Riding Course at Bira International Circuit

This has been on my bucket list for a while now.
To (re)learn how to ride a bike and gain experience on a track. In my case, I heard about this on the 'Expat Bikers (Thailand)' Facebook group.

Our instructor was Graham, who explained to us the basics of controlling a bike. The day started at 8am and finished after lunch. I opted to rent a Kawasaki ER6n from Graham, because I couldn't risk trashing my own. You never know.... Boots and leathers are provided, just bring your own helmet.

Now, I've been riding for over 25 years with a very small accident count. Riding safe and riding well are definitely connected, but they aren't the same thing. Just as I thought, there were several things I do wrong when riding. Holding the handlebar too tightly for example, sitting up too stiff, not shifting enough weight and wrong feet positioning in the turns, turned out to be my biggest shortcomings.

With Graham's help though, and several laps later, I started to get 'it' and my confidence grew accordingly. Hadn't it been for a sudden downpour, I think I would have put down that knee where it belonged, on the tarmac!

Bira is open for bikes in the morning and cars in the afternoon. You can just turn up there and for a fee of 1.200Baht ride your bike the whole morning. (Riding instructor not included!)

Verdict: A very enjoyable day. I would recommend all bikers out there to take such a course. The only thing I missed were some refreshments or the chance to make a cup of coffee.

My 6 days bike tour in Thailand

I finally got it out of my system. Ever since I came to Thailand I've been dreaming of an extended holiday cruising through Thailand. I came pretty close to it when I traveled to Chiang Mai a few years back, where I rented an ER6n and rode up to Pai and the Mae Hong Song round. That was already a great experience.
This time though, I had my own bike and no time pressure. Getting ready for the trip, I purchased a set of saddlebags from the German 'Bags Connection' bought at Panda Rider in Bangkok. Brilliant kit by the way, and I will get a tank bag from them too.

(The map above doesn't show the last stretch from Pak Chong through Khao Yai National Park, Pratchinburi-Phanom Sarakam-Chachoengsao.)

Back to the tour. My wife and I started Sunday 12/10 from Chachoengsao direction Wang Nam Kieaw, where we stayed at the Village Farm & Winery, a place we already knew and loved for its peaceful atmosphere, great food and wine. We were not disappointed, especially when I got the German pork leg ('Schweinshaxe' in German, 'Kaa Moo Yerman' in Thai), which was even above what I had last time at home in the Alps.

Monday we passed through Korat to meet a few friends and then up to Chayaphum province to see what they call "The Stonehenge of Thailand". Mo Hin Khao is a plateau of large rocks in strange shapes, aged over 100 million years.
We enjoyed walking among the stones and there were very few people around when we reached the view point on top of a hill at the right time to watch the sunset. At this beautiful place and at this most amazing time of the day, everything seemed perfect, until....
...until a family of Thais arrived. One of them was a old and quite drunk guy with a can of beer in his hand, behaving like a proper idiot. What made my blood boil was when he decided it was a good idea to hang the empty beer an on a tree, all the while looking at me and smiling. I had all kinds of murder images passing through my mind, but I had to control myself very hard. "Keeping face" is paramount in Thailand. People regularly kill for something they perceive as a loss of face...and alcohol only inflates that feeling.
So, keep your mouth shut and look at the sunset. :-(
Just when it got dark we found a nice and very colorful resort for 800Baht a night (about 25$). Sorry, I forgot the name...

Tuesday we got something for our soul. My wife Poopae remembered reading a book written by a monk she highly revered (Luang Pho Sai Thong) and that he had his temple (Wat Pa Huai Gum in Chayaphum province) not too far from there. It seemed important for her, so I decided it would be a good idea to make her happy. If you're married you know what I'm talking about. After riding for a couple of hours through small villages and dusty fields, we arrived at the temple, right in front of this famous monk, as he was directing workers in the parking lot. Coincidence, because in 2 days it would be his 65th birthday and the whole area was getting ready for the big celebration. Poopae got all excited as if she'd seen a superstar or something. That on the other hand impressed me, because I've rarely seen her in that state, except when....well....
Again, since there were not too many people around, we got a semi-private audience with him, where he blessed us with a powerful portable sprinkler (I kid you not) and gave us a few lucky charms, which would protect us on our trip. Can't hurt having extra protection, right?
After we said our goodbyes, we rode on up a very steep road to the highest mountain in the Petchabun province, Phu Tabberk. Phu Tabberk was once famous for growing poppies for the production of heroin. After they got busted by the government, they shifted to cabbage and tourism. Less exciting but probably more profitable in the long run. There's quite a lot of development going on up there, with many new guesthouses being build. No wonder....the views are impressive and the weather very cool. Too cold for my taste I have to admit, even though I come from the Alps...but that's what 8 years of hot Thai weather does to you.
We stayed at a mini resort on a hill with a massive illuminated Christian cross on it, not because I'm religious, God forbid, but because it was easier to spot on the dark mountain roads.

