Looking To Own My First Real Motorcycle.

[alexpoker]

Hi all,

Im currently residing in Chiang Mai and have thought about learning how to drive a big motorcycle and buyin my very first one. So I have a couple of questions for you good folks.

- How expensive are lessons and a license? and how fast could I get one?

- What kinda bike should I be looking to buy if I want to use it mostly for driving in Urban areas but also take the occasional trip to Pai. I might do a longer trip later on as well. Im not looking to spend more than 170k baht. But how about getting a dirt cheap used bike for like 20-30k to begin with to see how I like it?

- Im looking at all these sportsbikes and they look really cool. I might start out with that even tho its not really ideal for going on long trips. Friend is suggesting something like the Kawasaki Ninja with 250cc.

All comments welcome.

Alex

[Semper]

Alex, I've read your previous posts and would recommend a Honda Wave or the like, so you get used to the "driving rules" in Thailand before you start with the bigger bikes.

[thaicbr]

SO you have never ridden a big bike. and you want to buy one here in Thailand?

Ok. well Honda do a basic licence training course. then once you have done that you can do the big bike course. Then you would at least be in a better position to stay alive.

Don't forget your protective gear. helmet, jacket and gloves, budget at least 10,000b for this (possible a lot more)

As far as i'm aware these courses are only available in BKK.

PS: Maybe think about a CBR150 for now about 65,000b 2nd hand with good resale.

Edited August 24, 2011 by thaicbr

[alexpoker]

Ive ben driving a scooter around in Chiang Mai for the past 6 months btw. Just want to upgrade so I can go on longer trips if I want to.

how much would it cost to get a big bike license here in Chiang Mai? Would I need residency? Im here on a tourist visa.

[KRS1]

Hi, im in cnx. A cbr 150 would be perfect for cnx. The Ninja would also be great, you can find a good used one for 85-115k baht, and a cbr 250 for similar price.

The license only takes a day, but you'll have to find a place to practice first. There's a place on Huay Kaew road before the Nimanheimin intersection on your left going towards Doi Suthep that rents bikes and you can take the back road to get to a cerrtain spot to practice off of canal road. Its a big empty parking lot right across from Tawan Daeng pub, off of canal road if you take the main road.

I recommend renting from this place because you can take the back way to practice at the parking lot i spoke of. If you google 'Empire Residence' the parking lot is on that soi off of Nimanheimin road, at the very end where it intersects canal road. This is probably the best place in all of cnx to practice safely.

[Semper]

Ive ben driving a scooter around in Chiang Mai for the past 6 months btw. Just want to upgrade so I can go on longer trips if I want to.

how much would it cost to get a big bike license here in Chiang Mai? Would I need residency? Im here on a tourist visa.

Ive ben driving a scooter around in Chiang Mai for the past 6 months

Without a license obviously.

[ttakata]

When you get your license at the DLT, I'm sure you'll be expected to do a riding course with your own bike.

It would be easiest to do this with your scooter since its small and agile.

Since you've ridden around for 6 months I think a 250 might be good for you.

Consider the KLX250 or D-Tracker as well since you can swap their purpose from on to off road with a second wheelset.

Do a search, there are a lot of other threads on getting licenses and buying bikes.

[KRS1]

Ive ben driving a scooter around in Chiang Mai for the past 6 months btw. Just want to upgrade so I can go on longer trips if I want to.

how much would it cost to get a big bike license here in Chiang Mai? Would I need residency? Im here on a tourist visa.

I think you would need residency to transfer ownership, your alternative is to buy a secondhand bike previously belonging to a thai and make sure all the paperwork is in order and when it comes time to sell you wont have any issues.

Maybe someone can reverify the residency issue.

Edited August 24, 2011 by KRS1

[CMX]

Ive ben driving a scooter around in Chiang Mai for the past 6 months btw. Just want to upgrade so I can go on longer trips if I want to.

how much would it cost to get a big bike license here in Chiang Mai? Would I need residency? Im here on a tourist visa.

I think you would need residency to transfer ownership, your alternative is to buy a secondhand bike previously belonging to a thai and make sure all the paperwork is in order and when it comes time to sell you wont have any issues.

