The Golden Triangle Rider

Davidfl · Last edited by Davidfl on 28.09.2008, 01:02; edited 2 times in total

91 was a good wet season.
The "khong" was up

& some of the roads were down.

R1150 was still dirt & being built.

In August, R120 Wang Nua - Phayao had a massive flash flood at the roadside waterfall, killing 6 Nat Park staff in their huts. It was a gruesome & devastating scene...

In the pic below, note the size of the tree on the right hand side & compare it to the size today.

In Sept 94, R1095 Tha Ton - Mae Chan, had a flash flood around Suk Ruthai approx 20kms norh of Tha Ton.

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Dougal · Posted: 21.05.2008, 08:22 Post subject:

Absolutely stunning, and fascinating too.

I was around in LOS then but never came up North. I was messing about down in Kanchanaburi.

Were you mostly on your own in those days Dave? Just teaming up with guys passing through or were there some crazy ones like yourself?
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Ally · Biker Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Chiang Mai

Thanks for sharing these photo's David.

Something puzzles me though. Why you didn't start out with the name MT-Rider.com (Muddy Triangle Rider) instead? Twisted Evil

Ally

Franz - Eastern Seaboard · Posted: 21.05.2008, 09:18 Post subject:

David, thanks for sharing these rare pictures !! Most of us didn't even know by then that these roads existed. As we can see you also went through quite a lot of different bikes that time......

Davidfl · Posted: 21.05.2008, 22:16 Post subject:

Found another old one for you guys.

The end of the road R1256, on Doi Phukha on the Pua side.
Not a great snap, & probably from 90-91-92?

This spot is before the famous Chomphu Phukha tree, & as you see can the road had not reached that tree yet.

I'm still searching for my pix of the R1129 flash flood on Kiu Khan hill, but turning up a few other oldies in the process. Hope I'm not boring you guys, but thought they might be good for a laugh.
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Captain_Slash · Posted: 22.05.2008, 06:12 Post subject:

Definitely not boring David, its fun seeing how it was a few years before I first rode anywhere in Thailand, 1999 was when I first took to Thai roads
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Dougal · Posted: 22.05.2008, 08:27 Post subject:

Fully agree. Not boring at all.

Really interesting. It might be an idea to store these photos as a historical record. I think you may be surprised how many people would take an interest.
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Davidfl · Posted: 23.05.2008, 17:55 Post subject:

R1148 in the "early days." A good motorbike road & ride even then on account of it's steep, twisting winding nature.

The rider above is Tony, from Tony's big bikes & he was on a new Kawa KSR150.

Above: Scotty007 with his hot MTX125 parked at the top.

R1148 today...
With the Snail (Ducati) & Silverhawk (Yamaha TDM)

The Snail trundling along....

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Davidfl · Posted: 23.05.2008, 21:35 Post subject:

Early days on the Doi Tung - Mae Sai Burma border road. It was still being built & was a real toughie in the wet, especially if you were on the mighty old Honda Wing 125 road bike.
Going down, the old drum brakes wouldn't hold.
Going up if you fluffed a gear change you'd be lucky to pull it even with duck paddling & that was after you'd kick started it on the steep slope & were stuck in first!

Notice my Wing parked on the left side, half in the ditch - the only safe spot were it would not slide or roll over.
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Marco · Biker Legend Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Posts: 296 Location: Ubon

David
those where hard time, I remember when I came here on -97 and we had first really bad floods in Ubon in -98, half of the town was under the water and from Ubon to Warin(some of you know the near by town) army was transporting people by they military trucks, Ubon was under water about 2months that time.

I had low rider (car) that time and could not use it for anywhere so had to pick up uncles pick up to do business or generally go any where,, I'll try to look those pictures, they are some where.

If I recall correctly that was Chinese fault that time as they let go large amount of water suddenly and could not care of countries down below...
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Davidfl · Posted: 24.05.2008, 15:38 Post subject:

Davidfl · Posted: 24.05.2008, 15:56 Post subject:

Here's a real "oldie" 1986
R1129 Chiang Saen - Chiang Khong, on the "new" dirt road going over Kiu Khan Hill.

The guy on the right still rides & lives here - Art is the longest serving English teacher at CMU.
The watchtower on the hill was manned by the army in those days & they liked to know who was coming & going.

Late 80s. R1290 Mae Sai - Golden Triangle....

before the "super" highway.

The old road was flat, straight through the rice paddies & they were forever repairing it cheaply. It was years before it was finally done properly, so in the wet season it was always a mess after heavy rain. Some politicians & karachagans must have made a lot of money from all the repair contracts they gave out. Too much was always siphoned off & there was never enough left to do the job properly? They once tried brick paving & it only lasted half a wet season. Ha. Ha. What a joke that one was.
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Davidfl · Posted: 25.05.2008, 18:45 Post subject:

More of R1129, the Kiu Khan hill between Chiang Saen & Chiang Khong.
They just finished the asphalt road in the late 80s & there was a flash flood in the first wet season after the asphalt was complete.
This is what it looked like after the wet & they'd cleared a way through.

