We would like to head to Vietnam in January and buy a small bike to ride. Can this be done and ridden through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia? Then either back into Vietnam or down through Thailand and Malaysia?

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Greg "WANDRR" Turp
2WANDRRs.com

Today Thailand NO.
Malaysia? not sure
January 2018 who knows

If you want buy small bike contact with me.

Traveld SEA for several months about 3 years ago. Its easy to buy and sell bikes in Vietnam. Bought a Honda Bonus 125cc for 150$.

About border crossings you hear a lot of rumors. But its difficult for sure, when you don't have the paper work. What is most likely the case if you buy the bike in Vietnam.

Anyway I met some guys who managed to take the bike from Vietnam to Laos. Also met a guy who managed to take the bike a bike from Cambodia to Laos.

Most guys who tried didn't have success. I guess its very dependend on the border crossing and the guards mood. Officaly you're not allowed to take a bike outside Vietnam as a foreigner.

Anyway bike rental in those countries is cheap. Maybe its a better idea to buy a bike for Vietnam sell it afterwards and just rent a bike the other countries.

Baying motorcycle in Vietnam is easy as foreigner and as long as you get blue card ~ownership card~ with bike you can cross border of Laos and Cambodia with no problem at all as I did it purchasing Minsk 125 for 500 US and traveled all three country's last year from December to February this year putting 5000 km
on that two stoke Belorussian motorcycle,so I sold my Minsk in Luang Prabang,Laos and traveled by air to Chiang Mai and rented Honda CRF250L for 18 US per day to finish my Indochina tour.

Safe ride

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Serbia to Japan 2014
Central and South America 2016

Check out YouTube name..... Indigo Traveller

Some great videos about buying and riding motorbikes in Vietnam.

There is a fb group, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand backpackers or something of that order.

There are always, always new Honda Wins for sale on a daily basis. ++

I bumped into a young VN guy in Laos a few months back, he was mocking the young guys, traveling 2 up on their Wins' he says that they are worth about $100, but the price I see is about $250-$300, i think thats like a market value rather than the actual cost.

There are lots of posts about, engine rebuilds, upgraded suspension, parts list and claims of regular oil changes, and i think to myself, is it worth it? a bike that has probably had dozens of owners since 2000 who have all rebuilt the engine.

He says he is better off on his Honda Wave 125cc, which i don't doubt.

A met a guy in my city, he bought a Minsk from here, http://cuongs-motorbike-adventure.com/ didnt seem a bad bike for the money. It also had decent Chinese canvas panniers. If you check the fb group you will see pick of big backpacks wrapped in plastic being strapped like panniers which is cool, but i have also seen a few people posting pleas after loosing their backpacks on the road. I think pack less and bring some enduristan or mosko panniers

I would love to own a Minsk here in Thailand, just to work on and look at, but I fear thats getting a distant dream.

IMHO i would suggest that if you want to buy a small bike for VN, Cambodia and Laos then try one of these, Wins' or Minsk's - it looks like you won't have any issues selling it during high season, there are as many 'wants' as 'for sales' .. Then come to Thailand, where you can buy a bike with a little bit of legwork or just rent one - that bike is no good to enter VN, which is why I say do it that way.

Im unsure that a VN reg'd bike is allowed in to Thailand after recent changes to the Thai system, and if you wanted to ride a Malaysian bike in from the south then the custom rules have changed recently, something about 30 days max, with no extension and restricted tot 60 days per calendar year .. i forget, theres so many complications at the moment. However, if you have a Thai reg'd bike its a little easier to travel Malaysia, and Malaysia although a great place doesnt seem to attract lots of long staying guests.

There isn't a one-stop 'best place' to buy a small bike in SE Asia, infact it's getting worse everyday.

++ ETS: Not new, obviously - old ones, but different to the day before,

Ask your hotel in HCMC to help you for that OR head to some bike shop in HCMC!

Me and my girlfriend are planning on going to Vietnam in December and buying bikes to tour the country, so this has given us some helpful info.

vietnamcoracle.com for info and especially routes tigitmotorbikes.com for more or if you want to 'own' without having to muck around looking and selling at the end.

I’d recommend riding a motorbike instead of a scooter. I think they are more comfortable, better suited for longer journeys. The Honda Win which is the most popular motorbike for backpackers to do this trip on. You can find mechanics selling them for around $300 to $350 and through backpackers from $250 to $350. Make sure you also get the blue registration card for your bike.

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Vietnam Private Tours - Ninh Binh Tours

An update on my post.

Anyone from US in Vietnam or Cambodia without the respective countries Drivers Licence is considered driving illegal. If you are in an accident you can get up to 10 years in jail. If you are using health/accident insurance (World Nomads) it is invalid as you are doing an illegal activity.

You can get a Drivers License though.
Cambodia, on a one year visa.
Vietnam, a 90 day visa.

I attempted to get my Vietnamese drivers license as I has a 90 day, multi-entry Visa. I was turned down as they just seemed not to like my current US driver's licence or International drivers license.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

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Greg "WANDRR" Turp
2WANDRRs.com

Having stayed in Vietnam for most of the past 9 months, here's what I've found through hearing of other people's experiences and from my experience:

- If you ride a bike below 175cc (the smaller of the 2 categories in VN) - that's generally a scooter or something like a Honda Win - the police will typically let you go after paying a small "fine"

- Anything above 175cc or that looks like a "big bike" - you ideally wanna have the Vietnamese A2 (full) motorcycle license and bike's registration ("blue card"). Or, at the very least, your foreign DL that's actually respected in Vietnam, and an IDP on top of that. Bike confiscation is the main (and real) threat that they use.

If anyone wants to get an A2 license in Vietnam, I know a great guy in Ho Chi Minh City that can expedite the process.

Watch out for this guys on the road....

https://youtu.be/MDa_zsbjBmc

safe ride

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Serbia to Japan 2014
Central and South America 2016

I can only report on my firsthand experience, which is that in two weeks and 3000 km of riding all sorts of places in Vietnam, I was never stopped by the police. I rode through dozens of checkpoints inside and outside of towns, and just once was waved over; I slowed, made the usual "what do you want me to do?" motions, and was waved onward.

If it's relevant, I was riding a "big" 250 Honda, was not carrying registration or insurance papers (the owner of Flamingo Travel, who rents a whole fleet of various-sized bikes, said my rental contract would suffice), but did have a USA license and IDP. I'd have been instantly recognizable as a foreigner even without the 250, since I was outlandishly-dressed in boots, a proper riding jacket, a DOT/Snell helmet, gloves, and leg armor.

How might things have worked out if I'd been in an accident? Your guess is as good as mine, but I did try to avoid getting in accidents. Would Flamingo Travel have returned my cash deposit if the bike had been confiscated? I suspect so, but I'm glad not to have put this to the test. YMMV.

Mark