Hello,

I'm planning a tour of SE Asia by 125cc motorbikes and am looking for advice to help me avoid any injury (broken bones, bad road rash, etc.) that would require a hospital visit. My only motorbike experience is driving a Minsk while living in Hanoi a few years ago, so I have the basics down, however I don't have any experience driving in the countryside. I don't need to do any off-roading unless it's necessary to get to a particular point of interest, though I understand that many of the oft-used roads are themselves quite rustic. My basic route is starting in Hanoi in mid-September, driving east to Dien Bien, into Lao, down to Vientianne, into Thailand, all the way to Thailand's tip, rounding the isthmus, up into Cambodia, along Cambodia's coast, to Phnom Penh, into Vietnam, to Saigon, and then all over Vietnam; ending in Hanoi again.
I have plenty of other questions left to ask but this one seems most important to me. I'll be wearing a real Western helmet, leather hiking boots and maybe an uninsulated leather jacket (I remember the heat). I plan on going rather slow, maybe 25-35MPH.
I seem to be reading a lot of stories that end in a broken leg. Any tips on avoiding this? Is is worth it to buy proper motorcycle boots? I'm doing this trip on a limited budget (no BMWs, trust funds or retirement accounts) and can't invest huge sums into gear, but none-the-less can't afford a helicopter ride to a hospital in Bangkok. Any helpful tips to put my mind at ease?
Thanks in advance, and thanks for the hours of reading I've had in the forums already.