3 month rental of big bike in Chiang Mai?

[jimih]

Hi,

 

The short story:
I'm looking for renting a big bike for 3 months in Chiang Mai, that doesn't cost a fortune. I'm looking for something as similar as possible as the BMW F700 GS. I mean something of similar size, weight, sitting hight, sitting position, foot pedal for rear break, as well as a bike with gear shifting behaivor that is similar to that bike, and a clutch that work in a similar way. It doesn't have to be as powerful (800 cc, 75 hp), since the main purpose for me is to practice slow driving maneuvering.

 

Here are some specs for the BMW F700 GS:

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/index.html?content=http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/bike/enduro/2015/f700gs/f700gs_overview.html¬rack=1

 

So can you guys give some kind of recommendation about bikes that would be similar to this one? And places I can check out for 3 month rental? I have been looking a bit on line, and I only find information about daily rental cost. For example Tony's big bikes website talk about 1250 baht per day (if 4+ days) for a HONDA CB500X ADVENTURE TOURER. That would mean about 110.000 baht for a 3 month period. That is just... insane...

 

 

The long story:
This summer I have been practising driving a big bike using a driving school here in Sweden, and everything has been going smoothly except for the slow riding maneuvering part. I'm talking about maneuvering the bike at walking/crawling speed, while making different turns on a course. The speed is so slow so you can't keep constant gas throttle. Instead you have to keep adjusting the clutch and gas around the biting point, and sometime let the bike slow down just to before the point of stopping completely, and then give it a nudge so it keeps going. Here is an example video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8FkniBvs-Q

 

The problem is that I ran out of time this summer/autumn, and there are no more driving tests available for booking this year (because winter is coming). So, I was thinking that during my next visit to Thailand, 3 months this coming winter, I can rent a big bike there, and find some deserted parking lot or something where I can practice this slow riding maneuvering. That way I not only save money (since the price for a one hour driving lessong here is about 800 SEK or about $100 US), but I also will be able to keep practising almost all winter long, so that my driving skills don't wither away before I take the driving test next spring.

 

/Jimi

 

P.S. I'm quite used to the Chiang Mai traffic, from having spent numerous hours in this traffic over the last years, on bicycle, small scooter and medium-big scooter. So you don't have to warn me about "learning to drive motorbike in Thailand is insane!" or something like that. I'm confident with handling the Chiang Mai traffic flow, and I'm confident in handling a big bike with clutch and gears. It's the slow riding maneuvering I need to practice on. This is the only thing my Swedish driving instructor is telling me I have left until I can get the Swedish license.

[Briggsy]

You can certainly rent a big bike in Chiang Mai. Perhaps the most economical and closest to your spec will be a Versys 650. You will not find a BMW F700 GS for rent.

 

The Chiang Mai bike rentals operate a price cartel. Perhaps you can get a 3-month rental deal on a Versys for under 80,000 Baht but I am not sure.

 

It may well be cheaper to rent it in Pattaya, where prices are a lot cheaper, and drive it up to Chiang Mai.

 

A 3-month rental term needs to have thought about servicing too such as oil changes.

 

I don't know why you are going on and on about licences. I thought you were experienced in Thailand. Nobody cares about licences, only money.

Edited October 8, 2017 by Briggsy

[FolkGuitar]

I can sympathize with you about practicing the slow-speed maneuvers. I had to take the Japanese National Riding test and there are extremely slow maneuvers required for that... Riding over a 6" wide plank for 10 meters, and having to take at least  15 seconds to do it... making a u-turn in a 1 1/2 lane road without putting your feet down... riding a Figure-8 in the space of three car lengths but inside a very narrow track....  The National average for passing the Japanese test is 11 tries.  I failed my first attempt before I even got on the track!  (I put up the kick stand with the wrong foot.. In Japan's test, it has to be done with the right foot before you mount the bike.) Some of the more rural testing areas are easier to deal with, but not so in Kyoto, that's for sure! I hope Sweden is easier.

 

I wouldn't tell which ever shop you rent from that this is your plan. It REALLY takes its toll on the clutch!  But you can find big bikes all over Chiang Mai. Tony's, Pop's, Mr.Mechanic. But they will all be about the same price.  Why not rent a smaller bike to practice for two months, then rent the bigger bike for the last month? The only difference will be the balance point of the bikes, and that's easy to get accustomed to.

