Small New Motor Bike

[tutsiwarrior]

the motor bike issue has come up again and now the wife wants to buy a small (< 100 cc) for the stepdaughter to toodle around in. As we are never around we always have bought 2nd hand as new doesn't justify the expense. The used bikes always pack up after a few months and as we got some extra dough now I thought that I'd spring for a small new one (the s/d is thirteen now and has got to look smart and etc.)

Looking for a Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha with a good warranty, plenty of service places hereabouts...anyone got a price and model number?...should be less than 30000 baht in any case, would like to have an electric starter...the wife's going home soon and would supervise the purchase.

(yes, I know that I am spoiling the child but what is a besotted stepfather to do?)

[tutsiwarrior]

awright...to be more specific, looks like the wife wants a Honda 4 stroke < 100 cc with electric starter...anyone got one ob dose and what does it cost? The small Suzuki and Yamaha machines are 2 stroke and no good for a number of reasons. Plenty of info on the internet but what is the most popular model in Thailand for that range?

Also, anyone got any suggestions regarding bargaining with the dealer? My wife can bargain the pants off market stall ladies for veg, fruit, meat and cheap clothes but she ain't no good with larger purchases. Also need to insure that there is a good warranty offered...any suggestions?

[PeaceBlondie]

the motor bike issue has come up again and now the wife wants to buy a small (< 100 cc) for the stepdaughter to toodle around in. As we are never around we always have bought 2nd hand as new doesn't justify the expense. The used bikes always pack up after a few months and as we got some extra dough now I thought that I'd spring for a small new one (the s/d is thirteen now and has got to look smart and etc.)

Looking for a Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha with a good warranty, plenty of service places hereabouts...anyone got a price and model number?...should be less than 30000 baht in any case, would like to have an electric starter...the wife's going home soon and would supervise the purchase.

(yes, I know that I am spoiling the child but what is a besotted stepfather to do?)

You want less than 100cc? I think they start at 100 cc. I doubt you can get one with electric start for 30K.

I had six kids, and even if the law permitted 13 year olds to drive scooters, I wouldn't have done it. Thailand must be ten times more deadly than the USA was. I had an overweight 12 year old student who commuted on a little bike, but I feared for her life.

You wouldn't so much be spoiling her, as exposing her to an unneccesary danger, in my opinion. I've been more cautious since, after 30K kilometers in Thailand (and far more than that in three other countries), I had the big accident, almost 12 months ago. Now I'm signing off so I'll be alert for tomorrow's appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. I'll ask him: probably half his business comes from motorcycle wrecks. Maybe well over half.

[kayo]

you can get fifty - 80 cc scooter bikes (think Vespa style) but smaller.

Yamaha and honda make them. One type is called the MBK Booster. Another is the Yamaha BW´s (beewizz)

don´t know much more about how and where though.

[tutsiwarrior]

thanks for your replies, folks.

PB, thanks for your concern...the intention is to get a small bike for the stepdaughter to toodle around our small town (traffic usually slow on the main road due to an 'S' curve in the middle of town in the middle of the circuit). There are the usual dangers, ie., no helmets, flip flops and usually three girls in t-shirts and shorts in motion on the same saddle but I can't do nothin' about that as it is a 'falang concern'...in other words 'back off tutsi...we been riding bikes like this for generations' and etc. Just one other issue of concern to me that I have no control over. One cousin was killed on his bike but he was drunk and a no good anyway...

I'm hoping that the small engine cc will discourage folks from the open road as that's where all the &lt;deleted&gt; happens (during my 18 mos unemployed here there were 2 fatal motor bike accidents locally on the Nakorn Pratom - Amphur Suphanburi highway involving dismemberment)

kayo, I'll keep your suggestion in mind as it looks like the wife wants one of them vespa type arrangements. They got lots of them here in HCMC. I'm just worried about warranty and spares for something other than the usual Honda Dream/Wave in Suphan.

all the best

[Gary A]

A good friend of mine was telling me that he just bought a new 125 cc Honda, I think it is a Wave. The new ones are apparently now fuel injected and he was telling me that it runs so much better than his old one. Instant starts and no hesitation. Just something to be aware of. My wife has a 125 Suzuki and it is VERY cold blooded. A pain in the butt for sure.

[tutsiwarrior]

while looking around on the web for some price info. I ran into a news blurb that said that Honda Thailand has reduced the price on a standard spec 100 cc Wave to 29900 baht as of June 2006 in order to meet sales objectives. As I'm not in Thailand does anyone know anything about this?

[tutsiwarrior]

to update, the wife just bought a new 4 stroke Yamaha 100 CC with electric start for 40k. Does this sound reasonable? Apparently the Honda 29.9k offer that was publicized is bullshed. One never knows what a local dealer is prepared to offer and the wife is a country girl not used to barganing with regard to large purchases...

any comments? BTW I am in Vietnam presently and cannot conduct the required investigation meself. Besides...if the dealer in Thailand saw a falang coming there wouldn't be a level playing field anyway...

[fisherd3]

Yep, driving a motor bike in Thailand at thirteen must be one of the quickest ways to die, but that is the Thai way, so get into it, as you obviously have