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Posted

looking at buying a motorcycle. I now drive a rental car but teh cost is a bit high.

I drive about 45 km daily on open fast roads- traffic travels aroung 100-120 km/hr so the bike has to be able to do 120km/hr without straining.

BTW if anyone has one they want to sell me I have cash now (for good price)

Posted

Driving 120km/h on a Honda CBR-125R is not a comfortable speed, it involves lots of clutch play to get to 120km/h and maybe 130km/h is possible. But belief me that driving daily a motorcycle if it is the Grand Prix 125 world championship is fun for 1 or 2 times and then you wished you bought a bit bigger bike.

If you want to buy a CBR-125 budget which, I say buy a Suzuki Raider 150Ri, the latest Suzuki Raider 150 with electronic fuel injection and ignition will do 120km/h with no problems. Still doing speeds of 120km/h, on any light bike, daily is no fun.

Posted

It's no problem man, just bear in mind that this is very close to reaching the 'strain point' on the bike so don't push it over this speed for too long...:o

Posted

jimsknight, I assume you're talking about staying around 120 to 130 kph (indicated) on our CBR150's. I drove at around that speed, daily for the first two years, ten minutes or so ten times a week, and it's still going strong at 49,000 km. I tried to compute the piston speed, recalling that in 1959 the SAE standard was that 2,500 feet per minute was a safe sustained piston speed. I think that on the CBR150, 125 kph came to about 3300 fpm, but I figured small engine technology had come a long way in forty years.

But on Thai highways, even rural superhighways, I think anything over 125 is like "Angels flying too close to the ground."

Posted
But on Thai highways, even rural superhighways, I think anything over 125 is like "Angels flying too close to the ground."

For what it's worth, my gf and I went to Bangkok a few days ago. On the way back to Pattaya on the bus I kept looking over at the speedometer to get some idea of what speeds the normal traffic flow is at. I noticed that when the driver was able to, he kept his speedometer at between 95 and 100 kilometers per hour.

Posted

Trader1 theres a saying that " there's no replacement for displacement " buy the most cc you can afford. I got a Honda Phantom 200cc when I first landed here till I could locate more cc's The thig took me and mrs H2 all over. as long as you were in no great hurry it would sit at 90-100k 2 up with luggage all day long. It was a comfortable good looking bike but just didnt give me what I needed. I then went up to a Yamaha XV Virago 1000cc V twin. A nice torquey bike that again took me and mrs H2 around Thailand. The mrs took over the Phantom and loves it. Offered to upgrade her to a 4oocc shadow but she wont budge. Ive now upped again to a Triumph Rocket 3 2,300cc and am the happiest chappie I know. A perfect bike for cruising around this beautiful country. Its always nice to have the extra power if you ever need it, just because you have it doesnt mean you hae to use it all the time. I sit most of the time around 100-110kph and am doing just over 2000rpm but I know if I need to get passed something I just have to twist he throttle and not worry that when I do very little is going to happen. Whatever you end up with this is a beautiful country to ride round Enjoy :o

Posted
looking at buying a motorcycle. I now drive a rental car but teh cost is a bit high.

I drive about 45 km daily on open fast roads- traffic travels aroung 100-120 km/hr so the bike has to be able to do 120km/hr without straining.

BTW if anyone has one they want to sell me I have cash now (for good price)

I used to commute 25-ish kms each way Rayong to ????? on a NSR 300. Not a problem. If all you want is a reialble commuter bike I would say a Honda CB400. Older ones are quite common, you could get one for say 85,000 but as they are still made in Japan you could get a newer one.

If you prefer a cruiser style Red Baron has a Yamaha 400 for 185,000. Also you may wish to look at a 400 scooter as you won't get as wet in the rainy season.

I wouldn't get anything smaller as you need to go fas ter than the traffic and arrive rested.

Posted
looking at buying a motorcycle. I now drive a rental car but teh cost is a bit high.

I drive about 45 km daily on open fast roads- traffic travels aroung 100-120 km/hr so the bike has to be able to do 120km/hr without straining.

