Motorcycle Touring In Thailand

[neverdie]

Did they have funny, black, plastic hats on? Those must have been ice cream men then

I don't recall the police wearing those type of hats in Australia.......But i'm not that old...

No the Australian BIB havent worn anything like that since the late eighteen hundreds, early ninteen hundreds. I think it was the South Australian Police that wore a spiked plastic hat with chin strap. A bit before my time

Edited February 3, 2009 by neverdie

[JimsKnight]

Yes <deleted> is a word and why would I need to have you quote silly statistics to me? Your "experienced Thai riders" will include kids that are not yet even teenagers to old people far past the ability to see the road much less react to it. It will also include people pissed to the gills that haven't breathed a sober breath in months etc etc!

What it won't include are very many adult riders on bigger bikes etc.

I ride 100+kms every day and yes I know about the risks .. as does ANY experienced rider anywhere in the world.

It still doesn't negate the fact that one hit from a car at 100km/h + will kill you on a bike.I believe the actual death toll is much higher then published.100 + km/s a day,it's only a matter of time before you have an accident,hopefully it will not be serious.

IF you get hit! And that's a big IF! Mr Negative should be your accolade my friend.

So don't be such a pussycat, that sort of thinking will keep people off bikes and not even take up biking!

One hit at 100kph will not necessarily kill you. If you're armoured to the gills like I and others are you'll stand a fair chance of walking away and looking upon !

I've seen an unarmoured rider (not even a helmet!) walk away with two broken fingers from a smash at that speed!

[neverdie]

Australias first Police force had some hard hats, similar to the UK bobby.

Or howbout a Police Cyclist in 1960:

I'm not sure about the thai cops....I think they were still doing the NO hat thing.

Edited February 3, 2009 by neverdie

[neverdie]

Yes <deleted> is a word and why would I need to have you quote silly statistics to me? Your "experienced Thai riders" will include kids that are not yet even teenagers to old people far past the ability to see the road much less react to it. It will also include people pissed to the gills that haven't breathed a sober breath in months etc etc!

What it won't include are very many adult riders on bigger bikes etc.

I ride 100+kms every day and yes I know about the risks .. as does ANY experienced rider anywhere in the world.

It still doesn't negate the fact that one hit from a car at 100km/h + will kill you on a bike.I believe the actual death toll is much higher then published.100 + km/s a day,it's only a matter of time before you have an accident,hopefully it will not be serious.

IF you get hit! And that's a big IF! Mr Negative should be your accolade my friend.

So don't be such a pussycat, that sort of thinking will keep people off bikes and not even take up biking!

One hit at 100kph will not necessarily kill you. If you're armoured to the gills like I and others are you'll stand a fair chance of walking away and looking upon !

I've seen an unarmoured rider (not even a helmet!) walk away with two broken fingers from a smash at that speed!

On the other side of the agrument JK, I once saw a motorcyclist sitting on a stationary motorcycle killed. He was at the traffic lights, overbalanced & fell sideways, his chest striking a car on the way down, he died instantly with a burst aorta.

I wouldnt want to take a hit at 100km/h OR were you referring to coming off and sliding down a track at 100km/h. For the record I dont want to do that either

[jtp]

Yes <deleted> is a word and why would I need to have you quote silly statistics to me? Your "experienced Thai riders" will include kids that are not yet even teenagers to old people far past the ability to see the road much less react to it. It will also include people pissed to the gills that haven't breathed a sober breath in months etc etc!

What it won't include are very many adult riders on bigger bikes etc.

I ride 100+kms every day and yes I know about the risks .. as does ANY experienced rider anywhere in the world.

It still doesn't negate the fact that one hit from a car at 100km/h + will kill you on a bike.I believe the actual death toll is much higher then published.100 + km/s a day,it's only a matter of time before you have an accident,hopefully it will not be serious.

IF you get hit! And that's a big IF! Mr Negative should be your accolade my friend.

So don't be such a pussycat, that sort of thinking will keep people off bikes and not even take up biking!

One hit at 100kph will not necessarily kill you. If you're armoured to the gills like I and others are you'll stand a fair chance of walking away and looking upon !

I've seen an unarmoured rider (not even a helmet!) walk away with two broken fingers from a smash at that speed!

You have personally seen a rider get hit by a car at 100 km/h and walk away with 2 broken fingers..? I have seen people get hit at 30 km/h and smeered all over the road.... I don't think i will change my user name to "Mr Negative" just yet... But hey,thanks for the suggestion,none the less.

[rideswings]

By the time I am able to finish reading all these posts I will be done with my honeymoon and probably celebrating my golden wedding anniversary.

