Looking To Own My First Real Motorcycle.

[poanoi]

I was told by a wise old man that the word "Carborator" is an old latin word meaning "Don't mess with me" Unfortunately it was a bit too late and God only knows how much money i've been wasting on calibrating that and a bunch of other <deleted>. Try to resist temptation to pour money on yer bike.

If it ain't broken, -don't fix it

[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

respray it

Is this possible or are you fuc_king with me?

[Semper]

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.

but quickly realised the kick start was a pain.

You are not supposed to sit on it. I have a SP and it starts on the first kick everytime.

[hehehoho]

I have a NSR150SP (for sale BTW)

How much? And got a link to an ad with info and pics? I wouldn't mind a weekend plaything for some tracks.

[poanoi]

respray it

Is this possible or are you fuc_king with me?

I re-painted my bike, but the new color could pass as the color stated in the green book, so i didn't have to update the book.

the only modification that i have no reason to regret.

[KRS1]

There's no more maintenence involved with a 2 stroke than any other bike, you just have to fill the autolube 2t oil. I think an NSR would be a great learner bike, only problem is letting go of it when you think you want to upgrade.

For longer trips you'll probably get tired of the loud ongoing sound of the exhaust, plus it will consume about 50% more fuel than a comparable four stroke. But the rush you get when the powerband kicks in is enough to justify it

Pai's up in the mountains so the extra power from a bigger bike makes for a much more relaxed ride. 150cc bike will handle it just fine also, just more gear shifting involved and is a good way to learn about riding a bike in the right gear and how to keep the power up. Many riders depend too much on throttle and forego the art of selecting the right gear and riding the clutch. A 2 stroke is also much more foregiving if you downshift to hard.

IMO i'd dog on a smaller bike, cram the gears , pop the clutch do what you have to do to get the power from it. Then you'll be ready for a bigger bike.

[Gippy]

I have a NSR150SP (for sale BTW)

How much? And got a link to an ad with info and pics? I wouldn't mind a weekend plaything for some tracks.

No ad or recent pics, it's for sale in the village as we have the green book but not in our name.

[hehehoho]

So the green book cannot be transferred? Fine as long as it can be taxed and insured? How much ye selling it for?

[Gippy]

So the green book cannot be transferred? Fine as long as it can be taxed and insured? How much ye selling it for?

I'll send you a PM with some details.

[Semper]

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

Yes , The CBR would be a good choice. Easy to drive, just like a Honda Wave.

[mrclough]

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

Is this possible or are you fuc_king with me?

A little more money and you'll probably be able to pick up the Repsol CBR. No need to respray that way..

[Semper]

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

Is this possible or are you fuc_king with me?

A little more money and you'll probably be able to pick up the Repsol CBR. No need to respray that way..

Just buy the stickers, the Repsols are not painted.

[billd766]

Just the thing for you already in Repsol colours and a bit bigger with a green book.

[thaicbr]

Just the thing for you already in Repsol colours and a bit bigger with a green book.

http://www.thaivisa....92#entry4650592

No disrespect to Billd.. but OP buy a new or near new bike.. old bikes are a drain on funds and a pain in the arse.

[mrclough]

Just the thing for you already in Repsol colours and a bit bigger with a green book.

http://www.thaivisa....92#entry4650592

No disrespect to Billd.. but OP buy a new or near new bike.. old bikes are a drain on funds and a pain in the arse.

I agree but that one looks very nice for the money.

Still think the Repsol CBR 150 would be ideal though.

Edited August 26, 2011 by mrclough

[thaicbr]

Just the thing for you already in Repsol colours and a bit bigger with a green book.

http://www.thaivisa....92#entry4650592

No disrespect to Billd.. but OP buy a new or near new bike.. old bikes are a drain on funds and a pain in the arse.

I agree but that one looks very nice for the money.

Still think the Repsol CBR 150 would be ideal though.

If i was the OP buying now. then i would get either a 2nd hand 2011 Cbr150i or a 2011 Cbr250i. Sure he MAY want a bigger bike in the future but nice solid bikes to learn on.

