Buying a big bike in Chiang Mai

[AJ Alex]

I currently have a click

I was able to purchase it and pay monthly as the director at my school offered to use her name and I just pay her every month

I trust her and when I have finished the payments it will be transferred into my name

When I arrive in Chiang Mai in two months I would like to get a bigger bike and pay monthly again

My director offered to do this for me and is not something I would feel comfortable asking anyone at my new school to do

Are there any people who know of anywhere that will allow a non-Thai to pay for a new or second hand bike every month

Nothing too big probably a CBR 150 will do

Thanks

[AJ Alex]

Maybe I could part exchange my click and cough up the rest, that way I could buy it all in one go

Anyone know of anywhere that would do this?

Again new or second hand

Thanks

[eyecatcher]

Why don't you save up for something you want, then you don't need any ones help and can have the bike in your name from day one.

Something to live by: if you can't afford it you can't have it now. (unless you have a credit card)

[FiftyTwo]

If you have a work permit, you can get credit.

[AJ Alex]

I guess i'm inpatient and I want to own a bike that I can enjoy asap

I'm looking at bike porn every day and want to fast track so to become a reality soon

I have read mixed opinions about the whole work permit gives you credit issue

The whole reason my click is in my directors name is because I couldn't get credit from honda

Do you know of anywhere specific in Chiang Mai that will give credit if a work permit is shown as honda definitely wont

Thanks

[BlackArtemis]

You can get a used 150 (new style) for 50-60k an older one for like 30k and a used 250r for 80-90k all day long in CM

Or just get a decent 125-150 2-stroke for 9-15k

[AJ Alex]

Which shops sell the two strokes as I was considering a nsr or a dirt bike

I dont like the sonics or similar scooter/bikes

[jackr]

Not sure if they'd do you credit with a Thai as the guarantor?...

[jackr]

You'd probably be best checking out the likes of the Meechok weekend market (morning).

[Briggsy]

If you have a work permit, you can get finance. A brand new CBR 150 R is less than 90,000 out the door incl. tax, registration, plates and 2 years' theft insurance. You should be able to clear that fairly quickly if you are working here.

2 stroke production finished several years ago in Thailand. If you bought a 2 stroke NSR, it would be over 10 years old. A 2 stroke Honda Beat would be at least 8 years old, I think. You might wanna forget about 2 strokes. But up to you.

[Jose]

I currently have a click

I read "I currently have a chick"... have to concentrate, concentrate...

[BlackArtemis]

http://www.cm-club.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=27&s=803b5782062f061427f3569619d9ebb1

And mocyc.com is where I read about bikes for sale. Yes it's all in Thai, but you can use google translate for a rough idea (sometimes).

[AJ Alex]

Ok i'm gonna guess that the reason I was denied finance was because I live in south Thailand and they don't have many foreigners around here.

I hope this is the case

Maybe my director didn't feel comfortable being a guarantor and was safer for her to have it in her name

I really hope I can get finance when I go to Chiang Mai. I will probably go for something a little bigger if that's the case

Fingers crossed

[aussiebrian]

I would suggest that if you buy a second hand bike and don't know much about bikes take someone along with you that does or it may work out a lot cheaper buying a new one.

Have you ridden a bike with a clutch? If not, best to hire one first and get used to it so you can test ride the bikes you are interested in without looking silly.

Check out thaivisa classifieds and bahtsold. Take some different bikes for a ride and see what you like and feel most comfortable on.

I know Thais call scooters bikes but you sound like you are from an English speaking country, so when you talk to friends back home that ride bikes, don't say you bought a big bike because when they ask you what you ride and you tell them a CBR150 I am sure they will crack up.

Good luck and keep the shiny side up.

[Louisblackbird]

Or you could buy my cbr 150

It's

2 years old but not ridden for one year nearly

11,000 kms 6 service stamps

Nice cond black

[BlackArtemis]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/168288853294122/ <-Second Hand Chiang Mai

https://www.facebook.com/groups/512883258737603/ <- Buy sell bikes in CM

[wombat]

I would suggest that if you buy a second hand bike and don't know much about bikes take someone along with you that does or it may work out a lot cheaper buying a new one.