And yes Tim, Im breaking her in (the new wife) to see how her endurance is. I need to get her a shirt that says on the front, "If you can read this shirt, you had better have more money than my husband." And of course mine would say, "If you can read this shirt, the **** fell off."

Edited February 3, 2009 by rideswings

[Bard]

Lot of input here, however just my 2 cents for Thailand vs Western World.

The main difference in my opinion is you share the road with a ton of very uneducated drivers, I do not fear cars much in Thailand as they are more aware than in the West, in the West people tend to drop into a comfort zone when driving there car and simply do not see you, and there are way less motorbikes on the road than in Thailand so they are not that observant towards them.

From all other vehicles especially small motorbikes, buses and trucks expect the unexpected all the time, keep looking everywhere.

Road hazards is stray dogs who take out a LOT of bikers every year, potholes, sand and oil in the road. Cars parked in blindzones right behind a curve etc.

Rule of thumb

1. Do not drink and drive

2. Stay off the road after dark due to drunken drivers

3. Use high beam when you drive at daylight to make yourself more visible

4. Always keep two fingers on the brake lever

5. Do not drive faster than you can stop within visible range, say you can see 90 meters / 3 = 30 meter stop distance and your bike can do it in e.g 90 km/h then that is your max speed there and then.

6. At U-Turns keep left lane and be aware to emergency stop

7. Keep a bit faster than traffic to avoid a Fortuner chasing your tail.

8. Try to make yourself as visible as possible, bright clothes etc.

9. Something many forgets, adjust your mirrors to have best possible view behind you

10. Use the mirrors all the time, and turn your head to look in the blindzone before changing lanes

Then do not forget to have a lot of fun.

Cheers Bard

[neverdie]

By the time I am able to finish reading all these posts I will be done with my honeymoon and probably celebrating my golden wedding anniversary.

And yes Tim, Im breaking her in (the new wife) to see how her endurance is. I need to get her a shirt that says on the front, "If you can read this shirt, you had better have more money than my husband." And of course mine would say, "If you can read this shirt, the **** fell off."

Rob, I actually saw a shirt similar to that, it said something like, "If you can read this shirt, that b*tch has fallen off again & its time to PARTY!"

I guess that guy wasnt on his honeymoon!

[mc2]

Having riden and driven, i would recommend a car, for the creature comforts. Ring up a few rental companies, often they have cars that need to be moved back to some home base, they are looking for people who can drive them back. Fly up, drive back, or there are companies that allow long distance trips for sure.

[rideswings]

Thanks everyone for all the input.

[HYENA]

QUOTEWith just 16% of the world's cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles, Asia accounts for more than half of the roughly 1.2 million traffic fatalities that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates occur globally every year. More than 600,000 Asians are killed and another 9.4 million are severely injured in traffic accidents annually.

Those statistics make Asia's highways the meanest streets in the world. In Thailand, for example, road accidents are now the third leading cause of death after aids and heart attacks, according to the country's Ministry of Public Health............

Thailand's road safety Operations Center (unofficially known as the "war room") is where the country's authorities are trying to bring the national accident rates down to the level of many Western countries. (With an average of 36 deaths a day, Thailand ranks sixth in the world in road fatalities, according to the WHO.)..........

Yordphol Tanaboriboon, a transportation-engineering professor at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, says one of the few generalizations that can be made is that the high proportion of motorcycles on Thailand's roads (of the country's 26 million registered vehicles, 12 million are two-wheelers; according to Nikorn, there are another 6 million unregistered motorcycles) is linked to a higher death rate. As many as 80% of all fatal accidents in Thailand involve motorcycles,.......

With reporting by Simon Elegant/Kuala Lumpur, Robert Horn/Bangkok, Huang Yong, Kaiser Kuo and Jodi Xu/Beijing, Sara Rajan/New Delhi and Phil Zabriskie/Hanoi

Corruption is the leading cause of death in Thailand. Why? Police are corrupt and do not enforce traffic laws therefore the public acts in a manner as if there were no police and those with money have license to drive as they please.

If rule of law existed and were enforced, drivers would obey laws even when no one was looking (it would become the culture) similar to developed countries (for the most part). This can be said about any country with rampant government/police corruption; it seems the driving habits follow close suit.

I was going to rent a car and drive myself to Roi Et but instead we hired a mafia van at $15 each, no one can beat the bargain and already having paid off the cops, we needn't worry about anything during our journey (even road blocks-he flashes his bribery permit and off he goes). I would not recommend it but if you insist; look on the internet and ask local places. Local connections are always your best bet. Better yet, you could rent it from a friend/relative/anyone who knows someone who knows someone with a nice bike.

