Definition of Big Bike

[revgreen]

I'll never understand the 2 deep parking here... even when I'm on my little Honda Click it's still impossible to get out of the front row most of the time.

[robblok]

I'll never understand the 2 deep parking here... even when I'm on my little Honda Click it's still impossible to get out of the front row most of the time.

I take my scooter for local shopping for storage and parking issues.

Im no bike snob at all but like it that there are bug bike parking spaces. Wish they had a bit more room at some places.

[submaniac]

My vote is that in Thailand anything 400cc is a big bike. And that's because it is rare (though becoming less rare) to find bikes above 250cc. Most are the scooters. So if you ask a Thai, they would say 400cc and above.

USA, obviously is different. There are no "motorcycles" less than 250 cc (it would be a scooter). The only 250s available are the Ninja and the CBR, and these are considered beginner bikes. Most of the bikes in the USA are 600cc or above and would be middleweights or supersport class. Liter bike or bigger is a big bike in USA.

Keep in mind that in the States, motorcycles are actually allowed to ride on the freeway (not like Thailand), the roads are actually checked and potholes are actually repaired (unlike Thailand) so that it is safe to go high speed on a bike. In the USA for freeway riding, you need the power to avoid cars cutting in front of you and anything else. In Thailand, alot of that is just wasted because even if you have a literbike, they won't let you on the freeway/toll roads.

[dave_boo]

My vote is that in Thailand anything 400cc is a big bike. And that's because it is rare (though becoming less rare) to find bikes above 250cc. Most are the scooters. So if you ask a Thai, they would say 400cc and above.

USA, obviously is different. There are no "motorcycles" less than 250 cc (it would be a scooter). The only 250s available are the Ninja and the CBR, and these are considered beginner bikes. Most of the bikes in the USA are 600cc or above and would be middleweights or supersport class. Liter bike or bigger is a big bike in USA.

Keep in mind that in the States, motorcycles are actually allowed to ride on the freeway (not like Thailand), the roads are actually checked and potholes are actually repaired (unlike Thailand) so that it is safe to go high speed on a bike. In the USA for freeway riding, you need the power to avoid cars cutting in front of you and anything else. In Thailand, alot of that is just wasted because even if you have a literbike, they won't let you on the freeway/toll roads.

Forgot the Rebel did we? Or the KLX250s? Or the TU250X? Or the GW250F? Or the V Star 250? Or the WR250?

I think I made my point.

[Shurup]

My vote is that in Thailand anything 400cc is a big bike. And that's because it is rare (though becoming less rare) to find bikes above 250cc. Most are the scooters. So if you ask a Thai, they would say 400cc and above.

USA, obviously is different. There are no "motorcycles" less than 250 cc (it would be a scooter). The only 250s available are the Ninja and the CBR, and these are considered beginner bikes. Most of the bikes in the USA are 600cc or above and would be middleweights or supersport class. Liter bike or bigger is a big bike in USA.

Keep in mind that in the States, motorcycles are actually allowed to ride on the freeway (not like Thailand), the roads are actually checked and potholes are actually repaired (unlike Thailand) so that it is safe to go high speed on a bike. In the USA for freeway riding, you need the power to avoid cars cutting in front of you and anything else. In Thailand, alot of that is just wasted because even if you have a literbike, they won't let you on the freeway/toll roads.

I can't agree with this, Thais think that anything that isn't a scooter is a big bike. Size of that bike is what matters and not the engine displacement. Besides, in Thailand there are plenty of bikes above the 400 cc.

[Phra Ek]

I reckon some posters are answering from the viewpoint of their home markets where the 600's are middle-weights and 1000's are big bikes.

But in Thailand it's more to do with the frame size - and a KLX/CRF 250 is as "big" as a 1000 cc sports bike .... in fact a little bigger as they are taller!

The 150cc KLX and the PCX 150 are the Middle-weights.

[Shurup]

This should answer a question of what is a big bike in Thailand.

[AllanB]

It used to be if it could do the ton......

