? Any tips on what to expect / avoid?

Just got back from Rayong. It's about 62km away right? Fun trip, roads were not bumpy but the wind was pretty bad and I never experienced wind on a bike before. At points it was pushing me to the right. Can wind cause me to crash if I am hanging on tight, or is the push just to scare me ? Whats the best thing to do when being pushed asides from slowing down...

Ok, so youve got the gearchanging right, listening to the engine, feeling when the power is used in that gear and time to change gear, good, and yes, you can change gear at 5000rpm or lower, big bikes have a lot of grunt and will accomadate your riding style easily,

Ok, moving on to speed bumps, potholes ect, you see a hazard like a speed hump or pothole you cant avoid, so hit the brakes as hard as road conditions allow, but before you hit the bump or pothole, let the brakes go, and relax yourself, if you hit the obstacle with brkes applied, the front forks are bottomed out and no travel left in them, thus causing you to take all the shock and thus testing your body amour, you could even stand on the footrests to lessen the shock through your body, and keep the throttle closed while this is going on till the bike is stable again, ive never 'hugged' a bike on a bad road, but whatever suits your style is ok for you, Good luck, Cheers, Lickey.

Thanks thats some good advice. This was more of a patch of new pavement rather than a bump. About 1.5 meters long so when the patch starts the bike goes up and by the time the patch ends the bike could not be ready yet for the down. I actually used the stand up technique for some potholes and it worked great, but once i stood up a bit much and back and it flinged me back and reved the bike a bit, but i was going only 40km/h so it wasnt a biggy. I usually go over bumps in neutral and am well aware the power of braking and to avoid over doing it, same goes with cars I guess. No recent problems on my latest run. 120km/h on R1 so far, still haven't had to fill up on gas again Might try a hwy 36 run tomorrow during the daytime.

1st base, when changing down, pull the clutch in blip the throttle and let out clutch, this will speed the engine up ready for the lower gear, this will help eliminate the reaction of the rear wheel having to speed the engine up, thus allowing a smoother gearchange as well,

Keep at it, im sure you will get there, cheers, Lickey.

I seemed to have concured that part pretty good now.

I finally got my first ticket here in Thailand I was speeding pretty much everywhere in the city and then I come to a left turn and slow down to about 20km/h and the cop pulls me over (the street I was turning from was blocked by a building so the cop only saw me then and there). Kind of ironic how you get pulled over for nothing here where passing 2 cops (1 in a car 1 on a bike) at 150km/h on sukumvit doesn't get you stopped. Was open to a 200 tea money thing but they wanted 600 so I went to the station, big line up, will go again tomorrow and get my lic back. Is the police station on soi 9 and pattaya beach road open 24 hours to pay tickets? I am kind of a night owl and a 4am trip wouldnt be a problem. Anyways, whats funny is as I was at the side of the road, the cop went in the middle of the road with his hand signalling a puney 100cc bike to pull over and the bike just continued going so the cop through his ticket book at the bikes passengers back, went and picked it up, then pull over the next motorbike he saw. haahahahahahahahahahahahaha i love this country.

Anyways, I learned another very important lesson today. After going 204km/h which was 2km/h more than my record yesterday, I know I know, im dead, 10 second later I hit this small bump at 140km/h and my front wheels shake as I quickly grasped to regain control. If I was riding with one hand or a bit more loosely or fast, I would have tested my motorcycle armor then and there flying or tipping at 140km/h. I am pretty lucky and was in shock for a few second, then I made a u turn and went back to the same bump at 100km/h, paying attention and holding onto my bike really tight, went over it with immense control, tried again at 140km/h, no problem,tried again at 160km/h, no problem. I guess hugging the bike really helps in this situation. Since I was protected I think if I did crash at 140km/h like that I wouldn't be dead but i figure probably would have broken my leg, hand, and neck at most on impact, no scrapes though cause of the armor. Any other advise to avoid this happening again other than hugging the bike tight or not riding?

Ok so I got the R1, however, the EFI one's brake lights weren't working so after a quick spin I returned it for a 2003 Carbeurated R1 Deltabox II. Is there a difference between the carbeurated and fuel injection on this bike? I really don't notice anything different and they seem just as quick.

Didn't have any doubts or scares driving the R1 on the highway. Shifts were smooth and took it to about 90MPH without a problem. Putting my leather bike jacket on now and going to hit some turns and higher speed

Next would be the newer 2007 R1 then I'll lay low for a while.

If you are still riding your 600 then its max power occurs at approx 13.5k revs.

By the way..........when I,m on mine............the only time I see an R6 is when i look in my mirrors.

which bike are you riding?

Another newbie question. Let's say I am just riding for transportation and not fun and it was my own bike and wanted to baby it. What is a safe low RPM to be in on a bike? Can I shift everytime I hit 5000 RPM for example?

Wow, those kevlar jeans look nice. Is kevler more protective than leather?

1st base, redlining in 1st and second then changing down? you are otherwise a bit light in the rafters or you are a later day Kevin Schantz, Personally i think you have experience of big bikes and you are just testing responses on this forum, if this is the case youve done it, if not, then learn about powerbands on big bikes, there is no need to redline in any gear, power finishes about 2000rpm before redline, its difficult to explain, but try finding a good open road, get the bike in 3rd gear about 2000rpm, and wind open the throttle, it might start to really get going at 4/5/6000 rpm and acceleration might drop off at 9/10/11000 rpm, thats the time to go up a gear, but this is for flat-out through the gears stuff, this is usually reseved for the race track, it really is a matter of listen to the engine note, see where its happy and ride acordingly, get used to it, and have fun, not back wheel slides or high revs, cheers Lickey.

Thanks, thats some great advice. This is thailand, theres more fun things to do then fool a bunch of forum people . I have actually been shifting around 12,000/13,000 RPM, the bike redlines at 15,000RPM. However, I have been using the slow smooth shifts, let's say I was racing and needed to shift faster without the rear wheel slides, is there a better method or is it something I learn over time?

Oh btw, the other day I downshifted the bike and the bike stayed reving at a high rpm, I had to turn off the engine and restart it for it to stop. Is this common on high mileage bikes?

Why not get together with someone that lives here and knows the roads, I have a Honda CBRXX Blackbird and would be willing to go for a short trip if you want, how much bike experience do you have ? PM me

Although I went to take my bike out yesterday and had a flat front tyre (I think just the valve as I checked the pressure earlyer that day) today would be a good day to go

I have riden:

100cc for 2 weeks

150cc for 1 day

400cc for 1 day

600cc for 1 day

All long days. I need to return the 600cc in a couple hours. When I get the R1 later on I will shoot you a pm