Maybe someone can reverify the residency issue.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OP

Under Thai law, you cannot purchase a vehicle with a tourist visa. This is an entirely different can of worms, and you might better pursue the issue by searching the forums, particularly with regard to visa issues.

The same is true regarding a Thai driving license - you need a letter of residency from immigration. The rigour with which these regulations are pursued, the details of proof in each province and from office to office is sometimes an issue for Thai Visa contributors. But the law requires that ultimately you will need a letter of residency from Immigration in order to own a bike or get a Thai motorcycle license, and that depends upon a non-tourist visa.

Incidentally, if one holds an 'International' driver's license that notes a motorcycle endorsement, issued in the home country, the Thai license (assuming that one has a residence or business visa and a letter of residence) is all but a simple transfer - no writing or riding test. Some say that an English language license is as good, provided that it shows the motorcycle endorsement.

Edited August 24, 2011 by CMX

[wana]

you dont need an awful lot in some shops to buy a bike

some have been satisfied with only a photo- copy of my apartment contract or electricity bill + copy of passport or thai driving licence

other shops have bee a rite pain in the nutsack and said they cant sell to farangs so id have to bring my gf down and put it in her name ,or they can sell it but you need a letter from the embasssy to prove your address and a long term visa and a work permit

i think it depends on the shop really and the relationship they have with the DLT

i once got my number plate and registration within a couple of days after buying a new bike for an extra charge of 200 or 400 thb for someone in the office so it could be bumped to the front to the queue because i didnt fancy driving without plates for 4-8 weeks but i wouldnt care about that now since everyone seems to do it and the police dont seem to mind no plates if the bike looks new

[thrilled]

If your talking about traveling to pai or even further you'll want around A 250cc are something even bigger.

[snowflake]

a cbr 250 Will be very nice for you... Easy too ride and get used to, it is also very forgiving:-) i love my cbr but i need something faster and bigger:-)

[dave_boo]

Your thoughts about getting a used bike are sound; the general consensus is not if you will end up dropping your bike, but when. Having said that I think you'll be hard pressed to find a used bike in your price range (20K THB) that is not ratted out. Perhaps you could find a decent Sonic. That's actually not a bad idea as you could learn about clutches and controls being in the proper place and yet still be on a familiar bike before you move on.

If you are looking to upgrade beyond that, I would first look at the older generation CBR. They, as mentioned earlier, retain their value surprisingly well. You should be able to recoup like +80% of what you bought it for rather easily. Once you get the hang of riding a proper bike (as proper as a 150cc single can be anyways), and your budget is still holding, go ahead and get a used ER-6*. Either one can be found for about what you want to pay if you look around.

The D-Tracker and KLX-250 are good suggestions, but I've been watching the classifieds and they don't seem to lose much value. If you were to start off with one of those and quickly outgrow it, you than have to find a buyer. Perhaps you could get a nice chunk of your investment back but considering you're easily going to blow the majority of your budget on a new one, and probably 2/3 of it on a used one, I wouldn't recommend it.

[TongueThaied]

I only have a comment about "big" vs "little." This topic has come up quite often and I cannot for the life of me understand why the advice always seems to be to start small. My first legal street bike was a 1969 Harley Sportster 900cc, back in the day when you could get leaded 100 octane fuel. It was a pretty hot machine for the time.

Now I ride a Kawasaki 650cc ER6n. It is the biggest bike you can legally buy here right now without paying huge import duty and taxes (along with Ninja and Versys). This bike is considered a "starter" or "womens" bike in the US. It is only a "Big Bike" in Thailand. When I ride my father-in law's 110cc Honda Wave, the damned thing feels shaky and dangerous. In the west, this motorcycle would practically be considered to be a toy. Because stability is achieved by the gyroscopic effect of the spinning wheels, heavy wheels mean greater stability. A bigger bike is only more difficult to keep upright when stationary. A little girl can ride a liter bike if she can touch the ground with one foot.

