Advice On Buying Motorbike

[sparemale]

hi guys

relocating to hua hin later this year,from uk, looking to buy motorbike, sure all my questions have been asked before, but maybe not recently. or up to date

i am a 50 , never owned a bike before, have hired 100cc 150cc honda's there before they were ok but seemed a little girly with the basket on the front haha looking for something a bit bigger as may want to travel around the country a bit 200cc + maybe phantom or have heard good things about a kymco scooter 250cc ( never seen one of these) i am open to all suggestions, i am not a small guy. about 6 foot weigh 110kgs

also is buying secondhand a good deal, or best to get from dealers, as i am no mechanic, and do you get a warrenty? I beleive insurance comes with the bike?

thanks in advance for any replies

stuart

[goldfish]

Not quite what you were asking, but thought you should read this if you haven't already. Compliments of submaniac

Seriously, and I will be firm in saying this, learn to ride BEFORE coming to Thailand. I do not know how to emphasize that enough. Thailand is NOT the place to LEARN how to ride a motorcycle. If you do not have the basic skill on how to lean, how to steer, how to brake, how to maintain your balance, you will be killed. I am NOT joking.

Learning to ride (properly) is hard enough in your native country, where people most likely obey traffic laws, signal when they turn, turn from the appropriate lane, and actual attempt to make some effort to avoid a collision. Thailand roads are the wild wild west. You have to think and anticipate what people will do here, which is hard enough, but if you also have to work on your basic riding skill on top of that, you will be seriously injured. For example, for someone who is just learning to ride YOU WILL DROP YOUR MOTORCYCLE, me included, and I have dropped a bike many many times. If you drop your bike in Thai/Bangkok traffic those big green busses will run right over you.

If I were you, enroll in a motorcycle riding class IN YOUR NATIVE country, and practice there. Either get a small cheap bike, or even rent one if necessary. Get your skill down. Then GET YOUR LICENSE over there (not in Thailand--I will explain). Thailand has a separate license for motorcyle and a separate license for car. If you have a license in your native country, then you can apply (in your native country) for an international driver's permit. When you come to Thailand, if you have an international permit, you do not have to take the exam. All you have to do is take the colorblindness test (easy) and you get your license. No international permit, then you have to bring a motorcycle, and ride in front of the Thai officials, in addition to the written test. It is a pain.

From riding/owning a bike here, I think it is honestly the most efficient means of transportation. Given the choice I would much rather ride than drive a car, since the car will be stuck in traffic, and the bike you can go anywhere (and actually find a spot to park). Once you get a native motorcycle license, then we can talk about riding in Thailand.

[Meridian007]

If you don't know a great deal about bikes, want a warranty, and feel that 200cc is enough for your needs, I would suggest buying a CBR or Phantom new. That way you don't have to worry about the details of the ownership transfer, and you get a warranty. Since you are coming here to live, make sure you get a non-immigrant B or O visa, and proof of residence which will make the process much simpler.

If you have a valid motorcycle license from your home country, make sure you have it up to date before coming here, then you can just transfer it to a Thai one without having to take a road test. If not, search the forums on experiences of those who have taken the license test, so you know what you need to learn.

Insurance is your friend here, get the mandatory from the dealership, but think about getting first class third party insurance as well. It's not too expensive, but it can be very useful here.

Or, if you know a bit about bikes and the idea of riding long distances with a lot of vibration daunts you, then you should think about looking into used bikes, but make sure you know what you're doing before opening that can of worms! Again, you can buy new as well, but the price is high.

I just bought a used 600cc Honda Steed (Shadow), but only after learning a lot from this board and others about proper green books, price expectations, ownership transfers, and choosing the right bike for the job. I want to do a lot of touring around the Kingdom and outside so I wanted something that would be comfortable for frequent long-haul rides. I'm used to doing my own mechanical work so I was willing to get a bike that needed work, but it does have its hassles.

There! Hopefully this helps! Search around on these forums, there is a lot to learn here, and knowledge IS power!

[PeaceBlondie]

Good replies so far, wise advice. Six feet tall is not too tall for a CBR150. That is what I rode for the year I lived in Hua Hin. You may find a rider school in the UK with CBR125R bikes that would teach you well.

