To bike or not to bike? by Dayrider!
Posted by Daywalker | Blog, Main, Reader Submissions | Posted on February 25th, 2012
I want a bike! I am a biker. For 30 years I’ve had some kind of bike. From off-roaders to a 916, I’ve had a few in my time. Currently I have a couple of R1’s in my garage in the UK. I used to keep one where I lived – on the south coast of Spain, and the other in R1 in the UK that was used primarily to make my annual pilgrimage to Monaco each year to watch the F1 GP. Since moving to Thailand, the bikes are now enjoying a new life of living under blankets in my garage in the UK. For me, in Farangland, bikes are toys. Nothing more.
I would love to bring one to Thailand, but that would take up more money than the bike is worth. I could buy one in Bangkok, but it’s ridiculously priced and I refuse to be ripped off. Besides, I don’t like Bangkok as a place to ride a bike. Not that I like to leave soi 4.
I don’t see a bike in Thailand being the toy it is in the UK, I see it not as a necessity, but as a convenience. Thus… I want a small, cheap and nasty bike that will no doubt get broken and left on the side of the road somewhere.
You could call me a fair weather biker I suppose. I won’t ride in the wet, cold and if there is so much as a cloud in the sky 200km away, then I’d chose the car over the bike.
When in Phuket, I do tend to hire a Honda Airblade which is such a hoot. I had forgotten how much fun those little twist and go’s are. When I returned to England I went straight to my local bike dealer and bought a twist and go in the form of an Aprilia 300. It’s a beastie. It does 90mph and million miles per gallon. Amazing. Thing is, it’s not fun riding in the UK on one of these lawnmowers in the freezing cold and people (girls) laugh at me when I pull up at the traffic lights. My lovely little Aprilia now sits in my garage gathering dust with 40miles on the clock. R.I.P Aprilia.
I have this then bought this and will end up with one of these!
So what can I do? I want to start venturing out of soi 4, but I am too scared and tight to ride an R1 and if I am totally honest, I have no idea of the driving philosophy adopted by Thai drivers. I just don’t get how they don’t crash more and can’t believe how tolerant they are of other drivers.
Doing a search on Google for bike shops in Bangkok leads me to believe there are none. I managed to find one bike shop RedBarron but the bikes they have are way over-priced. I am not saying they’re over-priced for Thailand, but I personally would not value the bikes that high. I’d feel like I am betraying my R1’s if I were to ride around on a bike that isn’t half as good as my R1’s but cost twice the price.
A quick search on Thaivisa seemed to answer all my prayers. Plenty of little bikes here at cheap prices. I won’t worry about all the paperwork problems of visas n stuff as I’ll put it in my girlfriends name. The more I look at the little Honda blade, the more I think maybe just a little more power would be good to make sure I am the 1st one away from the lights – just so I don’t get caught up in the million bikers racing to Cowboy/Nana each night. So.. after long deliberation, I have decided on a D-Tracker 250.
Only thing now is where do I get one? Unless they open up a bike shop in Soi 4, I am never going to happen upon a shop. I did however visit the Bangkok Kwaka dealer with an old pal of mine to check them out. The bike was available in any colour, as long as it’s orange. My least favorite color. Nice
I am used to going into a shop, pointing at a bike and saying ‘I’ll take that one’. Oh no, this is Thailand. Not so fast Mister. I can’t believe how complicated it is. There were waiting lists, options, paperwork etc… I really can’t be arsed with it all. I want that one. End of.
Being a short arse, I am on tip-toes on the bike. Not a problem as I intend to ride it rather than take if for a walk.
Before I make the leap though and shell out 150,000 on a bike that may end up underneath a bus down sukhumvit, 1st I think it best to check out the rules and regulations of the road. Not quite the same as the Highway Code we have in the UK!
Rules & Regulations (taken from this website)
Drive on the left side of the roadThe legal age for riding a motorcycle up to 110cc is 15; 18 is the legal age for riding a motorcycle over 110cc (are there no license requirements?)
It is compulsory for a driver to have their driving licence and a copy of the vehicle registration document (Blue Book, Lem Tabian)
Valid Thai or International Driving Licenses’ are accepted ( I assume with the ‘motorcycle’ entitlement?)
Every vehicle must have a tax sticker, which has to be renewed annually at the local Department of Land Transport Office (DLT) (never seen that)
Every vehicle must have third party insurance, the Compulsory Motor Insurance (CMI)
Blood-alcohol limit is 0.5 mg (what are the penalties if over?)
Speeding fines must be paid at the local police station (or on the side of the road?)
