A friend of mine who may meet up with me on my Thailand trip is considering doing an 11-day motorcycle tour of the Golden Triangle with the company "Asian Motorcycle Adventures". I'm checking it out for her and was referred to this site for alternatives. The trip she was looking at was at www.asianbiketour.com/. Any experience with this or thoughts about it? She loves to motorcycle and likes the idea of being with a group, but it is REALLY expensive, $3000 US. Any feedback (positive or negative) or alternatives would be appreciated. Thanks!
Shantiveggiegirl Your post sounds a bit like someone is fishing in the hope that they might catch something altogether different. But anyway here goes……….. US$3000 for a 10-day bike tour in North Thailand is an awful lot of money - top dollar in fact. When you consider that the great wealth of free info on the GT Rider website, is designed to encourage bikers to come and ride in North Thailand by themselves, it is extremely hard to justify throwing away US$3000 for just 10 days. Come and rent a bike and tour North Thailand by yourself, and you wont spend US$3000 in a month of top riding, touring, & socializing! In North Thailand, there are lots of “good guys” touring & riding bikes, for your friend not to be unable to meet up with other likeminded riders, and have a great time. Just hang out at either the Kafe or Rudi’s Sax Bar, both on Moon Muang Road, and you will meet up with other riders. Stan / Jason what are your thoughts on this one? Davidfl Keep the power on
I spent a LOT of time in Northern Thailand all on my own. Rented a bike, brought my own, rented a car. Wasn't much of a problem. US$3,000 as David says is a month if not more. I reckon that I could stay in Thailand and Laos for 2 months or more on US$3,000 and live well. Lee
Dave, I'm charging 100US per day for showing people round the place now, as it stops people taking the p*** out of my generousity also makes me feel better about spending my time sorting them out. Some people don't understand that you are actually going out of your way to help them, they seem to think you are just doing what you would do normally thus not even a thanks! I don't think 100US a day is a lot to ask for, do you? I'm also offering a bike-sitting service for those who wish to keep their bikes tucked up yet ticking over whilst they are away - Kept in a garage, started and ridden ONLY 10-20klms per month to keep the dust at bay - fully secured with a Thai kick boxer and his samuri sword watching over them on a night all for 10bht a day, based at my house in Mae Jo - for that ultra special service the bike will be parked in the living room with cable TV & karioke! Jake GET JUNGLED WITH JAKES BIKE TOURS - 100US per day - BIKES etc EXTRA ... THE BEST bikes IN TOWN SUPPLIED BY JOE & TOM AT GOODWILL MOTORBIKES! [email [email protected]][email protected][/email] Joe, Did you notice that bit where it says the BEST motorbikes in town? Any chance of having a spin on your new bike when it arrives, pritty BIG please! ps Then those who respect and honor your time & generousity win the star prize a 100% refund & a cold beer!
Greetings All: Jake I just emailed a reply re the CDI unit - no money out by me, so glad to do the bit of searching for you, no charge. This $3000 thing sounds like a pkg tour that includes an air fare as I have seen in the past "Bike Tours" advertised that go to Asia and Thailand in particular. Some tour operators in Europe do this and I have had the idle thought of maybe linking Dave and/or Jake up with these operators so that you can host these groups for a fee - I was in this tour business for 15 years [but not for bikers] and all operators need local ground handlers as receptive agents - Interested in some possible big business? Maybe do a search for 'bike tours' and come up with some web sites on these operators. One is in Norway if I recall, but don't know the actual company name. I have also had the thought of talking to you guys about this last time I was there as my probable permanent move to CM next year or so would include some interest on my part for participation in this. {Gotta get some kind of employment if I am to live there) I have travel industry connections and so perhaps this is something we should talk about, huh?
Hi Stan, I think the Thai's would have no problem in under cutting us? However, as for the biggies such as Thailand to Morroco via Rio throwing in a TEFL cert course whilst on la route' could be a winner? Thanks for all your help regarding the CDI, your beers are waiting Sir.
Well what you do is....find out where the tours are originating and talk to those people direct and do a contract with them as their ground handler - they funnel all biz to you. One way would have Dave create a subdivision within GT-Rider and get a TAT license to do tour business. Ask Dave if he's interested and we'll discuss it when I come over in November. Stan
Hi Stan, It's another long weekend for me here so I'm going up to Doi Chang - then on to the herbal sauna house, where you get a herbal sauna in your bungalow for 300bht. Then off road all the way back into Chiang Mai. Dave has gone of towards the GT I think (too much beer last night can't remember where he said he was going) Anyway when I see him again I'll mention it to him, but I'm sure he's thought about it before. As for me I was only dreaming as I'm as busy as hell running these TEFL courses, it would certainly be a dream job though. Right time to get the leathers on and belt the throtle.........