BTW if anyone has one they want to sell me I have cash now (for good price)

I used to commute 25-ish kms each way Rayong to ????? on a NSR 300. Not a problem. If all you want is a reialble commuter bike I would say a Honda CB400. Older ones are quite common, you could get one for say 85,000 but as they are still made in Japan you could get a newer one.

If you prefer a cruiser style Red Baron has a Yamaha 400 for 185,000. Also you may wish to look at a 400 scooter as you won't get as wet in the rainy season.

I wouldn't get anything smaller as you need to go fas ter than the traffic and arrive rested.

Hmm but 185,000bht can buy a reasonable car even at a car sales- why hassle with the dangers of a bike that I can't even take on the expressway..

Do you think , as someone said, a cbr 150 honda can cruise at 120km/hr?

Posted

A list with prices of bikes that can do 120km/h with no hassle

Honda CBR150Ri - 63,000 Baht

Honda Phantom Custom 4 - 83,500 Baht

Yamaha Spark 135i - 52,000 Baht

Suzuki Raider 150Ri - 54,600 Baht

Kawasaki KRR 150SSR - 74,500 Baht

Kawasaki ZX-150 - 75,500 Baht

Kawasaki Boss 2007 - 75,300 Baht

Kawasaki Boss 2008 - 78,000 Baht

Tiger ST-200 Boxer - 57,900 Baht

Posted

Hmm but 185,000bht can buy a reasonable car even at a car sales- why hassle with the dangers of a bike that I can't even take on the expressway..

Do you think , as someone said, a cbr 150 honda can cruise at 120km/hr?

You didn't say that cost was a factor? I saw a nice "vintage" Toyota the other day for 40,000 so if you really want a car there are lots around. You can't take any bike on the expressway so if expressway is what you want........ If you don't need the expressway..you might consider this.

CB 400,1993, blue, good condition, titanium exhaust.Price 85 K, including registration and plate. Located in Pattanakarn,BKK. However I won't sell the bike until after December. You can call me on 08 5156472

CB400.jpg

It is listed on GT-Rider.

My NSR 150 would cruise at 140 so if you can find a good one. You have to be a two-stroke fan though...

If you wish to cruise at 120 you still need something in reserve. In most countries anything 250 or less is classed as a starter bike so I 'll stick with my "nothing less than 400" statement.

Posted (edited)

A lot of these bikes mentioned only do about 120 km or a little more tops. Example, many Phantom owners tell me they are not any fast top end than a Nouvo and from what I read a Nouvo will go about 120 km full throttle. Now, the last guy told me the Phantom will out accelerate a Nouvo in town and my one test drive tells me it probably will. As far as the CBR 150, I don't know and I 'm sure 6th gear might help out here. But looking back into my history of owning bikes in the U.S. the smallest bike I would have wanted for cruising 120 km and over would have been my Honda 350 CB which had 36 horsepower and weighed around 350 pounds, a little more than a Phantom. Reading bike reviews the closest to a Phantom for the U.S. market is HOnda's 250 Rebel which actually has 234 cc's and has about the same horsepower and weight as the Phantom, and it will not quite do 80 miles an hour from what I've read so I wouldn't want it for cruising long periods of time at 70 miles an hour or 120 kph.

On the other hand on most of Thailand's backroads is it necessary to be able to cruise all day at 120? I once talked to a guy who has a friend who drives a bike all over Thailand. The bike is an off the rack little motorbike, such as a 125 Honda Wave or whatever The guy owns a bike rental shop and I've been assured these little bikes will do it...they just won't cruise at 120. I think even with my little 43 kilo girlfriend on the back I could cruise up to Chiang Mai or wherever on a Honda Airblade...provided I averaged only 50 per hour or so.

Edited by jackcorbett
Posted (edited)
On the other hand on most of Thailand's backroads is it necessary to be able to cruise all day at 120?

Just to clarify , the only roads I drive on are 6 to 8 lane superhighways in Pathumthani, they are not backroads. They have many trucks and I need the speed to keep ahead of them.

I have owned harleys and triumphs so am not used to small bikes. If I can find a cbr400 for around 55,000 baht I will buy that (it seems cbr150 may be too small reading the posts here) otherwise I will bite the bullet and put 150,000 into a old but safer car.

Edited by trader1

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