Have you ridden a bike with a clutch? If not, best to hire one first and get used to it so you can test ride the bikes you are interested in without looking silly.

Check out thaivisa classifieds and bahtsold. Take some different bikes for a ride and see what you like and feel most comfortable on.

I know Thais call scooters bikes but you sound like you are from an English speaking country, so when you talk to friends back home that ride bikes, don't say you bought a big bike because when they ask you what you ride and you tell them a CBR150 I am sure they will crack up.

Good luck and keep the shiny side up.

how do you know you have been in Thailand to long?

when you look at a 150 and think its a big bike.

[recom273]

Your going to need a Thai guarantor.

I used to have a scooter for many years until 2 months i bought a new CBR 150 for cash, the credit process was aggro, i didnt need a guarantor because the wife is a Thai teacher, but they wanted to see the deeds of our rented house, house book and i wanted to put down 60%

It will leave you really underwhelmed, I won't say unhappy as it fitted the criteria I set, looks, economical, get me to work in less than 30 mins, but it will leave you wanting more from a bike.

After I bought a new helmet, gloves, theft insurance ( wasn't free for me ) a little under 90k. The cbr300 will come out next year, at around 120k ( with some nice initial deals ) seems like a lot more bike for a little bit more money.

[Just1Voice]

You can find the CBR 150, both older carbed and newer F/I models, for sale all over the place here in CM. Or you can get a new one for 82k baht (roughly $2,500) If you want used, the Meechok Plaza market is a good idea, as mentioned.

[RedQualia]

I guess i'm inpatient and I want to own a bike that I can enjoy asap

I'm looking at bike porn every day and want to fast track so to become a reality soon

I have read mixed opinions about the whole work permit gives you credit issue

The whole reason my click is in my directors name is because I couldn't get credit from honda

Do you know of anywhere specific in Chiang Mai that will give credit if a work permit is shown as honda definitely wont

Thanks

I shouldn't say anything, since it's never done much good in the past. Oh well...

This purchase seems ill advised. You "currently have a click." So you're not without wheels. The world won't end if you don't buy another bike this week.

You're talking about buying a "big bike," but a CBR150 is not a big bike. That suggests you'll be wanting something bigger in six months. Maybe a CBR250. Which would be better, but shortly thereafter, a Ninja 300 might start to look good. Which is to say that a CBR150 is unlikely to keep you any happier than the Honda Click for very long.

You're living in Thailand, but can't afford a couple of thousand US bucks to pay for the kind of bike you mention? Suggesting you have virtually no money in the bank, and no safety net. Buying a motorcycle at this time doesn't sound like the best way to go. You have more important matters to save for.

Recommend you stop looking at the bike porn you mention. Save your money as others have suggested. Once you get a couple hundred thousand Baht in the bank, you can start thinking about parting with some fraction of that for a bike, paying cash and avoiding finance charges, having others buy for you, etc.

Second hand Kawasaki 650s are around for as little as 150,000 Baht. That's still not a "big bike," but it's bigger than a CBR150 and big enough, easy to get serviced, etc. The Ducati shop in town also has financing, but I don't think you can afford the 45,000 Baht down payment, so...

Edited December 27, 2013 by RedQualia

[aussiebrian]

I would suggest that if you buy a second hand bike and don't know much about bikes take someone along with you that does or it may work out a lot cheaper buying a new one.

Have you ridden a bike with a clutch? If not, best to hire one first and get used to it so you can test ride the bikes you are interested in without looking silly.

Check out thaivisa classifieds and bahtsold. Take some different bikes for a ride and see what you like and feel most comfortable on.

I know Thais call scooters bikes but you sound like you are from an English speaking country, so when you talk to friends back home that ride bikes, don't say you bought a big bike because when they ask you what you ride and you tell them a CBR150 I am sure they will crack up.

Good luck and keep the shiny side up.

how do you know you have been in Thailand to long?

when you look at a 150 and think its a big bike.

Right, or another possibility is if you were never into bikes in your home country, and first discover motorcycles in Asia

How things change..