Jake It is not only a long weekend, it was also a long night after we left you at the Kafe - Meow & I ended up at the Riverside with Robert, who just rode up from Bkk on his brand spanking new BMW GS1150 Adventure! Anyway, current plan of attack is to take a run out to Wiang Haeng / Piang Luang & return on Sunday, to be back in Cnx for the bike GP. Robert's going & maybe Joe. Should be a nice blast. Mon - Tues - Wed I might head off to Nan for a couple of days just to check the roads & traps. Setting up a touring company is easy, but having good realiable bikes all the time & enough customers is another thing. That's why no one has ever really succeeded here. Investing heavily in your own bikes would be the way to go, but high season is only 3 months & the rest of the year you might just have to hang out. This makes it tough to get a decent return on your money for most people. But let's talk about this at the end of the year. Re AMA tours, the US$3000 price is without air fare = OUCH! Davidfl Keep the power on
Hi Dave, I did the Pai - Piang Luang -Wiang Haeng run the weekend before last. I thought the road would be really bad between Pai & Kong Lom so I put some serious noblies on in Pai - it turned out not to be that rough, but the noblies did make the ride up to Piang Luang then back to CM a hell of a lot more interesting (on tarmac - in the wet-on fresh motoX tyres - add the dark!) It was like riding a hovercraft in places. Bit late now but the closer you get to the closed train station like boarder post the road seems get worse - cut up/melted quite badly (20klms from & up to boarder). Not to mention the sandy corners! At the boarder there is a road going up behind it (you will see a sign saying NO ENTRY and a barrier) if the barrier is up - go up there and you will find a temple and lots of bunkers & some heavy artillary hided in the bushes pointing towards Burma. I also came across some very angry soldiers, they were waving franticly at me and shouting something but I couldn't hear them for the helmet, but a fantastic view never the less. 5klm's back into Thailand there is a motorbike shop on your right (on the hill up into the first village) in here there is a little old BMX bike with no brakes, it does however have a 50cc moped engine STRAPED onto the frame with what looked to be a cheap belt. Took some pictures - show ya later. Just had a belter over the top of Doi Chang - To Mae Suai -Road fine Turn left 6klms past Mae Suai, 10klms in - then turn right OFF ROAD for 30-40klms (with some serious off road on the way) you come down into the back of Wawi (not through Ju Jee, no such road on all the maps I've looked at) Back on the road for a bit - then easy going off road all the way to the Ta Ton turn off. From here Mae Sa Long - Mae Fah Luang - Mae Sai (easy going tarmac) Mae Chan - Fang - CM = TRIP BREAK DOWN -heavy rain 15%, deep mud 20%, sunshine 20%, Overcast 60%, night riding 20%, Average speed: FAR TOO FAST! Roughly 36hrs & 650klms (not sure on this as my speedo doesn't work) Tomorrow Sunday: Phrao via Foei Hai, if & when I get out of bed! Joe/Tom could supply the bikes, I'd supply the getting very lost bit, Stan could do the finding us bit, you could make new maps on how to find us whilst at the same time counting all the money we made after getting sued for losing half a dozen? Joe got his new bike?
Jake Not too late, just got in (2.30 am) from a couple of night caps with Meow & Robert at The Route Pub on Ratchawithi, just down from the Irish Pub. The 9.30 am departure looks a bit suss already... But how bout a full report on your latest ride thruw Wawi - sounds like an awesome one. Glad you've picked up on the train border crossing at Piang Luang - not everyone does. Enjoy the Wiang Pa Pao loop tomorrow. Robert & I did it 2 weeks ago - sorry no report, it was a bit of a mad thrash as we got away late from the Bier Stube. Davidfl Keep the power on
Quote: sorry no report - whats going on here then, you on holiday again? The Route Pub - does Thai Joe still get in there on his big flash BMW? Check out the back of Carefore - Scooter Pub, they have a new addition to the collection an old 5TA, the old girl is sat above the toilet door - had me in tears looking at her like that, shouldn't be allowed. Anyway, it has been my local since it opened (as I live round the corner) you can usually find me sat next to the 5TA with a tourch and a box of tissues. After I've sank a few elephants- check out the car park - they'll be a nutta riding around in circles, on a moped (the missus's beast, after 8pm she won't let me out on anything bigger), listening to a walkman (recording of my Granpa's 1936 M21, which I've still got back in the UK) probably mumbling some crap to myself --like -- "the lack of a good set of whitworth spanners in Thailand"
JAKE: The funny thing is that i actually understand what you are rambling on about in that post. I hear people are wondering if I'm alive... If you can call working away at a desk inside while the weather is perfect outside being alive, then I guess I am. At least I can play hockey here. Missing Thailand lots and though I had a great trip in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, I would like to come back and focus on Thailand only and definitely focus a lot more on riding there. I don't regret spending only a week in Chaing Mai and environs as I had lots of ground to cover in 4 weeks- like I said several times, my trip was not a "motorcycle trip" for me, just a trip in which I was going to do some riding for a bit. So, hi to Dave, Meow, Stan, Bob, Dr. G, Jade and of course Jake. Cheers, Pam =)
Quote: course Jake, I don't think I'm course!? I'm flying down to BKK today as I want/need to buy a new bike. bye all
