Motorcycle Tours - Asia - Any Advice/Experience?

[Laneco]

Our eldest child is getting married in the Philippines, October 2018. Obviously we are going to attend and then take a little vacation afterwards. Steve asked me what I wanted to do and I came up with a really cool idea! Motorcycle trip! And he said HELL YES!

We would like to see some countryside and I've pretty much got my heart set on visiting Ankor Wat in Camodia. I've found a couple of motorcycle tour groups that have offerings including this site. We would do this as part of a tour group, not really interested in a self-guided event in this area. Multi-national travel groups sound like a fun way to meet new friends.

We would both be riding and I think I'd like to see him on a larger bike, like a BMW 1200 GSA, etc., whereas I can make do just fine on something a little cheaper and smaller displacement (as long as it stays over 500cc on a 4 stroke). Mix of tarmac, Dirt roads and wide trail are fine, no jungle track or similar booney bashing.

Ideas and suggestions would be welcome from The Pelican Brain Trust!

angela

[dlockhart]

Motorcycle Adventures in Kenya, Peru, India

[Seahawk]

The best person I know besides my wife is a Filipino lady that has worked with me for 15 years.

PM your email and I will hook you folks up. She can at least give you local advice.

She lives in Las Vegas but has an extended family in the Manila region and Cebu.

Re-reading your post, are you looking for Cambodian advice or Philippines?

I am easily confused.

[Laneco]

The wedding is in the Philippines, so we did consider doing the motorcycle adventure there but there does not seem to be any temples of the sort we like to visit - something like Ayutthaya (which we visited a few years ago). But Cambodia does seem to have quite a few of these so that's what I'm most interested in. Angkor Wat has been on my bucket list for a long time.

I'll PM you.

angela

[pavulon]

Have you spoken to motion?

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by pavulon

Have you spoken to motion?

+1. Richard would be the guy to talk to.

[motion]

I'm in Southern Thailand now riding motorbikes... will respond soon.

[HardDrive]

Start in Leh, and tour the Ladakh region of Indian. Tons of Royal Enfield rental places there.

[Jeff Alton]

I think we have a few members Souk, Chris there right now on a tour....

Cheers

[tevake]

Have done a little MC riding in northern Thailand. Very interesting riding in the teeming mass traffic of rush hours in town. Kind of like being in a whitewater River. Unpredictable motion going on all around you.
Much more normal in the countryside except that the roads are shared by everybody on whatever and their critters.

Not many big high power bikes to be seen in that area. A buddy that spends a lot of time there had a touring bike that was in the 600cc range. It was concidered a big bike there.

Your group ride trip sound like fun.

Cheers Richard

[motion]

Angela,

Sounds like a great adventure for you and hubby!

A buddy and I rode Cambodia a few years ago. We wanted to ride from Pnomh Penh to Siem Reap, but the rental owner talked us out of it... the road is extremely busy with truck traffic and constantly under construction. Just not enjoyable at all. We ended up riding south to Kep, which was excellent. You can also visit the killing fields in the area. I would recommend that if you want to see Angkor Wat, just fly into Siem Reap and visit, then fly out.

The best motorcycle riding I have found in all of Asia is northern Thailand. Plenty of countryside, very few crowds, and endless charming villages. The roads are excellent.

The Mae Hong Son loop is absolutely wonderful. Fly into Chiang Mai and either rent bikes or join a group there. I have a friend who operates a tour company of Chiang Mai: Bike Tour Asia : Thailand Motorcycle Tours | SE.Asia Motorcycle Touring

Let me know if I can help further

[motion]

BTW, Richard's info above mine is about 80% inaccurate, FWIW.

[tevake]

Geez Richard, what part of my experence did I get right?

Cheers Richard

[motion]

Not sure.... which decade were you there? A lot has changed in the past 5 years even. Its very easy to rent an Africa Twin 1000 or GSA1200. Which large cities are you talking about? Even Chiang Mai is quite quiet.

[Tobra]

sounds like an epic road trip thread, take lots of pictures


do you wear the tiara on motorbikes, or just when you are chaisng people down in the California Alps

[tevake]

It has been five years now since my last visit. So things may have changed some.
But I'm pretty sure that well over 90% of the motorcycles on the roads there are under 200cc.

There are clearly some companies catering to foreign clients looking for larger bikes.
But that is not what is generally found while driving around.

The traffic in Chaing Mai. And in the countryside of northern Thailand are quite different to what most American riders are accustomed to. A lot more freeform use of any available surface. And an interesting variety of life playing out along/in the roadways.
Food stands, folks selling whatever, random animals or livestock wandering along and in the country roads, folks walking pushing carts of goods to and from the markets.
All make up a typical drive there.
All are part of the adventure of traveling in different places.

These are part of what I was trying to share with Angela. Not saying it's bad, just very different. And possibly relavent to know when planning a MC trip to the area.

Cheers Richard

Ps a quick goggle search can get a look at traffic in Chaing Mai Or heaven forbid Bangkok. Some of the worst traffic jams anywhere. They even have pillows in the back of cabs there.

[wayner]

Angela
October 2018

See you there. We can talk spyders with Steve
If you book, tell the owner Daniel that I said hi

Bike Tour Asia : Thailand Motorcycle Tours | SE.Asia Motorcycle Touring

[cstreit]

Souk and I just got back from doing this in Laos.

My advice is only be sure you are prepared for the unexpected.

We got lost, fixed a muffler using jungle vines, were denied dinner because one of us growled at Momma-Sans' brat... It was awesome and worth it, but set expectations appropriately.

[LWJ]

Just got back from Thailand last week. Wow. Favorite trip ever!

No motorcycles for me. You can check out "c90 adventures" on YouTube. Pretty killer perspective. Funny as heck too.

Keep us in the loop! Sounds like a blast!

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by wayner

Angela
October 2018

See you there. We can talk spyders with Steve
If you book, tell the owner Daniel that I said hi

Bike Tour Asia : Thailand Motorcycle Tours | SE.Asia Motorcycle Touring

Well that would make it even MORE fun!!!

angela