[KRS1]

Just so the OP knows - CBR 150's are a lot more in Chiang Mai than in Bangkok, about 10-15k more. Because less of them are sold up here.

It's a bit annoying trying to find a fair deal on these bikes in Chiang Mai. Every other bike is the same price as in Bangkok.

[bbradsby]

The NSR is a nimble canyon bike, is fast enough to keep up with and pass traffic on the highways to do cross country, and can thread thru BKK traffic. Theres no better bike for LOS. I've owned litre bikes for years, still have a Ducati back in SF, but here, the NSR is king. YOu can learn on it, work on it easily, commute on it, and track it.

[bbradsby]

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.

I'm seeing NSRs for Bht 25-30k pretty regularly, while CBRs are double that at 50k and up. And you might be right about the CBR being more reliable, but i'd say its likely just based on age alone. The Honda NSR is a very simple, reliable engine. All engines are likely to bite ya if not maintained, or if near their end of life expectancy.

[billd766]

Just the thing for you already in Repsol colours and a bit bigger with a green book.

http://www.thaivisa....92#entry4650592

No disrespect to Billd.. but OP buy a new or near new bike.. old bikes are a drain on funds and a pain in the arse.

I agree but that one looks very nice for the money.

Still think the Repsol CBR 150 would be ideal though.

If i was the OP buying now. then i would get either a 2nd hand 2011 Cbr150i or a 2011 Cbr250i. Sure he MAY want a bigger bike in the future but nice solid bikes to learn on.

I just happened to see the ad a few lines further down the page.

I bought a 1994 Yamaha Virago for 50k with a green book and so far it hasn't cost me too much and my arse has less pain at the end of the ride than my Honda Phantom.

The Phantom is a good reliable slogging workhorse and mine only died on me once in 2 years with a faulty spark plug in 30,000 km. Just runs on forever and can be fixed almost anywhere but down a bit on warp factor speeds.

[khaowong1]

Wow, you are in the wrong country to learn how to drive a motorcycle... Good Luck...

[djvolak]

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.

Yes to that it was easy and in Bangkok they even had bikes and cars to rent there to use for the driving portions of the test. The written test was done on a computer and you just kept taking it till you passed. The motorcycle driving test was harder than the car test as you actually had to do a road course set up in the lot of the place and they made you drive like 25 meters on a curb without putting your feet down then around a road like course with Rail road crossings and stop signs and all. The car test the just had me back into a parrallel parking spot of cones and then pull out and pull up to a curb and that was it. They wanted to see how close you got to the curb. I do not think you can get either one with the tourist visa though. I think you have to have the residence thing from the embassy a physical, you can take there by the testing facility, and they want to see your drivers liscence from your country too. Hope that helps.

[Milo]

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?

2-Stroke's are certainly easier to work on, and tune. Less things for previous owners to have screwed up too...

However, do you want to be working on it, or riding it? You'll find spares take an age to arrive, and half the time it's the same price if you do it or they do.

150cc will be fine for Pai, even the entire MHS Loop. You'll find it a bit 'buzzy' on longer M'way journeys though, hands & fingers start to go numb after awhile. The saddles aren't up to much either, might as well stay on the scoot. This is the problem with wanting something bigger, you'll ever likely out-grow these 'interim' bikes in a matter of weeks.

If you've been riding daily for 6months and feel totally confident on 2wheels I see no reason why you shouldn't go straight to an ER6, just take it steady to start with, keeping an eye on your speedo. Acceleration's great until it catches you out!

The ER's are considered a "learner's" bike in the west because they ARE so tractable. Loads of torque low down, very little chance of it 'running away' with you as a 1,000cc sportsbike or even a 100cc 'Crosser can. As long as you respect the bike & its capabilities you'll come to no harm, you don't HAVE to ride like a man possessed!!

I figure more power's often safer, you're able to pay attention rather than being distracted trying to wring the nuts off a smaller bike. Intently watching that rev counter rise eking the last 50RPM before changing up...oops...hairpin...hospital if you're lucky.

