Fishenough

North on the 1001 from the number 11, super highway, there is a Sunday auction for bikes (behind the clock tower). Great place to check prices if not find a good deal on a bike, the two scooters bought by farang in front of me sold for about 20% off the asking price.

Google map link

What did you have in mind; long loop or short loop, twisty secondary roads or highways, all bismuth, mixed surface, or mostly dirt?

Myself interested in more long rides, and prefer long loops with twisty back routes and don't mind mixed surfaces but on a D-Tracker slicks the mud is out. Well so is sunday, that's family riding day!

Was hoping this thread would grow, if anything as to help newcomers to fell confident about normal pricing; not special pricing. With so many concerned about duel pricing had though this list would grow.

CM Easy Shop - Beer Laos, 930 Baht/24

Beer Laos Dark 1490 baht

Still haven't found the right/nice stone furniture set, but will stick with asking locals what a fair price is.

Phone calls to most churches can let you know what charities and help is requested in the area. There are many non-profit organizations also willing to accept volunteers; free Burma rangers, distribute mossquito netting to rural areas, Chiang Mai toy ride are just a few that come to mind before my first cuppa coffee.

There many choices but it's best for you to decide what you'd like to do, or what you think would make a difference.

Farang carrying a concealed weapon, be careful, if the BiB catch that during a late night road side check that will; cost you a good amount of money, or land in jail for the night, processed and possibly put your picture in the local paper.

Wow oh wow, tried Beer Laos Dark last night. Personaly the best (light) Dark beer I've had in a long time - worth planning a trip to Laos just to enjoy.

Edit - now in stock at the Easy Shop, pricey but worth it.

Doesn't the C1 come with an optional rear facing seat slash storage area? Sure the one I saw in Italy had something along those lines.

The juvenile side of me wonders if you did a front stoppie/forward endo, could you roll all the way around forward back onto two wheels and keep driving. Better yet, have one customized with tubing to resemble a giant gyroscope, allowing some crazy tricks and dizzying recoveries from high, or low side. Kinda like a mechanical Sorb ball.

I'll be bring my parents to cross the borders of Maesai/Tachilek next month.

We would arrive at the Maesai bus station around 7.30am in the morning, i figured that we should get some place for a good meal and chill out till mid morning before crossing the borders.

Any suggestions so early in the morning?

Why not considering spending the night in a guest house? A couple guest houses in Chiang Rai are just great for the 200 Baht a night.

Close friend who has logged many hours in a CF-18 Hornets and flies incredible maneuvers tell of his scariest moments involving the smallest electronic glitch.

Yes no doubt BMW has thought out fail safes, but it's weird; a high performance vehicle always has been the pinnacle of mechanical engineering and not something with a microsoft sticker on it.

Can't get over the idea of all that fly (ride) by wire technology on something with that kind of power to weight ratio that is mass produced. Have had a stuck throttle on a 250 2 stroke MX'er once (yes after laying it down, but back then did that often), but if just a single computer glitch might make you bleed bad. Maybe silly paranoia in this day and age, there's a good chance the next new car I buy may be loaded with such technology.

Is there any Halloween events happening in Chiang Mai this month?

Looking for kid friendly events; but hitting adult Halloween parties later is an attractive idea also.

Best Regards,

Kev

thanks so much...although i did not realize it was mainly a diving island...we are interested in snorkeling but not diving.

can anyone out there recommend cheap little bungalows or guesthouses in Koh Tao close to a beach...any beach will do! Looking to stay for a week in November, starting 19th. Greatly appreciated!!

Lottsa air flow, aren't motorcross style helmets better at flowing air? Had three helmets to choice from in LOS, and almost before fit (they all do), choose the one that allows the greatest flow - with the visor closed - is my first choice here. Choose to bring a grey full faced helmet with me at first, a Arai Quantum, and quickly stopped using it - way too sweaty, had that just outta of the shower look after an hour in the sun riding. Though a pricey helmet wasn't that upset when it was nicked, that helmet was already toxic. Always supprised how many black helmets are on the road.

Consider to that helmet sizes are smaller in Asia, my Thai brand helmet is XXXXXL (many stores have nothing that will fit my fat noggin) and my Arai X3 is a L (which is my fav for the air flow). Hate Arai pricing, but they fit my head where many don't without being sloppy.

It wasn't brown deposit, it was discoloration - the brown could not be removed with a light scrap of the key. And it was hot! 750km in two days.

Best Regards,

Kevin

I have also attached the Yamaha cleaning stuff they use for my chain before applying the blue wax. (must allow to dry before applying blue wax btw).

Sorry they didn't have any blue wax by Plutoline (i think) in all sold out.

They have just got in the reflective wheel tape for 500 baht, arhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Keep those good times rolling!

