Motorbike riding schools.

[hansgruber]

Is there such a service in Phuket?

If so, where?

I've looked and asked and still yet to find such a place.

[NomadJoe]

No, none.

Having ridden on the island for 12 years, actually learned to ride here, then having taken the basic and experienced rider courses back home, this is a business I have looked into starting here for both big bikes and little bikes. But I could not find a non-Thai accreditation agency willing to endorse a school in Phuket. I wanted to start an MSF school here (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) but they only operate through Harley Davidson dealers here. In Bangkok AP Honda, Yamaha and Red Baron, and Highside Tours have schools. In fact with at least some of these schools you can skip the driving test at the LTD. You may also want to check with BM SumetCycle. Brian owns a Honda shop in Bangkok. I would also check with the people at the new Honda Bigwing showroom in Phuket town. If anyone is doing a course in Phuket it would be them. Maybe Kawasaki too.

[hansgruber]

Thanks for the detailed reply.

Sounds like a lucrative business opportunity if one could get it off the ground and the island roads would probably see less accidents.

My wife wants to learn having never ridden a bike (strange I know being Thai) and my patience for teaching is non existing.

I guess all the people in Thailand learn from elders. Hand down the art of bike riding through the generations or the art will be lost.

[Pinot]

You're on your own with learning to ride a bike. I was scared when I first started riding and rightfully so. Riding a bike is dangerous. I dumped it in the first month. Hang out at any emergency room here and you'll see the carnage.

A tourist coming to Thailand with no motorbike experience should never rent a motorbike here.

I know the tuk tuks are expensive and bikes are cheap but chances are you're going down in a motorbike and it's just not worth it, renting a scooter.

I could list the reasons why it's not a good idea to rent a motorbike but that's another thread. Stay off of motorbikes.

Pavement is very very hard.

[Guest]

What is there to learn in schools? Riding a bicycle or motorbike or car is not rocket science.

There are some simple rules to follow (less here). It's more about reading or predicting how other people in the streets behave. That knowledge comes mainly from practise and then it's cemented to our backbones.

[hansgruber]

What's to learn? Surely you jest.

Thanks for the reply Nomad, the thread should have died with your reply.

[Guest]

What's to learn? Surely you jest.

Not exactly. I like to doubt waste of time and effort to gain some sort of paper certification when those are not really needed.

Back in my home country getting motorbike licence would take few months and cost 100.000B. In Singapore this would take couple of years, depending of the size of the bike.

When youngsters have learned to ride a bicycle, what is there to learn to ride a scooter or motorbike?

[NomadJoe]

What is there to learn in schools? Riding a bicycle or motorbike or car is not rocket science.

There are some simple rules to follow (less here). It's more about reading or predicting how other people in the streets behave. That knowledge comes mainly from practise and then it's cemented to our backbones.

It took me probably 3-4 years of riding in Thailand, first on scooters then on larger clutch bikes before I felt like I "knew how to ride in Thialand", and that includes the beginner and experienced rider courses I took back home. I am still learning everyday.

I think the question can be broken into to parts. Learning how to ride a "scooter" motorbike vs learning how to ride a more powerful clutch bike. The latter is more difficult as you must also master the skills needed for the prior.

In my mind there are two parts to riding here. There is reading the road and anticipating where the threats come from, then there is bike control. You need both to survive here. Anticipating where the threats come from is a skill you can learn on any bike, but it takes time and is hard to teach. It requires experience. But bike control is also important. That you can teach. Most tourists don't have experience in either. So when they fail to anticipate a threat, or just as often, perceive a threat where there is none, they react just as they do in a car. Swerve and brake. The result is obvious as no one has ever explained the concept of "straight line braking."

