motorcycle rentals in thailand/cambodia

[alpinestar]

i love to ride. it is the best way to explore and sight see for me. is it possible to rent a supersport (kawasaki zx6r, yamaha r6, suzuki gsxr, etc) motorcycle in thailand/ cambodia? if yes, how much would it be? thanks

[np422]

I can't recommend any good locations for renting a motorcycle in Thailand, it was a few years since I rented motorcycles in thailand.

 

But, do yourself a favor and forget about any kind of sport bike.

 

If I were to ride in Thailand it would have be a dualsport, you are likely to encounter bad roads once outside the mayor highways. Something like a KLR650 or BMW *GS ...

[ingo67]

"But, do yourself a favor and forget about any kind of sport bike."

 

Certainly agree with np422 on that point.

 

You can hire sports bikes in Pattaya but there are few decent roads to ride on. All are imports on "RED" temporary plates and the hire agreements state that you are limited to 50kms from Pattaya. Ignoring this I have hired a Kawasaki ER6f from Beach Rd and ridden to Kanchanaburi where there are some good roads, but a much better region is up north.

The best place to ride in Thailand is around Chiang Mia and you have many great routes to choose from. See this website for more details.

 

http://www.gt-rider.com/

 

I have done 2 trips of more than 2,500kms each on Kawasaki D-Tracker 250cc machines (about 750bht a day for a 2 week trip), which were fine for the road conditions, but if you want something bigger go for a Kawasaki ER6f/n or Versys (both 650cc). Both are Made in Thailand, so cheaper to hire and crash and should be on regular "White" plates. This is a fairly reputable hire company. Also being in chiang Mai, people hire bikes to go places not just posse, so there are no milage limits.

 

http://www.popcarrentchiangmai.com/viewpage.php?page_id=2

 

Lastly, if you don't know already, Thai driving standdards can be shocking, and drivers of trucks and cars will treat you the same as if you were riding a Honda Wave.

 

I would forget about Cambodia, the main roads are packed with HGVs and really bad drivers. Outside of Thailand, I would recommend Laos, a great place to explore.

 

Cheers

[morocco]

"But, do yourself a favor and forget about any kind of sport bike."

 

Certainly agree with np422 on that point.

 

You can hire sports bikes in Pattaya but there are few decent roads to ride on. All are imports on "RED" temporary plates and the hire agreements state that you are limited to 50kms from Pattaya. Ignoring this I have hired a Kawasaki ER6f from Beach Rd and ridden to Kanchanaburi where there are some good roads, but a much better region is up north.

The best place to ride in Thailand is around Chiang Mia and you have many great routes to choose from. See this website for more details.

 

http://www.gt-rider.com/

 

I have done 2 trips of more than 2,500kms each on Kawasaki D-Tracker 250cc machines (about 750bht a day for a 2 week trip), which were fine for the road conditions, but if you want something bigger go for a Kawasaki ER6f/n or Versys (both 650cc). Both are made in Thailand, so cheaper to hire and crash and should be on regular "White" plates. This is a fairly reputable hire company. Also being in chiang Mai, people hire bikes to go places not just posse, so there are no milage limits.

 

http://www.popcarren...e.php?page_id=2

 

Lastly, if you don't know already, Thai driving standdards can be shocking, and drivers of trucks and cars will treat you the same as if you were riding a Honda Wave.

 

I would forget about Cambodia, the main roads are packed with HGVs and really bad drivers. Outside of Thailand, I would recommend Laos, a great place to explore.

 

Cheers

Cambodia is one of the best places in SE Asia to explore by bike. Dualsport Bike is best way to go. North Loas and north Thailand are great places as well. I have been biking 6-7 months a year for last 5 years in these countries. ( Alpinestar pm me if you want to rent bike in Cambodia, I know a couple of good places.)

[np422]

I have done 2 trips of more than 2,500kms each on Kawasaki D-Tracker 250cc machines (about 750bht a day for a 2 week trip), which were fine for the road conditions, but if you want something bigger go for a Kawasaki ER6f/n or Versys (both 650cc). Both are made in Thailand, so cheaper to hire and crash and should be on regular "White" plates. This is a fairly reputable hire company. Also being in chiang Mai, people hire bikes to go places not just posse, so there are no milage limits.

Lastly, if you don't know already, Thai driving standdards can be shocking, and drivers of trucks and cars will treat you the same as if you were riding a Honda Wave.

 

Both the D-tracker and Versys would be very nice bikes for thai roads.

 

And I forgot one thing, stay the hell out of Bangkok if you are on a motorcycle. As Ingo said the traffic is not what we are used to at home, and in Bangkok much-much worse. Please trust me on this - I love to ride motorcycles and do it as often as I can - but would never even think about doing it in bkk ...

 

There are a lot of nice places to explore in the countryside..

Edited May 31, 2012 by np422

[roadracer]

My only motorcycle rental experience was with the Pattaya sportbikes. I have observed that the roads deteriorate quickly once you leave the main tourist strip. I've always wanted to tour by motorcycle but haven't gotten the chance. Good advice to take note of. Thanks guys.

[th3business]

Police in Cambodia love western drivers and will stop you for any reason, should have an international driving permit. Driving with your headlights on during the day will cost you $5000 riel (US$1.25), but knowing this you will have to negotiate this fine.It's perfectly fine to ride your motorbike at night without lights "on". Some western countries it's mandatory to have your headlights on all the time on a motorbike. (e.g Australia)

 

The secret to police in Cambodia is not to stop. They will wave you over, as you pull over, accelerate out of the situation. You'll need something more powerful than a honda wave. Police with not chase (may get hurt) although they swing at you with their batons (a good reason to wear a helmet). Here's a link to Cambodia's traffic laws translated into English

 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6233659/Cambodian-Traffic-Law-English-Version?autodown=pdf

[morocco]

"The secret to police in Cambodia is not to stop."

You are spot on with that comment. I stopped one time and then never again.If on a big bike(250 cc or more) they will not chase you. I think the reason being that they can't afford to use up the fuel in their vehicles. lol

[mr burns]

"The secret to police in Cambodia is not to stop."

You are spot on with that comment. I stopped one time and then never again.If on a big bike(250 cc or more) they will not chase you. I think the reason being that they can't afford to use up the fuel in their vehicles. lol

 

True

[mr burns]

you can buy motorbikes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

honda baja 250, xr 400, or equivalent models of other brands (such as yamaha TTR, as the one I owned for more than 4 years)

 

registration is much easier than in Thailand, and once you get out of the country, police will not be able to read your documents.

been stopped several times in thailand, always let me go. only paid one fine in Pattaya, for not wearing helmets (at those time helmet was not compulsory in Cambodia, started only in 2010)

[mr burns]

you can buy motorbikes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

honda baja 250, xr 400, or equivalent models of other brands (such as yamaha TTR, as the one I owned for more than 4 years)

 

registration is much easier than in Thailand, and once you get out of the country, police will not be able to read your documents.

been stopped several times in thailand, always let me go. only paid one fine in Pattaya, for not wearing helmets (at those time helmet was not compulsory in Cambodia, started only in 2010)

 

 

I forgot; I liked yamaha TTR so much, in my opinion much better than honda for offroad. equally reliable, and engine has more "heart"... but it's a hell if you want to find spare parts, even in Pattaya or Bkk. wile In Laos mechanics looked at the brand yamaha as if they had never seen it before... (it was few years ago, though, I think 2004)