[tmaker]

mebbe this is their DEFINITION of BIG BIKE....

sure is BIG... width and length... lol...

[papa al]

It used to be if it could do the ton......

I think if the rider pointed his toes he might get it to go a little faster.

[Familyonthemove]

If it says over 500cc then yes you were wrong. Must hurt for loads of the 500cc guys. I would say anything over 250 is big though 250 is a nice bike for sure.

The thing is even a 250cc costs 2-3 times (or way more depending on the bike) as much as most the scooters you see. Plus the scooters tend to jam in making it difficult to get a bigger bike out of the parking spot. I wouldn't want my bike crammed in or bumped into. At least surrounded by other 'big bikes' that isn't a worry.

I'd be okay if it wasn't for the cramming in. People on scooters don't realize that a bigger bike needs a lot more room to maneuver in and out of parking. They just see it leaned over and park as close as possible without realizing that once it stands back up it needs a lot more room.

There's a serious elitism isue in Thailand - unless you have an expensive imported bike you'll be treated as a second class citizen wherever you go. Same thing with locally built cars vs imports. The big test is if you can park at the front of a 5 star hotel. I've seen Ducati sports bikes (not Monsters! and they need to be red), Bonneviles and Harleys parked at the front of Rennaissance and Penninsula amongst the Porsches and Bentleys. But turn up on a Versys or CRF or even worse a sc**ter and you'll be sent to some grubby corner of the car park by the bins to park.

Do they have a set of Top Trumps cards to train the hotel staff. Lambo - OK, Rolls - OK, MV - OK, Honda - Fireblade OK - all others round the back with the Finos.

I wonder if the hotel porters will be instructed to reclassify the Bonnie when the price drops?

[tmaker]

so,this qualify as a Big Bike ? 555

http://images.frompo.com/2cfca6e40ffc04c9aef29e78d4f662a0

[AllanB]

There's a serious elitism isue in Thailand - unless you have an expensive imported bike you'll be treated as a second class citizen wherever you go. Same thing with locally built cars vs imports. The big test is if you can park at the front of a 5 star hotel. I've seen Ducati sports bikes (not Monsters! and they need to be red), Bonneviles and Harleys parked at the front of Rennaissance and Penninsula amongst the Porsches and Bentleys. But turn up on a Versys or CRF or even worse a sc**ter and you'll be sent to some grubby corner of the car park by the bins to park.

Do they have a set of Top Trumps cards to train the hotel staff. Lambo - OK, Rolls - OK, MV - OK, Honda - Fireblade OK - all others round the back with the Finos.

I wonder if the hotel porters will be instructed to reclassify the Bonnie when the price drops?

Triumph Bonnevilles, Harley Davidsons and 5 star hotels.... mmmm, I never heard all those words in the same sentence before, what are you on about? .....Unless you are a rockstar? well maybe that is how you see yourself.....

Listen chum, if you ride a motorcycle you are a second class citizen by definition.... arriving at your 5 star hotel covered in road grime, crap and dead flies, stinking of diesel fumes and stale sweat.

Just because your bike might be as fast as a Porsche, it is still a a bunch of cheap steel tubes with an engine stuffed in it, so don't kid yourself.

[A1Str8]

Big bike is what you say it is. It's all personal. To a Thai, a 250cc is big bike. To someone from the US, it's something that makes them foam at the mouth, saying its not big enough. In reality, who cares. Just ride the one you like.

[Familyonthemove]

Jy

There's a serious elitism isue in Thailand - unless you have an expensive imported bike you'll be treated as a second class citizen wherever you go. Same thing with locally built cars vs imports. The big test is if you can park at the front of a 5 star hotel. I've seen Ducati sports bikes (not Monsters! and they need to be red), Bonneviles and Harleys parked at the front of Rennaissance and Penninsula amongst the Porsches and Bentleys. But turn up on a Versys or CRF or even worse a sc**ter and you'll be sent to some grubby corner of the car park by the bins to park.