If you truly will never go beyond a resonably small radius from home, by all means, get the 250 and save some gas. Or the Wave for just around the city. But if you want versatility and might someday want to take a ride to Nan, Chiangrai or even Bangkok, why not get something comfortable for such a trip? You can save money on a smaller bike, but you haven't saved anything if you replace it a couplfe of times. I have seen people go from a 110 cc to a 250, then to a 650. Where is the savings with a plan like that? If it wasn't for the greater cost because of the import factor, I'd say go to a full liter bike. There are members that warn against that, too, because of the ungodly power. Just learn to control the throttle. Just because a bike will pop wheelies in all six gears and go from 0 to 300 in 6.2 seconds, doesn't mean you have to ride that way.

My two cents.

[wana]

i wouldnt advise anyone to start on a litre bike ,no matter how much cash he has

too many things can go wrong and more often than not , they will

a 1000cc sports bike is just too much power for the average young inexperienced rider

i dont drive one myself,not because i cant afford it ,but because id be tempted to go a bit faster on it

and on thai roads thats just a disaster waiting to happen

if hes never driven a bike before ,even a cbr 250 or a ninja 250 is plenty quick to get in trouble on never mind an er6n .......

Edited August 25, 2011 by wana

[Shocktreatment]

Got straight out and by a cheap ER6 like every other born again wanabe big bike own does

No but joking aside, they easy to ride any will save you having to buy a bigger bike in a few months time.

[mrclough]

I only have a comment about "big" vs "little." This topic has come up quite often and I cannot for the life of me understand why the advice always seems to be to start small. My first legal street bike was a 1969 Harley Sportster 900cc, back in the day when you could get leaded 100 octane fuel. It was a pretty hot machine for the time.

Now I ride a Kawasaki 650cc ER6n. It is the biggest bike you can legally buy here right now without paying huge import duty and taxes (along with Ninja and Versys). This bike is considered a "starter" or "womens" bike in the US. It is only a "Big Bike" in Thailand. When I ride my father-in law's 110cc Honda Wave, the damned thing feels shaky and dangerous. In the west, this motorcycle would practically be considered to be a toy. Because stability is achieved by the gyroscopic effect of the spinning wheels, heavy wheels mean greater stability. A bigger bike is only more difficult to keep upright when stationary. A little girl can ride a liter bike if she can touch the ground with one foot.

If you truly will never go beyond a resonably small radius from home, by all means, get the 250 and save some gas. Or the Wave for just around the city. But if you want versatility and might someday want to take a ride to Nan, Chiangrai or even Bangkok, why not get something comfortable for such a trip? You can save money on a smaller bike, but you haven't saved anything if you replace it a couplfe of times. I have seen people go from a 110 cc to a 250, then to a 650. Where is the savings with a plan like that? If it wasn't for the greater cost because of the import factor, I'd say go to a full liter bike. There are members that warn against that, too, because of the ungodly power. Just learn to control the throttle. Just because a bike will pop wheelies in all six gears and go from 0 to 300 in 6.2 seconds, doesn't mean you have to ride that way.

My two cents.

I must agree with some parts of what you said but the parts highlighted in my opinion may not be applicable in this case.

The op has stated he has only ridden a scooter for 6 months. It is quite possible that jumping from a scooter to a 1000cc may be seen as a challenge he is uncomfortable with and considers moving up in stages to be a safer way to do things.

I don't believe for a minute that when you jumped on your Harley the first time you weren't tempted to open it up and let it rip, not unless you'd been driving other stuff illegally for a while before hand.

Going from a scooter to 1000cc then being tempted to let it rip would end up in R.I.P.

Also if the OP were to jump straight to 1000cc it would most likely end up in accidents / crashes costing much more to repair / replace. Where is the savings with a plan like that?

It is as always a matter of opinion and for the person involved a matter of experience & confidence combined with finances. In this case i would say the OP is doing the right thing for them, seems like they have a logical progression plan worked out.

As far as the comment about him driving around without a license goes, what makes you presume such a thing?

The fact that he want's to apply for a Thai license?

Maybe he has an international driving license? If he is on a tourist visa then this is fine which means not driving illegally for the last six months.

Give him a break, he's trying to do the right thing and do it correctly.