[Johpa]

So why not just rent a big bike one day a week to practice and hone your skills and rent a more appropriate 250 to tour the back roads of Lanna Land.  We are looking at the beginning of the high season so you won't get much in the way of discounts for a long term rental of a "big bike".  Another option is to buy and then sell.

[jimih]

4 hours ago, Briggsy said:

You can certainly rent a big bike in Chiang Mai. Perhaps the most economical and closest to your spec will be a Versys 650. You will not find a BMW F700 GS for rent.

 

The Chiang Mai bike rentals operate a price cartel. Perhaps you can get a 3-month rental deal on a Versys for under 80,000 Baht but I am not sure.

 

Thanks for the tip of the Versys. But ~80.000 baht also seems a bit too high if you ask me. It might be worth it for someone who wants that power, but power is not what I'm looking for. 

 

4 hours ago, Briggsy said:

You can certainly rent a big bike in Chiang Mai. Perhaps the most economical and closest to your spec will be a Versys 650. You will not find a BMW F700 GS for rent.

 

The Chiang Mai bike rentals operate a price cartel. Perhaps you can get a 3-month rental deal on a Versys for under 80,000 Baht but I am not sure.

 

It may well be cheaper to rent it in Pattaya, where prices are a lot cheaper, and drive it up to Chiang Mai.

 

A 3-month rental term needs to have thought about servicing too such as oil changes.

 

I don't know why you are going on and on about licences. I thought you were experienced in Thailand. Nobody cares about licences, only money.

 

Well... What happens if I end up in an accident, smashing into a 10.000.000 baht super car, and ending up in the hospital with complicated injuries, as well as the driver in the other vehicle? I'm pretty sure that I would be much better of both legaly and insurance whise if I have a valid license. That legal piece of paper could be the difference between a painful but manageable situation, and personal bankruptcy combined with legal problems. That is my reason.

Edited October 8, 2017 by jimih

[jimih]

4 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

I can sympathize with you about practicing the slow-speed maneuvers. I had to take the Japanese National Riding test and there are extremely slow maneuvers required for that... Riding over a 6" wide plank for 10 meters, and having to take at least  15 seconds to do it... making a u-turn in a 1 1/2 lane road without putting your feet down... riding a Figure-8 in the space of three car lengths but inside a very narrow track....  The National average for passing the Japanese test is 11 tries.  I failed my first attempt before I even got on the track!  (I put up the kick stand with the wrong foot.. In Japan's test, it has to be done with the right foot before you mount the bike.) Some of the more rural testing areas are easier to deal with, but not so in Kyoto, that's for sure! I hope Sweden is easier.

 

Wow. I didn't think any asian country would have tougher driving test demands than Sweden. But Japan is Japan, after all... But I would say that the Swedish tests are not that far off.

 

I think the average for passing the test in Sweden is 2-3 tries. However that could have other reasons than it being an easier test. For example, in Sweden it can cost up to about 5000 SEK (about $600 US) for doing the test (including lending of motorbike from school, and warm up time with the teacher before the test). And at that cost, it makes me quite motivated not to go do a test just to see if I can pass it by mostly luck. I will not do the test until I feel quite confident I will pass it.

 

 

I wouldn't tell which ever shop you rent from that this is your plan. It REALLY takes its toll on the clutch!  But you can find big bikes all over Chiang Mai. Tony's, Pop's, Mr.Mechanic. But they will all be about the same price.  Why not rent a smaller bike to practice for two months, then rent the bigger bike for the last month? The only difference will be the balance point of the bikes, and that's easy to get accustomed to.

 

I am very open to the idea of renting a smaller bike. The reason I said I was looking for something similar to the BMW F700 GS is because that is the bike I ride with the driving school here. So I want to use a bike that gives me a similar riding experience (at slow speeds), and that doesn't make me feel that I have "wasted" time and money on it if I can't use what I learned on a smaller bike when I get up on the BMW again next spring.

 

The main problem I see with a smaller bike is the smaller weight. At slow speeds, the weight difference can have a huge impact on way the bike handles, and how challenging it is. So, preferably I would want a bike that has low power but with simliar weight. Let's say maybe 200 cc and 200 kg. Would that even be possible? (Maybe this shows just how ignorant I am when it comes to mechanics.)

