D-Tracker Trial to Yang Moen

Ally

0
Dec 13, 2007
484
0
0
Route - 107,1096,4031,unknown,4029,5032,1269
Distance - 220 km

Sick & tired of reading about this new phenomenon and losing sleep over it too, today I decided to visit Pop Rentals and hire the cause of my insomnia to put it to bed once & for all.

The first D-Tracker off the rank didn’t have 2 mirrors so I got off that one, sat on the next one & the bars were buggered. Whilst my right arm was bent, my left was straight ! So 3rd time lucky, I was taken immediately by the thoughtful design of the offside mirror, which enabled you to see 3 images of everything, essentially it was split.

Not wanting to appear picky & too fussy, I rode away while I could still muster a smile.

First stop after leaving the city was to visit my favourite Kiwi, Ian for a coffee & a chat. After that I continued along the 1096 & took the right up the 4031 towards Mae Khi.

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I stopped to pick up some water & rice cakes and nodded to some other farangs, tootling along on their Dream.

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Passing the junction I had exited the last time I was up here, I rode straight on towards Mae Pa (bear right over the brow). Here the road deteriorates and eventually becomes dirt.

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I caught up with the tootling couple and had a chat with them. A nice French couple, they had no map, had fancied a ride & were following their instincts and just out for a loop to anywhere.

I (we) carried on up & down the bumpy track, I stopped to take some snaps at the dam & again passed them just bumping along.

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At the end of the dirt, where the track spills out onto and T’s with tarmac at Mae Pa, I bid them farewell and after they looked at my map they thought they would take the easier road back to Samoeng.

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I carried on north west towards Pang Kwao and followed that road until it turned into a dirt track and ended at Pong Kwao Hot Springs.

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Just as described in other ride reports, this place is very sleepy and nothing much is going on.

I retrace the track down and onto Pan Lan, where I bear right and follow the road towards Mae Tung Ting.

Along here there is a fork, right to Mae Phae or left to Mae Tung Ting.

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This stretch of road is brilliant and I rode it twice as I enjoyed it so much the first time!

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At the end I turned left, now apparently I am in Mae Tung Ting.

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Looking back across the valley at the road I had just ridden twice.

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A pleasant little spot

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I ride on and into Pang Term.

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Red Onions.
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I pass these 2 right turns.
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At the 3rd right hand junction I turn right, thinking it's about time I had arrived at junction on the GTR map which would take me to Om Long.

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This road soon turns to dirt and goes up and up and up. So high in fact I am at times above the smoke and the air is a lot clearer.

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At this junction there are signs forward and back (if you get my drift). The 4 forward are apparently anouncing Baan Na Koo , Moo 9, T.Mae Sarb - Kill Sua - Khun Om Long and a school.

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The signs back are stating Samoeng, Chiang Mai and Ngewl Tao.

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At this point I was so happy to be riding this bike that I didn’t care where I was, I just enjoyed how the bike handled and wondered what all this talk about it apparently being underpowered was all about.

And as for tyres, the stock rubber on this bike gave me no worries all day, either on tarmac, loose gravel, large stones or talcum powder dust. It was all dry mind you, so maybe if it were wet, I would have had a problem or two!

I was now becoming aware that I was not on the GTR track which would bring me out into Om Long. I had my GPS with me and was finding my route to be heading north west and definitely north of Om Long.

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Eventually I emerged into a village where a truck was the centre of attention, selling Mango’s to the crowd of village folks. I stopped and asked if they could direct me to Om Long and although several of them laughed, one guy took great trouble to study the map and tell me there were loads of tracks missing and their village wasn’t on it.

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I was in Kil Sua.

But the good news was, after a general consensus, they pointed me in an agreed direction to find Om Long.

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After quite some time, I emerged into civilisation and from various family gatherings, sat around steps of their houses chatting, I derived I was still on the right path towards Om Long.

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I think I am in a place called Na Koo and looking at the GTR map, I believe I am near Mae Wae.

I head south west and emerge onto decent tarmac at the village shops and temple at Yang Moen

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This is a much more stable road and a long ride down hill to Om Long. This road is the 4029 and at the junction of this and the 5032 in front of me, I recognise the yellow shelter roof from cm_das’s post when they rode up here last month.

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I turned left onto the 5032 and rode down into Samoeng and after topping up with fuel, hit the south section of the loop and the 1269 back to Nong Kway & home.

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Today was a trial of this bike, for me to decide if I should swap it for my Honda Wave. I have enjoyed learning to ride in Thailand on the Wave and after finding off road to be so much fun & realising the Dragstar wasn't built for that sort of ride, I think I am ripe for a change.

The answer is clear. For me, this bike is a treat to ride and handles very well. I managed to get a pleasing 71 mph (114.26342400000001 kph) on a straight, the revs would just not go above 7,500 no matter what I tried. I was tempted to drop the bike at one stage just to see if the discussion in another thread was true, whereby a bike had de-restricted itself after a fall.

As far as stability goes, I thought I was on a push bike and could throw it round any corner and at speed I felt very comfortable and in control.

Having ridden the Wave in the same conditions, I can honestly say that the D-Tracker handles everything better. But one would expect that, the Wave is not in the same class as this bike but to me, it is an ideal replacement for it. This bike would suit me very well.

**Back home I discover to my horror, all the images taken today are not sharp and clear. It was not all that smog but the result of a dog licking the lens last Friday! Thats's another story & you can read all about that here ...**

And as usual, you can see a few more images in my album here ...

Ally
 

cm das

0
Feb 8, 2006
71
1
0
Hey Ally, glad you got to try out the D-Tracker & I'm not surprised you enjoyed it. I think for the kind of roads you (and I) like to ride it's just about perfect. I never found it underpowered but on steep & loose dirt I do find the stock tires lacking some grip. My new tires should be in Chiang Mai by now & I hope to have them put on today.

As for your route - from picture DSC_6325.jpg it looks like you made the correct turn to get to Om Long. It must have been at the next junction that you headed off in another direction. But no problem, you just discovered a new way to Yang Moen and a way to make a nice little loop back there.

Look forward to your next report.