Wow- what a ride!
1120km in a day on a Kawasaki Ninja 650R and Yamaha Fazer FZ6! :mrgreen: In some countries that doesn't sound like much- back in the US I've done 1000 miles in a day but it's all wide American highways without any of the obstacles we run across here in Thailand.
Our routes and distances differed slightly. From Nakhon Ratchasima Trent returned home on the highway (big mistake!) while I opted for the 304 through Wang Nam Kiao, Tap Lan National Park and Chacheongsao. My way was ~50km longer, but I made it home 30 minutes before Trent because I didn't have to battle the bumper to bumper Sunday evening traffic that Trent encountered.
Here's the way I went:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ratchadaphisek&daddr=Thanon+Asok+Montri+to:13.796865,100.574684+to:Route+12+to:Route+2%2FMittraphap+to:Route+2%2FMittraphap+to:Route+304+to:Thanon+Chao+Khun+Thahan+to:Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:Thanon+Rama+IX+to:Thanon+Asok+Montri+to:Naradhiwas+Rajanagarindra+24%2FWat+Pho+Maen+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FYgF0QAdmB3-BQ%3BFRqv0QAdW3T-BQ%3B%3BFbuH_wAdFmkIBg%3BFYy89wAdYB8gBg%3BFb9H5AAdWTYVBg%3BFSMG0QAd-O8FBg%3BFWbR0QAdpvsBBg%3BFRWD0QAdyTEBBg%3BFdyn0QAd1pYABg%3BFfSw0QAdeIv_BQ%3BFazC0QAd6Hf-BQ%3BFREU0QAdGBj-BQ%3BFcgK0QAdzRn-BQ&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=15&via=2,4,11,12&sll=13.799032,100.566401&sspn=0.02013,0.038581&ie=UTF8&ll=15.183482,102.32666&spn=3.577867,4.938354&z=8
Map:
Great ride! Took quite a bit longer than expected because Trent got a flat tire and we had to figure out how to use the new Tire Plugger that Bard got for us.
The Tire Plugger worked like a charm once we stopped to read the instructions! Awesome product!
Then I got ahead of the group and just beat a thundercloud that dumped on them and led them to stop for a while. I took advantage of my big lead to do a warm up run on highway 12 up to Nam Nao National Park and back. What a stunning road! Always puts a big permagrin on my face ;D (That extra lap is also why I racked up 1120 km instead of the 1089km shown on the map)
Took video too which I'll post up once edited.
Got back to the rendezvous point in Lom Sak just as the boys were finishing lunch and we headed out again. This time there was some rain that slowed us down a bit. I was feeling very lucky that I hit it earlier while it was still dry.
Once we reached Khon Kaen Trent and I headed on back to Bangkok on the highway 2 and the Sunday afternoon traffic was getting thick. Stopped shortly before Nakhon Ratchasima and I asked Trent which way he wanted to go back. I suggested the 304 which is a beautiful road over the mountains to Chachoengsao but Trent wanted to take the highway. I said cool, we can figure out which way is faster, and off we went.
Nakhon Ratchasima to Bangkok via the 304 is 308km:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Route+304+to:Thanon+Chao+Khun+Thahan+to:Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:Thanon+Rama+IX+to:Thanon+Asok+Montri+to:Naradhiwas+Rajanagarindra+24%2FWat+Pho+Maen+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FRA95AAdOjcVBg%3BFSMG0QAd-O8FBg%3BFWbR0QAdpvsBBg%3BFRWD0QAdyTEBBg%3BFdyn0QAd1pYABg%3BFfSw0QAdeIv_BQ%3BFazC0QAd6Hf-BQ%3BFREU0QAdGBj-BQ%3BFcgK0QAdzRn-BQ&mra=ls&via=6,7&sll=14.95457,102.075005&sspn=0.040052,0.077162&ie=UTF8&z=8
Nakhon Ratchasima to Bangkok via Highway 2 is 259km:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FRA95AAdOjcVBg%3BFcgK0QAdzRn-BQ&mra=ls&sll=14.32925,101.295835&sspn=1.285301,2.469177&ie=UTF8&ll=14.155219,101.304932&spn=1.286286,2.469177&z=9
Turns out my way, which is about 50km longer, was also quite a bit faster and infinitely more pleasant because I had hardly any traffic to deal with while Trent said that it was bumper to bumper all the way back to Bangkok on the highway. Yuck!
So- pretty happy to have done my first Metric Iron Butt here in Thailand. The Ninja 650R was quite comfortable. Only complaint was that I had a tank mounted camera that kept me from tucking in properly during the fast bits.
And it was a GREAT warm up for our ride to Malaysia for the MotoGP in less than 2 weeks! Can't wait! Perhaps I'll do an Imperial Iron Butt on the way back to Bangkok- 1000 miles or 1600km! Should be FUN!
Happy Trails!