Wednesday. Leaving the chilly mountain top behind, we headed towards Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, one of the highlights of our trip. The road was strewn with potholes and annoying stretches of gravel, but when we arrived at the loop trail, all our worries were forgotten. This beautiful and scenic trail passes through amazing stone formations that are quite unique, cliffs that drop hundreds of meters and give way to stunning views of the valley below. Not only that, but this plateau is also of historical importance, because between 1968 and 1981 it was home of some fierce battles between the Thai Army and the Communist revolutionaries, who had their headquarters right there. Even though the Communists were outnumbered, they really gave the Thai army a hard time until eventually they were defeated.

Is this some sort of riddle?

 Put in at least 3 hours to soak it all in, you won't regret it.
We rode on Route 12, which is under extensive construction, being enlarged from a 2 lane to a 4 lane road. This route is an important part of the Asian Highway and connects Burma, Thailand, Cambodia all the way to Vietnam.

At this point we were quite tired, but next on our list was Wat Phra Son Keaw. I've been here 8 years now and I've seen my share of temples and to be honest, going to a temple is not the most exciting thing in the world. Unless it's Wat Phra Son Geaw! This is not just an ordinary temple, it's a piece of art embedded between soft green hills. The whole place is covered in delicate and colorful mosaics. See it to believe it. I suggest you go there during the week as I think it will get very crowded on weekends.

Next stop: Khao Kho, the 'Switzerland of Thailand'. Now, I don't know how much that comparison fits, but one thing is sure: the road going through Khao Kho is what we motorcycle enthusiasts dream about. Again, try to go during the week as I heard it gets very congested on weekends and having to share that nice stretch of road with countless metal cages is definitely no fun.

After such a long and eventful day we were lucky to find rest in a nice and almost empty resort. They even did their best to cook a proper breakfast for me, because I just can't cope with the traditional Thai rice soup in the morning. I'm Italian from the waist down for goodness sake!

Thursday was probably the hardest for me. The loooooong stretch of road that goes from Petchabun to Khao Yai is mind numbing and butt hurting. The only light at the end of the tunnel was the knowledge that we would sleep in one of our favourite places. I won't say the name because I like it quiet as it is. :-) We had dinner at PB Valley, a winery and restaurant. I highly recommend going there to taste the PB Shiraz and their steak, both excellent.

We stayed in our 'secret' place for 2 days to relax and recover from the trip. On the second day we visited the Khao Yai Art Museum. The entrance is free and the museum is well worth seeing.

Saturday: time to head home through another one of my favorite roads, 2090 that goes right through Khao Yai National Park. The guards almost wouldn't let me enter because they deemed my exhaust to be too loud. After a little persuading though we were allowed to go in.

To summarize, we had great weather throughout, not a drop of rain. We didn't get stopped by police, which is another little miracle. We encountered very little traffic, thanks God.
We met an important monk, check.
We enjoyed great food and wine, check.
We saw some great art. Check
We rode some fantastic mountain roads. Check


I think it couldn't have been better!

My daily commute to work (video)

A very short video I made to test my (very cheap) on-board camera. It's actually working quite well, but the battery seems to drain a bit too fast for my taste.

Anyway, this is my daily commute to work on my 2009 Kawasaki ER6n. Definitely not a long ride, but always full of surprises!

Also, as a bonus, check out this short docu about an SR rider in Bangkok and his 2 SR. If you can speak Thai, that would help...

Searching for Mrs Right

Finding the right motorcycle is a bit like finding the right woman I guess. Sometimes it's love at first sight, more often though it's a slow learning process, where you gradually exclude those that do not suit you or match your expectations.

Tiger ST200

It's been like that for me when I came to Thailand. My first bike here was a Thai Tiger ST200. Once I sorted some initial reliability issues, it was a great and fun bike for the city and small to medium trips. The only thing that was lacking was the power. My next bike then was a Suzuki Bandit 400. I loved the flowing lines and there was plenty of power, but still, I wasn't satisfied... An inline 4 has a power output that doesn't really mirror my riding habits. I prefer to ride at a slow to medium pace, but the Bandit liked it fast and furious. Eventually, we separated amicably.
My next bike was a Yamaha SR400...and it was love at first sight/ride. I love the classic design, the thumping sound and the simplicity of it all. This love prompted me to start this blog and later on open the Omega Racer shop. But that's stuff for another story.

