Big bikes and bandanas

[nidnoyham 30]

I was just wondering what you other chaps feel about the "Wild Ones" that seem to frequent Pattaya & Chang Mai. You know, the Deniss Hopper/ Patrick Swayze/Sam Elloit wanabe, on HDs with no exhaust baffles, disturbing my kip on the beach.

 

Does anyone else find them a bit, you know, almost pathetic ? Are they just ageing Hells Angels who now live in LOS ? Does anyone know one, are you one ? Are you just living out your dream ?

There was a particular one in Chang Mai- German I think, wore a T with Sons of Satan 666 Chang Mai Chapter, I wasn't sure if I should be scared, or smile.      Went to the same bar every night, drinking Thai whiskey & Coke, he was mean looking, tatoos and all that, but somehow too clean and fresh, the few Angels I knew in England did not wear clean jeans 'n T every day.

I am a biker at home, winter & summer, p'raps that is why I notice them.

Anyway I just wondered  

[VoxVader 1]

Maybe next time buy the guy a drink and listen to his story.  One of the cool things about Thailand is the strange people you meet from all over the world.

 

What I never got about the biker guys is how they can wear black and also leather vests in Thailand.  I'm drenched in sweat walking 20 seconds in a t-shirt, shorts and sandles.

 

-Vox

[landy2a 0]

At 11 am today I sit for my bike licence so look out all you falang bikers who try and run me down on the South Pattay rd pedestrian crossing. Your end is nigh....

 

John

[nidnoyham 30]

Landy, welcome to the world of 2 wheels, it will make you a better car driver too. You will begin to notice things about other drivers. ie talking on the mobile,stopping suddenly for no apparent reason in front of you, resisting overtaking, pulling out in front of you, because they are in a steel cage, and the first point of impact will  be 1 of your legs. It can be a war of nerves, but when you open that throttle and hum Born to be wild to yourself, it makes it all worth while. Stay lucky !

[nidnoyham 30]

So John-landy, did you pass your bike test ? Like to know for when I'm crossing to Walking Street !  

[Crackpot 2]

So John-landy, did you pass your bike test ? Like to know for when I'm crossing to Walking Street !  

 

Its the pavements you have to worry about, mate !

[slim 0]

have to tell u guys i ride over here in oz and have just done a 4000 klm run to an uncle,s funeral and back but no way am i willing to ride over in thailand i think its to scary the way they tailgate and change lanes without looking not to mention that u are the falung and its all your fault at the accident and u must pay.

as for the guys who ride over there most of them i have met are complete wankers

[growler 0]

John-landy,

 

What do you need a bike for? You used to run a mile in under 4 minutes.  

[Crackpot 2]

have to tell u guys i ride over here in oz and have just done a 4000 klm run to an uncle,s funeral and back but no way am i willing to ride over in thailand i think its to scary the way they tailgate and change lanes without looking not to mention that u are the falung and its all your fault at the accident and u must pay.

as for the guys who ride over there most of them i have met are complete wankers

Just thank Buddha they dont have 'roos over there too.

I wrote off my favourite FJ Holden when I hit 2 of the stupid bastard things many moons ago.

Id hate to hit one on a bike

[slim 0]

yep you got that right about roo,s grackpot i totaled my 98 roadking on anzac day at 2 in the morning going to toowoomba for the dawn service

the bloke in front cliped the roo sending it spinning up into the air and comming right through my screen and onto my chest all this at 140 klm------the resolt 3 broken ribs and various patches of skin missing and a hole in my left foot and 1 totalled harley.

[nidnoyham 30]

Luckily in U.K no 'roos, just white van man, taxi man & snooty women in fckg great 4W.D looking down at you. The good thing is when you give them a good hand gesture, it sort of fits in with the immage of bikers, so does not offend- now a kick in the door - thats different

[monkeyman 1,604]

Just remember dudes.  If you can't drive a car under the front forks it ain't a real bike.

 

be seeing you

monkeyman, man. [smiley=hippie.gif]

[maipenrai 476]

I think big bikes like Harleys look ridiculously out of place in Thailand - a four -wheeled equivalent would be a 70's Lincoln Town Car on Sukhomvit.

 

The hot little bikes the locals ride are so much better suited to the traffic conditions with their narrow bars and light weight.  

 

One of my BKK buddies is a former Canadian roadrace champion who plied his trade on TZ750's in the seventies; he now rides a 150 in Thailand. He told me he didn't want anything bigger because he'd probably end up dumping it on wet pavement - too easy to spin the back wheel on the oily surface.

 

As for the characters who ride the aforementioned big bikes, some look like they just  stepped out of a Marvel comic book - but hey, that's Thailand for you, anything goes and it makes for great people watching.

 

The ones that piss me off are the idiots tearing around on R1's and Fireblades with no helmets, gloves, or anything besides tank tops and flipflops - when I see these assholes ripping down Soi 7 or 8 at 50mph I feel like throwing a beer at them.

[nidnoyham 30]

So Snowbird, you wouldn't recomend the new 2.5 ltr Triumph roadster- 0-60 in 2.5 sec, 0- 100 in 6 sec ?

 

If Monkeyman is right about being able to run down a car with a real bike- this one would cut it in 2 !

It is for the U.S market, they have the roads for it, but your right about the idiots on Fireblades, but steady on son- throwing beer is a bit drastic, a bottle of water will be fine.  

[maipenrai 476]

This is a motorcycle you're talking about, nidnoyham? Jeez, sounds more like a projectile to me... last year I took my buddy's R1 for a ride, was just amazed at the speed and power... most of my motorcycle experience is on dirt bikes, big cross country jobs like Huskys, and this was the first road bike I had ridden for years - had it up to 150mph in no time flat....but on an empty road!