Norman

Do you have good luck with the blue wax? While having my bike in for a valve adjustment recently, the chain wasn't it's normal clean and lubed condition I keep it, so the Kawasaki boys did it with the blue wax. At first I was impressed how it stayed on the chain after the short ride home, but the next day left for a 750 km ride up to Mae Sai and the Golden Triangle. On the return noted the chain was nosier and that all the chains rollers had turned an even brown for the first time ever. Chain would boil spit too. Was planning to show the Kawasaki shop when I arrived, but after a road side shop spray lube the chain very slowly returned to a more normal color on the ride from CR.

What's up with the blue stuff and a burnt chain??

Cheers,

Kevin

Amazed to have met two different retirees, this year, that have both; raced motorbikes and cars, worked as Hollywood stuntman, and have designed high end components for high performance vehicles.

Shame I’ve stopped drinking for a month, miss those odd but interesting bar stories.

To quote another paste, note highlighted first sentence. Have been pulled over once more since the 25th. -

Phuket Excise Office closes big bike loophole

Phuket Gazette Sept 21, 2009

PHUKET: The Phuket Excise Office says big bike owners have until September 25 to pay excise on motorcycles assembled from parts – or face hefty fines.

Motorcycles subject to prohibitive tariffs have long been assembled from parts by ‘grey market’ operators in order to avoid paying the tax.

Now excise officials insist the owners of such vehicles – not the builders – must pay anyway.

Surat Saengnet, of the Phuket Provincial Excise Office, announced in a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall that “anyone who owns such vehicles – which are mostly big bikes such as Harley Davidsons – will have to pay an excise of 3.3 percent of the vehicle price.”

Owners who pay up before the deadline will not be fined.

Those who fail to do so and get caught will be “fined from two to ten times the tax amount,” Mr Surat said.

Another official at the Excise Office explained that “owners must provide documents showing their vehicles’ engine and body numbers, as well as invoices and receipts for parts.

“These documents are sent to the Excise Office’s Value Pricing division, where a figure for the value of a vehicle is established. The tax rate is set from that,” she said.

The official said the rate charged is “the same as that for new bikes. Also new motorbikes imported from abroad must pay excise tax.”

“Excise tax has been collected since 1997,” said Surat, “but we concentrated on motorcycles in shops. Now we will be much stricter, checking all of them.”

Normally, spare parts imported from abroad are taxed according to the tariff on spare parts – which is significantly less than the rate for completely assembled vehicles.

Parts assembled into completed four-stroke motorcycles are subject to excise tax of 3 percent; two-strokes pay 5 percent.

Over the last three months, some 400 persons have been caught with motorcycles that evaded the excise.

Nicky’s Handle Bar and big bike shop owner Somneuk ‘Nicky’ Phonkaew told the Gazette, “I have just one such bike and it has already been taxed. If you follow the rules, you don’t have any hassles.”

Wanlop Inthanop of the Phuket Land Transport Office said, “Parts assembled into motorcycles must be examined by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute of the Ministry of Industry in Bangkok. They receive certification only if they meet the institute’s standards.”

After passing that hurdle, owners must pay the excise tax – and only then will the Land Transport Office allow them to register their vehicles.

Don't worry. At least you've got a nice house.

Finally got it set up the way I want it; the rent is to expensive though.

Didn't he say 40,000 baht a month? I'm 43,have a wife and kid, but here in CM have met many 40ish 'i love the nightlife' upbeat types here in CM - not just the large crowds of party and get lucky crews of ............

Rent- house 10,000

Elec and water 1,000 - the 3 of us pay less

Scoot 3,000

Dining 6,000

Beer 8,000

Visa stuff 2,000

Gasohol 1,000

Internet 600

Company 10,000

Total 41,600 - But who doesn't go over budjet

More choices for adventure in CM for less than the south IMO, so if you can live with out the beach.......

Cheers

Plenty of choices in CM, decent choices start at about 9,000 Baht.

Where are located?

Maybe, but tourist season is starting and rental D-Tracker, KLX, ER650n and now Ninja 650r will be more common buzzing around town.

Maybe my decal upfront makes the bike look like it may be a rental, and I guess now you'd better be carrying all your paper work on a rented bike. Good to know as I was hoping to try out a ABS Ninja this weekend.

Red or white,? i ask as in 20 years of travelling in thailand ive never been asked for papers on a white plate,,,,

White.

Wowser, saw Ninja 650 with a color scheme similar to the Ninjette pictured below at the Chiang Mai Kawaker dealer today. Very nice.

Yes I have a plate, I'm the original owner with bike having been bought new here in Chiang Mai beginning of the year, and I have a Thai motorcycle license with current address on it.

Yes it is ridiculous. I was frustrated as just couldn't bear the risk of buying an imported motorcycle, when I arrived in Chiang Mai; therefore have greatly reduced choices available. Luckily enough, and too my surprise the D-Tracker turned out to be a near perfect bike for me; though a WR250sm would have been my first choice.