[sparemale]

thanks guys will probally end up buying new phantom, have had some small bike experience (riding) know the dangers of thailand well, and will look into the extra insurance, as beleive that whatever happens always the farangs is at fault?

stuart

[Beardog]

Definitely get some experience under your belt. If your touring you probably want a 200+. Busses are dirt cheap here & if your not doing a ton of touring you can get away from a big bike. It is much much easier to drive a smaller ride for a while & turn it for a bigger bike when you feel confident. Thailand is a very challenging place to drive as well as most Asia. Defensive defensive defensive(no need to drive like an old lady) but never assume that ANYONE uses a mirror(main purpose for Thais is to pick zits.

Forget about anyone ever doing a headcheck- but you should always use your mirrors faithfully .My eyes look at both mirrors sometimes 4 times a minute & always headcheck, people have a way of crawling out of the woodwork- off the sidewalk - coming head on towards you from the opposite direction& no one ever looks as they merge to oncoming traffic, along with going from the left lane to all the way to the far lane or visa versa. You will be hard pressed to find many Thai drivers as well as some Farangs that have a license. Don't be shocked to see a 6-8 year old driving the families 125 around. Just get away from them as fast as you can & put yourself in the safest place you can. Avoid being next to big trucks or busses also. either stay behind or pass them.

quickest way to kiss the sky is be next to one as he is forced to mone into your lane (only having 3-4 hrs of sleep the night before.

When you take your road test in your home country. Take it on the smallest bike acceptable. I took mine on a 70cc Yamalube

motorbike I think you need larger cc now in San Francisco California. I let a Harley driver use my dinky bike when he dumped his full dress hog on the roundabout(tight circle) part of the test. he was lucky they let him retest the same day. at the end he said Thanks DUDE as he hobbled back to his Harley. It is far easier to take your test on a small bike!

And be a very very defensive driver & not a statistic.

Hope some of the pointers you are getting on this post help. If you follow the good advice given you will minimize your damages.

If you ride you Will go down. I never heard a real motorcyclist that hasn't dropped slid or got hit or hit something that made them go down. The name of the game is to use your head at all times & stack the odds in your favor!

good luck & Enjoy the ride.It is much easier on a bike in Thailand even with the dangers presented!

[JSixpack]

Don't buy a used motorbike here. Not worth the subsequent headaches.

Buy a new Honda Phantom from the shop nearest to your residence. It's comfortable, reliable, easily repaired anywhere, and all you'll ever need.

Bring your own helmet with a couple of extra faceshields. The local helmets aren't up to standard, to put it mildly. Consider bringing your own gloves and boots, too, and maybe some Draggin Jeans. The problem here is that it's too hot to wear much protective gear. What they have on offer is either poor quality, overpriced, or the wrong size.

[Issangeorge]

I have a Phantom, I bought it new and love it. My only experience riding a motorcycle was on a step through or automatic, I also have a very old Honda Dream 100 I bought it 17 years ago for 20,000 baht and have put well over 100,000 klicks on it since, but it is in very bad shape today and in the near future I will have to decide if I want to spend some money on it and make it safe or scrap it, so somebody else can spend some money on it and make it safe, or perhaps just ride it as it is. I also have a 14 month Honda Air Blade which is a great bike in the village or city, but is no good for any distance 20-30 Kms tops on the highway, so I bought a new Phantom in November, I would like a Steed 400, but my lack of big bike experience deterred me from it, plus it would have been about 50,000 baht more than the Phantom for an old bike, plus although I can fix somethings it is not something I enjoy doing and I wanted a bike I could get fixed anywhere. The Phantom is great 80-90% of the time. If there is no wind and only small hills I can cruise at 100 and still have lots left to accelerate to 120 for passing, but in a wind or on a big hill it is pretty much full out at 100. This tme of year where I live it is very windy so there have been a few times when I wished I had more power, but the winds will soon die down and I will have more than adequate power so the Phantom is probably the best bike for me. Issangeorge

[PeaceBlondie]

As for the slow top end of the Phantom 200, I did not believe it until my partner mentioned his was slower on the highway than his previous Yamaha Spark 135. He bought a new Yamaha 135 and wanted to sell me the Phantom 200 in place of my CBR150. Two tries of that 200 Phantom and I gave up (plus, I scratched the crash bar on a cement pylon). Typical Harley clone: big, low, loud, heavy, poor handling, and slow.