Vehicles with red registration plates are not permitted to drive at night (how long does that last? I’ll only want to ride the sodding thing at night)
From 7 May 2008 a driver may only use a mobile cellular telephone with a handsfree system – (I’ll install a hands-free kit next to my ashtray)
Other things to take into account when driving in Thailand:
Flashing of headlights by other vehicles is a warning signal meaning “get out of my way” and does not indicate “you may make your maneuvers”, as it does in some Western countries
Drivers of larger vehicles may assume that smaller vehicles will give way
Anyone wishing to change the colour of their car must inform the DLT who will change the details in the registration book (I’ll be doing that straight away)
A frequently used method of warning road users of a breakdown in the road ahead is to cover the road with tree branches – (great.. ever hit a branch on a bike?)
Well… that seems all well and good. I think I can handle that. Now.. I just have to handover a pile of cash to the gf and tell her to go buy it. – and then wait for an eternity.
Not so fast…. Upon looking around various websites, I came across Bangkok Bike Rentals. They have a D-Tracker for 13000 per month. So here is me with a brain wave… hire one from them, and see if I can actually make the journey from Soi 4 to Cowboy without falling off. I have no idea how that’s going to pan out.
If anyone has any advice/experiences or horror stories regarding biking in Bangkok, then please share them.
24 Responses to “To bike or not to bike? by Dayrider!”
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Translator
Advice! one word, (DON”T)!!!!!!!
View all comments by THE MAN
Welcome to Biking in Thailand 101
Ownership of bike – can be purchased by you on 30 day tourist visa. All you need is a certificate of residency, gotten from Immigration or your Embassy
Driving license – you need a Thai license or an International one to legally drive. There are separate Thai licenses for bikes and for cars. You can get a Thai license without a road test if you have a valid British one. They start you with a 1 year, then you get a 5 year.
Red plates – not issued for bikes. Getting the actual plate can take a while on a new bike. The problem is that the dealers have the bikes but they are still owned by the factory. And the dealers like to hold your money for a while. You can ride without a plate, just carry a copy of the receipt.
Used bikes – with the number of D-Trackers out there, there are a lot of used ones that Thais bought and cannot afford. Good ones are available for under 100k. And used ones have the plate already.
Other models – Honda is coming out with a new 250 dual sport next month, supposededly priced around 110-120k. Worth looking at – and will probably bring down the prices of used D-Trackers.
Short legs – you might want to look at the Honda CBR250 or the Kawi 250 Ninja.
Riding in Thailand – some decent website for riding info – http://www.gt-rider.com and http://rideasia.net
Good luck
View all comments by Dilligaf
That’s some great info Dillgaf. – Thanks.
Does anyone know of any bike sale websites apart from Thaivisa?
@THE MAN.. it’s just for riding down soi 4.. how bad can it be?
View all comments by Daywalker
http://rideasia.net/forum/interesting-bikes-for-sale-from-thai-websites-t116.html
http://www.bahtsold.com/en/quicksearch?co=Thailand-1&c=NULL&ca=9&pr=NULL&submit=
http://www.mocyc.com/store/index.php
View all comments by Dilligaf
I would suggest giving Derek at http://www.siamwheels.com a call. They have really filled a niche market in Thailand for guys looking to ride but not necessarily looking to buy. He is also a really nice guy : )
View all comments by JustinCider
Guys, thanks for the info & links.
If your comment has a URL in it, it’ll automatically go into moderation until I can approve it.
This is due to the high level of Spam and the ‘increase your penis’ links that my gf keeps posting.
View all comments by Daywalker
Lots of bikes on soi 4 already. Quite a few in R1.
View all comments by Wombat
My phonebook is chock full of the numbers of cheap bikes. Most of them free. Get in touch via the blog
View all comments by Young Penfold
Hmmm and you made fun of my scooter when I met you at the bar that day.
Now lookatcha. Your obviously looking to use this as convenience around central BKK. Get an automatic and something narrow to negotiate around the traffic. When I ride around BKK I leave my PCX at home because its too wide and take my Hayate. Go to the Honda dealer and buy an Airblade or Click and take it home that day with a read plate. The dealer will setup insurance for you and call you when your regular plate arrives. Take 300 baht and place inside your paperwork under the seat. When Somchai stops you hand him the paperwork and he will find what he needs like a rat to cheese. I’ve been here 7 years, ride nearly everyday and still don’t have a license to ride a motorbike. Good Luck!
View all comments by Big Black Gulliver
BBG. Thanks. I have all my licenses, but the cash in there makes sense just in case.