Suzuki Bandit 400

I'm not saying I don't love her anymore, but I have to admit that I've been thinking a lot about other bikes, too. The problem was, I couldn't find Mrs Right. If I would live in Europe, I would definitely get a BMW R90 or R100, but Thailand is a different story.
To help me with the conundrum, I made a list of things I wanted and compared it with what is available in Thailand right now.

My baby

First off, the design/type. I like my bikes naked, simple and with classic lines.


Sometimes I'm tempted by the design of modern bikes. The MV Agusta F3 or the Rivale are two fantastic looking bikes, but sadly, also fantastically expensive. No way I can afford them and besides, they don't fulfill my other requirements.
The ideal type of bike for me is a street tracker or touring bike.





Next is practicality. For me, a bike has to be practical, meaning it must allow for a passenger to sit comfortably on longer rides, be able to carry luggage and allow me to ride in a comfortable upright position. It must be practical on the mechanical side, too, giving me the chance to fix something by myself, or at the very least be simple enough, so that a roadside mechanic won't f**k it up completely. Finding a good mechanic (at least for bigger bikes) in Thailand is a bit like finding an honest politician.

BMW R90. Reliability on two wheels

Reliability. Of course, generally new bikes tend to be more reliable than older ones, but there are some personal guidelines I like to follow. The old Honda SuperFour, so common in Thailand, are in my opinion rolling minefields. How many of those had their carbs cleaned and synchronized recently? How many Thai mechanics are able to adjust the valves on an inline four? Naaa, I'll stick with one or 2 cylinders. I want a bomb proof machine like the W650, the indestructibility of a Honda or any BMW.

The engine. Like I mentioned before, one or 2 cylinders suit my riding style best. I love their sound and character. Simple tech, air-cooled singles, V twins, boxer or inline twins are my bread and butter.

One of the most beautiful engines ever made

Price. Obviously, staying in the budget is important. I have a pretty clear idea about how much I want and can spend for my next bike. Since I don't really like modern bikes, with 150k to 200k Baht there are some good second hand bikes out there. If the right new bike would come along, I could think about raising the budget. For the upcoming Ducati Scrambler or the Kawasaki W800 I could make such an exemption, for example....even thinking about....gulp....financing. There, I said it.

Kawasaki ER6n 2009

Finally, the availability. Living in Thailand has many advantages, but when it comes to bikes it's definitely not like in the West. I have to admit that in the past few years many new models entered the Thai market, thanks to the expansion program in South East Asia of big motorcycle manufacturers like Kawasaki, Honda, Ducati, Triumph and even BMW. These manufacturers produce some bike models in Thailand which are exempt from stratospheric import taxes, which afflict many other models. Just take the very nice BMW R9T: it costs 11,600 Pounds in the UK...roughly 640k Baht. The same bike in Thailand would set you back 1.1 million Baht!! Almost double!!
So, what's available?
As mentioned above, there are some good (new) bikes made in Thailand: just to mention a few...Kawasaki has the ER6n/f and the Versys; Honda the CB500 and now CB650; Triumph with the Bonneville, Scrambler and T100; BMW with the F800R and Ducati with the Monster 695.
The second hand market is currently profiting from the very high sales of ER6n and Versys since 2009, which were the first big bikes to be made and sold in Thailand. 2009 models now go for as little as 150k, while 2011 models with low mileage can go up to 180-190k Baht.

Honda CB500f

It's not too difficult to find 2013 CB500 for 180k (cost new about 200k for the naked version) and 2013 695 Monsters for 350k (new: about 400k).
Of course, the evergreens on the second hand market are still the Yamaha SR400 and the Honda CB400 SuperFour. They're much cheaper (in the 50-60k range), but most of them are not legally registered.

Sure, there are other big bikes available, but for one or the other reason, they're not interesting for me.


Now, if I take all these conditions and put them to cook in a big pot, the result will boil down to a small selection.

1. 1) Yamaha XS650 (difficult to find, especially with legal papers)
2. 2) Kawasaki W650 (available, but rarely legal)
3. 3) Kawasaki ER6n 2009-2011 model (good bike, good price, not classic)
4. 4) Honda CB500 (cheap, but otherwise quite a mediocre offering, not classic)

As you can see, there's not much choice here for someone who doesn't want to ride a 'transformer plastic bucket' bike.

Kawasaki W650

Maybe it's really like it is with women. The right one will come along when you stop looking and you least expect it, kicking you off your feet and taking you up to the seventh heaven of riding pleasure.

I'll keep you posted. ;-)