Ride Saturday the 8th Loie loop Modified

ray23

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Oct 14, 2005
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Ride Plan:

Udon to Ban Phue

Ban Phue to Nam Som

Nam Som to Na Yung

Na Yung to Sang Khom

Sang Khom to Pak Chom

Pak Chom to Chiang Khan

Chiang Khan to That

That to Na Si

Na Si to Kut Chap

Kut Chap to Udon

This was the original plan the following is what it really ended up being. Best made plans of mice and men Chai Mai? We arrive we have four rider there the fifth is missing. Now this is the guy who usually tapping his toe on the ground waiting on everyone else. I wait five Mins. then give him a call I had confused him about the time.

The plan was to be gassed up and ready to at 0830. Only one guy had done so and it wasn't me :oops: So we decided to meet him at the station.. you know get two birdies one stone. We got two birdies through the day but that was to come later After we get there one of the guys is complaining about the bike was handling sounded like the front tire might be out of round. At least that is the one I had experienced before. To which he responds I have tools. I told him with the ride we had planned there would not be time to work on bikes.

Thought if it was bad enough he would go to shop in town and get his bike fixed. He didn't go anywhere so I thought will it must not be to bad.
I get to our turn off from no one is behind me, that is not good thing when your leading a ride. I thought I w only going 90 on the Nong Khai how any experienced rider could easy do that. So as I'm waiting I'm told the guy is stopped and tinkering with the bike. I said to tell him we don't have time to work on Bikes he is still almost on the city limits go back and get his bike fixed. Everyone catches up again off we go.

I look in mirror a bi down the road I by myself I get a call the guy stopped in service station getting air only had ten pounds in back tire. I'm thinking I know we could not have done that where while we waited on the fifth rider. I look at me trip meter we had went 15 Klms only 432 more to go in our first two hours things were not looking real good.

I'm sitting on the side of the road waiting for guys to catch up two buzz past me. One more gets caught up to me the guy is now unloading his bike to get to his tools and tighten the spokes. Ok that was it tell him to go back to Udon. There would be no place to gte the bike worked on where we were heaidng.

The opthre two guys stop in Ban Phue, one is have a ice coffee. It's suggested we stop at he 7-1 and get some coffee. I had it set up where we were going to stop off and have coffee with Lickey in Nam Som. There goes those two birdies again. Wasn't going to happen to have a easy ride we needed to be on the river by this time. So I had to modify the ride.

Now I am at the point where I am saying the names of towns backwards. Nam Som became Som Nam Ghaing Kan become Kan Chang. not a good omen. :lol:

So we didn't go to Nam Som we went straight to Na Yung then to Pak Chom. This is where I got the first birdie a chicken got bird shit all over the left side of think and high enough to land on my helmet. Thank goodness I had the face shield down I could have ended with a very shitty out look on life for the remainder of the day. we lost a rider for a bit in this stretch as well I was used to him going a 150 Klms between fill ups. Hey I was well trained by this time time for a smoke break.

The following photos are from the section of road beautiful and fun ride. But I didn't get to show anyone the mountain by pass.

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ray23

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Oct 14, 2005
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I hope you guys are not expecting road numbers lucky to remember a anything to day. Get out a map easy to find :lol: or program your GPS with the city names So we get to the river and head out to Pok Chom where we all top off our fuel.

Well it is one of those days so guess what found doggy number two. Three times bigger then the one that put us down the last time. Typical Issan stuff pickup that look like it is double parked first rider goes through. Doggy steps out from in front of pickup, watching the other rider going down the road, ten feet in front of me.

First reaction go for the breaks when something inside screams to me hey idiot stay off the brakes. Well I kind of thought that voice may in fact talking to me so I didn't hit the breaks. So we go for the wild ride get thrown a bit sideways from the dogs movement. but it was easy to recover and we didn't go down. Doggy didn't do nearly as well. I felt for for the dog but I was darn happy Poi and I were not hurt nor was the bike.

