Tham Ngop and a MHS loop

ianyonok

0
Subscribed
Dec 9, 2008
1,082
862
113
Firstly headed up to Doi Angkang on the steep main road 1249 to the checkpoint intersection with the 1340.

2014-05-16110431.jpg


But about where it says "Caution: Very Steep" on the GTR map, the bike stopped. The old girl decided it was just too damn hot and needed a rest. The exhausts were very blue and smoke was coming off the engine.

2014-05-16110355.jpg


After a 10 minute rest, she was good to go again to the checkpoint at the top.

2014-05-16112945.jpg


Headed down the lovely 1340 and stopped for a look around in Tham Ngop.

2014-05-16114434.jpg


Rod Page has posted info about Tham Ngop. General Li's KMT army was based here in the 60's through the 80's. The General's house which is a museum, was closed till November, but I met his daughter and had a quick chat. She runs the place and the restaurant on the old parade ground.

2014-05-16122103.jpg


2014-05-16122414.jpg


2014-05-16122544.jpg


2014-05-16122900.jpg


2014-05-16123552.jpg


She also set up the website

2014-05-16123811.jpg


The general's tomb is an impressive structure in Ban Yang, between Sinchai and Chai Prakarn.

2014-05-16131210.jpg


2014-05-16132001.jpg


2014-05-16131544.jpg


Then headed west across to Arunothai and round to Wiang Haeng. Stayed at the Bahn Suan Farm Resort, 400 baht.

2014-05-16180123.jpg


Next morning, up through Piang Luang to the Lak Taeng Pass, where Moto-Rex posted about. A busy place, back in the 60's & 70's when the KMT and Khun Sa were both using this natural pass through the mountains.

2014-05-17075410.jpg


2014-05-17075449.jpg


2014-05-17075508.jpg


Some fantastic photos in a little gallery nearby, of times past in the Shan State. Some of these photos are also in Khun Sa's museum in Thoed Thai.

2014-05-17073715.jpg


2014-05-17074116.jpg


2014-05-17074137.jpg


2014-05-17074343.jpg


2014-05-17074354.jpg


2014-05-17074421.jpg


2014-05-17074504.jpg


This is a better place to stay at the Bahn Suan Chomview resort, in Piang Luang.

2014-05-17081703.jpg


Then headed back to the 107. Doi Chiang Dao was looking wonderful.

2014-05-17101710.jpg


The loop was fun as usual. I didn't bother stopping in Pai, don't like the place, but continued on to Mae Hong Son. The Piya Guesthouse is a great place so I stayed a couple of nights, down by the lake.

2014-05-18075230.jpg


A short walk into town and you can have some great food at Herbert's Pizza Primavera. A "Must Visit" when in Mae Hong Son. Lovely pizza's and other great Italian dishes with home grown salads. They do a fantastic selection of breakfast dishes too. A level above the Salween River restaurant.

2014-05-18135659.jpg


2014-05-18180203.jpg


The next day, Herbert and I went for a ride up north but instead of going to the touristy village at Rak Thai, we turned off west and went to Pang Ung. This is a lovely quiet spot. A bird watching hide in the foreground and the lakes are dried up at this time of year.

2014-05-18095846.jpg


There is a Royal Project where they are breeding black swans.

2014-05-18095724.jpg


Accommodation in Pang Ung

2014-05-18101529.jpg


The main road

2014-05-18101835.jpg


The village chief's house is also a restaurant coffee shop with some fantastic bamboo.

2014-05-18102000.jpg


2014-05-18102054.jpg


Then we headed back to Mae Hong Son and went on some of the smaller roads.

2014-05-18113344.jpg


2014-05-18115457.jpg


2014-05-18121717.jpg


Next day, it was another lovely cool morning after overnight rain for the great road south from Mae Hong Son down to Khun Yuam with a stop at the War Museum.

2014-05-19074807.jpg


2014-05-19084031.jpg


Then down to Mae Sariang and out southwest on 1194 to Mae Sam Laep. It was tarmac once.

2014-05-19132425.jpg


2014-05-19135732.jpg


2014-05-19135937.jpg


Finally made it to the Salween river, looking very low this time of year.

2014-05-19140344.jpg


2014-05-19143336.jpg


There were two GH's in the village, but no electricity that day, so I headed back to Mae Sariang for the night.

