Daewoo's overdue 2011 in 2012 Nan Tour

[daewoo]

The purpose of this tread is to give John Gooding, aka JohnPS, aka GPS John, to add the route details to my photos...

I won't bother with a long detailed report, as the route is pretty well known by most residents of Thailand...

In general, another great riding trip... John and Tukta Gooding on an F800GS and F650GS, David Race a Boo on a 650 Ninja myself on a 650 Versys from Pop Rental (1500/day)...

The Versys is a good choice for these roads I think... comfortable upright seating position, and pleanty of suspension travel to soak up bumps that shoot your spine through your head on a Ninja... Could do with more power... the situation is crazy where, in Australia most people ride bikes where you can't use 10% of the power, in Thailand where you can, you can't buy the bikes...

I made the mistake on previous trips of letting someone else do all the navigation, and never really bothering to get the route information from them... so I don't really know where I went... the plan is form me to post the pictures, JohnPS the road numbers, and then I will try and put them into Google Maps...

 

[DavidFL]

Sounds like good intentions & a plan. Bring it on lads..

 

[Ian Bungy]

It was good to catch up again Daewoo even though only Briefly! Good Luck with Your New Job and hopefully You can get some Longer Holidays and make a few more Trips over here!

 

[daewoo]

I'll get there guys...

I uploaded the photos from my Iphone to Photobucket while on the road, so I could post them straight into my Sydney Riders thread... now as I move them into albums I need to fix the links on that forum as I go... jeb ni gohn khup...

 

[daewoo]

Hmmm... managed to squeeze a whole hour into my day back in the real world for a ride... head to the nearest twisties to Sydney (Royal National Park for those that know it), speed limit only 40km/h under a speed to be any fun... turn at the junction, and there is a Random Breath Testing station set up, my mate gets done for not having his rego sticker on, 3,650 Baht fine...

How long till I get back???

 

[schackster]

40 kph ? Sell the bike and buy a Segway

 

[daewoo]

Day 1 -

Chiang Mai to Mae Sai, via Phrao and Doi Mae Salong 1001 to Phrao, shortcut from traffic lights in Phrao to the 1346 and then 107 and 1089 to Mae Salong

The 1148

View from 1148

Lots of flags, because Her Royal Highness the Princess was visting... near Thoeng on 1021

From some bridge before or after the photos above...

Another short cut joining 1098 to 1020 near Ban San

Doi Mae Salong

Road between Mae Salong and Mae Sai...sorry actually small no number road from Phrao to 1346

Hotel in Mae Sai - let us park the bikes inside for security, with the Myanmar border only 100m away over a narrow stream...

Myanmar border - I paid 500baht to cross and 20baht for a coke... forgot the camera or any of the phones, so this is the only photo I have...

 

[daewoo]

Mae Sai to Nan

Nan Street shots from outside the Sukkasem Hotel (so I guess these are actually from Day 3). At the end of Day 2 we bunked at thePhueng Thai Guesthouse or something, but I wasn't happy with the holes in the wall - mosquitoes being about the only things that stop me sleeping, or if I have passed out from sufficient alcohol, wishing I hadn't... It was 350baht, and the Sukkasem was 400 for rooms without a window or 500 for rooms with... the rooms without a window are probably a better option, as we found the windows opening onto the carpark to be less than ideal as people start leaving noisily at 5am...

 

[johngooding]

Route from Mae Sai to Nan was: South on Highway 1, almost to Mae Chan, 1016 to 1098. 1098 is a scenic pleasant road, not much traffic, but the surface is not great in parts. Rough rather than potholed. At end of 1098, straight across on small scenic road to 1020 and 1021 to Chiang Kham. 1020 and 1021, flatish and not too interesting, but fast progress possible. From Chiang Kham, the magnificent 1148 rolling into Nan. Tried the Phuang Luang guesthouse on the recommendation of a previous post, but the Sukkasem is newly restored, well situated and much better value.

 

[daewoo]

Doi Phukha was the highlight of my last trip so I was really looking forward to this day...

The first section (before lunch at Beaukleua) had a lot of sections where landslips had taken out part of the road... the final run into Beaukleua was a ripper tho...

Bridgeworks in Pua where you turn off the 1256 road towards Doi Phukha...

View from the Chumphu Tree lookout...

Road

one of my favourite road shots from the trip...

lots of road shots to try and convince my mates that this is the best place int he world to ride bikes...

Lunch in Beau Kluea

My definite favourite...

Tukta

More road shots...