Now a 150cc is even a very small scooter with the Yamaha T Max 500, Honda's Silverwing 582cc, Suzuki Burgman 650, Kymco 700i, Gilera GP800. (839cc) and the Aprilia SRV 850 “Maxiscooter”

Edited December 27, 2013 by aussiebrian

[recom273]

Yup .. There is a hell of a lot of truth in what RedQualia says.

It doesnt stop as soon as you leave the showroom, you will want to consider your safety, and then lay out a further 10-20-30K on jacket / helmet / gloves, Ideally you should get fully-comprehensive insurance and improve your health cover.

If you are still considering a CBR150, Is buying a 2nd hand CBR150 worth it in Thailand ? 50K for a used one or save 15K a month for a couple of months / bit of extra teaching to buy a new one. They seem to depreciate in value rapidly, 2 years old, they are 50K, another year, you have a bike that doesnt seem worth selling.

Just to say, I love my 150 for getting to work ( i wouldnt sell it ) I travel 55 km a day costing 400B a week in juice, halved my weekly travel time, I feel less tired when I dont ride the scooter, but after 2 months of owning a 150, im bitten ( also sick of looking at the rear plates of Ninja's ) Im looking for a 2nd hand 'bigger' bike for the weekend.

[Ulic]

Time to learn patience. Save up and pay cash.

[RedQualia]

Yup .. There is a hell of a lot of truth in what RedQualia says.

It doesnt stop as soon as you leave the showroom, you will want to consider your safety, and then lay out a further 10-20-30K on jacket / helmet / gloves, Ideally you should get fully-comprehensive insurance and improve your health cover.

If you are still considering a CBR150, Is buying a 2nd hand CBR150 worth it in Thailand ? 50K for a used one or save 15K a month for a couple of months / bit of extra teaching to buy a new one. They seem to depreciate in value rapidly, 2 years old, they are 50K, another year, you have a bike that doesnt seem worth selling.

Just to say, I love my 150 for getting to work ( i wouldnt sell it ) I travel 55 km a day costing 400B a week in juice, halved my weekly travel time, I feel less tired when I dont ride the scooter, but after 2 months of owning a 150, im bitten ( also sick of looking at the rear plates of Ninja's ) Im looking for a 2nd hand 'bigger' bike for the weekend.

I've been riding a second hand Ninja 650 for a few years now. Just came back from this month long, 4,600KM trip about a month ago (traveled in a clockwise direction, for the most part). Zero mechanical problems, except that I decided I needed new front brake pads in Udon Thani. No waiting for parts from Australia, Japan, Europe or the states. 15 minutes to install.

Yes... I am absolutely sure you can do it on a CBR150. And once met a fellow in Loei who'd just finished riding his CBR250 all around Laos, so it could easily be done on a machine such as that. But I'll keep my 650, thanks. Besides -- I paid cash, so it's been bought and paid for all this time.

[AJ Alex]

When I lived in the UK I never had any interest in motorbikes

The last year before I left a newly acquired friend had an R1 and my best mate bought a daytona 675 new!!! (what a bike!!!)

This sowed the seed and now all I think about is bikes (and women)

I bought a click which is a logical step up from a push bike and got bored in 2 months

I'm reading what you are saying so I hope I can find the patience to save

Maybe I could just rent a bike for a day every now and again.

That way I can get my fix and save in the meantime

Ninja 300 is the number 1 choice but If i put 10 away every month it will be 18 months before i get one

That is a lifetime to me

But I am still unsure of my pay come June so maybe It could come sooner

A second hand CBR or ninja 250 I could get very soon

Louis blackbird how much do you want for the cbr?

Are you in Changers?

[IDL]

I guess i'm inpatient and I want to own a bike that I can enjoy asap

I'm looking at bike porn every day and want to fast track so to become a reality soon

I have read mixed opinions about the whole work permit gives you credit issue

The whole reason my click is in my directors name is because I couldn't get credit from honda

Do you know of anywhere specific in Chiang Mai that will give credit if a work permit is shown as honda definitely wont

Thanks

...sincerely hope you are not teaching ESL...?

