Bike for a complete newbie (almost)

[wannabebiker]

Hey guys,

 

I'm living in bangkok since a few years and recently opened a office for my company here. Commute is pretty short, but traffic is bad (sathorn). Going home at 4 or 5pm I can easily spend 60 minutes in a taxi for the 5km ride. 

My only motorcycle experience is from holidays in Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai. I've always driven 150cc-Automatics and I feel very comfortable on these. Total driving time probably less than 50hours. But as I said, very comfortable and confident. 

I would like to buy a bike to commute to my office and a bike to take weekend trips to places within reach of bangkok as I very much enjoy just driving. Wonderful feeling.

Now, I've done a bit of research and it pretty much nails down to this:

Benelli 302
CBR300F 
Yamaha MT03

For the looks, the MT03 speaks to me. CBR300F looks solid too - doesnt seem to be a bike you can do wrong with. Benelli 302 is the best beginner bike from what I learned in forums and youtube reviews. 

My budget is not that important, I just want a good, reliable and stable bike. 

I'm 1.90m and 120kg by the way. 

Also, I need to learn how to drive! Just taking the drivers test would not teach me properly. Any recommendation on courses, schools, safety trainings I can do?

Helmet? Want the best of the best here. 

wannabebiker

[William Osborne]

if money is not an issue, i wouldn't get a benelli as it doesn't have the reliability/quality history of a honda or yamaha... also the Kawasaki would be good option ?.....from your size i would have a jump on all of them just to make sure they fit ok..(as they are designed for small asian market).... 

 

not sure about training or anything...but if you can drive a scooter should be ok , just get used to the clutch and gears...... also, the most dangerous curve of learning to drive a bike is when you get comfortable/over-confident ... then you crash...... 

 

i would recommend the following book to learn basics   https://www.amazon.com/Total-Control-Performance-Street-Techniques/dp/0760314039

 

for the helmet, i wouldnt go too expensive as it might get nicked... REAL do decent helmets for about 2500 or HJC do good helmets with d-ring fastner for just over 4k 

[Briggsy]

I agree with the previous poster. A guy in my apartment building got a Benelli and regrets it.

 

I also agree with the previous poster about the most likely time for a crash being shortly after mastering the controls. I have the scars to prove it.

 

I also agree with the previous poster about Real helmets. You will need to go to a 'proper' bike equipment shop to find one. Ensure you get one that is tight but not painfully so. Real helmets come in a variety of sizes and designs.

 

How far do you wanna ride at the weekend? The bike that suits picking your way through Bangkok stationary traffic is not the bike you will want to ride to Pak Chong. I used to do both on a Honda Sonic but I was young, frugal and prepared to suffer. Now, I own 2 bikes and choose the bike for the job. If you want a bike for Bangkok, it needs to be narrow. With manual gears, that could be a Suzuki Raider or a Yamaha Exciter. If you want an automatic, it could be just about all the rest.

[properperson]

 

If you want a bike to cut through the BKK traffic - You might want to look at the KTM Duke 390.....

 

Visordown test between MT03 and Duke 390 below:

 

 

[Still Living]

That Yamaha gets my vote! I also like the look of the 2017 R3. 

 

 

 

Quality full face helmet and gloves for sure. Enjoy your new ride! 

[lemonjelly]

Honda scoopy for commuting to work
Kwaki ninja 650 to go sightseeing hospital emergency wards outside BKK


Sent from my twisted mind using Thaivisa Connect

[Rhys]

The R-3 is a 325cc?   

[papa al]

MT-03

understand there are schools/training in BKK.

Dunno but maybe ask the Yamaha dealer or mr. google.

[guzzi850m2]

2 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

Honda scoopy for commuting to work
Kwaki ninja 650 to go sightseeing hospital emergency wards outside BKK


Sent from my twisted mind using Thaivisa Connect

What! Scoopy!! OP said he is 1.90. I am 1.86 and hate riding my wife's toy scoppy doo, too champed for me. Made for small Thais on a tight budget.

 

Don't get a scoopy OP with your size.

 

Well he said that he want's a 300cc which should be fine for BKK commuting and trips in the weekends, so no need for 2 bikes.  

 

I can't recommend any of the 300cc myself as I never owned one, but if I was to get one, I would look at: MT03, KTM390Duke and the new Versys300.

[Still Living]

I was also going to recommend something like the Yamaha nmax for daily driving in BKK but if you need a toy then the 300 class is a good call. 

 

Just know that it sucks riding the clutch in heavy stop and go traffic. a slim, light weight auto would be better for your commute. But they do lack sex appeal and let's face it... Life's too short to ride a boring bike. 

[mark131v]

As a really forgiving learner bike the Honda CB 500 range is probably another very good option as a first bike, can be completely benign but you can still have a bit of fun as the experience progresses 

[papa al]

5 hours ago, Still Living said:

That Yamaha gets my vote! I also like the look of the 2017 R3. 