Next day, headed south again, another beautiful cool morning with some light rain, down to Mae Sot. The road started like this...

2014-05-20080901.jpg


then a bit of this...

2014-05-20081425.jpg


back to this..

2014-05-20083729.jpg


some of this....

2014-05-20085031.jpg


All easy stuff for the old Thunderbird. Then into some serious roadworks..

2014-05-20091043.jpg


and out on to wonderful swoopy new tarmac.

2014-05-20091853.jpg


2014-05-20093650.jpg


Wow........ and almost no traffic....... Sheer Joy....

2014-05-20094144.jpg


Reached the Moei river.

2014-05-20101024.jpg


The Karen refugee camps actually look quite pretty

2014-05-20110258.jpg


But halfway along you see a steel gate with guard and barbed wire.

2014-05-20110312.jpg


The Mae Sot Friendship bridge

2014-05-20125749.jpg


2014-05-20130214.jpg


After lunch I headed out east on the horrible 105 to highway 1. Full of trucks and manic pickup drivers, sharp bends, roadworks and damaged tarmac.
However, 1/2 way along this road, I took a break and went to see the "Big Tree".

2014-05-20145658.jpg


2014-05-20145746.jpg


It is a beauty. But impossible to photograph.

2014-05-20145836.jpg


2014-05-20145934.jpg


After reaching Tak, I headed north up to Thoen for the night. Dropped into the Tak Riverside restaurant which I knew from about 15 years ago as 434, on the Ping river. There is another lovely tree there shading the entire car parking area.

2014-05-20162743.jpg


2014-05-20162943.jpg


I took the smaller road off highway 1 up over the mountains and through Li

This spirit house had a full wardrobe for a family of spirits

2014-05-21073850.jpg


The road home.

2014-05-21072838.jpg


6 days & 1300 miles, out and about in beautiful northern Thailand. What could be better!
The old bike performed brilliantly and was a joy to ride as always. Burned/leaked about one litre of oil and adjusted the rear chain once.
 

Moto-Rex

0
Subscribed
Jan 5, 2008
961
337
63
Great report Ian.

Love the last photo, it would have been nice on the old bike riding along there with the sound of the Triumphs two cylinders echoing through the jungle.

You certainly find all the interesting places to visit.

Cheers Moto-Rex
 

Johpa

0
Aug 22, 2005
85
16
8
ianyonok;299500 wrote:
2014-05-17074504.jpg
Not a consort, that is a well know picture of Inge Sargent and her husband Shan Prince Sao Kya Seng. She wrote a wonderful book "Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess" and was actively advocating on Burmese human rights issues for decades, based out of Colorado. I am not sure if she is still alive.
 
Jul 25, 2010
507
5
18
Good information and photos there Ian. Pleased to see that the mighty Thunderbird managed with only one 'sweaty' moment.
 

ianyonok

0
Subscribed
Dec 9, 2008
1,082
862
113
Thanks guys......
and Thanks very much Johpa for the info on Inge Sargent. Very interesting, I must find the book..........
(by the way, without wishing to be pedantic....."Consort" is probably correct, as wife of a reigning monarch, same Queen Victoria's husband Albert was the Prince Consort).
 
Apr 23, 2006
513
15
18
Good to read that the elderly 'Bird is running so well.
I'm sure by now after all the hours you have put in to it that it is capable of going almost 'anywhere'
Looks like a good trip & interesting as well.
 

DavidFL

0
Staff member
Subscribed
Jan 16, 2003
14,455
5,287
113
70
Chiang Khong
www.thegtrider.com
Yeah yeah yeah, great trip & write up with some nice bits of history.

I like the pix of the good General's tomb - I think you got me there too, as I don't recall actually being there.
After reading this I think I need to go for a ride back out to Piang Luang & Wiang haeng.
There's an old Shan wat I need to check out between Wiang Haeng & Piang Luang.

Thanks.
 