[BlackArtemis]

I guess i'm inpatient and I want to own a bike that I can enjoy asap

I'm looking at bike porn every day and want to fast track so to become a reality soon

I have read mixed opinions about the whole work permit gives you credit issue

The whole reason my click is in my directors name is because I couldn't get credit from honda

Do you know of anywhere specific in Chiang Mai that will give credit if a work permit is shown as honda definitely wont

Thanks

...sincerely hope you are not teaching ESL...?

not OP but funny enough i don't give a shit about grammar, spelling, or punctuation on a forum. I also just let thoughts free flow and it can sound a bit jarbled. If it wasn't for the red squiggly lines, I would have even worse spelling. I also have a habit of not capitalizing I as seen previously.

If you had used this as a measuring stick when I DID teach ESL you would have seen two different styles. I always prepared spellings of words I might be unsure of when teaching or reviewed the whys of a grammatical point before teaching rather than just saying "and it's the way it is".

Thank god I don't have to teach English anymore, hated that subject...

[RedQualia]

When I lived in the UK I never had any interest in motorbikes

The last year before I left a newly acquired friend had an R1 and my best mate bought a daytona 675 new!!! (what a bike!!!)

This sowed the seed and now all I think about is bikes (and women)

I bought a click which is a logical step up from a push bike and got bored in 2 months

I'm reading what you are saying so I hope I can find the patience to save

Maybe I could just rent a bike for a day every now and again.

That way I can get my fix and save in the meantime

Ninja 300 is the number 1 choice but If i put 10 away every month it will be 18 months before i get one

That is a lifetime to me

But I am still unsure of my pay come June so maybe It could come sooner

A second hand CBR or ninja 250 I could get very soon

Louis blackbird how much do you want for the cbr?

Are you in Changers?

OK, so you're a relatively new biker. And so I've revised my thoughts.

Kawaskai 650s are often advertised as "starter bikes." They really aren't. I think my bike has 72HP, and at least one or two gobs of torque (not as much as a Ducati, but hey...). Don't get one of those yet.

The Ninja 300 is a relatively new model. You'd probably pay a premium for such. More than you would for the second hand Kawasaki 650 I just told you not to buy.

Your best bet, seems to me, is either a second hand CBR250 or a second hand Ninja 250. Both have less power than I'd want, but hey, I'm an old guy whose been on bikes most of his life. So my personal preferences don't much matter. Both of these 250s are "good enough," but have somewhat different characteristics. I think the Ninja 250 would be better for the highway, while the CBR250 would be better around town (and not good at all on the highways). You should be able to find either bike for under 100,000 Baht, second hand. I think I've seen CBR250s for as little as 70,000, and I last looked a year or two ago. But don't take my word for anything. Read here: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/9/9134/Motorcycle-Article/Honda-CBR250R-vs-Kawasaki-Ninja-250R.aspx

Another alternative: a Keeway 200.might be worth considering. That's a Taiwanese company that's alleged to make a decent product. Several different models, all for 59,999 Baht or so, new. All using the same, almost 10HP engine. I think max speed is 120KPH, which means your max cruising speed would be around 100KPH. http://www.keewaymotor.com/_d275480822.htm I leave it to you to find a review of these. Search Thaivisa. There are many comments there. I'm not recommending such, per se, mind you. I merely find them an interesting possibility. You can find a Keeway dealer just north of Big-C/HomePro and Index Living Mall, on the frontage road along the highway out that way to the east. Another is in the Big-C shopping center just south of Hang Dong.

I've backed off to recommending the smaller bikes for a couple of reasons. First, they're cheaper. Second, you will splatter yourself sooner or later, and especially riding around Chiang Mai. I say this because you're a new biker, and will be riding around Chiang Mai. It is not the friendliest place to learn about riding bikes with more power than your Click. One slip is all it'll take for a bike to get away from you as you weave between cars and motorbikes, trying to get around the moat. That slip will probably be more dramatic on a bigger bike. So yes... You'll want to buy a full coverage helmet of some kind (because you want to keep your chin). And at least lightweight armored gloves. Lower priced and decent boots can be found at the army surplus stores on the north side of the moat. You'll look at bike porn completely differently while you're waiting 6-12 months for the skin over your kneecaps to rejoin. Trust me on that one. I know.

