On Tour! Today'S Destination: Loei, Thailand!

[RidersCorner]

The Nan region has some of the most fantastic motorcycle roads in Thailand, it's still pretty much unknown to most unless you live and ride in Thailand. We've got the Nan region mapped pretty good and the road and trail data is available on the RideAsia road and off-road gps map, available on ThaiVisa in the link below:

Great report Tony!

Some of the roads you rode shown on our map, zoomed for the Nan region.

We're currently working on a Nan printed map as I type this which will be available before high season.

Edited June 5, 2012 by RidersCorner

[BigBikeBKK]

Map of our route without an ugly watermark in the middle:

Google Maps link: https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Thanon+Mahawong&daddr=bo+klua+to:%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%99.+4016+to:18.9441176,101.0302959+to:Mano&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=18.956948,101.128464&spn=0.526664,1.056747&sll=18.955974,101.068382&sspn=0.263334,0.528374&geocode=FQV_HgEdbMMBBg%3BFVkwJAEdfIoHBikzHpB41tAnMTGAcor6xUYDAw%3BFWTJIQEdOFoIBg%3BFXUQIQEdl5kFBikjzc8QkcEnMTEA71LPxUYDEw%3BFdB8HgEdaMEBBg&mra=dpe&mrsp=3&sz=12&via=3&t=m&z=11

[RidersCorner]

On the subject of riding in the Nan region, Thailand, R 1148 is this area, with its perfect curves, great road surface, spectacular views & light car traffic, is one of the best motorcycling roads in south east Asia.

A friend came up with the idea of creating a R 1148, Nan riding t shirt to commemorate this awesome motorcycling riding road. So they have just been finished this week and will be available through Rider's Corner Bar & Restaurant, Chiang Mai, a Thai Visa sponsor. They are made in 100% cotton, prices start from 350 Bht.

T-Shirts copyright GT-Rider.net/ Golden Triangle Shirts

If you can't get to the restaurant to pick one up, any of the following URL's will take you to the webstore where you can purchase a t shirt:

http://golden-triangle-shirts.net/

http://goldentriangleshirts.com/

http://www.gt-rider.net

http://golden-triangle-shirts.com/

http://goldentriangleshirts.net/

Edited June 5, 2012 by RidersCorner

[wantan]

"I rode the 1148" T-Shirt. Is there also a baseball cap available? What price?

Edited June 5, 2012 by wantan

[BigBikeBKK]

Do you really have to spam my trip report thread with commercial links to your t-shirt business? Is business that bad?

Everyone knows that the real GT-Rider ends in dot com. Nice try though

Edited June 5, 2012 by BigBikeBKK

[RidersCorner]

Trying to source some decent quality hats as we type. It's a brand new concept, seems to be getting a lot of interest.

"I rode the 1148" T-Shirt. Is there also a baseball cap available? What price?

Edited June 5, 2012 by RidersCorner

[MrRed]

I was enjoying this thread as well until a sponsor just totally hijacked it,bang out of order!

[RidersCorner]

There's a lot of new interest in riding the Nan region, this was released to today, brand new Nan riding related product, apologies if it diverted you.

I was enjoying this thread as well until a sponsor just totally hijacked it,bang out of order!

[wantan]

We all should be happy that biking in the north becomes popular for the masses. Maybe we can also get "I rode the 1148" socks in future? I wouldn't mind riding my scooter in Bangkok in shorts, flip-flops showing my great new socks

[RidersCorner]

Socks would be tricky!

We all should be happy that biking in the north becomes popular for the masses. Maybe we can also get "I rode the 1148" socks in future? I wouldn't mind riding my scooter in Bangkok in shorts, flip-flops showing my great new socks

[Travelmate]

Spamming a ride report is such bad sport.

Note to self, not to buy t-shirt.,

[monty1412]

How the hell did a trip report end up in a advertising plug for t-shirts and maps. I think everyone who is interested in maps and other paraphernalia associated with Northern Thailand knows the true and trusted source and as Tony has so succinctly put it ,it ends in .com not .net

RidersCorner keep your commercial plugs out of trip reports. I dont want a ride i went on and throughly enjoyed being sullied by your grubby self promotional crap.

