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Kuala Lumpur to Vientiane - 3500 km on a moped

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mashadani_87
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 04 Feb 2012
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PostPosted: 16:16 - 05 Feb 2012    Post subject: Kuala Lumpur to Vientiane - 3500 km on a moped Reply with quote
Im very new to biking, but my first one is a big one....read and enjoy Smile
https://ahmed-mashadani.blogspot.com/
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Clanger
Stirrer



Joined: 27 May 2004
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PostPosted: 16:26 - 05 Feb 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
How did you find riding through Laos? I met a couple who were inexperienced at riding bikes who planned to go two up (with their rucksacks) on a moped down from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. I tried to talk them out of it... but they didn't listen...

About 6weeks after they had set off (and I didn't bump into them again...as I had many times before)...I sent an email and received response from the girl tell me they had a collision with a mini bus and ended up coming off.

The boyfriend was in Vientiane hospital, before being transferred to Bangkok with a broken pelvis and a shattered leg...she had suffered massive skin loss from one leg.

After having been passenger in a minibus down the same stretch of road (if you can call it a road!!), the road with a thousand bends... I am not at all surprised that they had an accident.

The only people you'd imagine should tackle such roads are people riding an adventure bike...like the African Twin or such like.

Would be good if you could cut out the actual motorbike action from your blog and post it in a chunk. As would be interested in reading those parts. Thumbs Up
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mashadani_87
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 04 Feb 2012
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PostPosted: 02:59 - 12 Feb 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
No, no serious incidents so far. I have been close many times though..I have experience from 8 years of cardriving and that has definetly helped in these treacherous conditions. I know its different riding a bike, but driving in general has helped.. . Riding an Africa Twin have to be much more comfortable and more built for these roads, whilst a moped kills your butt after a few kilometers and only that might be impeding your performance and focus. You have to be careful and allow yourself plenty of breaks along the road to regain focus and strength to carry on, I think thats what kept me going doing long stretchs every day. The bike - a Honda NX 105 have been a doddle to ride though, and it hasnt breaken down once (touch wood) and yesterdays riding on Lao roads mustve been the worst Ive ever ridden on, was no problem for it..Amazing! Read the blog and see how the trip ends!
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gwernybwch
Nova Slayer



Joined: 30 Jul 2008
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PostPosted: 21:59 - 28 Feb 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Clanger wrote:
I met a couple who were inexperienced at riding bikes who planned to go two up (with their rucksacks) on a moped down from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.

After having been passenger in a minibus down the same stretch of road (if you can call it a road!!), the road with a thousand bends... I am not at all surprised that they had an accident.


But didn't you just sit in the mini van on that journey and think 'damn, I wish I was riding this on a bike'!!!!!

When I was in Vang Vieng, I got chating to a fella who had ridden across from Vietnam on a XR250, he didn't seem to have that many horror stories. So I guess that it can be done with care.

mashadani_87 wrote:
Im very new to biking, but my first one is a big one....read and enjoy Smile
https://ahmed-mashadani.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the blog. I'll give it a good read.
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Clanger
Stirrer



Joined: 27 May 2004
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PostPosted: 22:07 - 28 Feb 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
gwernybwch wrote:
But didn't you just sit in the mini van on that journey and think 'damn, I wish I was riding this on a bike'!!!!!


Nope, the roads were pretty terrible. Gouged out of the rock...not my idea of fun!!

(Got pretty bashed up in my accident, so any bone shaking bike adventure rides are not for me, not these days, not post accident). Thumbs Up
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gwernybwch
Nova Slayer



Joined: 30 Jul 2008
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PostPosted: 22:33 - 28 Feb 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Clanger wrote:
the roads were pretty terrible. Gouged out of the rock...not my idea of fun!!


I spent a few months in SE Asia and hired a bike on several ocassions. My best trip was around Bohol Island, Philippines. The safest I felt was in Vietnam (mainly because there were so many other bikes on the road), the least safe I felt was in in Pattaya, Thailand. That was because there was so many drunk Westerners on superbikes trying to impress the Thai beauties.

But somehow that road between in Vang Vieng and Vientiane has stuck in my memory, probably as you have pointed out due to the number of bends and due to the 'road' surface and I always thought if I ever when back there I would love to ride that road. Maybe it was because I'm an off-roader, I thought that they would suit me down to the ground!

On my travels I did see some pretty horrific accidents, so prehaps if is safer in the (relative) safety of a minivan.
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Clanger
Stirrer



Joined: 27 May 2004
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PostPosted: 17:23 - 02 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
gwernybwch wrote:
I spent a few months in SE Asia and hired a bike on several occasions


Me too.
I hired one of those 3-speed mopeds for around 130 baht a day. Thumbs Up

Did meet a couple of adventurers on their a) African Twin b) CBR 600 in Cambodia and Laos. But they were experienced bikers...
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