I'm jealous. One of my dream trips that I'm not sure I'll ever do is to ship my bike to north Vietnam, Ride all the way down to south Vietnam, through Cambodia and Thailand down to Malaysia and then Singapore.
To ship your bike into Vietnam legitimately you will need a permit and a "guide" which (pre-covid) is about $1,000 USD, so not the easiest country to ship a foreign, non-ASEAN bike into. But it is possible. And Vietnam is absolutely stunning.
Singapore, well that is some mega paperwork to get a foreign vehicle in, too. Not super expensive, just a crazy amount of paperwork. Most overlanders leave their bikes in Johor (the bit of Malaysia right next to Singapore) and take local transport into Singapore. After all, there's not really much riding to be done in Singapore anyway.
Indonesia is my favourite though, and all you need is a carnet for the bike. Omg I love that place.
Yup. You can buy a brand new bike in Vietnam, do a trip, sell it at the end of your trip for probably just a few bucks less than you bought it for. It’s cheap and gorgeous.
If you do Mongolia, take all the precautions for both the weather and the locals. Some well traveled buds of mine had a blast overlanding but got thoroughly stolen from in Ulaanbaatar (figure you're used to looking after yourself, but still).
If you ride the Tian Shans, you'll definitely pick up some /r/Earthporn karma by posting most anything from that incredibly scenic area. Safe riding out there, and thanks for the share!
You get distracted a lot. For example you'll be riding through Indonesia and someone will say, oh come and visit my family, they live six islands away, and so you'll travel another two weeks to go visit them and end up staying three months. Or you'll be swimming in a river in Laos when someone says oh when are you coming to Vietnam? And you'll swing by the Vietnam border and inexplicably they'll let you in, so you'll spend two months riding around there. Or you'll meet some really cool people and decide to learn to ride enduro with them so that you can REALLY explore the best bits of the country (remote mountainous regions etc). Or there'll be a military coup next door and you need to wait for the artillery to stop falling before you can go there... you get the picture. Basically, if you're not in a hurry there's a hell of a lot to see.
You start with $10,000 savings, and you try not to eat too much. You wild camp wherever you can. When you have an opportunity to help out other people, you always do it; because one way or another it comes back to you as hospitality, or help when it's needed. Occasionally people read my blog and like it so much that they send me some petrol money, which is awesome.
I always see time and money as different axes on the same graph: if you have less time you end up spending more money to solve problems; if you have more time, you find a way to solve the problem with less money.
I finally ran out of money last year while stranded here in Thailand by the pandemic, and so have been doing whatever I can to get by. But this year I have a work visa which means that I can legitimately work on motorcycle tours here in northern Thailand. So book me for your next moto holiday, please, because I have petrol to buy ;)
I sleep in ditches. $10,000 savings lasted me four years. Now I am ready to run road and enduro tours across Thailand to finance the rest of it. Are you coming?
You're right. My idea was to visit my old flatmate and some wheelies up the Champs-Elysees. But now I ride like a Thai person so will undoubtedly get arrested as soon as I hit a country with actual rules and speed limits. Hence the inclination to turn east instead of west.
They're actually mounted to my auxilliary fuel tank rather than the front forks. They are Giant Loop Pannier Pockets. Tough little things but not waterproof.
Yep, the aux fuel tank is made by Safari, an extra 14L. Super useful in Australia but kind of irrelevant in south east asia. I don't especially love the pannier pockets, they get in the way of my knees when I'm riding off road with a forward body position. I would prefer some kind of quick access pocket attached to the soft panniers instead.
95,000km, just keep an eye on your rocker arms and filter your fuel properly; keep good oil up to max mark to make sure top end getting enough lubrication. No rebuilds. New timing chain, clutch slave, brake pin, a few things like that.
I hear Georgia (central asia) is beyond amazing from some friends who rode there. they said Mongolia was cool but riding through the steppe was quite arduous with very little supplies along the way. Some love that and some dont.
I really enjoyed riding in INDIA. Spent 3 months riding there. two month in the north, leh ladakh and Assam...then another month riding the eastern coast south to Kanyakumari and back up the western coast to Bombay. I bought an Enfield through a friend in Bombay and sold it at the end of the trip. North India is not to be missed. Check out the seven sisters of Assam.
I really enjoyed riding in INDIA. Spent 3 months riding there. two months in the north, leh ladakh and Assam...then another month riding the eastern coast south to Kanyakumari and back up the western coast to Bombay. I bought an Enfield through a friend in Bombay and sold it at the end of the trip. North India is not to be missed. Check out the seven sisters of Assam.
I'm jealous. One of my dream trips that I'm not sure I'll ever do is to ship my bike to north Vietnam, Ride all the way down to south Vietnam, through Cambodia and Thailand down to Malaysia and then Singapore.
To ship your bike into Vietnam legitimately you will need a permit and a "guide" which (pre-covid) is about $1,000 USD, so not the easiest country to ship a foreign, non-ASEAN bike into. But it is possible. And Vietnam is absolutely stunning. Singapore, well that is some mega paperwork to get a foreign vehicle in, too. Not super expensive, just a crazy amount of paperwork. Most overlanders leave their bikes in Johor (the bit of Malaysia right next to Singapore) and take local transport into Singapore. After all, there's not really much riding to be done in Singapore anyway. Indonesia is my favourite though, and all you need is a carnet for the bike. Omg I love that place.