Each time I see a post, I don't see many helpful responses, then the responses take on a life of their own (strange, as other forums don't do so like this one)...after a while it becomes a personal contest between two or three long time posters neglecting the original inquiry. Strange phenomenon I've been noticing here (not to mention there's always the same who issue personal attacks).

Keeping on topic and seeing you've been informed, I'd look online or call one of many rental agencies. If they don't' have one, they're surely motivated to find one for you given this is what you see as a pleasurable experience.

I can't generalize all Thai women want to go shopping (strange to assume so). My fiancee doesn't like to shop; it stresses her out seeing money leave her hands every time (even with business purchases we're guaranteed to make a profit on). Not sure what women and shopping have anything to do with an inquiry of where to find a touring bike though....(my earlier point stands).

Anyway, that's what I would do it you're determined to do so. Drive during low traffic hours and remember people will not respect your space on the road (the rule is bigger vehicles have right of way). Pretend everyone is out to get you and wants you dead and drive accordingly (meaning you'll stay far away from other vehicles). I would not enter any cities during high traffic hours in any case. Rule of law simply doesn't exist on the roads. I've been in vehicles who removed other vehicles from the lane if the driver suddenly decided he didn't want that car in his way (cutting them off high speed). Be careful, take some suggestions and have fun.

For me, I get my motorcycle fix by going to my destination and repaying whoever loans me the bike with a full tank of gas and maybe a soda or something small from town to eat or snack on. I stay safe and if i see cars, I pull over and let them go by. Driving in the country is fun and pleasant but I would definitely avoid the cities. Oh, also...wear a full face helmet and long sleeves so they can't see you're farang and you stay protected. Make sure she wants to do the long distance, as well. As you know, touring is a grueling hobby.

Edited February 5, 2009 by HYENA

[jdinasia]

Thanks everyone for all the input.

Glad to see that other actual riders chimed in! Have a safe and fun ride!

[Wong!]

A bit late, but I've only just seen this thread.

Lot's of 'advice' and lots of warnings about the roads and other road users, which is probably valid as safety isn't a major thing here.

Have you thought about going with a tour group. Not all of them are big groups and you get looked after and you don't have to lug all your bags about as they will be in the truck.

Someone mentioned GT Riders as a good source of info and there is an excellent company that does tours in the north of Thailand called Thai Motorcycle Touring. Never used them, but have heard they are pretty good (not lost anyone yet hopefully).

[guzzi850m2]

I will be getting married in march and my fiancee wants to honeymoon for a few days in Chiang Mai, but I want to go to Phuket after that for some sun and water. She currently owns a 125cc Honda, but thats not suitable for long range touring. Is there a place in Thailand that I can rent a bigger bike, maybe 1000 or up thats good for touring? I want to try and avoid buying one because I would not want to keep it. The best bike for the job would be a Goldwing, Harley Ultra, or BMW R or K 1200 with bags and top box.

Also, does anyone have anything bad to say about long range touring? Dangerous? Any pitfalls?

The alternative would be renting a car or taking the bus or plane to Phuket, but to me thats not as much fun.

Many interesting posts on this issue but also some whiners who are better off staying in bed.

I think it would be best for you to rent locally and scooter around on small day trips and take a plane from CM to Phuket. It will be diff. to rent a proper big bike suitable for 2 up touring.

I drive tours with HOG TL (check the web site), and we drive many tours every year and often go 'long range" tours and it is great fun, but as many already has written use extremely caution at all times. BE ALERT

At the major tourist places as Patt. and Phuket you will see many tourists that rent big Jap. performance bikes and some of them are a real danger to everybody as many of them don't even has a MC drivers licence.

Do NOT drive after dark, unless you know the road very well (holes, drunk drivers etc).

[viciouskitty74]

I think it would be best for you to rent locally and scooter around on small day trips and take a plane from CM to Phuket. It will be diff. to rent a proper big bike suitable for 2 up touring.

I second the above.

Changmai to Phuket is no short trip.

Had most of my friends rode from Singapore up to Changmai and beyond, and its not easy. Even when I did the road trip, crammed in the backseat of a twin cab pick up from Phuket to Changrai/Chang Sean/Golden Triangle and thru the mountains.......it was no picnic (Imagine 5 adults, squeezed into a twin cab pickup, and our feet lays 2 poodles......)

Though I am always amazed at how Riders on small bikes are riding thru the cool mountain roads, with specially sewn handguard on their bikes......I will only opt to do the trip alone on my bike and riding in a group.