 

 

 

Quality full face helmet and gloves for sure. Enjoy your new ride! 

 

& jacket with elbow & shoulder plastic, &

even regular carpenter knee pads

can really save the day

when you are paying only 90% attention &

it happens,

too quickly

boom.

 

[KhruGin]

16 hours ago, William Osborne said:

if money is not an issue, i wouldn't get a benelli as it doesn't have the reliability/quality history of a honda or yamaha... also the Kawasaki would be good option ? 

Lol, yep the Yamaha may be better than the Benelli, but lol certainly not the Honda 300. Have you not seen the stories of late right here on Thia Visa? The major one being a knackered crank from new? Oh well.

 

I have a Benelli 300, 5800kms since March and very minor issues. Good fun bike to ride, have a look at the 'Benelli TNT300s' here in motorcycle forum and look at the reviews by people that do own them and not the people who seem to like knocking China.

 

Having said that from the OP's choices, MT03 if money isn't an issue ...more power a and few more cc's (324 versus 300). Earlier in the year 38,000 Baht was the difference between Benelli TNT300 and Yamaha MT03 thus decision for me was made ...pay cash outright for Benelli or a years finance to buy the MT ... and a good move by me as lovin it, the Benelli that is

 

[NoshowJones]

Why not get a Honda PCX 150, for both local commuting and longer rides, no need to buy two bikes, the PCX is both reliable and economical, I have ridden one very long journeys through Isaan, and also through the busiest parts of Bangkok, also excellent for splitting lanes.

[tj916]

If you are thinking about the PCX and are new to riding I would consider the NMAX as it comes with ABS as standard.

They are not very pretty though.

Agree with previous poster, riding the clutch in heavy traffic gets old real quick.

 

 

 

[mark131v]

If you are thinking of the scooter route then the Sym range of maxi scooters have a very good reputation both in LoS and worldwide. I have a mate who has had 2 of of the 300's and he does a lot of serious touring all over Thailand and he loves them, still a scooter though....

[ktm jeff]

If the OP wants a "proper" bike , with a clutch , then the 325cc twin cylinder Yamaha or Benelli would be my choice.  The little 286cc Honda has ruled itself out a while back due to the many ongoing reliability issues and general poor quality. The KTM ( 200 , 250 and 390 ) is worth a look if you dont place too much importance on touring long distances. Probably the most fun bike though. With the new 300cc twin cylinder Kawasakis coming out soon , i would take a look at them too. But first ,  you can do what many people end up doing - buying a cheap scooter/comuter ( also handy to increase your riding hours on a familiar automatic ) for the rat run througe Bangkok to work. Pretty much anything will be fine here - Yamaha Nouvo , Filano , NMAX , PCX , and several scooters from the SYM range.

[Still Living]

Exciter 150!!! ?

 

 

[wannabebiker]

Thanks for all the replies. I understand the concerns for my safety and I'm loving it! I'm considering the CBR500R now due to my biker friends telling me thats the easiest to learn on for future riding. I will complete a few safety courses first, learn riding with a teacher, then go into the traffic :)

[mark131v]

22 minutes ago, wannabebiker said:

Thanks for all the replies. I understand the concerns for my safety and I'm loving it! I'm considering the CBR500R now due to my biker friends telling me thats the easiest to learn on for future riding. I will complete a few safety courses first, learn riding with a teacher, then go into the traffic :)

 

Good choice!!

 

Probably the best to learn on in my opinion as it is very forgiving and still has plenty to keep you interested as the skills progress, there are a few bargains about if you wanted to buy second hand as an extra bonus.....

[macknife]

Don't get a CBR500 bike. Yes it's easy to ride or learn on, but you will get bored of it.

For more fun get the MT03/R3 or maybe a Kawa Ninja/Z3. The KTM 390s are quicker but it's a single and I don't like how it feels. The others are twins and feel much smoother to ride. Don't be too worried, they are all quite easy to ride.

[mark131v]

I know where you are coming from mac but as a first bike the CB500 range is plenty fun for a completely new rider, I had both as you know and still reckon the 500 is a better first bike and you can make it go quick and have a lot of fun too, a better learning tool in my opinion but I understand what you are saying...

[AllanB]

Going from a couple of days on a scooter to fighting the crazy, hot BKK traffic on a relatively powerful bike with gears in one step...well you don'e wanna do that. I have been riding many kinds of bikes and scooters in Thailand for 9 years, Laos and VN too and I would hate to ride in the BKK traffic.

 

I spent a day riding through Hanoi and 2 days around HCM city and my concentration was on overdrive and I was very used to riding the wife's Wave, so familiar with the bike I had there, but still.

 

Just bought a Filano for city riding, I am 1.83m and 86kilos and there is plenty of room and enough power, certainly for a 5km journey in traffic. So I were you that is where I would start, either that or a PCX, both 100% reliable and all the performance you will need.

 

Then if you get the bug, buy a bike for the countryside and practice in a sane environment..