You won't lose too much money on a second hand CBR250 or Ninja 250, nor even on a Keeway 200, given that they're already bargain priced. But you'll lose some, for sure. Still, you should be able to save enough for any of these in 6-8 months, at 10K per month. Any of those bikes should be able to carry you to Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, or Nan for a weekend, no problem. And I assume you'll want to upgrade sooner or later, so keep saving so you'll have something to add to whatever you get when it's time to sell the CBR, Ninja, or Keeway (or whatever).

But whatever you get, don't borrow money to get it, and don't put it into a local's name. It should be yours, not theirs. If you really do feel the need to borrow money, then borrow what you can from family back in the UK.

Oh, and don't forget -- you've got a Click you can sell. That should be good for 25-30K Baht, at least. Roughly half of what you'd need for a Keeway.

Edited December 27, 2013 by RedQualia

[Mudcrab]

When I lived in the UK I never had any interest in motorbikes

The last year before I left a newly acquired friend had an R1 and my best mate bought a daytona 675 new!!! (what a bike!!!)

This sowed the seed and now all I think about is bikes (and women)

I bought a click which is a logical step up from a push bike and got bored in 2 months

I'm reading what you are saying so I hope I can find the patience to save

Maybe I could just rent a bike for a day every now and again.

That way I can get my fix and save in the meantime

Ninja 300 is the number 1 choice but If i put 10 away every month it will be 18 months before i get one

That is a lifetime to me

But I am still unsure of my pay come June so maybe It could come sooner

A second hand CBR or ninja 250 I could get very soon

Louis blackbird how much do you want for the cbr?

Are you in Changers?

OK, so you're a relatively new biker. And so I've revised my thoughts.

Kawaskai 650s are often advertised as "starter bikes." They really aren't. I think my bike has 72HP, and at least one or two gobs of torque (not as much as a Ducati, but hey...). Don't get one of those yet.

The Ninja 300 is a relatively new model. You'd probably pay a premium for such. More than you would for the second hand Kawasaki 650 I just told you not to buy.

Your best bet, seems to me, is either a second hand CBR250 or a second hand Ninja 250. Both have less power than I'd want, but hey, I'm an old guy whose been on bikes most of his life. So my personal preferences don't much matter. Both of these 250s are "good enough," but have somewhat different characteristics. I think the Ninja 250 would be better for the highway, while the CBR250 would be better around town (and not good at all on the highways). You should be able to find either bike for under 100,000 Baht, second hand. I think I've seen CBR250s for as little as 70,000, and I last looked a year or two ago. But don't take my word for anything. Read here: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/9/9134/Motorcycle-Article/Honda-CBR250R-vs-Kawasaki-Ninja-250R.aspx

Another alternative: a Keeway 200.might be worth considering. That's a Taiwanese company that's alleged to make a decent product. Several different models, all for 59,999 Baht or so, new. All using the same, almost 10HP engine. I think max speed is 120KPH, which means your max cruising speed would be around 100KPH. http://www.keewaymotor.com/_d275480822.htm I leave it to you to find a review of these. Search Thaivisa. There are many comments there. I'm not recommending such, per se, mind you. I merely find them an interesting possibility. You can find a Keeway dealer just north of Big-C/HomePro and Index Living Mall, on the frontage road along the highway out that way to the east. Another is in the Big-C shopping center just south of Hang Dong.

I've backed off to recommending the smaller bikes for a couple of reasons. First, they're cheaper. Second, you will splatter yourself sooner or later, and especially riding around Chiang Mai. I say this because you're a new biker, and will be riding around Chiang Mai. It is not the friendliest place to learn about riding bikes with more power than your Click. One slip is all it'll take for a bike to get away from you as you weave between cars and motorbikes, trying to get around the moat. That slip will probably be more dramatic on a bigger bike. So yes... You'll want to buy a full coverage helmet of some kind (because you want to keep your chin). And at least lightweight armored gloves. Lower priced and decent boots can be found at the army surplus stores on the north side of the moat. You'll look at bike porn completely differently while you're waiting 6-12 months for the skin over your kneecaps to rejoin. Trust me on that one. I know.