If I could have my little Aprilia in Thailand, that’d be the nuts. It’ cost me approx 175kbht in the uk. As it’s an Italian import to Thailand, I guess that’d be double?
I heard that the AirBlade was being discontinued?
Reading Dilligaf, I am now warming to 250 Ninja…. but then, twist and do is probably better. Hmm.. what to do. The only sensible thing would be to buy a Ninja and a Airblade.
View all comments by Daywalker
Had a few bikes here over the years..Big ones and small ones. Have to say the most practical one has been the click. I only say this as it is a narrow bike and makes negotiating those gaps between cars a breeze. Being an extra couple of inches wider /thinner makes all the difference – just ask any girl!
Seriously though, bigger bikes look cool, but you don’t feel too cool siting in the blazing sun sucking up red bus fumes whilst everyone else on narrower bikes zip past you, simply because you handlebars are a couple of inches too wide.
I suppose it is function Vs. form. Also, your GF will probably get some use out of something like a click? – Or, get something bigger and have the handlebars shortened.
To a large extent, if it is just for convenience (eg: Nana to Cowboy) if you are riding anything wider than a click, you might as well be in a car , particularly on Sukhumvit. Even those PCX’s are too wide on many occasion.
View all comments by soidog
Some bike width dimensions from the net:
Honda Wave 100 – 697mm
Honda Dream 125 – 705mm
Honde CBR250R – 709mm
Kawasaki Ninja 250 – 710mm
Kawasaki D-Tracker – 795mm
Not a big difference in width between the scooters and the 250cc sport bikes
View all comments by Dilligaf
I think it’s going to have to be the Ninja then.
Does anyone know how long it’d take if I walked into the Kwaka dealer (using my gf), pointed at a new 250 Ninja to actually taking possession?
View all comments by Daywalker
I think a 250cc two stroke powered Segway would be the way to go! raging up and down the odd side of Suk, through all the sidewalk vendors and Arab gaggles with strollers in tow!
@DW; I’m with you on the fair-weather weekend warriors. Nearly every crash I’ve had involved water or liquid mixtures. It’s just those little scooters are so fucked when it comes to balance and center of gravity their just no fun? Adding the slop of the centrifugal clutches and infinite ratio auto gearbox and you might as well be on a hopped up wheeled high chair with lights and horn?
Can’t you find an old Bandit and take it apart? They weigh less than 150lbs and you could just pack it up in your checked bags? Maybe airport security and Thai customs would be an issue? Is the shipping so much because of customs and taxes and such or is it just expensive?
An R1 would be way impractical but the coolest bike in lower Suk no doubt!
View all comments by nurseRon
@DW – if the bike is on the floor for sale, and you have all the correct papers, it will only take a couple hours for them to arrange the registration and insurance.
If it is going to be in your name, they want to see passport and proof of residence. If it is a “gift” to the GF, her ID Card is enough.
The required insurance is 3rd party, and costs 645 baht/year. You can spring for 1st class, or they sell an extended 3rd party insurance with more coverage and a bail bond guarantee. The plate will come later, but you will be fine with the receipt.
When you get the plate and green book, make a photocopy of the rego page and stash it under the seat. You are required to have that copy with you.
Before you ride it out of the shop. check the chain and tire pressure. The usual setup for the Thai “mechanics” is too tight and too much air.
View all comments by Dilligaf
Thanks. So this insurance stuff then. I take it the bike is insured rather than the individual? So I can just get on her bike and ride off into the sunset?
Is there a Fully Comprehensive Insurance or similar?
View all comments by Daywalker
I ride every day and when I read your post I only have one thing to say to you, don’t get a bike. Stick to taxi’s and the skytrain.
Thai traffic isn’t anything like traffic in the west.
And the rules you posted there are for cars, not for bikes.
View all comments by Happy Farang
Whilst I am most appreciative for all the advice given to me here, I really think some of you may underestimate my riding ability! I have been in Thailand now since 2005. There is not many days I go without using a motorcycle taxi – for me it’s the quickest way around the area and I have never shit my pants when on the back.
I’ve been riding a bike since I was given one on my 5th birthday. I’ve ridden all over Europe, completed stunt rider training, advanced motorcyclist training and ridden at 300kph many times. When in Monaco, my party piece is to wheelie past a Ferrari at 100mph! If there is one thing I can do -it’s ride a bike. Now, if my gf can hop on a bike and go to Villa Market for my favorite tin of Heinz soup, and she can’t even spell Motorcycle, then really, I should be able too.