 

[daewoo]

Rising out of Nan on the twisty, scenic 1091.
One of the best days on the bike, and nothing specific to report... and only a few...

I remembered a little of this section from last time... like the little town we rode through, Chiang Muan, which now has a coffee hut behind the PT Petrol Station...

I was riding this section, thinking about the time I rode it 2 years ago... that time I was in motorcycle Zen... this time I was thinking about the feeling of Zen from last time...

Lunch in Phayao and then Highway 1, to the fast sweepers of the 120 and the slippery 118 back to Chiang Mai
So this is the end of this section of my trip... from here I rode another couple of days alone and with David Race...

Many thanks again to John, Tukta, David, Boo for your company and laughs and taking me under your wings... even if you did fail in one specific task, I understand, it was a tall order ...

The roads were so incredibly slippy this time of year, I now have even more respect for John, and David's riding skills, Daivd simply rode away from us (two up) when we gave him his head... John just cruised patiently along, when I know how much faster he could have been going... with Tukta and I doing what we wanted...

 

[johngooding]

The Bo Klua loop from Nan is a great day out and well reported day ride. The roads for this trip, were, out of Nan on 1080 to Pua, this is in good condition, with a couple of short roadwork sections, then onto the 1256 for the real twisty stuff into Bo Klua. The 1081 is in fantastic condition,and minimal traffic, most of Daewoo pictures are on this road. This runs onto the 1169, also a great road, dropping right into Nan

 

[johngooding]

Thanks to Darryl, for the posts, and for his charming company on this trip, which gave us an excuse to get out and about again. I have added road numbers and conditions where I could and would like to add just a few pictures below:

The border as viewed from an overlooking restaurant. David and I stayed, relaxed and ate, while the ladies and Darryl explored the Myanmar markets.

There really ought to be some photos of Darryl (Daewoo) in this report and I have tried to find the most complimentary ones, not an easy task.

Must be a familiar place for many, but one border I have not yet crossed.

Darryl capturing the view from one of many bends on the 1148

No Comment

What are they looking at??

Not much by the look of it

A happy harmonious group of riders

Darryl catching up after a photo stop. Very few road works on this trip, this was another short section on the 1081

The usual view point on the 1091 out of Nan

The well hidden but worth finding coffee shop near Chiang Muan

 

[David Race]

It was great to meet you and ride with you Darryl I hope you will return soon so we can enjoy your company again.
You did very well on the Versys and became better and better every day you rode, you did very well.
Thanks to John for his great GPS navigational skills and the great roads you took us on it is a ride I will remember with great fondness all my life.
Also thanks Tukta for your great company and your great riding skills me and my partner Boo enjoyed our time so much with you and John.

 

[daewoo]

schackster;276437 wrote: 40 kph ? Sell the bike and buy a Segway

No Mr Shackster, brother of the dodgy hair cutter... 60km/h wherever there is a bend... 80km/h for the straights... double yellows almost the entire way, and the entire way from the Waterfall road to Bald Hill... used to be 100km/h and heaps of overtaking for bikes...

 

[daewoo]

Thanks for your editting John... but I am not sure admin photoshopping a pair of testicles into a photo is completely kosher...

David, when you upload that video, be sure to send me a link...

Cheers,
Darryl

 

[TonyBKK]

WOW! :thumbup:

It doesn't get much better than Nan, does it?

Happy Trails!

Tony :happy5:

 

[daewoo]

TonyBKK;276458 wrote:

WOW! :thumbup:

It doesn't get much better than Nan, does it?

Happy Trails!

Tony :happy5:

I posted that photo on Faecesbook, and my Aussie website... the response went from statements of jealousy, to calling me a part of the female anatomy...

 

[daewoo]

So I managed to figure out where I went - plug it into Google Maps - Print Screen - Open in Irfanview - Crop and Save - Upload to Photobucket...

Day 1 Chiang Mai to Mae Sai via Phyao and Doi Mae Salong

 

[daewoo]

Mae Sai to Nan via Chiang Kham

 

[daewoo]

Doi Phukha Loop

 

[daewoo]

Nan to Chiang Mai via Chiang Muan

Don't know why Google Maps won't let you just follow the 118 all the way to Chiang Mai, and sends you the hell south near Doi Saket - but I am sure you get the idea...

 

[daewoo]

Chiang Mai, Phyao, (Chiang Dao), Mae Rim, Samoeng, Chiang Mai

 

[daewoo]

Chiang Mai up Doi Inthanon and back