[MaiChai]

If you dont know anything about bikes and dont know where to start, I would suggest starting with a Honda Wave 100cc. Trouble with a larger bike such as a cdr150 or phantom is you need to learn how to use a hand clutch too, so it might be worth building up your basic bike skills on a non hand clutch machine and then move to this when you are more experience. If you buy a Wave 100, you can always give this to the gf/wife or keep it as a 'shopping' bike when you move up to the bike you want

I can understand why everyone is going for the auto scooters at the moment; if you live in Bangkok then nothing touches them for maneuverability. Stepping through 6 gears in Bangkok traffic takes time and requires greater concentration and skill; these small auto scooters outpace me in speed and getting between the traffic!

Someone posted about having a Dream 100. This is a great bike in my opinion. I should keep it and give it to your local somchai to renovate; I figure it would cost a couple of thousand baht to get it tidied up and reliable. I just did my wifes Belle R. New piston, seat recovered, new battery, some brake work: 1200 baht. I asked her if she wanted a new bike; her reply was this was a good bike for visiting her paddy fields and she would not want a new bike for this. Now it looks quite decent. Might get some new body plastics for it to smarten it up (although I am not keen to replace the originals with cheap copies which are never as good as originals).

[MaiChai]

New versus old. I have some experience of this. If old means 3 or 4 years, then you wont have much problem with it; basically everything is still quite new and if you have any problems its will be quite easy/cheap to fix. If really old, figure on lots of things worn out/needing replacing; only go this route if you are really keen on renovating an old bike (and this will appeal to those technically minded/of an engineering bent...). There are some really good bargains in the really old sector, and if its a popular bike, parts are cheap if you are prepared to do the labour yourself and not get ripped off by the local mechanic. Old means lots of durable long lasting steel; new means lots of plastic of questionable durability.

I am thinking of buying a 3/4 year old Nouvo since 1st generation are about 14K baht, and MX are 19K upwards (which is a big difference on buying new).

PS: There is a new Saturday market by Latprao subway station; there are lots of vendors selling bits for old/retro motorbikes. Came across this market last night. There are also alot of VW Vans at this market (aka Scooby Doo ).

[Richard-BKK]

When buying a motorcycle in Thailand, you also need to consider the fuel consumption. It will sound unbelievable but a Yamaha Fino (115cc) uses more fuel then a Suzuki DRZ400sm (400cc).

A Honda Wave 125i is probably the cheapest in fuel consumption, and not forget Kawasaki bikes. Kawasaki small motorcycle’s like Kawasaki Kaze Hit are not only one of the cheapest (31k Baht) to buy but also very economic in fuel consumption. While the Kawasaki ZX 130 is not only economic in full it is also able to impress others while driving away from traffic lights.

[Uros]

honda dreams are cool. just keep the throttle wide open and you'll fly by 95% of the traffic.

used bikes are cool. any and all. parts and labor are inexpensive.

no thai license is cool. most likely you'll never have a problem not having one.

just be a happy farang tourist riding a rental and you'll be cool with the boys in brown.

the rules above do not apply to bangkok or pattaya.

[karlski]

Instead of adding another thread, i'll inject another question into this informative thread since it's got the perfect title, and has concluded it's original question about what kind of bike to get, and the legalities.

My questions are legal, and about off-road racing around here.

Without an "O" or "B" visa, here in Phuket, how hard is it to get a new or used bike?

What legal requirements are there? Is it impossible to get used bike or new without a work permit?

How do you manage, if at all.

I miss my 88' Honda NX 650 Dominator Dual Sport w/ Avon Gripster road racing tires.

It stuck to dirt roads like glue, better than knobby tires even. Highly maneuverable. With these scooters' low turning radial, it's only a matter of time before you hit a situation you can't maneuver out of.

Anyone running a dual sport?

Where do you offroad & track race around here anyhow?

California has land set aside specifically devoted to off-highway vehicles, so as not to tear up good land. It would be nice to hit some jumps and scrap a bit with some folks who are game.

As expert weaving as I see some local cats doing on Chao Fa Rd., I can't believe for a second it's not in Thai blood to race off-road for fun someplace.

[LivinLOS]

The law says you need a non imm visa but no one on Phuket seems to bother about that..