A dive instructor friend of mine recently got her motorcycle license back in the UK after riding and crashing little bikes here with regularity. She bought a used CBR150 and is now crashing it with regularity. I have seen her ride and believe that it's mostly an "anticipating threats" problem. She seems to have no problems with control but she has developed bad Thai habits of not leaving enough space in front, popping out without looking, just not being patient enough. Never assume anything. It's critical to learn the way the Thai's drive, but don't drive like them. You must instead remember the skills you learned back home and apply the relevant ones here, because most are still relevant.

[stevenl]

Agree with Joe.

The Thai riders, especially the youngsters, will in general be good at the vehicle control part, but bad at reading the road and anticipating.

[NomadJoe]

Agree with Joe.

The Thai riders, especially the youngsters, will in general be good at the vehicle control part, but bad at reading the road and anticipating.

Yep. Horrible judgment.

[LivinginKata]

I sat my bike test in the UK 3 weeks after my 16th birthday. Never had a lesson, self taught in quiet streets, back then 150cc was the biggest engine with a provisional licence (L plates). Once I passed the test I could drive any size bike, bought a 650cc Triumph at the local motor auction market for 50 quid. Drove that until I passed my car test at 17. Never had an accident on a bike until I arrived in Phuket 30 years later. First year here I had a big accident on my big bike. After that I just calmly drove a Honda Dream without any dramas.

[bunta71]

What's to learn? Surely you jest.

Not exactly. I like to doubt waste of time and effort to gain some sort of paper certification when those are not really needed.

Back in my home country getting motorbike licence would take few months and cost 100.000B. In Singapore this would take couple of years, depending of the size of the bike.

When youngsters have learned to ride a bicycle, what is there to learn to ride a scooter or motorbike?

I would start with the unique traffic flow here in Thailand compared to other countries. Then there are lot's of other categories...laws, how far to run after causing an accident, how much tea money for what offense, why big loaded trucks cannot stop when you pull out in front of them without looking, etc.

[IrishIvan]

Thais in Phuket are some of the best motorcyclists I have seen. I am anticipating the day when a Thai enters the super bike racing. I reckon they will blitz the italians

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[LivinginKata]

Thais in Phuket are some of the best motorcyclists I have seen. I am anticipating the day when a Thai enters the super bike racing. I reckon they will blitz the italians

Yeah Ivan, dream on (note the play on Dream - as in Honda Dream )

[stevenl]

Thais in Phuket are some of the best motorcyclists I have seen. I am anticipating the day when a Thai enters the super bike racing. I reckon they will blitz the italians

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Not superbike (Superbike is not really dominated by the Italians or the Spanish BTW), but last year there was a Thai in the 250 cc class (now called Moto 2), called Wilairot. He never managed to do very much there, but he was there.

[andreandre]

Thais in Phuket are some of the best motorcyclists I have seen. I am anticipating the day when a Thai enters the super bike racing. I reckon they will blitz the italians

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yeh right....its not April 1st today is it?

[IrishIvan]

Thais in Phuket are some of the best motorcyclists I have seen. I am anticipating the day when a Thai enters the super bike racing. I reckon they will blitz the italians

 

Yeah Ivan, dream on (note the play on Dream - as in Honda Dream   )

arent Honda Dreams taboo?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[hansgruber]

Thais in Phuket are some of the best motorcyclists I have seen. I am anticipating the day when a Thai enters the super bike racing. I reckon they will blitz the italians

 

Yeah Ivan, dream on (note the play on Dream - as in Honda Dream   )

arent Honda Dreams taboo?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Only if that Honda dream is being ridden by a time share tout on a ranong visa run trip with a ladyboy on the back.

[IrishIvan]

Thais in Phuket are some of the best motorcyclists I have seen. I am anticipating the day when a Thai enters the super bike racing. I reckon they will blitz the italians

 

Yeah Ivan, dream on (note the play on Dream - as in Honda Dream   )

arent Honda Dreams taboo?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Only if that Honda dream is being ridden by a time share tout on a ranong visa run trip with a ladyboy on the back.

Dont forget your hockey stick