All around the border - all done and dusted

[DualSportBiker]

5,080 km wrapped up yesterday morning back into wet and distinctly cool Nonthaburi...

The final installment of the trip was kind of academic - a 'have to do' section.

Ubon back to Mukdahan (https://goo.gl/maps/A4Ji7) so I could cross the border and renew my 90 days brought me back to the river. I then rode south again to Mae Nam Song See where I called it a night.

The next day I rode to Buriram (https://goo.gl/maps/ZXZHS) and took a detour up to the closest point accessible to Phreah Viharn...

Stopped for a break at a reservoir which looked pretty low...

My bike was leaking oil again, and I took 4 hours to remove the oil from the air filter housing and get it running slightly better. The day was over, so I stayed in Ban Kruat and hung out with a bunch of local expats who are based there.

I was offered a paddock pass to the SuperBike race just 66 km away, and technical assistance there with my bike by a good mate. Unfortunately, my Mrs also needed my help with technical translation work and wanted to meet me her in Rayong at a friends house on the beach. So Friday morning I resigned myself to not completing the final leg and made for Rayong via Chantaburi from Buriram. https://goo.gl/maps/wko53

That pretty much wraps it up - the ride home was just that and nothing to report.

In summary, I'd do this anti-clockwise if I had the chance again; Issan is fairly flat and the roads are straighter and less interesting than the north. After riding 10 days of endless curves I got less out of the flatter straighter days that followed. 16 days of riding, 4 of which were half-days for mechanical issues, so two weeks just about covers it. I've almost seen too much; too many good views, too many corners (if that is not heresy) and too many traffic lights not working or used... Only one scary moment in Kanchanaburi on day 2, no spills or putting the bike down tired at the end of a long day, and not one single vehicle of any kind overtook me the whole 5,080 km! Not that I keep track...

Enjoy!

[DualSportBiker]

Oh, while I remember... As for big bikes not being suitable for Thailand as suggested in a thread on hot bikes, I wish I'd known before I set out on this trip... would have made all the difference... Dolt!

[seedy]

Nice One. Thanks for sharing.

[papa al]

Oh, while I remember... As for big bikes not being suitable for Thailand as suggested in a thread on hot bikes, I wish I'd known before I set out on this trip... would have made all the difference... Dolt!

You may have to interrupt the trip quite a bit to fix oil leaks & such.

Other than that BMW are ok for touring.

[DualSportBiker]

^

Only my second trip-stopping/interrupting issue in 50,000 km. I've no idea if that is good or bad, but it seems OK to me...

[coley]

Congratulations and glad you had a safe trip.

[papa al]

^

Only my second trip-stopping/interrupting issue in 50,000 km. I've no idea if that is good or bad, but it seems OK to me...

You reported mechanical probs & interruptions at Kanchanapisek, Chiang Mai, and Buriram.

3x in 5000km.

& still leaking?

[casualbiker]

^

Only my second trip-stopping/interrupting issue in 50,000 km. I've no idea if that is good or bad, but it seems OK to me...

You reported mechanical probs & interruptions at Kanchanapisek, Chiang Mai, and Buriram.

3x in 5000km.

& still leaking?

But no problems the first 45k

[DualSportBiker]

Not quite. Kanchanaburi was my bad no changing out my battery before setting off, and the rest were all the same issue being stop-gapped...

^

Only my second trip-stopping/interrupting issue in 50,000 km. I've no idea if that is good or bad, but it seems OK to me...

You reported mechanical probs & interruptions at Kanchanapisek, Chiang Mai, and Buriram.

3x in 5000km.

& still leaking?

[papa al]

I see.

Barcelona Motors CNX was unable to effect a proper repair then.

"Day 5 - Nong Khai to Nakorn Phanom https://goo.gl/maps/Bym7v

An easy route as it turns out… I was headed to Ubon, but when I returned to my bike from lunch in Nakorn Phanom, there was oil on the road so I ended up losing 29 hours for repairs.

And after the 29-hr repair, still leaking?

Where are the Motor Werks elves when you need them!?

[moe666]

Thanks for sharing

[Aussieroaming]

Damn..made me envious.

[Denim]

Nice one . Did the same trip 30 years ago with a couple of Canadians ....all on Honda 100 cc machines. Grueling but rewarding although we cheated by having a two month break between doing the north and northeast. Had to give our internal organs time to recover from the pounding of the terrible roads of the time.