[Peterw42]

22 minutes ago, AllanB said:

Going from a couple of days on a scooter to fighting the crazy, hot BKK traffic on a relatively powerful bike with gears in one step...well you don'e wanna do that. I have been riding many kinds of bikes and scooters in Thailand for 9 years, Laos and VN too and I would hate to ride in the BKK traffic.

 

I spent a day riding through Hanoi and 2 days around HCM city and my concentration was on overdrive and I was very used to riding the wife's Wave, so familiar with the bike I had there, but still.

 

Just bought a Filano for city riding, I am 1.83m and 86kilos and there is plenty of room and enough power, certainly for a 5km journey in traffic. So I were you that is where I would start, either that or a PCX, both 100% reliable and all the performance you will need.

 

Then if you get the bug, buy a bike for the countryside and practice in a sane environment..

 

Thats good advice, the concentration level on a big bike in Thailand is intense. A "point and shoot" scooter in BKK would be wise initially, and they can be great fun.

[fullcave]

On 12/10/2016 at 8:22 PM, properperson said:

 

If you want a bike to cut through the BKK traffic - You might want to look at the KTM Duke 390.....

 

Visordown test between MT03 and Duke 390 below:

 

 

 

He stated he was 190 cm. Maximum height for the duke is around 170 cm. 

[Still Living]

On December 15, 2016 at 3:21 PM, fullcave said:

 

He stated he was 190 cm. Maximum height for the duke is around 170 cm. 

 

Max height according to who? I'm 194cm and all these bikes are too small but I make them work. ?

[AllanB]

19 hours ago, Still Living said:

 

Max height according to who? I'm 194cm and all these bikes are too small but I make them work. ?

That's a bad mistake, you need the best fit you can get, otherwise it will be hell to ride and dangerous and selling bikes isn't always easy here in Thailand.

 

I am only 183 and some bikes are built for leprechauns, so have a careful look around, if you can't get a test-ride consider hiring the one that feels best.

 

I have just done the Mae Hong Son Loop with the Mrs on a Filano and that was pretty good, lots of legroom and fairly good bar height too. 125cc and CVT, so plenty of go. Other scooters are much smaller and the same with bikes. 50-52k brand new, so the best value on the market. Lots of storage too.

[Still Living]

4 hours ago, AllanB said:

That's a bad mistake, you need the best fit you can get, otherwise it will be hell to ride and dangerous and selling bikes isn't always easy here in Thailand.

 

I am only 183 and some bikes are built for leprechauns, so have a careful look around, if you can't get a test-ride consider hiring the one that feels best.

 

I have just done the Mae Hong Son Loop with the Mrs on a Filano and that was pretty good, lots of legroom and fairly good bar height too. 125cc and CVT, so plenty of go. Other scooters are much smaller and the same with bikes. 50-52k brand new, so the best value on the market. Lots of storage too.

 

You make a good point but please tell me what bike you think is "safe" for tall lanky farangs to ride in Asia. 

 

They are ALL too small. In the states I had a 650 and friends would say I look too big for it. I went to buy my 150 here and the people at the dealer were laughing at me! What's a tall ugly white boy to do?? I just deal with it. I'm not rubbing my knee around corners here... Just farting around mostly. 

[Still Living]

On December 11, 2016 at 1:59 AM, papa al said:

 

& jacket with elbow & shoulder plastic, &

even regular carpenter knee pads

can really save the day

when you are paying only 90% attention &

it happens,

too quickly

boom.

 

 

Just crashed my bike low speed and my only injury is minor scrapes on my right palm and wrist. If you crash, you WILL put your hands down so wear some gloves. I have some good gloves but it's rainy season here and mold was growing on my gloves so I chose to stop wearing them until the rain stopped. Oh well. Lessons learned. 

[AllanB]

5 hours ago, Still Living said:

 

You make a good point but please tell me what bike you think is "safe" for tall lanky farangs to ride in Asia. 

 

They are ALL too small. In the states I had a 650 and friends would say I look too big for it. I went to buy my 150 here and the people at the dealer were laughing at me! What's a tall ugly white boy to do?? I just deal with it. I'm not rubbing my knee around corners here... Just farting around mostly. 

 

A CRF250 is pretty tall, I have a Lifan Cross and people say I look okay (size wise) on it, or the Kawa KLX250, that sort of thing.

 

These bikes are very nippy in the traffic, great fun to ride and you can see over the top of the traffic... and you will be very visible, not a bad thing in BKK. ... and they handle speed bumps, ruts, drain grates and potholes with ease, again, not a bad thing.

 

You can do a bit of green-laning/dirt roading at the weekend a great way of learning control.

 

I haven't, but maybe get some road tyres....and you will need a rucksack, no storage.

 

Good for your image too, if , like most people on this forum, you are aesthetically challenged...........that rufty-tufty dirt bike rider look.... girls go for that a lot, I am fighting them off.