If you do the transfer yourself you will need a residence paper (or work permit or yellow book etc) which you get by going to immigration in phuket town with a house rental contract.. If you use various agents on the island they can do without this it seems.. All thats needed with the agents is a copy of passport and a copy of your entry stamp.

[H2oDunc]

Goldfish wrote" Seriously, and I will be firm in saying this, learn to ride BEFORE coming to Thailand. I do not know how to emphasize that enough. Thailand is NOT the place to LEARN how to ride a motorcycle. If you do not have the basic skill on how to lean, how to steer, how to brake, how to maintain your balance, you will be killed. I am NOT joking. "

I've never heard so much alarmist crap in a long time. " you will be killed " JEEZ!

I feel far safer riding around Thailand than I ever did riding in the UK for the simple reason the drivers here are aware of bikers where as at home they are not. Once you have learnt the idiosyncrasies of Thai driving you will be fine. Brits are better at adapting as they drive on the " right side of the road " Wear a good helmet and stay sober and never be in a rush to get anywhere. Most accidents happen here because of inappropriate speed or alcohol. Mrs H2O after spending a week on a twist and go took over my Phantom. After 3 days of riding round the moo baan she progressed to the back roads and after 2 weeks rode from Chumphon to Kanchanaburi for the " we love the King " bike weekend. We then rode all over the Southern Thailand area. As for which bike I would go for a Phantom. If you are wanting to travel then you will munch up the km's better on the Phantom than a CBR. Honda are very big here and spares and servicing can be had anywhere. This is a beautiful country to bike round, just don't listen to the " death by bike " merchants of doom. Check out gtriders.com and posts by Jimsknight. Enjoy whatever you buy

Edited January 31, 2009 by H2oDunc

[goldfish]

To start with the petty, that was a post that I simply cut and paste. Have just re-read it and am happy I posted it again. Believe you have plenty of riding experience yourself, Dunc, and have obviously spent time instructing your wife. Good, but many people do not have that option. Therefore to take a test in their home country, with all the training involved, is the gist of the message. Also, considering how hot it is here for foreigners and the lack of safety clothing, safer for a learner.

Believe, from reading your posts, you are currently staying on Samui. Seen any accidents recently? I live close to Tesco's near the ring road and am surprised at how busy the ambulances are at the moment and how many accidents I have seen the aftermath of recently. At least one was a fatality. Have met two people this year who have lost a spleen, admittedly one from when his bike fell on him, and one guy who is now brain damaged from crashing when drunk with no helmet. He has improved and can now go to the toilet rather than defecate where he stands.

So please, do not criticize the reason for the post. It was intended to aid and improve peoples riding skills. Do you not remember the thread in the Samui forum concerning the accidents on sand covered bends? Some training would have helped there.

Yes, I feel safer riding in Thailand than the UK. But sometimes I see some things that would possibly never happen in the UK. Having a car overtake a few vehicles coming in the opposite direction, saw me on the bike and braked , then decided 'so what' and accelerated again. I ended up going over deep sand and undergrowth. Without my experience it would have been a lot worse

[Freddie_fly]

Goldfish wrote" Seriously, and I will be firm in saying this, learn to ride BEFORE coming to Thailand. I do not know how to emphasize that enough. Thailand is NOT the place to LEARN how to ride a motorcycle. If you do not have the basic skill on how to lean, how to steer, how to brake, how to maintain your balance, you will be killed. I am NOT joking. "

I've never heard so much alarmist crap in a long time. " you will be killed " JEEZ!

I feel far safer riding around Thailand than I ever did riding in the UK for the simple reason the drivers here are aware of bikers where as at home they are not. Once you have learnt the idiosyncrasies of Thai driving you will be fine. Brits are better at adapting as they drive on the " right side of the road " Wear a good helmet and stay sober and never be in a rush to get anywhere. Most accidents happen here because of inappropriate speed or alcohol. Mrs H2O after spending a week on a twist and go took over my Phantom. After 3 days of riding round the moo baan she progressed to the back roads and after 2 weeks rode from Chumphon to Kanchanaburi for the " we love the King " bike weekend. We then rode all over the Southern Thailand area. As for which bike I would go for a Phantom. If you are wanting to travel then you will munch up the km's better on the Phantom than a CBR. Honda are very big here and spares and servicing can be had anywhere. This is a beautiful country to bike round, just don't listen to the " death by bike " merchants of doom. Check out gtriders.com and posts by Jimsknight. Enjoy whatever you buy

I was going to reply to Goldfish's post but H20 beat me to it, So I will add my twopennyworth and piss them both off.