 

But maybe a smaller and lighter bike still would give me enough of a challange so that I learn something useful to take back home and apply on the BMW? If so, any smaller bike in particular you could recommend? I still want 
similar sitting position and similar gears and breaks compared to the BMW, and I have no idea what bikes offer this.

[flare]

For three months, you might also consider buying a ~4yr old Versys 650 or similar for ~150k and selling it before you leave- it would likely be way cheaper than renting, and there will be fewer problems if (or more likely ‘when’, considering what you’ll be practicing) you drop  it.  There are always quite nice examples on the various Thai/Farang FB sites.   

[jimih]

1 hour ago, flare said:

For three months, you might also consider buying a ~4yr old Versys 650 or similar for ~150k and selling it before you leave- it would likely be way cheaper than renting, and there will be fewer problems if (or more likely ‘when’, considering what you’ll be practicing) you drop  it.  There are always quite nice examples on the various Thai/Farang FB sites.   

 

Yes, that is an option. But I've always dreaded buying anything from private individuals. It just seems like more of a risk of a hazzle. Like him/her being situated far outside the city center, or only being available at limited hours, or somehow being offended if I end up saying no after testing the item. And seems like more of a risk of being ripped of, especially when the item in question is something I have very little technical knowledge about. And the same arguments are valid when selling to a private individual, plus the hassle of having to advertise, and having to deal with annoying individuals who wants me to take the bike to them, or want me to be available whenever is a good time for them, or come and look at the bike, and try it out, and then say no... :)

 

And then I haven't even mentioned the hazzle of changing ownership. But that part maybe could be alleviated by just asking my thai girlfriend to put her name in the papers instead of mine. But the arguments against dealing with private individuals still stand strong if you ask me. So I would still prefer using a company for this, even if it costs extra. But would I even be able to sell the bike that way, later? Let's say I buy a bike for 150.000 baht, from a dealership. If the condition is more or less the same after 3 months, you think I could find a dealership that would buy it from me for let's say 100.000+ baht? Or would I only get something like half of what I paid for it, or even less, resulting in a bigger loss than a rental cost would have been?

 

And if I can't know this before hand, that is an argument in itself not to buy and sell, wouldn't you think?

[flare]

I think if you bought it for 150K and didn’t crash it, it would likely sell fairly easily for ~125K (even 100K would still have saved you money over renting, the price of which you called ‘insane’).  There are a lot of 650cc bikes in CM- it’s a big rider’s town.  It could also be a hassle to sell- there are no guarantees, but having someone to look after it if you have to leave it behind is a big help.

 

It’s just an option, but, as you don’t seem confident with your low-speed maneuvering and having the bike fall over and causing cosmetic damage is a real possibility, if you drop a rental bike it’s going to cost you money even if it’s insured as you’re responsible for the deductible (which will be s high as possible to lower the insurance cost for the shop owner) and any costs associated with the claim- the hit probably wouldn’t be as bad on a bike you own as a few scratches won’t affect the value much, but a shop owner will want his bike back in the condition it left his place.

 

Just tossing it out there.

[FolkGuitar]

6 hours ago, jimih said:

 

Wow. I didn't think any asian country would have tougher driving test demands than Sweden. But Japan is Japan, after all... But I would say that the Swedish tests are not that far off. I think the average for passing the test in Sweden is 2-3 tries. However that could have other reasons than it being an easier test. For example, in Sweden it can cost up to about 5000 SEK (about $600 US) for doing the test.

 

 

In Japan you have to use the test station bikes and you have to pay to use them. (They have lights on the back to show the test Proctors what gear you are in, which brake you are using, etc.) as well as pay for the test. But this is only about $200 USD per test. I met people at the test station taking their 15th test and their 18th test. There was even an American taking his test for the 6th time, a retired California Highway Patrol officer!

 

I arrived at the test station with over 500,000 miles of riding experience, 25 years in 17 countries, having been through three different American riding schools including the California Superbike School. I was quite certain all I would have to do is smile, get on the bike, go through the driving course, and be handed my Japanese license. Not even close..............   After failing the third attempt, and not yet even getting onto the track (once for the kickstand, once for looking over my left shoulder before I looked over my right shoulder, and once for putting on my turn signal 25m before the turn instead of 30m,) I decided to sign up with a Japanese school to learn how to pass the test. $2,000.00 USD later... and two weeks of daily concentrated riding with an instructor right behind me giving me blow-by-blow help via helmet communicators, I was able to pass the test on my 5th try. Slow-speed maneuvers, high-speed slalom, emergency braking, slow-speed maneuvers while standing up on the pegs.... Riding skills weren't my problem. The test requirements were. However, the riding skills that I learned at the school improved my abilities 200%, especially slow speed maneuvers.

