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

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Hi, I have travelled quite a bit round Lao and Cambodia, though ita a few years ago now and things change very quickly. A lot of the roads I rode were dirt and now are surfaced. Kho Kong to P.P, Bokor mountain...Most of the main routes are now surfaced. Two up on a Honda, sure its possible but doesn't leave much room for belongings ( the rear seat frame breaks quite easily if used on the rough two up. Minska are not that common in Lao or Cambodia so not much infrastructure to fix them. My mate hired a Honda Baja $10 per day. He fell off ...marked the bike. Shop owner had been called out to fix some bikes he had hired out ( hirers had filled them with Diesel). Spotted mates bike..found us and asked if it would be ok to service it and check it over..never mentioned marks/damage. Neither of us broke down..a puncture each collected while riding in less rural areas..nail and pop rivet respectivly. You will have problems crossing borders since the hirer normally insists on your passport...afraid theve been scammed too often by tourists...

just my twopence worth.

jimmy

Interesting what you say about damage etc. that seems like good news. I looked at a few sites and rentals are about $30/day. hence why I thought buying would maybe be better. From what you say, it looks like honda would be best. cheers for that.

Would it be possible to ride 2 up with 40-60L rucksacks on? or will this be too tiring/bulky?

thanks for the reply jimmy.

G

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Hi, yes I am sure its possible...however its not neccassary to carry much when travelling in Cambodia or Lao. You will stay in small hotels or guest houses, you wont be cooking or camping, you need a change of clothes and your wash bag. You can buy a new tee shirt for $2 or launder in your room, it will be dry in the morning. I would be much more worried carrying a passenger on the bike in Cambodia or Lao, especially if I had very little experience of motorcycling...and two up...in a country where your understanding of road rules and expected practices does not apply. Be very carefull, spend an afternoon solo getting an understanding for the local driving and tell yourself repeatedly....there are no rules, the unexpected will happen ...often! the impossible frequently! the unbelievable every day! Have fun, but have your eyes wide open. A small tale to assist. I had my bike in store in P.P. Came back some months later. Tyres flat battery flat. Spoke to motorcycle shop and arranged service etc. Guy said bring it on a Cyclo!. Mounted the bike crossways across footboard, I sat on backrest to counter balance load. Cyclo man sets of. Mates follow in remork. We arrive at junction with dual carriagway and need to go left. Cyclo turns sharp left cause its only a few hundred yards and this way its shorter and easier. We are now going the wrong way up a dual carriageway with my bike sideways across the front of a cyclo..back wheel of cyclo just kissing the ground..the only brake is on the very very lightly loaded back wheel..remember the remork..that followed?. The driver of that decided to give cyclo a boost...put his foot on cyclos back wheel spindle and accelerates us up to about 25 miles per hour...!! Constant and heavy traffic...crazy..however no one is at all surprised no horns blowing... no angry drivers..they have no sense of ownership of the road...if its possible and I need to do it...why not?. lol If you can understand and adopt a similar mindset...you will enjoy and be safe.

Jimmy

Hey guys,

what's so great about Laos and Cambodia when compared to Thailand?

I mean what would motivate you not to spend that time in Thailand?

Actually I'm looking for an excuse to spend time in Laos and Cambodia.\

Thanks in advance

Thailand is a more developed country, and tourism-wise it´s still more mainstream, even though Cambodia & Laos are gaining popularity. All have different & exciting cultures, that alone makes them well worth a visit (all even have their own language)... But if you already have experience of Indonesia, its possible Cambodia & Laos might not feel so exotic to you, as they would to someone visiting Asia for the first time.


On the original question: if you´ve got absolutely no experience of riding bikes, I dont think SE Asia would be the right place to start. ESPECIALLY if you will want to travel 2-up.


There was a guy, an old-timer, who took part in an organised trip by a Finnish tour-operator around Cambodia some years ago. When booking the trip he´d lied about the fact he´d never ridden a proper motorcycle with clutch&gears (I believe he had ridden some scooters, though)...... and he had several minor crashes during the first 1-2 days on the tour, luckily escaping injury, but after these he agreed with the group leader that it will be better to take him back to Phnom Penh, and he continued the trip by some other means.