I just got back from a 6 day loop through the north west of Vietnam. I rented an XR250 from Offroad Vietnam which I prebooked about a month in advance. The cost for the bike was $30 USD per day which they requested I pay at the time of booking. You can transfer the money through Western Union.

It was my first time in Vietnam and I did the trip on my own although I gather most people travel with a guide. The roads are dangerous but easily manageable if you are a regular rider and use a bit of caution. Maps are not very reliable. I used a road map that I bought beforehand and a road atlas I bought locally and a gps and a lonely planet but still managed to get lost fairly regularly. It doesn't help that they change the names of the towns.

The XR was the biggest Heap of crap that I have ever sat on but quite acceptable by local standards I gather. Leaving the shop I couldn't get the bike into second gear so I went back and they bent the selector out so it was no longer jammed against the engine cover. The rear wheel bearings failed the first afternoon and I got them replaced at a mechanics shop (xe may) in a small village. The gear selector stripped out on day 5 but after riding for about an hour in 3rd I stopped and took the time to repair it. It had been half put on and packed with some sort of shim. It looked like it was probably from a different model bike. The rear suspension was totally stuffed which made cornering with any spped at all quite interesting as the back end would skip across the road. I actually stopped a couple of times because I thought I had a flat rear tyre. I think parts are a problem for them as they source them second hand from China and I think the cost of keeping the bikes up to a reasonable western standard would keep them broke.

So the bike took a bit of manageing and couldn't be ridden fast or hard at all because of the state it was in but it did get me back to Hanoi and the trip was well worth doing. I got to some quite remote spots as well as the more well known tourist towns and the locals were generally welcoming and helpfull. 6 days was probably a little quick. 7 or maybe 8 would have been about right.

If you have got any specific questions ask away and I will tell you what I can.

Wayne