 

But... I planned to take the test for the 750cc+ license. (In Japan, there are various classes of licenses to allow you to ride different sized bikes.)  That would have cost me $3,500.00 USD at the school, so I signed up there for the 400cc bike lessons at $2,000.  All my practice was on one of their 400cc bikes, but I took the test on the station's 750cc bike. There was no problem at all with the transition. The difficulties with slow-speed maneuvers is not the size of the bike, but the play of the clutch and throttle. Goose the throttle and the bike stays upright. My own bike at the time was an 1100cc cruiser, and the things I learned in class on that CB400cc bike transitioned easily. The only difference was the turning radius. A cruiser has a longer front rake so not as maneuverable as a crotch rocket.

 

Rent an 'Enduro-style' or 'Dirt' bike for practice, rather than a big bike. The 'clutch-throttle' balance is just about the same. (You only need to add more throttle for the bigger bike.) You will be able to learn to do Figure-8's in a small soi at less than walking speeds and never need to put your foot down at all. Then, a week before your test, rent the big bike to get the feel of it. You'll pass with flying colors.

 

Here are the police demonstrating what we need to do for the test. Note the slow speed maneuvers at the 18:00 minute mark.

 

[jimih]

20 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

In Japan you have to use the test station bikes and you have to pay to use them. (They have lights on the back to show the test Proctors what gear you are in, which brake you are using, etc.) as well as pay for the test. But this is only about $200 USD per test. I met people at the test station taking their 15th test and their 18th test. There was even an American taking his test for the 6th time, a retired California Highway Patrol officer!

 

I arrived at the test station with over 500,000 miles of riding experience, 25 years in 17 countries, having been through three different American riding schools including the California Superbike School. I was quite certain all I would have to do is smile, get on the bike, go through the driving course, and be handed my Japanese license. Not even close..............   After failing the third attempt, and not yet even getting onto the track (once for the kickstand, once for looking over my left shoulder before I looked over my right shoulder, and once for putting on my turn signal 25m before the turn instead of 30m,) I decided to sign up with a Japanese school to learn how to pass the test. $2,000.00 USD later... and two weeks of daily concentrated riding with an instructor right behind me giving me blow-by-blow help via helmet communicators, I was able to pass the test on my 5th try. Slow-speed maneuvers, high-speed slalom, emergency braking, slow-speed maneuvers while standing up on the pegs.... Riding skills weren't my problem. The test requirements were. However, the riding skills that I learned at the school improved my abilities 200%, especially slow speed maneuvers.

 

I have to say I can't really wrap my head around the fact that there actually are people who think that the test requirements really needs to be this strict. It almost sounds like they don't want people driving motorbikes in Japan. And I get the feeling that if they would make it any more difficult, after a while the tests would start looking like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RngZWIe5a-M

:)

 

All my practice was on one of their 400cc bikes, but I took the test on the station's 750cc bike. There was no problem at all with the transition. The difficulties with slow-speed maneuvers is not the size of the bike, but the play of the clutch and throttle. Goose the throttle and the bike stays upright. My own bike at the time was an 1100cc cruiser, and the things I learned in class on that CB400cc bike transitioned easily. The only difference was the turning radius. A cruiser has a longer front rake so not as maneuverable as a crotch rocket.

 

Rent an 'Enduro-style' or 'Dirt' bike for practice, rather than a big bike. The 'clutch-throttle' balance is just about the same. (You only need to add more throttle for the bigger bike.) You will be able to learn to do Figure-8's in a small soi at less than walking speeds and never need to put your foot down at all. Then, a week before your test, rent the big bike to get the feel of it. You'll pass with flying colors.

 

Thanks for the input! I think I will do exactly that, ie rent a smaller bike for the main part of the visit, then rent a big bike near the end, for a few days. Although I can't rent anything a week before the test, because the test will be here in Sweden, several weeks after I leave Thailand.

[kilt]

Then there's the issue of renting and riding a big bike without having a motorcycle license yet.

Forget about any insurance.

Budget 400 baht a day for fines etc...

[Dellboy218]

I think Joes Bike Team has 650s. If you want his number pm me.