How many on here have drove without a Thai license for longer than allowed? I would guess more than ought to have.

To the OP, I think you have a good plan. Stick to your idea and good luck with it.

Edited August 25, 2011 by mrclough

[thaicbr]

I only have a comment about "big" vs "little." This topic has come up quite often and I cannot for the life of me understand why the advice always seems to be to start small. My first legal street bike was a 1969 Harley Sportster 900cc, back in the day when you could get leaded 100 octane fuel. It was a pretty hot machine for the time.

Now I ride a Kawasaki 650cc ER6n. It is the biggest bike you can legally buy here right now without paying huge import duty and taxes (along with Ninja and Versys). This bike is considered a "starter" or "womens" bike in the US. It is only a "Big Bike" in Thailand. When I ride my father-in law's 110cc Honda Wave, the damned thing feels shaky and dangerous. In the west, this motorcycle would practically be considered to be a toy. Because stability is achieved by the gyroscopic effect of the spinning wheels, heavy wheels mean greater stability. A bigger bike is only more difficult to keep upright when stationary. A little girl can ride a liter bike if she can touch the ground with one foot.

If you truly will never go beyond a resonably small radius from home, by all means, get the 250 and save some gas. Or the Wave for just around the city. But if you want versatility and might someday want to take a ride to Nan, Chiangrai or even Bangkok, why not get something comfortable for such a trip? You can save money on a smaller bike, but you haven't saved anything if you replace it a couplfe of times. I have seen people go from a 110 cc to a 250, then to a 650. Where is the savings with a plan like that? If it wasn't for the greater cost because of the import factor, I'd say go to a full liter bike. There are members that warn against that, too, because of the ungodly power. Just learn to control the throttle. Just because a bike will pop wheelies in all six gears and go from 0 to 300 in 6.2 seconds, doesn't mean you have to ride that way.

My two cents.

yer. get a Hayabusa. perfect learning bike......When will some people realise we aint in the land of the free

[hehehoho]

I'd buy a CBR150 or 250 to start with for a year, then move up to one of the kawa 650s if you so desire.

For ownership I believe either:

Non-Imm visa and Work Permit.

Or

Non-Imm Visa and Certificate of Residence (very easy to get from most embassies)

Is needed for an Alien to register a vehicle.

Driving License should take about a day, and is cheap and easy.

Edited August 25, 2011 by hehehoho

[poanoi]

I bought at least a couple of bikes on a entry visa 30 days, i took thai driving license on that too.

What was required was i had 3 weeks left on a visa to do it,

so it was a bit of timing when i went to Cambodia border each month.

There is no difference in driving license between scooter & big bike, it's just 1 MC license,

if you wish to have a 5 year driving license as oppose to 1 year driving license,

you'll need a 1 year visa when you do it, this was the reason i did a ED visa.

[wana]

yes ,there is no differnce in a 100cc automatic scooter and a 1300 cc hayabusa turbo as far as the thai driving test is concerned ,its the same vehicle

standard 100 thb motor-sai licence is all u need and ur "licenced" to drive anything u can afford on 2 wheels

[mrclough]

I bought at least a couple of bikes on a entry visa 30 days, i took thai driving license on that too.

What was required was i had 3 weeks left on a visa to do it,

so it was a bit of timing when i went to Cambodia border each month.

There is no difference in driving license between scooter & big bike, it's just 1 MC license,

if you wish to have a 5 year driving license as oppose to 1 year driving license,

you'll need a 1 year visa when you do it, this was the reason i did a ED visa.

I assume this was after you had the 1 year license and it expired which at that stage you renew it for the 5 year one?

[wana]

(removed error double post )

Edited August 25, 2011 by wana

[billd766]

A few years ago when I lived in the UK (I used to ride a Honda CX 500) you needed to pass your test on something like a 150 after which you could ride anything.

A young man did that, passed his test in the morning and bought a litre bike after lunch.

Unfortunately in trying to prove how good he was he never made it home, only to the morgue. It took him less than an hour to do it.

I am not saying this will happen to you, but anybody taking his first bike as a litre or more bike has a much higher chance of killing himself than if he were on a 150 or 250.