Sorry guys no photos sure a can be since we were not that had to be a show dog international winner that made tons of money for his owner through stud service. Not a good idea to stop in Issan

So this photos are along the river to Chaing Kan

You know come to think of it I didn't stop for the chicken either. I',m a bad bad man :twisted:

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ray23

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Oct 14, 2005
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We have Lunch in Chaing Kan which is the first anyone noticed the mess on me now was the mess from the dog or the chicken I'm sticking with chicken and that's it.

We decide to call the guy we left behind and have meet a Harry's for dinner around 1800. We have a very experiences rider in the group, so we discuss how we are going to the rest of the ride. He wants to follow the Gps and see how it works with finding roads that are not on maps ect.

So off we go to that, yes I have now been to downtown That, that first then Na Si. After Na Si it has us turn in a really odd direction. He sees that and knows it not the right direction digs his heels he is not going that. Of course I'm on a pretty messed up road for about 2 klms. when I look in the mirror no one is with me. So I pull over and wait sure enough the other guy with he GPS shows up. Tell me the other two riders are not going that way. Well we had already had that conversation s lunch so my reaction so be it. and off we go. You see the other two guys had never ridden with a GPS I didn't trust it either when I got it. Now I know.

Really worked our best the other guys had no passengers and were sit up to ride faster then we could have anyway. We were trying a new comm system that worked really good so I was getting reminded about dogs every five seconds. I donlt blame my wife imagine your sitting on the same bike behind the same guy that hit a dog screwed up and you left sitting on the asphalt. After just surviving your second dog encounter. That would scare the hell out of me to. So I'm trying to balace her fear with need to be on roads I know before dark

Sure enough it makes a loop puts us right on 2118 exactly where we needed to be on 2118. We stop for fuel and the other rider sit his GPS up for Udon. My Gps tells me to make a right turn' so I do onto a real good gravel dirt road no biggy.

His GPS tells him to go straight, mine is set for shortest route with way pints to go the back roads that don't match his directions. Well his direction looks good do off we go. Glad we want his way took us through the mountains around the valley, mine would have taken us across the valley. We are now on roads that at places are the equal to Mae Hong Son

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8) 8)
 

ray23

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Oct 14, 2005
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Talk about a balancing act right now I'm trying to get this report done while everything is fresh on my mind. I know I'm not doing the ride justice but, it's the time I have so this sit as good as I can make it this time guys. Takes a lot of time and work to do things like this.

Ok on with the story end up in Nam Som and Kut Chap my partner n murders another chicken his doesn't stop either. So my wife says you
know he supposed to stop and pay that man 500 baht for that chicken. Now she didn't mention that when we hit the bird. But it was still better then his wifes a idea of a 1000 baht. She still hasn't figured out when she spends his money she spending her money.

Well great mind think alike no dead human bodies keep going, good idea in Issan. So we get to the turn off for Na Si he is still trying to go to Udon and have to catch up to him and tell him why my GPS is saying one thing and his another it's about 1730 now. There is a sprinkling of rain, much like it ha been all day.

We get to the turn off red caly road wet, thats like ice, it was going to be dark soon even if we finished our ride to Na Si we still had to get Kut Cap I've been on the road about ten klms is terrible the rest is good. Not something I wanted to do at night. So we head off to Udon. My friend had told me that they had repaired the road out of Nam Som and they had. and they had. But there was a new hole center of the lane really deep I pointed out to him as I passed it,he must have not seen me hit it dead on. He and the bike and rider survived. But that will darn sure make you gun shy.

We get through to Ban Phue we had written that earlier in the day so I knew the road was good lots of traffic for some reason. So pushed it uo to a 110 most I felt was prudent under the conditions. We left Ban Phuee at 1800 pulled into Harry's 1845.

The othre guys had beat us by about 45 mins, but they didn't do any exploring and rode as fast at they could handle. We had two people up that is a different ride.

The weather had been perfect for time of year at most a fine mist of rain. Cloud cover all day so not to hot.

You know it wasn't the ride that I had planned but the only ting I would change was killing the animal. It was great experience and typical exploring in Issan. If thing had went perfectly it probably would have been boring .

We missed some things they will be for another time. Next week I'm going to check out that section between Kut Cap and Na Si, see if it worth adding to the route or not.