You're in Cm, there are LOADS of rental shops, why not try a few different bikes out first, see what suits you best, few blasts up Doi Suthep there? I fully understand these guys erring on the side of caution (and sound advice it is too), not wishing you to be thanking them from a hospital bed but be honest fellas, how many of you took the 'baby steps' route? Buying 2nd-hand in Thailand, you're likely to get burned, the more steps, the more chance of buying an absolute minger.

As thaicbr says, good riding gear's most important, I'll add buy this first then see how much you've got left for the bike. www.pandarider.com will give you some idea of what you ought to be spending. That's just knocked a hole in your 170k!

Whatever you decide I wish you the very best, enjoy!

[mrclough]

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?

2-Stroke's are certainly easier to work on, and tune. Less things for previous owners to have screwed up too...

However, do you want to be working on it, or riding it? You'll find spares take an age to arrive, and half the time it's the same price if you do it or they do.

150cc will be fine for Pai, even the entire MHS Loop. You'll find it a bit 'buzzy' on longer M'way journeys though, hands & fingers start to go numb after awhile. The saddles aren't up to much either, might as well stay on the scoot. This is the problem with wanting something bigger, you'll ever likely out-grow these 'interim' bikes in a matter of weeks.

If you've been riding daily for 6months and feel totally confident on 2wheels I see no reason why you shouldn't go straight to an ER6, just take it steady to start with, keeping an eye on your speedo. Acceleration's great until it catches you out!

The ER's are considered a "learner's" bike in the west because they ARE so tractable. Loads of torque low down, very little chance of it 'running away' with you as a 1,000cc sportsbike or even a 100cc 'Crosser can. As long as you respect the bike & its capabilities you'll come to no harm, you don't HAVE to ride like a man possessed!!

I figure more power's often safer, you're able to pay attention rather than being distracted trying to wring the nuts off a smaller bike. Intently watching that rev counter rise eking the last 50RPM before changing up...oops...hairpin...hospital if you're lucky.

You're in Cm, there are LOADS of rental shops, why not try a few different bikes out first, see what suits you best, few blasts up Doi Suthep there? I fully understand these guys erring on the side of caution (and sound advice it is too), not wishing you to be thanking them from a hospital bed but be honest fellas, how many of you took the 'baby steps' route? Buying 2nd-hand in Thailand, you're likely to get burned, the more steps, the more chance of buying an absolute minger.

As thaicbr says, good riding gear's most important, I'll add buy this first then see how much you've got left for the bike. www.pandarider.com will give you some idea of what you ought to be spending. That's just knocked a hole in your 170k!

Whatever you decide I wish you the very best, enjoy!

Erm .... Me!

I wend from a CBR 150 to Ninja 250 to my Versys in about 18 months.

Yes I've spent a lot but it hasn't cost me any hospital time either.

It is a matter of opinion, ability and confidence at the end of the day.

Most of the people I know and consider to be good riders are experienced and worked up from small bikes to bigger machines. Some have come back down in engine size as well and almost all still own & ride smaller engined bikes.

Not too sure about the laws regarding learning around the world but it's only quite recent in the UK that you could just do a test and jump on anything (possibly restricted if under 21).

[mrclough]

Wow, you are in the wrong country to learn how to drive a motorcycle... Good Luck...

Why?

Surely if he can ride here then most other places will be easy

[alexpoker]

First of all I want to thank everyone for your feedback. Its helped me a lot. I still havent decided what to do yet. Altho I have tightened my budget a lot and would prefer to just get a cheap bike instead of paying 80k+ for a 250. Its not TOTALLY off the table tho, depending on my experience renting a 150cc.

Today I went down to the local motorcycle place and rented an old busted 150cc CBR. It was smaller than the newest 150CBR they had in the shop so I figure its quite old.

It was quite funny because I rented it and handed in my passport but because I didnt know how to drive my friend had to drive on it. The motorcycle ppl looked at us curiously as we drove off

He explained the basics and it wasnt difficult till I had to hang of it( I have a car license).

I started out on the really small sois to get more chances to shift gears and use the clutch. Except for the first gears, I never really had a count on what gear I was in, but was shifting up and down by listening to the revs. Is this a bad thing?