No asphalt left here, just dirt & rocks.

The Hmong village on the top of the hill was a beauty in those days. Jon Boyes ran a guesthouse there for about 4 years, wrote a couple of books, (then went home to the Uk.) These were magic times. Lots of super friendly people & good looking Hmong women.

Wayne Cuthbert, an Aussie Laverda rider on tour in Kiu Khan.

Many a good time was had there & Hmong New Year was always a extremely colourful & enjoyable experience.

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Rhodie · Posted: 25.05.2008, 19:49 Post subject:

Great Stuff!

There's nothing like revisiting memory's dirty lanes and
seeing long forgotten diamonds amongst the really rough!

I suppose Jason is now on full-time scanning duties!
Long may he continue - it puts some of our whinging about roads
and conditions into context.

Have you brought over [from the old site] your & Silverhawk's report
of the floods a few years back?
What with the rain & all, it might be useful to revisit this report as well as areminder
that even today things are not always benign.

Thanks for posting.
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Davidfl · Posted: 25.05.2008, 20:29 Post subject:

Rhodie · Posted: 25.05.2008, 23:04 Post subject:

Thanks for these links,
awesome pix and great reportage.
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Davidfl · Posted: 26.05.2008, 17:29 Post subject:

Mid-late 80s...

R1216.
The Khun Satan road. Na Noi- Huay Kaet (R101)

R1216.
In the hot dry season: smoke from slash & burn was not new, even in the late 80s.

KHUN SATAN
With the Mlabri out near Khun Satan, before they "all" moved to Gene Long's place.

Some of you might find it hard to recognize the young GT Rider above. Ha. Ha.
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Davidfl · Posted: 26.05.2008, 19:39 Post subject:

An original oldie

http://members.tripod.com/~boostdam/AutoBio/letter-19550523/19550523a.html

a motorcycle trip to Kanchanaburi in 1955!
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scotty007 · Biker Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 51 Location: Saudi Arabia

1150 with Harri and Bruce in 86

David FL on the famous 1148

Tony "Chicken In A Basket"

Mae Sai just before the Burma border 86

Near Nan City 91

Phrae/Nan 96

David FL "I'll need a push!"

Don't leave me!

Fang Hot Spring 86
Very Happy

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Dougal · Posted: 30.05.2008, 08:33 Post subject:

Fabulous! Really envy you guys.

Please keep em coming.
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Davidfl · Posted: 30.05.2008, 21:43 Post subject:

R1081 & Huay Kon, right at the "top end". Way before the road was asphalt.

Above: With David "Dawn" Drechsler, so nicknamed because of his night time "retirement" hours. David Dawn was a great rider & showed me a few tricks on 1081, a road that he'd never been on before.
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Davidfl · Posted: 30.05.2008, 22:13 Post subject:

Ally · Biker Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Chiang Mai

David

Not sure if you have considered this but with your wealth of knowledge, memories and photographic history (I know its only 20 - 30 years (photo's not your memory!!) but it looks like 80 - 100 years!) have you considered creating a book?

Not just any book. A book that would be able to be merchandised along with the current T shirts, with monies from sales going directly to the Toy Ride foundation.

Maybe with the exposure on this forum for this idea, the appropriate backing for such a project could be found?

I appreciate this may sound slightly wacky but what we read and see here is history that needs to be documented & shared.

Keep your power on!

Ally

scotty007 · Biker Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 51 Location: Saudi Arabia

Hi David FL, I could be wrong about the dates as film negatives never had that information. It was the wrong track and you did get the right track, to land us at Gene Longs mission. Very Happy

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scotty007 · Biker Joined: 23 Feb 2004 Posts: 51 Location: Saudi Arabia

We met some friendly border guards who took us in to a Burmese flower field! 86

Overlooking Mai Ai 86

Not sure maybe FL can fill in!

Tony after a hard day in the saddle!

Not sure maybe the 1148

Lisu girls Phrao area

FL?

1129 On the way to Chiang Khong

1129 when it was all dirt!

Workhorse of the day Honda MTX 125

Didn't mind getting muddy in those days!

Saves petrol!

Lookout outside of Mae Hong Son to Khun Yuam

Songkran 88 at The Library Ratchamankha Lane - Now a pizza shop!

FL on a big bike outside The Library Ratchamankha Lane!

Rachamankha Lane again and Moon Muang Road, now is Johns and Cozy Corner, note The Oasis Bar and the lack of traffic - 86
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