Do they have a set of Top Trumps cards to train the hotel staff. Lambo - OK, Rolls - OK, MV - OK, Honda - Fireblade OK - all others round the back with the Finos.

I wonder if the hotel porters will be instructed to reclassify the Bonnie when the price drops?

Triumph Bonnevilles, Harley Davidsons and 5 star hotels.... mmmm, I never heard all those words in the same sentence before, what are you on about? .....Unless you are a rockstar? well maybe that is how you see yourself.....

Listen chum, if you ride a motorcycle you are a second class citizen by definition.... arriving at your 5 star hotel covered in road grime, crap and dead flies, stinking of diesel fumes and stale sweat.

Just because your bike might be as fast as a Porsche, it is still a a bunch of cheap steel tubes with an engine stuffed in it, so don't kid yourself.

I don't have a Bonnie or a Ducati - just a LowSo Honda - but I've seen a shiny red Ducati Panigale parked right outside the Renaissance entrance and a group of Harley baggers on another day. To be fair to the Marriott Group - when I arrived at the Marriott Pattaya on a CRF covered in dust a flies - they invited me to park at the front while I checked in and the porter offered to valet park my bike! And I'm no rock star!

Edited December 10, 2014 by Familyonthemove

[AllanB]

This is Thailand and if you have got enough money to stay in their posh hotel they will "respect" the hell out of you, they may even valet park your dirt bike....and then go and shower ready for their "normal" customers who turn up in a proper vehicle.

You try arriving on a dirt bike in London or Paris and they will tell you to "clear off"....unless you look like a rockstar, but then...a rockstar on £2000 bike...I don't think so.

So I suggest if you want to do that outside Thailand, pretend you are a member of the British aristocracy, half of them look like tramps.

Or just face the facts...you are a biker and a second class citizen, proud of it too, flies in your teeth with a bit of a wiff about you....but having a whole lot more fun than the stiff ast Porsche drivers.

Edited December 10, 2014 by AllanB

[AllanB]

You are all a bunch of wimps, this is a big bike, seems size is important judging by the tidy boiler astride. Headlamps are a bit undersized though.

[tmaker]

no one will dispute this belongs to the category of Big Bike...

if there's anyone who says no, then, i do not now what to say !!! 555

http://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/bikes/rocket/2014/rocket-iii-roadster

[SDM0712]

From my observation the term "Big Bike" as used by Supermakets and Shopping Malls refers only to the size of the body, so anything physically bigger than a PCX (inclusive). The general Thai accepted term seems to refer to anything that is not a scooter and has the frame of a bike regardless of CC. For the foreigner I think most consider anything more than 250 cc as a big bike.

SDM

[wow64]

Depends on the shopping center as too what they think is a big bike..

MBK anything over 400cc

Most of the others anything over 150cc and this includes those stupid PCX's.. so annoying trying to put a 600rr in there and the big bike section is taken over by pcx's. Never take the 600 shopping because of this only the little 300.

I guess the cbr600rr is not really a big bike though.. but its similar in size to the 1000.

Edited December 12, 2014 by wow64

[papa al]

https://autos.yahoo.com/news/hear-rumble-lamborghini-v12-motorcycle-183004290.html

[papa al]

IMO if you can't lift the bikes rear end with one hand to shift it over in the parking area, it's a TOO BIG bike.

I shake my head in pity at all the big bike posters lamenting how tough it is in the parking garage.

[tmaker]

https://autos.yahoo.com/news/hear-rumble-lamborghini-v12-motorcycle-183004290.html

found from your link...........this a gold mine ( not 2 wheels tho )

https://autos.yahoo.com/photos/the-barn-finds-of-the-baillon-collection-1417809211-slideshow/

Edited December 13, 2014 by tmaker

[Familyonthemove]

There's a serious elitism isue in Thailand - unless you have an expensive imported bike you'll be treated as a second class citizen wherever you go. Same thing with locally built cars vs imports. The big test is if you can park at the front of a 5 star hotel. I've seen Ducati sports bikes (not Monsters! and they need to be red), Bonneviles and Harleys parked at the front of Rennaissance and Penninsula amongst the Porsches and Bentleys. But turn up on a Versys or CRF or even worse a sc**ter and you'll be sent to some grubby corner of the car park by the bins to park.