You won't lose too much money on a second hand CBR250 or Ninja 250, nor even on a Keeway 200, given that they're already bargain priced. But you'll lose some, for sure. Still, you should be able to save enough for any of these in 6-8 months, at 10K per month. Any of those bikes should be able to carry you to Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, or Nan for a weekend, no problem. And I assume you'll want to upgrade sooner or later, so keep saving so you'll have something to add to whatever you get when it's time to sell the CBR, Ninja, or Keeway (or whatever).

But whatever you get, don't borrow money to get it, and don't put it into a local's name. It should be yours, not theirs. If you really do feel the need to borrow money, then borrow what you can from family back in the UK.

Oh, and don't forget -- you've got a Click you can sell. That should be good for 25-30K Baht, at least. Roughly half of what you'd need for a Keeway.

There is a lot of sense in what you have written. Someone who has limited exposure to motorbikes should tread very carefully as they progress to the bigger bikes. Some of the "small" bikes can be lethal in the unskilled hand. 120kph is 120kph no matter what size the engine is, and the results of coming off just the same.

[RedQualia]

There is a lot of sense in what you have written. Someone who has limited exposure to motorbikes should tread very carefully as they progress to the bigger bikes. Some of the "small" bikes can be lethal in the unskilled hand. 120kph is 120kph no matter what size the engine is, and the results of coming off just the same.

Maybe... But the core advice is economic: "whatever you get, don't borrow money to get it, and don't put it into a local's name. It should be yours, not theirs."

Other economic thoughts: parts for that Keeway will be a heck of a lot cheaper to come by than parts for either the CBR250 or the Ninja 250. Lots of times, things for my Ninja 650 seem reasonably priced. But the price on the new front brake pads was nothing less than completely outrageous. Tires? A set of skins for a Keeway would probably run 2,000 Baht, or maybe a bit more. The Pirellis I run on my Ninja are going for 11,000 Baht, more or less, around Chiang Mai. Maybe if I tried mail order, I'd get it down to 9,000 Baht. Still lots more than what a Keeway would run. New chain? 1,872 Baht. The chain and brake pads, at least, on a Ninja 250, would cost about the same.

A thought I'd had and forgotten to include regarding safety, accidents, etc: stop by Chiang Mai Kawasaki every couple of weeks, and look for whatever new wreckage may have appeared in the corner of the parking lot. Often interesting to ponder. One Ninja 650 I saw there recently looked for all the world as if the rider may have diverted his eyes for a moment, and immediately "parked it" in the back of a sorng taew. I surely hope not. But if so, I surely hope said sorng taew was empty. Regardless, that's what the caved in cast wheel and front end on the bike made me think of, and after having that thought, the next one was that that would be an awfully easy thing to happen here unless one stayed constantly on the ball. New riders (and a good many others) are not known for staying constantly on the ball. Even old hands can get whacked when they least expect it. A Harley rider in Roi Et reported that it cost 675,000 Baht to put him back together after a tuk-tuk came around from behind an oncoming truck and plowed into him. Think putting his Harley back together cost a bit less than half that much. The Harley looks great. He still kinda looks like he might have been drug down the road, but I dunno... Maybe he looked that way before.

Not telling anyone not to ride. I still ride, but if you call my mama and ask, she'll tell you that I never did have any sense. No... Just pointing out what's obvious, if you look around and pay attention.

The OP professed to liking women. I don't think too many women here are impressed by the size of a guy's motorcycle (except perhaps to be afraid of it). Maybe better to keep the click and spend the extra cash on women. Not completely sure, but it might be less dangerous. If he's particularly envious of his mates' bikes back in the UK, perhaps he should have a photo taken of himself with 3-4 lovely local women, and send that back to his mates. And then see who is envious of whom.

Edited December 27, 2013 by RedQualia