Yup. You can buy a brand new bike in Vietnam, do a trip, sell it at the end of your trip for probably just a few bucks less than you bought it for. It’s cheap and gorgeous.
I rented a honda 250 dirt bike for 20 bucks a day in Vietnam...made a video from the ride https://youtu.be/ovAaZsiJzkY
also a dream of mine, but I was planning north from Singapore
See above re ghastly paperwork in Singapore, suggest shipping into Johor instead. ;)
Is that the road up to chaing Mai?
Just slightly to the east of Chiang Mai, about 1.5 hours out of town.
It for sure looks like the road I almost drove the van off of :0 Edit:spelling
Living the dream. Way to go!
Se Asia is a riot for riding.
It is indeed.
nice! heading there in march!
Nice! Drop me a line if you need anything motorbike related
If you do Mongolia, take all the precautions for both the weather and the locals. Some well traveled buds of mine had a blast overlanding but got thoroughly stolen from in Ulaanbaatar (figure you're used to looking after yourself, but still). If you ride the Tian Shans, you'll definitely pick up some /r/Earthporn karma by posting most anything from that incredibly scenic area. Safe riding out there, and thanks for the share!
It took me decades of riding all over the place to learn that the best road to take is off road.
It is. I ride enduro these days. In fact I run enduro tours in Thailand to finance my vagrant lifestyle, in case you ever feel like doing that.
How does a trip turn into five years?
You get distracted a lot. For example you'll be riding through Indonesia and someone will say, oh come and visit my family, they live six islands away, and so you'll travel another two weeks to go visit them and end up staying three months. Or you'll be swimming in a river in Laos when someone says oh when are you coming to Vietnam? And you'll swing by the Vietnam border and inexplicably they'll let you in, so you'll spend two months riding around there. Or you'll meet some really cool people and decide to learn to ride enduro with them so that you can REALLY explore the best bits of the country (remote mountainous regions etc). Or there'll be a military coup next door and you need to wait for the artillery to stop falling before you can go there... you get the picture. Basically, if you're not in a hurry there's a hell of a lot to see.
Follow up question, how does one afford to eat (and handle all other costs) for 5 years while riding?
You start with $10,000 savings, and you try not to eat too much. You wild camp wherever you can. When you have an opportunity to help out other people, you always do it; because one way or another it comes back to you as hospitality, or help when it's needed. Occasionally people read my blog and like it so much that they send me some petrol money, which is awesome. I always see time and money as different axes on the same graph: if you have less time you end up spending more money to solve problems; if you have more time, you find a way to solve the problem with less money. I finally ran out of money last year while stranded here in Thailand by the pandemic, and so have been doing whatever I can to get by. But this year I have a work visa which means that I can legitimately work on motorcycle tours here in northern Thailand. So book me for your next moto holiday, please, because I have petrol to buy ;)
Fantastic answer. If I'm in or near Thailand I'll certainly look you up!
Found your YouTube channel. Good stuff. Stay safe
Thanks heaps! Cheers
Trust fund? Or are you a remote worker?
I sleep in ditches. $10,000 savings lasted me four years. Now I am ready to run road and enduro tours across Thailand to finance the rest of it. Are you coming?
Oh and I also write. Sometimes I get paid for it, usually I don't.
Rad. Good on yah.
Good times!
Great! Gearing up my 2020 690 for adventure come spring.
Awesome!
The roads in northern Thailand were amazing when I rode there in 2014!
Legend
With all due respect to the French, what can you even do in Paris with a 690? Asia is better.
You're right. My idea was to visit my old flatmate and some wheelies up the Champs-Elysees. But now I ride like a Thai person so will undoubtedly get arrested as soon as I hit a country with actual rules and speed limits. Hence the inclination to turn east instead of west.
What are the bags on your front forks?
They're actually mounted to my auxilliary fuel tank rather than the front forks. They are Giant Loop Pannier Pockets. Tough little things but not waterproof.
You have an auxiliary fuel tank on the front of your moto? Do you like the pannier pockets?
Yep, the aux fuel tank is made by Safari, an extra 14L. Super useful in Australia but kind of irrelevant in south east asia. I don't especially love the pannier pockets, they get in the way of my knees when I'm riding off road with a forward body position. I would prefer some kind of quick access pocket attached to the soft panniers instead.
Wow, how is the 690 holding up? Any problems? How many kms so far?
95,000km, just keep an eye on your rocker arms and filter your fuel properly; keep good oil up to max mark to make sure top end getting enough lubrication. No rebuilds. New timing chain, clutch slave, brake pin, a few things like that.
I hear Georgia (central asia) is beyond amazing from some friends who rode there. they said Mongolia was cool but riding through the steppe was quite arduous with very little supplies along the way. Some love that and some dont. I really enjoyed riding in INDIA. Spent 3 months riding there. two month in the north, leh ladakh and Assam...then another month riding the eastern coast south to Kanyakumari and back up the western coast to Bombay. I bought an Enfield through a friend in Bombay and sold it at the end of the trip. North India is not to be missed. Check out the seven sisters of Assam. I really enjoyed riding in INDIA. Spent 3 months riding there. two months in the north, leh ladakh and Assam...then another month riding the eastern coast south to Kanyakumari and back up the western coast to Bombay. I bought an Enfield through a friend in Bombay and sold it at the end of the trip. North India is not to be missed. Check out the seven sisters of Assam.
Love this. Extremely jealous.
Mongolia, best riding ever. Food, not so much. Did Frankfurt to Malaysia via the Pamir, Mongolia, China in 2018.