[snowflake]

Hi Tony,

Just to ask, what kind of speeds are you guys traveling at? How long do you guys ride in a day? What kind of fuel consumption do you have? Where do you stay at night?

I am taking my GF on my ER6f in October up there for a bike vacation, NST to around the corner (or should I change the bike first?)

Like the picture of the muddy GSXr, still a lovely bike!!!

[BigBikeBKK]

Hi Tony,

Just to ask, what kind of speeds are you guys traveling at? How long do you guys ride in a day? What kind of fuel consumption do you have? Where do you stay at night?

I am taking my GF on my ER6f in October up there for a bike vacation, NST to around the corner (or should I change the bike first?)

Like the picture of the muddy GSXr, still a lovely bike!!!

We always observe posted speed limits

How far we ride varies a lot depending on road conditions, weather, degree of hangover, etc.

Fuel consumption... no idea really, The Gixxer usually gets about ~200-220 km before the fuel light starts flashing. Beyond that it's not something I really keep track of.

In Loei I usually stay at the King's Hotel. In Nan we usually stay at the Eurngkum Resort, goofy name, but fantastic location, very biker-friendly, excellent value and an absolutely adorable hostess

http://www.eurngkumhotel.com/

If I'm headed to a town where I haven't been before I usually consult the GT-Rider dot COM site for lodging recommendations.

Ninja 650R is a great bike for touring Thailand IMO.

Happy Trails!

Tony

[BigBikeBKK]

Big thanks to all for a fantastic weekend!

The larger the group the more potential for problems yet I have to say this one of the best tours yet!

Not a single accident, mechanical problem or any other problem the entire weekend.

Here's a pic from dinner at the Good View Restaurant in Nan that Franz took on Sunday evening- smiles all around!

I guess the biggest "drama" to report would be Frank's puncture, discovered at the hotel on Sunday morning? Took him all of 15 minutes to go have it plugged and off we went.

[monty1412]

Hi Tony,

Just to ask, what kind of speeds are you guys traveling at? How long do you guys ride in a day? What kind of fuel consumption do you have? Where do you stay at night?

I am taking my GF on my ER6f in October up there for a bike vacation, NST to around the corner (or should I change the bike first?)

Like the picture of the muddy GSXr, still a lovely bike!!!

We always observe posted speed limits

How far we ride varies a lot depending on road conditions, weather, degree of hangover, etc.

Fuel consumption... no idea really, The Gixxer usually gets about ~200-220 km before the fuel light starts flashing. Beyond that it's not something I really keep track of.

In Loei I usually stay at the King's Hotel. In Nan we usually stay at the Eurngkum Resort, goofy name, but fantastic location, very biker-friendly, excellent value and an absolutely adorable hostess

http://www.eurngkumhotel.com/

If I'm headed to a town where I haven't been before I usually consult the GT-Rider dot COM site for lodging recommendations.

Ninja 650R is a great bike for touring Thailand IMO.

Happy Trails!

Tony

Sorry Tony what was that website again.. was it gt-rider dot com... Hate for anyone to get confused and my dear old eyesight just aint what it used to be

[BigBikeBKK]

Here's Route 1333, Part Deux!

At about 1:30 we slow down to marvel over the amazing view from the ridge road- Wow, simply Wow! Hard to keep one's eyes on the road with such stunning views! Watch this video in HD to get a sense for the natural beauty.

The road gets smaller and rougher as we go, you see Frank putting his foot down through a turn (~4:40) as there's a lot of sand and gravel. This road was a bit of work for the fellas on the big sport touring bikes!

We briefly stopped around 6:15 as I think we were all thinking this road might simply disappear into the jungle, but it was a beautiful day and we were all having fun so all agreed to carry on and see where it would lead! Notice that we haven't passed a single vehicle for many miles.

At ~12:30 the rough road is replaced by clean smooth blacktop! Eureka! I think, as I twist the throttle, but just a little bit further, the goat path of a road resumes, and if anything, is even rougher than before!

Stopped a few minutes later to let the rest of the gang catch up and to marvel at the view- looking back the way we've just come:

[drift]

Thanks for the great ride report and the suggestion for for the hotel in Nan. I usually stay at the Grand Mansion but the Eurngkum Resort looks quite a bit better.

[snowflake]

Thanks... Sure always following the speed limit... Haha stupid me for asking.