I don't understand riding bikes this big and fast on crowded streets like Pattaya's...

 

And you're right, why waste beer on assholes ;D?

Throw something else at them instead....

[nidnoyham 30]

Snowbird...

Yes it's a bike, on sale in March next year £13-14000

price tag, it is only a few inches longer than their roadster. I thought the GOld Wing 1800 was O.T.T. If you drop this bugger, how will you pick it up? I'm 5ft 4in, but I think it has a low saddle height, even so I know my limits. Be handy for towing a trailer home though !

[maipenrai 476]

Yikes, I wonder how much it weighs? That's more like a two wheeled car than a bike.... over here in northern Canada we get a lot of tourist bikers coming through in the summer, and I see the trike conversions are becoming more popular, especially with older riders.

 

Just bought my first road bike in 25 years last summer - my old dream machine, a 1972 Norton Commando - pristine condition and excellent price - $3500 CDN, couldn't resist ;D - bought it too late in the summer and haven't had it on the road yet, but will do a lot of riding this next summer.... thinking of buying a newer bike too, to get more practice in street riding before I rent one in Thailand....

[nidnoyham 30]

A Norton- Snowbird you old nostalgic !

They are building Nortons in India to the old 60s spec, we can buy them in U.K. Its the one with the silver hump-back tank with Norton written in black, saw one near me outside m/cycle shop. I would be torn between that and the new Triumph Bonneville, about 5 models to chose from. I suppose I am an old nostalgic too, memories of being chased by Mods on scooters- like a pack of angry 2 stroke bees after you. Happy days !  

[maipenrai 476]

Interesting - I know they have been building Royal Enfields for years, and they are now available this side of the pond, but I didn't know they also had the tooling for the old Nortons as well....

[Nidge 0]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post on this forum.

Regarding high powered bikes, I love em, but, why the hell these guys scream around town on them I really don't know, a little more thought for other road users and pedestrians wouldn't go amiss.

I am a biker myself back in the UK and my fun and games is the SV650 twin Suzi.....great fun bike and so light.

I hired a couple of bikes in Pattaya and I had to pick my time of day when to use them due to the idiotic traffic there.....out in the country is a different story.

Now, what I do love to see in Pattaya are these wonderful Thai girls in cut off shorts and lycra tops astride these bikes and in full control....go for it girls. :D

C'mon March when I return to LOS

Best wishes to all and stay safe.

 

Nidge

[nidnoyham 30]

Welcome aboard Nidge.

 

Nice bike the Suzi SV.

 

Your right about the little TG on a big bike, especily a cruiser, arms straight out, firm grip on the bars, quick tweek of throttle and so much control !  

[Nidge 0]

Hi nidnoyham,

Thanks for the welcome aboard, quite apt as I'm on a boat down Rio shooting Seismic data. Got another 6 ish weeks of this before I can leg it back to dear ol Pattaya. :-/ :'(

If the traffic wasn't so crazy in Thailand I would love to get out on two wheels more, couple that with the accident problem (you must pay!) and brown shirts.....need I say more.

Can I trust a TG with me as pillion, it just wouldn't feel right!

 

Regards

Nidge

[nidnoyham 30]

Nidge,

As far as trusting a TG on a bike in pattaya, I dont think anyone is safe there 100%. Where my mate lives on soi 17, the only taxis are m/bike, but I dislike them so much, we walk to the nearest bahtbus. Every time I get off a bike I offer a silent prayer of thanks.

 

But up country, my GF is a more cautious rider than me, I get told off if I pull out of a side road when approaching traffic is less than 100 yards away. As she keeps telling me, its not like at home where you are insured, and you will have to pay for any damage.

The only thing I find ammusing about the traffic in LOS, is the tollerance of locals on bikes, they expext you to walk in front of them etc and are prepared for it, back home road rage would be eppidemic in the same situation as Pattaya.  

[Nidge 0]

Hi Nidnoyham,

I can't help but laugh when I see what gets shipped about on the bikes in LOS. I had a three's up on a bike/taxi which scared the shit out of me. I clocked a four's up a couple of trips back and I wondered if it could be beaten. Well, last time in LOS I clocked five of the buggers on a 125cc   ;D, could hardly believe my eyes and the camera wasn't to hand. Surely you can't get more than 5 on a 125cc unless you know different, maybe a new world record!

I'm quite happy to stick with the baht bus run as I normaly stay on Soi8 and the circuit suits me although I nearly fell out of one once (not pissed) just the bugger set off a little quick.

Okay, gotta take a leak and get some coffee on to get me through the night.

 

Regards

Nidge

[landy2a 0]

Nidnoyham, sorry I have not answered your question re bike licence but I was in LOS for three months and did not visit the board very often. Why read about it when you are doing it!!!

 

Sad story about the licence, passed the theory ok but knowing the examiner was a fellow veteran I assumed the old boy network and the fact that I rode a honda 90 stepthrough a few times in the 70's would be enough. He had no sense of humour and after a 30 min ride declared me a menace and a threat to all other road users and sent me home. I only wanted a licence for a 125cc bike and he tested me on a 250cc. After a honda 90 in the 70's a 250 is a thumping big bike. At least it was to me.

I only wanted to ride in the wilds of Issan.

 

All is not lost as I am now the proud owner of a Thai car and bike licence ( no purplies as bribes) sat the theory three times and passed the practical first go albiet at ten kph.

 

Growler, slowing down a little now, not real sure if I am dead or the Governor of Victoria..

 

 

John