Tony
1120km in a day on a Kawasaki Ninja 650R and Yamaha Fazer FZ6! :mrgreen: In some countries that doesn't sound like much- back in the US I've done 1000 miles in a day but it's all wide American highways without any of the obstacles we run across here in Thailand.
Our routes and distances differed slightly. From Nakhon Ratchasima Trent returned home on the highway (big mistake!) while I opted for the 304 through Wang Nam Kiao, Tap Lan National Park and Chacheongsao. My way was ~50km longer, but I made it home 30 minutes before Trent because I didn't have to battle the bumper to bumper Sunday evening traffic that Trent encountered.
Here's the way I went:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ratchadaphisek&daddr=Thanon+Asok+Montri+to:13.796865,100.574684+to:Route+12+to:Route+2%2FMittraphap+to:Route+2%2FMittraphap+to:Route+304+to:Thanon+Chao+Khun+Thahan+to:Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:Thanon+Rama+IX+to:Thanon+Asok+Montri+to:Naradhiwas+Rajanagarindra+24%2FWat+Pho+Maen+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FYgF0QAdmB3-BQ%3BFRqv0QAdW3T-BQ%3B%3BFbuH_wAdFmkIBg%3BFYy89wAdYB8gBg%3BFb9H5AAdWTYVBg%3BFSMG0QAd-O8FBg%3BFWbR0QAdpvsBBg%3BFRWD0QAdyTEBBg%3BFdyn0QAd1pYABg%3BFfSw0QAdeIv_BQ%3BFazC0QAd6Hf-BQ%3BFREU0QAdGBj-BQ%3BFcgK0QAdzRn-BQ&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=15&via=2,4,11,12&sll=13.799032,100.566401&sspn=0.02013,0.038581&ie=UTF8&ll=15.183482,102.32666&spn=3.577867,4.938354&z=8
Map:
Great ride! Took quite a bit longer than expected because Trent got a flat tire and we had to figure out how to use the new Tire Plugger that Bard got for us.
The Tire Plugger worked like a charm once we stopped to read the instructions! Awesome product!
Then I got ahead of the group and just beat a thundercloud that dumped on them and led them to stop for a while. I took advantage of my big lead to do a warm up run on highway 12 up to Nam Nao National Park and back. What a stunning road! Always puts a big permagrin on my face ;D (That extra lap is also why I racked up 1120 km instead of the 1089km shown on the map)
Took video too which I'll post up once edited.
Got back to the rendezvous point in Lom Sak just as the boys were finishing lunch and we headed out again. This time there was some rain that slowed us down a bit. I was feeling very lucky that I hit it earlier while it was still dry.
Once we reached Khon Kaen Trent and I headed on back to Bangkok on the highway 2 and the Sunday afternoon traffic was getting thick. Stopped shortly before Nakhon Ratchasima and I asked Trent which way he wanted to go back. I suggested the 304 which is a beautiful road over the mountains to Chachoengsao but Trent wanted to take the highway. I said cool, we can figure out which way is faster, and off we went.
Nakhon Ratchasima to Bangkok via the 304 is 308km:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Route+304+to:Thanon+Chao+Khun+Thahan+to:Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:Thanon+Rama+IX+to:Thanon+Asok+Montri+to:Naradhiwas+Rajanagarindra+24%2FWat+Pho+Maen+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FRA95AAdOjcVBg%3BFSMG0QAd-O8FBg%3BFWbR0QAdpvsBBg%3BFRWD0QAdyTEBBg%3BFdyn0QAd1pYABg%3BFfSw0QAdeIv_BQ%3BFazC0QAd6Hf-BQ%3BFREU0QAdGBj-BQ%3BFcgK0QAdzRn-BQ&mra=ls&via=6,7&sll=14.95457,102.075005&sspn=0.040052,0.077162&ie=UTF8&z=8
Nakhon Ratchasima to Bangkok via Highway 2 is 259km:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FRA95AAdOjcVBg%3BFcgK0QAdzRn-BQ&mra=ls&sll=14.32925,101.295835&sspn=1.285301,2.469177&ie=UTF8&ll=14.155219,101.304932&spn=1.286286,2.469177&z=9
Turns out my way, which is about 50km longer, was also quite a bit faster and infinitely more pleasant because I had hardly any traffic to deal with while Trent said that it was bumper to bumper all the way back to Bangkok on the highway. Yuck!
So- pretty happy to have done my first Metric Iron Butt here in Thailand. The Ninja 650R was quite comfortable. Only complaint was that I had a tank mounted camera that kept me from tucking in properly during the fast bits.
And it was a GREAT warm up for our ride to Malaysia for the MotoGP in less than 2 weeks! Can't wait! Perhaps I'll do an Imperial Iron Butt on the way back to Bangkok- 1000 miles or 1600km! Should be FUN!
Happy Trails!
Tony