Do they have a set of Top Trumps cards to train the hotel staff. Lambo - OK, Rolls - OK, MV - OK, Honda - Fireblade OK - all others round the back with the Finos.

I wonder if the hotel porters will be instructed to reclassify the Bonnie when the price drops?

Triumph Bonnevilles, Harley Davidsons and 5 star hotels.... mmmm, I never heard all those words in the same sentence before, what are you on about? .....Unless you are a rockstar? well maybe that is how you see yourself.....

Listen chum, if you ride a motorcycle you are a second class citizen by definition.... arriving at your 5 star hotel covered in road grime, crap and dead flies, stinking of diesel fumes and stale sweat.

Just because your bike might be as fast as a Porsche, it is still a a bunch of cheap steel tubes with an engine stuffed in it, so don't kid yourself.

OK - this reply is a bit late - but here you go - a Ducati parked outside the 5* Renaissance Hotel in Central Bangkok. (I told you so's - like revenge - are dishes best served cold.... or something like that )

[DualSportBiker]

Well understood.

I came out of a store in Wang Chao in December to find some short drunk older guy picking my GS of its stand to show them he could do it! Gave him a dressing down for doing it and his mates for letting him. Equal amout of face-loss all around...

Oh and the other thing - I often catch people sitting on my bike taking pictures. That gets me too

[DualSportBiker]

The Porn Ping Tower hotel in Chiang Mai is owned by a guy with a significant collection of bikes. Only bikes are allowed to park upfront - any car is ushered away by well trained staff.

It is not however a 5 star hotel...

There's a serious elitism isue in Thailand - unless you have an expensive imported bike you'll be treated as a second class citizen wherever you go. Same thing with locally built cars vs imports. The big test is if you can park at the front of a 5 star hotel. I've seen Ducati sports bikes (not Monsters! and they need to be red), Bonneviles and Harleys parked at the front of Rennaissance and Penninsula amongst the Porsches and Bentleys. But turn up on a Versys or CRF or even worse a sc**ter and you'll be sent to some grubby corner of the car park by the bins to park.

Do they have a set of Top Trumps cards to train the hotel staff. Lambo - OK, Rolls - OK, MV - OK, Honda - Fireblade OK - all others round the back with the Finos.

I wonder if the hotel porters will be instructed to reclassify the Bonnie when the price drops?

Triumph Bonnevilles, Harley Davidsons and 5 star hotels.... mmmm, I never heard all those words in the same sentence before, what are you on about? .....Unless you are a rockstar? well maybe that is how you see yourself.....

Listen chum, if you ride a motorcycle you are a second class citizen by definition.... arriving at your 5 star hotel covered in road grime, crap and dead flies, stinking of diesel fumes and stale sweat.

Just because your bike might be as fast as a Porsche, it is still a a bunch of cheap steel tubes with an engine stuffed in it, so don't kid yourself.

OK - this reply is a bit late - but here you go - a Ducati parked outside the 5* Renaissance Hotel in Central Bangkok. (I told you so's - like revenge - are dishes best served cold.... or something like that )

[Familyonthemove]

Spot the not-big bike.....

[papa al]

The pink one?

[DILLIGAD]

The pink one?

Any "pink one"

[smedly]

I would consider:

Big bike +400cc

Super bike +1000cc

Actually liter bike would be superbike

That's how I see it.

Though I don't ride a big bike in Thailand.

you have an extra category that is not really covered by the above

My take would be

Small bike scooter moped up to 250cc

Medium bike up to 500cc

Big bike up to 800cc

Super Bike anything above 800cc usually able to exceed 160mph (probably a grey area from 750-1000cc depending on style and performance)

Cruisers - a set of bikes that don't fall into any of the above as the performance doesn't matter except within the "cruiser" category and as with engine size is probably not really a consideration anyway