Friend with his wife as pillion was terribly stressed, and the wife eventually has to ride pillion/passenger on another friends bike. She was also a rider, but thoughout the trip, she is not needed as a spare rider. It helps that on that trip, I was already travelling in a twin cab pickup and was 1 week ahead of them in those regions and regularly sms-sing them to tell them about the weather. There was also two other different group that was riding the same direction as they are/as I was driven.

Do use the little bike for exploring changmai and its surrounding regions. And rent another small bike for riding in Phuket when you both fly there.

[viciouskitty74]

And errm.......you drive on the right side of the road on the left side of the car?

[nuwatmat]

I will be getting married in march and my fiancee wants to honeymoon for a few days in Chiang Mai, but I want to go to Phuket after that for some sun and water. She currently owns a 125cc Honda, but thats not suitable for long range touring. Is there a place in Thailand that I can rent a bigger bike, maybe 1000 or up thats good for touring? I want to try and avoid buying one because I would not want to keep it. The best bike for the job would be a Goldwing, Harley Ultra, or BMW R or K 1200 with bags and top box.

Also, does anyone have anything bad to say about long range touring? Dangerous? Any pitfalls?

The alternative would be renting a car or taking the bus or plane to Phuket, but to me thats not as much fun.

hello fellow biker.

there is a lot of crap aswers here,however motorcykling in thailand is not without risks,i do not know when you are going on this trip personaly i would avoid songkhran.

about choise of bikes,i just came from a 8000 km ride in thailand and laos during two months i have visited all the citys in north east and north thailand,what i discovered was interesting.

1) the need for equipment

i ride bmw motorbikes,big ones i have owned a lot of brands i would never atempt this trip on a harley or a big bmw the last bike was a k1200gt the best touring bike i ever had the pleasure of riding,but in trafick in the city it was to heavy in the front and to much power for thailand the k1200r from last year did allmost 300kmh on the highway in germany impossible in thailand not even on the best roads,you will start loosing grip in about 200.

never had a harley that was suitable for long rides,talking 500km a day.

the biggest highways are very good but a bit bumpy when speeding,you can not wear any kind of heavy duty protection gear except from a good helmet it is just too hot,on this trip we had about 7 kg of luggage the need for clothing is minimal,check in to the hotel and deliver for laundry,3 sets of underware 2 pair of jeans 3pair of shirts is all you need ,things you buy and want to bring home,just go to the post office and send them home,very cheap.

the first strech we used a kawa Dtracker 250cc in laos and part of isaan very reliable but not suitable for long strches about 200km is enough,i traded it in for a new kawa er6n it is not a fancy bike but it sure will do the job.

2) safety

beware of the buffalo hours 1500-1700 lots of buffalos crossing the roads+the buffalo manager and a lot of shit in the road,personaly i dont like the dedicated lane for bikes,people make food there they talk in the phone and you get trafick comming towards you and you get less margin from tractors and cars comming from left.

as you are very light on safety clothes,drive slow use a good helmet with good ventilation,you will get a good one for about 600 dollars,but if you got a 100 dollar head dont worry.

look for the dark/shiny asphalt,that is oil comming up as the road heat up and sweating it is very slippy,make sure you have good tyres michelin pilot are good very soft and good grip.

try to get a pair of mesh shoes with good ventilation do not drive with flip flops.

do not ride with shorts use heavy duty jeans or mesh mc jeans,as for jacket i did not wear one,i brought a bmw riding suit witch i used in january but in feb it was too hot even it was a summer suit.

Do not even think of driving when you are drunk (drunk,not one singha ) the police has now started regular tests of drivers it costs about 5000 bth if you are drunk.

do not drive faster than 120 kmh,the roads are not suitable for mutch faster.

if you are not used to driving in thailand i would try to get a guide for a couple of days so you can get used to it,it is nothing like driving in patong beach or pattaya beach road where they are used to tourists,you will be driving to places where there are no tourists and no big bikes so they are not used to you.

on the road you might find yourself driving behind a pick up truck with a lot of people in it beware of beer bootles and other stuff flying from that truck.

3) police

never had a problem with them,got stopped about 10 times they were very polite and never asked for tea money however i had to show my lisence evry time and papers for the bike,all legal so no problem,sometimes i stopped and asked the police for directions,very helpfull.

No mather what the guy tells you DO NOT DRIVE A GREY REGISTERED OR NON REG BIKE.

i still keep the er6n i thailand it is reday for me evry time i come back,i am planing to buy a couple more for renting out purpose,very reliable and very chep spares

happy driving wish i could join you