Later i drove around the moat a little and off towards Doi Suthep before turning back on Huay Kaew Road and coming home after about 45-60 min of driving around. I saw one guy on a white CBR250. We exchanged glances and I already felt we had a slight bond even tho I dont own my own bike yet hah.

I dont know if my speedometer was broken or what, but even tho it felt like I was going fast the speedometer didnt agree.

I feel somewhat comfortable while driving outta standstill, and quite comfortable while just driving along. Not that comfortable at higher speeds.

Ive rented this bike for 3 days. I dont think I will rent a 250 just yet. A 150cc feels quite good for Chiang Mai., but it would suck if later on I cant go more than 100 km/h when im more experienced.

I saw this NSR SP Repsol for sale on a site for 38k. Its supposedly has extra mods for 20k. I really loved the look of that bike(colors lol). I only have a Kawasaki Ninja or new CBR150 to compare with sizewise, as these are the only bikes Ive seen live. If its anything like the CBR150 then the size is fine for me - But we will see

Ill keep you posted.

[RED21]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but the newer and fatter CBR150 feels like an "easier" ride compared to the older slimmer model. It just feels more stable on the go... BTW before writing this, I just spent around 6 hours riding around Chiang Mai today, so it might just be me.:jap: The Chiang Mai-Lamphun Rd. was all clear at noon.

Edited August 29, 2011 by RED21

[alexpoker]

yea. Just did some work. Now heading out to Doi Suthep before it gets dark

[KRS1]

First of all I want to thank everyone for your feedback. Its helped me a lot. I still havent decided what to do yet. Altho I have tightened my budget a lot and would prefer to just get a cheap bike instead of paying 80k+ for a 250. Its not TOTALLY off the table tho, depending on my experience renting a 150cc.

Today I went down to the local motorcycle place and rented an old busted 150cc CBR. It was smaller than the newest 150CBR they had in the shop so I figure its quite old.

It was quite funny because I rented it and handed in my passport but because I didnt know how to drive my friend had to drive on it. The motorcycle ppl looked at us curiously as we drove off

He explained the basics and it wasnt difficult till I had to hang of it( I have a car license).

I started out on the really small sois to get more chances to shift gears and use the clutch. Except for the first gears, I never really had a count on what gear I was in, but was shifting up and down by listening to the revs. Is this a bad thing?

Later i drove around the moat a little and off towards Doi Suthep before turning back on Huay Kaew Road and coming home after about 45-60 min of driving around. I saw one guy on a white CBR250. We exchanged glances and I already felt we had a slight bond even tho I dont own my own bike yet hah.

I dont know if my speedometer was broken or what, but even tho it felt like I was going fast the speedometer didnt agree.

I feel somewhat comfortable while driving outta standstill, and quite comfortable while just driving along. Not that comfortable at higher speeds.

Ive rented this bike for 3 days. I dont think I will rent a 250 just yet. A 150cc feels quite good for Chiang Mai., but it would suck if later on I cant go more than 100 km/h when im more experienced.

I saw this NSR SP Repsol for sale on a site for 38k. Its supposedly has extra mods for 20k. I really loved the look of that bike(colors lol). I only have a Kawasaki Ninja or new CBR150 to compare with sizewise, as these are the only bikes Ive seen live. If its anything like the CBR150 then the size is fine for me - But we will see

Ill keep you posted.

Nope nothing wrong with that, shifting by sound and the feeling of acceleration is the proper way to shift. Some shift by looking at the tachometer, but will always be slowwww.

I think i probably rented that same bike last year, did you get the blue, yellow, or repsol colored one? Chain broke on me last year going up Doi Suthep...lol

A well running CBR 150 is well capable of going over 100kph. (those rentals are not well running !)

[alexpoker]

I got the blue one. But I didnt get it from that place near KSK. I got it from this local rental shop just south 100m from Chiang Mai gate.

I gotta say after an hours riding your wrist starts to become strained. Need to get used to riding.

Doi Suthep was fun today but a little scary riding downhill. A thai guy on a scooter even passed me