Not Vape Related Thinking about getting myself a new motorbike

First, in my personal opinion in Asia a motorbike with more than about 60 hp is as useful as a Ferrari on Sukhumvit Road. It's not bad to have more on tap, in the end it is down to your own right hand what is too dangerous and what not. But chances are you will be surprised how powerful and capable bikes nowadays are, even with 600 cc "only".
Secondly, even if your wife shows up occasionally only for doing the odd grocery ride, chances are she'll drop that after trying 2 times on a bike like the MT-07. If she is 1.58 cm that may be different.
Third, maintenance can be a major PIA here in Asia. It is here in Singapore, too. Workshops can be far ahead when it comes to creativity. But they also can be unbelievable far behind when it comes to solving the simplest problems, and if it is only the turn signal does not work or mounting a new chain and rivet it properly and safe. I once had a Suzuki. After they returned it from service usually I got it back with more probems than I brought it in.

Buy a bike that rolls at medium rpm at 80 - 100 kph. Do not buy one with an engine that does rev 13,000 rpm but that has nothing below 6000 rpm. Buy one that you can pick up yourself without any help by 3. parties, one that offers a decent space for your wife, and one which has space for a tank bag and a top case. And most importantly: buy one where working service is actually available.

 

I've been looking at the Honda CB 500 and CB 650. Bikes I would never have considered in England, yawn.
Pros.
Made in LoS, so no 100% import duty.
Honda have the best and most extensive dealer network.
Honda build quality.
I would be a "born again", after 8 years on a Honda Wave and 200cc Chinese dirt bike. So even the 43 bhp of the 500 would be plenty out here.

Cons.
Not a lot in Thailand. At the Ace cafe, or Squires coffee bar, you would be anonymous, but here in the sticks you would have a "Big" bike.
The CB 500 is definately worth a look whilst you are re learning. Pretty cheap, not enough power to get you into trouble, and popular, so easy to sell on when you move onwards and upwards. IMHO. Seen a few at service stations, and they've all been putting on serious miles.

**Updated**

All the best Jon. I have to leave this thread now.Or else I'll be going to bed dreaming of a life with no wife or kids, a rented condo, KTM Adventure and open roads.

 

Buy both..

 

Im also looking for a new bike.. A guy I meet on a visa run said that in Chiang mai and Bangkok there are auctions
on cars and motor bikes.. Im now living in Chiang Rai, Anyone know anything about those auctions?
(see link)

He he told be that its cars and motorbike seized from the banks because of people that don't pay down their loans on the bikes.. And many of them are brad new almost. Staringprize at 7000 THB depending on age and KM.

I saw in on of the list a 3 month old Honda click 125ccI Starting bid at 12.000 THB

Im currently renting a piece of shit Honda 110cc for 2000 a month...
Had a talk with the man I'm renting from, he's from the UK..
I told him I might save up some money and buy a decent bike (150-250cc)

He had one to offer, but I declined the offer.. He's been in Thailand for 15 years..
I've only been here 3 years.. But when I told him that, he came of with a new offer that was 50% off the the previous offer..
A farang trying to **** another farang. That's not gonna happen. I don't mind paying 10 bath extra thou

Anyone based here living in Chiang Rai?

http://www.union-auction.com/en/home/index.aspx#

 

I rode in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and find it easiest in Thailand. But I am diverting now, sorry.

 

I dunno why...been riding bikes there for 15 years and only had a few 'mishaps' LOL.

TBH if I lived in Bangkok I probably would just stick to the Honda CRF...but we have some great roads once your off the Rock down my neck of the woods!

 

Yeah, you gotta be careful with that. A Thai can rip off a farang or another Thai. A farang can only rip off other farang because ripping off a Thai can have bad consequences.

As to the motorcycle...my bike in the States is a Honda CBR1000RR, and in Thailand its an old Yamaha FZR400RR. Didn't see the point of getting an expensive big bike in LOS. In the states they actually do road maintenance (and there is a lack of giant potholes suddenly appearing) and I'm actually allowed to ride on the freeways instead of moving over to the far left. The power is useful to get out of the way of cars that change into my lane. In LOS, the roads are crap and I can't ride on the pay roads even though I have a bike faster than the cars. Plus if I wreck my bike, good luck getting the insurance to pay for more than pennies on the dollar. So I would agree that anything more than 43-60hp is not really needed.

With that said, if I was shopping for a new bike in LOS, the Honda CBF would be what I would be looking at. Kind of pricey, but it's got a 4 cylinder and there is nothing like Japanese inline 4 strapped between your legs at wide open throttle.

 

I was going to say something about a Thai horizontal twin bouncing around here, but thought better of it. lol

 

I owned road bikes when I was still living in Germany, many years ago. In Asia I prefer so called adventure tourers. They are not so popular in the US but the no. 1 bike category in Europe.

They do look like off-road but actually they are multi-purpose bikes with more suspension travel than ordinary bikes. That fits bad roads. They also have more room for rider and passenger, and lower food-pegs to make aging knees feel better. Most of them come with a small screen to take off the worst wind blast without insulating the rider. Some people think they are boring because they kind off "do everything" but nothing really well. In my experience this is the most suitable type of bike in Asia for touring. Second choice for me would be a so called naked bike, but many of them are not not good for passengers.

I myself own a horizontal twin. Indeed, it bounces beautifully.

 

Im considering tracking down an Honda Zoomer-X And get it modified...
If I could fit an 150cc in there I would do it.. Someday..
Your really don't need more then 150cc IMO in Thailand.

But I would love to own a modified Ducati Monster 1200cc

 

Thai horizontal twin is far too expensive in my opinion. Motorcycle...much cheaper in comparison.

The zoomer is the "ruckus" in USA, and it is what the cool kids are running around on in Cali. And, there's actually a factory 250cc version called the "big ruckus" Honda Big Ruckus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not alot of them around. Probably due to the $5500 price.

 

Oh yes you do...

 

I see someone upped the ante and turned this into a picture thread.




touché!
(and hell yes 150cc isn't cutting it!)


(mine is Repsol in the middle)