Johpa

0
Aug 22, 2005
85
16
8
Happened to attend the local monthly "Burma" meeting the other night here in the US and bumped into a friend who had recently visited with Inge Sargent in Boulder, Colorado and reported that Inge was doing well and still advocating for human rights in Burma.
 

ianyonok

0
Subscribed
Dec 9, 2008
1,082
862
113
Well, David L, The bike was doing fine...... but when back in Mae Hong Son a few weeks after the above trip............ had a bit of an issue.
The gear change lever got jammed hard in 4th gear and we came to a halt on a steep hill 30 klms north of MHS at about 16:00, after riding all day.

2014-06-09165011.jpg


Called up Ron W in MHS to organise a pickup truck, some strong lads and rope, to come and rescue me. Tried walking/pushing the bike up the hill with engine running and slipping the clutch in 4th, but only managed to produce clouds of black smoke out of the clutch...
After what seemed like a 2 hour wait (50 cars and bikes went past and no-one stopped to ask if I was OK, not that I was flagging anyone down) a slow old pickup arrived and 2 small women got out.....then it started raining hard..... First attempt to get the bike in the truck failed, on the hill, but after rolling back to a section of flat road with a struggle and lots of swearing Thai..... we managed to get the bike in the back. The "rope" they had was 1/8" string. So, had to sit on the bike in the back of the pick-up, balancing around the corners barely seeing in the torrential rain, as they drove slowly back to MHS. After arriving and getting the bike out into the GH car park, a hot shower was welcome and then it was clearly well past beer o' clock.
Next day, in the spirit of classic biking, had to try and fix the problem rather than take an ignominious journey home with broken bike in pickup. So, although I had a reasonable toolkit with me, went into town, bought a few more tools and some sealant and spent several hours working on the bike.

IMG-20140612-WA0004.jpg


IMG-20140612-WA0002.jpg


2014-06-10120728.jpg


Water/rain had got into the gearbox as the clutch operating lever is a bit of a loose fit in the gearbox outer cover due to wear. Not a great design anyway, pre-O ring era. Minimal gearbox oil gets to the back of this cover, so the gear lever return springs had corroded badly and one had broken into 3 parts and jammed the lever. In town, managed to find some springs for a jap bike that just fitted snugly, only slightly oversize but worked well.

2014-06-10132428.jpg


After putting it all back together and new gearbox oil in, a test ride proved that the clutch was still working OK, although slipping very occasionally.
Next day, got as far as Hot, and the gear lever was getting sticky again. So, cover off again and all was OK, just that I had forgotten to put any lubricant on the moving parts.. After putting gear oil on all the parts, it all worked fine for the following day's ride home.
Need to order some new clutch plates anyway and some stainless springs and that issue shouldn't happen again. I'll be rebuilding this gearbox soon anyway, as I just scored some rare New Old Stock gears on ebay. Will look at modifying the shaft to fit an O ring or sleeving the cover hole so the shaft fits snugly.

Many Thanks to Ron W for your help and also especially to the 2 small ladies who did a great job rescuing me.
Greatly satisfying, to be able to ride the bike home after a successful car park repair.
icon6.png
 
Apr 23, 2006
513
15
18
The joys & delights of riding vintage steeds........

Glad you got it sorted enough to get home.

Just read the article again & note that you don't like Pai but prefer MHS. Funny how tastes differ - I prefer Pai. Very 'one horse' but (to me) Just had something about it!

On another Triumph point. Pi in Bkk who bought my Bonnie has stripped it completely. Engine casings, block & cylinder head were all cleaned up when it was in CNX for valve re-shimming. But he wants to get it looking even better. 7 years old & done 55,000 miles - pistons, rings et all still well within tolerance! I changed oil & filter as per handbook (every 6,000 miles) Triumph CNX were surprised because here in Thailand I think they recommend every 4,000. However, no one ever bothered to tell me. Says a lot for today's quality oils!
 

ianyonok

0
Subscribed
Dec 9, 2008
1,082
862
113
You can always trust the Trusty Triumph, David!
My Trusty Triumph wasn't so trusty on the mountain, but only due to old age and wear.

Just been reading about Jack Haswell's Trusty Triumph record run around the Brooklands banked circuit.

Average speed over 60mph for 100 miles! Astonishing..
This was 103 years ago, on a bike with no electric start, no kickstart, no clutch, no gears, no front brake, no twistgrip throttle..........
Push start, jump on, fiddle with fuel lever, air lever and timing lever... then hang on...

JRHaswell63mphTriumph1911.jpg