Getting motorcycle fever again

If you can believe it, all I’ve been thinking about before returning to Thailand this autumn is motorcycles. I’ve got the fever again.

Motorcycles are dangerous anywhere in the world because you have to be 100% awake and sharp every second. There’s the fear of the car door; the sudden taxi u-turn; the streetcar tracks that become banana peels when it’s raining;  the absent-minded SUV driver (they act like kings of the road) that turns left in front of you despite your blazing headlight and high-viz jacket; the distracted mom who runs a red light; the expressway dolt who doesn’t look (or signal) when switching lanes because his mirrors look down the side of the car instead of into the adjacent lanes; the long-haul trucker at 125 km/h blazes by you in the rain, etc.

In Thailand, no one, and I mean no one, knows how to drive at all. And many don’t have a licence, or wear seatbelts or helmets (photo left of couriers who do wear helmets). Many don’t look when entering a road;  many motorcycle drivers will dive down your inside as you’re turning right or left; motorcycle riders will cut right across your bow because they have to get there RIGHT  NOW because they spotted a dried squid vendor; drivers will move over on you without signal or apparent reason; they will run red lights, green and yellow; sudden stops are mandatory if a 7-11 comes into view; they will park in the middle of a street or lane or doorway or sidewalk, etc.

So I must be crazy. Well, you could certainly certify me thusly if I was going to ride a bike in Bangkok. I’d have myself committed. No, I’m saving this blast of youth (ha!) for upcountry when I return. It’s a cheap, easy way to get around.

My dream motorbike is the BMW R800GS(top image). In Thailand, it’s a ridiculous mount of money, about double that in already absurd Canadian dollars. That’s about $12,500 plus taxes. With taxes, plus PDI, it would be very close to $15,000, about 450,000 baht. It’s 770,000 bt in Land of Smiles. The Kawasaki KLR650 would come a close second. But this is not available in Thailand, despite the fact Kawi has a factory making some cruisers, Ninja models, some trail bikes (see D-Tracker at bottom of article) and the E6Rn.  Apparently the Versys is (rumoured) due to arrive late this year, and this latter is definitely  closer to my needs. But it’s likely to be sitting at around 300,000 bt. Throw another 200,000 down and you can  have a Chevrolet 2-door Colorado compact pickup.

But if I were smart, I’d start out with one step at a time and go with a scooter. Yep, a little 125 cc  half-stepthrough or full step-through scooter (image right of Fino) , either a Yamaha Nouvo (image above) or Fino or Honda PCX. There’s also the Thailand made Boxer 250RS. Not a bad looking bike, sort of a dual sport, with high bars, decent clearance and apparently decent comfort. There’s lots of aftermarket and bike maker accessories. But, it has no sex appeal among Thais -- possibly because the reviled police use them? (small image below) Honda’s No. 1. The Boxer is  maybe a step and  a half above a scoot in terms of my preferences, and there are good reports about it. It is, after all, a more real motorcycle.

Big bikes in a genuine retail environment are not common, most of them could be classed as cruisers, of the Harley variety and I have no desire to try to keep a Harley operating or, if you really want to know the truth, be seen on one. I’ve ridden a couple and wondered how they could be passed by the department of transport. Some people love ‘em though, including some of my friends here in Canada. Other biggies do get into the country all right, but not all enter properly, which is to say, the owner brought it in using means that might involve a lot of money at customs.

Enough of that. It’s about 2 and a half months before I arrive and that will be in Bangkok. There will be a few times I will be out in the country and hope to rent some of my candidate scooters. In the meantime, I’ve booked a KLR and 800GS for some road tests in Canada. I don’t have a motorbike now because I sold my new BMW F650GS last autumn. Not long after it stranded me less than two months into ownership. Didn’t really like it anyway, especially when the 800GS was hiding in the shadows beckoning me with its sexy miniskirt fender, long legs, slim, svelt figure and athlete’s buns of a rear tire. Alas, the price of admission was too much for me.

After selling it and two previous bikes in short order, I lost interest, helped by high insurance costs too. Just didn’t care anymore. But over May and June, I made the mistake of going back to reading the ride reports on ADVRider.com and caught the bike bug. Again.

 

LINKS:

• BMW Thailand motorcycle division price list
• Kawasaki Thailand model lineup and prices.
• Chevrolet Thailand model pricing guide.
• Kawasaki Versys rumoured to be due in Thailand late this year.
• The Honda PCX, a little bigger scooter, is getting lots of good reports as a secondary road cruiser, a bit bigger than the Nouvo.
• Lots of Southeast Asian info for motorcyclists at Golden Triangle Rider forum.
• Get lost in ADVRider.com ride reports on some of the most beautiful, some of the most dangerous, some of the most challenging  trips in the world. Often stunning pictures. They're addictive.