A bit like Adam's post further down but back to Basics!
A friend of ours is owns a dive company in Ko Tao and is getting married in October next year, loads of our friends will be going out so we will probably go. Now I want to combine this with a further agenda and would love to go back to Cambodia and into Loas (I backpacked around there and VN in 04). Having driven my Land Rover to Morocco and the Alps (solo vehicle) I now crave my own wheels and freedom and recently have entertained thoughts of buying a bike in Laos/Cambodia and seeing the country that way.
1st problem. I only ever rode mopeds last time i was there! never ridden a proper bike. I dont have a license.
2nd problem. Can you take a passenger on something like a minsk or Honda 250? I want a bike to take on the dirt roads, I dont see the point in staying on sealed routes. My otherhalf wont ride her own bike (she broke a leg on a push bike!

).
I have seen Minsk bikes for sale here for aorund £300 which seems better than renting as i dont have to worry about breaking it, it getting stolen, setting fire to it to keep warm etc etc. Seems the sensible option. Would I need any specific riding gear other than a lid? I was hoping to travel as a lightweight outfit and keep it cheap. We will prob have 2 60L sacks with us (usual stuff plus sleeping bag, bivi, tarp for emergency shelter use)
with regards to my license, what will it cost? lessons etc. and likely timeframe to complete? as a bit of background I used to race downhill mountain bikes for Scott USA and raced XC mountain bikes for years. I feel pretty confident on 2 wheels, the mopeds I used in Thailand and VN i took offroad!
Nothing else for now, would like to get my bike license, buy a bike there, travel around for a month on/off road then sell it on before flying back to the UK.
What does fuel cost in these countries? and what will my likely MPG be for a 2 wheeled steed. and do bikes break as often as my land rovers!?
cheers my 2 wheeled cousins

this may convert me to the darkside.
G