I learned to ride here and still have never taken the test in Uk, mainly because I dont ever plan on living in that cold wet country again and only drive 4 wheels when over there.

Yes, I have dropped my bike, two times, once when a 11 year old came around a blind corner in huay yai on my side of the road and panicked, hitting the gas and driving into me, second time hitting a large pothole, the handlebars stayed straight (strong wrists from all that time spent on ships ) while the wheel went sideways.

So, do wear good gear, Buy a good helmet, I have a Roof helmet and I highly recommend them as you can throw back the full face and get some wind on hot days. Also consider good boots, I had some made here and they are light and comfortable and were cheap as hel_l. and dont wear nylon beach shorts and a tee-shirt, you will end up with the same leg/arm scars that so many of those fine ladies in the dancing establishments have.

I disagree with H2O, I really dont think that drivers (of 4 wheels) give a hoot about bikes, there are so many that they just expect them to buzz out of the way, look at the stats for accidents in Thailand and the huge majority involve bikes, and while I dont rate the riding skills of most thai's on motorbikes, I really dont believe that so many are that bad.

I think that many foreigners come here after riding mid/small bikes and see that they can hire a hyabusa or vmax for a couple of days and go for it without having a clue about the power of those bikes, I saw that in Pattaya for 18 years. What you must must do is drive defensively and expect other road users to do silly things ( I had an Australian friend who came for a visit, I took them for a drive back into Pattaya, after about 5 minutes they asked me "how on earth can you drive here", I replied, think of the stupidest thing the car/bike/truck ahead/behind/turning can do, and then you wont be surprised when they do it).

You can have a wonderful time driving here, as long as you remember that thai's will ignore basic road rules, ask a thai about the highway code and they will look at you funny, they dont really bother with silly things like signs and paint on the roads, why??, because they drive like everyone else, thats how they learn, and everyone else ignores them too.

I took my motorcycle test here, because they didnt like my Qatari international licence which covered car and bike, so they took my UK car licence and gave me my thai one, but made me do the test for the bike. I hadnt brought my bike, so I gave a motorcycle taxi 300 baht and borrowed his, the one thing that amazed me was the 5-10 metre 6 inch wide raised bar you had to drive along, I didnt have a problem but almost all the thais there taking the test failed at least once, the guy at the end just kept telling them go back and do it again.

I once had a huge disagreement on the pattaya yellow board forum with a young american who said how skilled young thai motorcycycle riders were, his argument was they zip in and out of traffic all day without a problem, my reply was, luck doesnt last forever, my basic objection was to his word skilled, sure they can ride fast, but they cant ride slow, and as my dad (Ariel square 4, BSA 250 bantem, Greaves 500, Matchless, and Halifax dukes speedway team rider....and ow he wishes he had kept those bikes to sell today) said, any idiot can ride a bike fast, it takes experience and a little skill to ride it slow.

I hope you enjoy your riding experience here, There are many clubs and enthusiasts who will be happy to take the time out to help you, both Thai and foreign.

ride safe

freddie

[F4UCorsair]

This thread is a little stale, but I just came across it so thought I'd add my bit.

Riding in Thailand is, at first, somewhat alrming, but when one realizes the only rule is

There are no rules

then it becomes manageable. Back home, wherever that is, there are rules, and one has an expectation that others follow them, so when another driver/rider doesn't the potential is there for an incident. In Thailand, as with other SE Asian countries, there may be rules, but nobody bothers following them, hence the 'there are no rules' philosophy.

So, in summary, if you ride with that in mind, ride very defensively, then it will be OK. You do need skills though, and they are probably better gained elsewhere before throwing yourself at the mercy of the Thai population.

I don't live in Thailand, but will be in a few months, and have only had experience riding whilst on vacation there, probably 30+ visits over about the same number of years, have never come even close to having an accidnet/incident, so these are just my observations.

Out of curiousity, what does a new bike cost in Thailand now? Honda Wave?? Kymco scooter? Phantom? and any others up to about 200 cc that anybody has knowledge of. Approximate prices are OK and appreciated.

Edited May 29, 2010 by F4UCorsair