I realize that you guys are most likely to be focusing on the other road users, and I totally agree with you. The thing about being a bike rider is that you should always be aware of your surroundings and not put yourself in danger. Easier said than done in Sukhumvit.
I must stress, this bike will only be used for journeys from the Mango to the 7/11 or to Cowboy. Riding any further is, like you say, madness and only asking for trouble.
Having said all that, if the blog goes quiet it’s because I am wrapped around the rear axle of a bus.
View all comments by Daywalker
@DW – yes, the bike is insured, not the driver. Multiple bikes means multiple policies.
The basic insurance is compulsory and covers medical only, up to 50k baht for anyone that you injure, plus some coverage for you. Property damage to your bike and something you hit is not covered. Neither is theft.
That insurance must be paid and proof of payment is presented when you pay the annual 100 baht registration fee. Then you get the small square sticker that must be stuck on the bike. There is one company authorized to sell this insurance, and they will have a counter at the Motor Vehicle Office for one-stop shopping.
The extended third party gives you more medical coverage, minimal property damage to others, and a bail bond. No coverage for theft or your bike. This can be purchased from any insurance company.
Full comprehensive is the 1st class insurance – also available from any company. But each company will have different rules about selling it to you. Some will only sell it on new bikes, some for 3 years, some for 5 years, etc. And it can get expensive.
All my bikes are too old to get the 1st class, so I have the extended 3rd party. It starts off at about 1500-1600 baht, then it gets discounted 10% per year if there are no claims. Levels off at 50%. This is in addition to the basic compulsory insurance.
You can do a lot of nice touring on the Ninjette. Hopefully you will get it out of the Big Smoke and enjoy riding. Here is a tip – if you are short on time, you can send the bike out of town and follow after it to avoid the boring ride away from Bangkok. Some folks put it on the train, but you can actually ride the bike to the Post Office and mail it.
View all comments by Dilligaf
Ducati’s are now made here…
But the waiting list for the Monster 795 (Bt400k) is up to June
View all comments by MSB
@MSB
Yes, they are making the one model here – only for Asia – and the price is right. However, there are a few things to consider.
1. A friend is Sri Racha bought one, and is already considering getting rid of it. He says that the exhaust is close to your leg and you can feel the burn. In addition, the bike overheats easily. BTW, the dealer’s advice was to pull over and let it cool down.
2. There are some reports that the sales deal between Ducati and the government is not finalized, and that owners are not getting green books.
3. Another friend was at the Pattaya dealer this week. He was told that the registration fee right now is 2,500 baht, and in July it was going up to 15,000 baht.
4. Ducati has worldwide problems with their plastic gas tanks warping due to Gasohol. If this bike has the same plastic, buyer beware.
View all comments by Dilligaf
ahhh…my 125 aprilia habana…fucked that to pieces from pompey to chichester to and from work, then some more. Liitle beauty cost me 2700, sold it for 300 as I recall. Now have a vespa 125 px…ridden it all of 15 miles since i have lived in london, 5 years now…such a waste. Wouldn’t go near one in patts/bangers…there are 2 certainties in life…I will get smashed…I will try to ride it back to my room at 10am…urgo I will die horribly.
View all comments by rope-a-dope
Well it’s only to ride up and down Soi 4 and to the 7/11. Now I see you have added Soi Cowboy where you will, I’m sure get as fucking drunk as a person can get while bullshitting with some of your closest friends and playing grab ass. Then before you know it, it will be time to hit a few of the late night pits, but wait!, I have this bike here, what am I to do, can’t leave it, hell I’ll just ride it back to the Mango and drop it, I’ll meet you at the pit OK? Suddenly a few rain drops start to fall and before you can say WTF, DW will be laying on SUK wondering what happened to all those years of riding and training. Somchit wasn’t thinking about any of that you see in his yellow and green taxi with no windshield wipers when he ran you over, and low and behold Somchit has run off never to be seen again. Now think of this, all fun and games will have to be curtailed for an extended period of time while you heal, no pussy, no BJ’s cause your Willie is someplace in a body cast with only a tube protruding. Nah!!! take a taxi to Cowboy and walk to the 7/11 or Nana. The exercise will do you good.
View all comments by THE MAN
THE MAN – What a lovely picture you paint!!
o.k… forget Cowboy. It’ll be used to ride from the Mango to the 7/11 (opposite Jools)
I said I’d ride to other places so that I can pretend to myself it’s not a waste of money!
I’ve found the beastie that I want.
http://motoaholic.com/?page_id=344
It won’t take much to make it Big Mango colors!
View all comments by Daywalker