I will take them to the mountain pass in Nam Som someday

Distance 342 Klm

Ride time 11 hours

saddle time 8.5 hours

Hop you enjoy the report.
 

Marco

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Oct 15, 2006
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Khuang Nai
Nice one Ray

look like you guys had fun again.
But i dont understand the isseeu to stop and pay 500thb for a chicken, thai dont do that when they drive over those with they cars, so why should we??

I havent maged to got any yet, but i would not stop for sure.
 
Jun 1, 2008
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Nice report Ray and a wonderful shot in the mirror of 'er indoors' taking the photos.

I intend to get down to Issan next year and will try hard to avoid the chickens

T
 
Sep 2, 2008
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Hey Ray, great job on the ride story, but stop taking all the credit for the pics...We all know Poi and Je are the "shutterbugs", and always get great pics... lol

Just to clarify. After we put air in my rear tire, and that didn't help, I stopped again and called Al, but I guess Je couldn't hear the phone. So, Tony came back, and I remembered your idea that it could be loose spokes, so I told him to go on and that I'd get back to Udon and find a shop. By then I was convinced it was a front wheel bearing. I stopped again at the little gas station to inquire about a repair shop in Udon, without much sucess. Then a trucker pulled in, and drew a map for me to a repair shop at the 2nd light on the southern side of the loop. It was easy to find. The head guy there came after the mechanic called him and said he didn't think it was the wheel bearing after he had taken the wheel off. The owner then grabbed the forks and found some "play" in them. He told the mechanic it was maybe a bearing in the upper steering, but to check the big bolt on the tree first. Sure enough it was slightly loose. Problem solved..!!

Then I told the owner about a short in my ignition switch, and that a weld on a support strap that holds my pipes in place had broken. So, they rebuilt my ignition and welded the brace. 400B for all. No other work, so out came the beer. Now there are about 8 guys there and they all want to talk to the "Farang". I bought some more beer and we spent the afternoon looking at ride pics on my laptop, and getting to know each other. Really a good group of guys and we all thoroughly enjoyed the suds and chat.

After supper, I just decided to go home while Je And Al go a hotel room.
Now, talking about dogs and chickens, its dark, I'm passing a big truck on Highway2 with a pickup truck riding up my ass flashing his lights. I'm doing 130, but I guess that was not fast enuff for him. I pulled over after the pass and in my lights there is this big dog just strolling across the road in front of me.
So, I went around him on the left, he spooked and ran straight into the path of the truck. Even over the sound of my pipes, I heard the impact.
I slowed long enough to see in my mirror the pickup pull over, and the funny part was I only saw one headlight. I would surmise there was probably a lot more damage to the front end of that truck...!!!

Lastly, Your recount of the GPS fiasco was funny. Usually it doesn't pay to keep them set on the "shortest" route. I learned that the hard way and in many tiny soi's and alley in KKC.

Again, excellent write-up and pics Ray. Sorry I missed all the action. But there are always other rides, so keep me informed.

Chris
 

ray23

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Oct 14, 2005
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Oh everybody knows who the photographer is. But two were Alvin' photographer work. Caught me in some curves cools. Both times I have hit dogs it was between 40 and 60. I hate to think what 130 would have been like. Hard to see things like that at night.

Sounds like you had your own adventure and got the bike back in shape.

I leave it on shortest distance when I'm exploring. Get to see the off wall sites. I may put it on fastest distance because I think we will get plenty exploring with the route alone.

I took a better look at the bike I didn't run over the chicken he ran through the spokes. Bet that was nasty road kill, how the heck it managed to for that I will never know. There is matter from the all th wat to the axle portion of the rim

The chicken thing seems to be a Issan thing. My Thai Teacher is from Bangkok he told me that the law say that if the animal runs free and it's on the road and gets hit. It;s the fault of the owner of the animal. More to my thinking anyone for sure?

I finally found a good lawyer here again who speaks excellent English. May buy a cup of coffee and ask. So far that is all he has charged me for his help.

Knowing a good Attorney and having his or hers phone number handy can save you a lot of grief in dealing the B.I.B.

We are going to pick up parts of the ride we missed on the first day, this Saturday. Willing to bet we will be on some dirt roads