Start smaller and grow bigger.

I had a 200 cc Honda Phantom for the last 2 years in Thailand and went to a 535 Yamaha Virago in May.

I have nothing to prove to anyone how good or bad a rider I am.

Last month I went up to Chiang Mai and on a nice twisty bit of road in first gear on a hairpin I opened the throttle a bit too much and got dumped of the bike at about 15 kph.

Fortunately only my pride was damaged and nobody was behind me to run me over but it is a lesson I learned once again.

There are old bikers and bold bikers but very few old, bold bikers.

Be sure, be safe, be careful and you too can be an old biker.

Safe biking.

Edited August 25, 2011 by billd766

[alexpoker]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I think Im gonna start out with a Honda NSR 150 SP. It looks really cool and also is very cheap.

But first I gotta learn how to ride and then get a license

I read that the NSR needs more maintenance because its a 2 stroke( i have no clue what that means), but Im ok with that, cuz then Ill get to know the bike more. I dont have a problem getting my hands dirty working on something I will hope to love

Someone suggested that a 150cc would not be good for e.g. going to Pai or longer trips. Why is that?

[visions]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I think Im gonna start out with a Honda NSR 150 SP. It looks really cool and also is very cheap.

But first I gotta learn how to ride and then get a license

I read that the NSR needs more maintenance because its a 2 stroke( i have no clue what that means), but Im ok with that, cuz then Ill get to know the bike more. I dont have a problem getting my hands dirty working on something I will hope to love

Someone suggested that a 150cc would not be good for e.g. going to Pai or longer trips. Why is that?

I did several 600km trips 6.5hrs to 7 hrs on a CBR150 and except for gas stops where I didnt get off the bike, it was non stop. I did the same trip several times on a CBR600 and shaved only 30 minutes off the time. Of course I could have gone much faster on the bigger bike...but i wanted to get home on the bike...not in a coffin.

I would be very sceptical about doing the same trip on an NSR 2 smoker. Unless in perfect condition you may find you have a forced stay somewhere along the way to rebuild the engine. (my opinion) I looked at getting an NSR150, but quickly realised the kick start was a pain....and unless you rev it like hell there is less performance than the CBR150 and use twice the gas plus oil.....a no brainer for a CBR150 unless you are passionate about working on bike maintenance.

You would be paying 20000 to 25000 B for a good NSR150 An older model CBR150 (which is still newer than the NSR) can be picked up for around 25000 to 30000B

A poor condition CBR would be a safer buy than a "maybe" good condition NSR for a newbie rider that doesnt know the difference between a 2 stroke and 4 stroke.

[mrclough]

Just be a little wary of a lot of the NSR's as they are all old bikes now. I've seen some for sale close to the price you could pick up a CBR 150 for. The NSR will have more power and be faster but they can be more temperamental.

My neighbour is trying to sell a NSR at the moment for his friend who is back in America. The guy has dumped stupid amounts of money into it and is now struggling as he can't get the money back he's put into it. I suppose that's the same with most bikes though.

The only major downside to a NSR you may find is the running costs compared to a 4 stroke machine. They drink more oil & fuel ..... a lot more!

I think you would find the suggestions of CBR 150 / 250 or Ninja 250 a better option than the NSR 150. Maybe a little more expensive but worth the extra money.

[Gippy]

I have a NSR150SP (for sale BTW), but I would recommend that you get a CBR150 instead. It will use less oil and gas, the power delivery will be more beginner friendly and it probably has some power at low revs. The NSR is pretty dead until the power kicks in at 7,000 - 8,000 rpm and mine is generally a bit grumpy at low revs and anything less than half to three quarters throttle. Of course it could just an engine or carb rebuild, again...

[alexpoker]

Hmm.. seems like CBR150 is the way to go. If I can get it for the same price I guess its a no brainer to get that instead. Too bad cuz I was loving the colors on the Repsol verion

[thaicbr]

Hmm.. seems like CBR150 is the way to go. If I can get it for the same price I guess its a no brainer to get that instead. Too bad cuz I was loving the colors on the Repsol verion

respray it