Good reply...

Sent from my GT-S5660 using Thaivisa Connect App

[Gweiloman]

Tony,

How about posting a sticky about various rides around Thailand, with comments about pros and cons, level of difficulty (whether suitable for beginners or advanced riders only, a bit like grading ski slopes), recommended overnight stops, restaurants etc etc?

Everyone can then post their own observations as well.

[monty1412]

Tony,

How about posting a sticky about various rides around Thailand, with comments about pros and cons, level of difficulty (whether suitable for beginners or advanced riders only, a bit like grading ski slopes), recommended overnight stops, restaurants etc etc?

Everyone can then post their own observations as well.

Gweiloman, not sure I believe there is such a thing as beginners or advanced roads.. rather your degree of attack on any road varies according to your experince. As newbie rider less than 12 months i learnt allot riding with very experienced riders on this trip and managed to keep up and stay with the pack... except for one night when I was late for dinner.. ha.

Rather than sidetrack this whole post with this, PM me if interested and I will share my thoughts with you.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Rooo
Deleted post

[seedy]

Thanks Tony - great trip report as always.

Hope to meet you on the road one day.

[skybluestu]

Tony,

How about posting a sticky about various rides around Thailand, with comments about pros and cons, level of difficulty (whether suitable for beginners or advanced riders only, a bit like grading ski slopes), recommended overnight stops, restaurants etc etc?

Everyone can then post their own observations as well.

Gweiloman, not sure I believe there is such a thing as beginners or advanced roads.. rather your degree of attack on any road varies according to your experince. As newbie rider less than 12 months i learnt allot riding with very experienced riders on this trip and managed to keep up and stay with the pack... except for one night when I was late for dinner.. ha.

Rather than sidetrack this whole post with this, PM me if interested and I will share my thoughts with you.

I agree, all the roads can be enjoyed by riders with different experience and skill levels, you just ride them according to your ability. I often ride with someone more skilled than I am with more experience, a much better bike and bigger balls but we still enjoy the same roads.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Rooo
deleted post

[moe666]

It has been 30 years since I rode a bike getting back in the saddle has been a learning experience. I try to ride up to Doi Sethup every week and I time my ride, last ride was 15min. to the Wat. This is a much better time than the first. The road doesn't matter just your skill and cajones.

Thanks for the report on the tour when I get back in Nov. some good rides here.

[BigBikeBKK]

Thanks guys!

Another vid- this one showing a couple washouts and a landslide on route 1333. What a contrast to the beginning, eh?

Washouts and Landslide on Route 1333, Nan, Thailand. Suzuki GSXR 1000 Bike Cam!

[wantan]

Have to say, of all the forums I frequent, ThaiVisa seems to have the most trolls and weirdos. It is what it is...

Yep, and this is why i ask myself: Why are you posting copies of your reports at TV? Do you like to be surrounded by trolls or is for spreading promotions of websites you have an interest to be successful?

[RidersCorner]

Another great road in the Nan region that hasn't been explored much is R 4001, about 66km north of Nan city, great windy bends with fantastic views.

Map Copyright RideAsia dot net

This is what the road looks like

Edited June 6, 2012 by RidersCorner

[BigBikeBKK]

Some more pics from this weekend's tour. These were taken my Rex, aka Moto-Rex from GT-Rider dot com

The highway 120 dinosaurs!

Happy Trails!

Tony

[Gweiloman]

Tony,

How about posting a sticky about various rides around Thailand, with comments about pros and cons, level of difficulty (whether suitable for beginners or advanced riders only, a bit like grading ski slopes), recommended overnight stops, restaurants etc etc?

Everyone can then post their own observations as well.

Gweiloman, not sure I believe there is such a thing as beginners or advanced roads.. rather your degree of attack on any road varies according to your experince. As newbie rider less than 12 months i learnt allot riding with very experienced riders on this trip and managed to keep up and stay with the pack... except for one night when I was late for dinner.. ha.

Rather than sidetrack this whole post with this, PM me if interested and I will share my thoughts with you.

Too much information

I'm a newbie too and hope that I will be able to join you guys for some rides in the near future.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Rooo
Deleted post

[moe666]

Toney Thanks for the report great pics and info will be heading there next Nov.