::: Vietnam Adventure - not quite, but it's somehow a new begining.

[VietHorse]

During my time in Austin - Texas, I was riding in the middle of a GS gang, it made me angry, you know... :silent: :crazy:

Then after flying home in Vietnam, I still riding with my lovely VFR and keep thinking of getting for me a GS to enjoy all all kind of terrains in Vietnam.

That's reason why I made my decision to get a R1200GS as a trial.
Looking for the bike. Found it. Wired money. Then ... wait...

And the first day when the bike home:

Cleaned the bike, repaint some plastic parts. Made some new stickers. And how you can see it now - ready to roll:

A weekend, Hochiminh City Ducati Club invited our team (ACE MTSG) to join their club birthday in Mui Ne, around 200km away from Hochiminh City.
To me, it would not be fun enough if riding straight from home to Mui Ne, so that why I created a round trip, to very far away from Mui Ne then back.

You can see how's my route for that Saturday:


Then here 's how we back to HCMC in the next Sunday:


__________________

 

[VietHorse]

Early morning, we gathered up also with the Ducati Club guys.

You may see I have numbers of TWT stickers - that's what I brought back from Texas.

Then we followed our own route, different from the Ducati Club, they went straight to Mui Ne.

Some stops along the way - here's where we tried to find the gas station where they sell A95 petrol:

Some of riding buddies:

The KLR rider is really funny guys. He always ask me to go with him for the real adventure routes:

Having breakfast

:

Oh ****, how come people bring an additional petrol tank for us:

A good equipped Vstrom:

And a cool new bike, Honda NC700X, great bike:

And a cool GS, of course

:

Honda 919, dang, I even owned two of them sometimes in the past:

A friend with his Honda CB1000:

 

[VietHorse]

We rode on a quite good twisty road. I think I have posted about it somewhere here on TWT.
Well, never mind, it's good road though. I can confident saying so as the GS handling is pretty much different from all the bikes I have ridden. It helped me handle the rough surface, no concern of pot holes, which are terrible even to my VFR.

Done the first pass, estimated around almost 400km away from home, we stopped for lunch and waiting for another bike group came down from Nha Trang, from 600km away from HCMC.

Then we joined together for the next pass. That's long one, 100km with around 70km all twisty.

Rest stop after that pass, Ducati Hypermotard biker looked so happy as he had no chicken strips:

Lucky him, there was no rain:

Chit chat and stretching:

My GS with simple set-u for both GPS and Contour camera:

 

[DavidFL]

Nice one. You guys certainly have an amazing collection of big bikes to ride in Vietnam now.

 

[Rod Page]

VietHorse, great to see the Vietnam forum pumping again; such a satisfying country - visually, historically & culturally - in which to tour.

Like David I was taken by the big bikes - in my time riding throughout the whole of the country I never saw such bikes, indeed only ever saw a couple of large bikes on the one occasion parked outside a hotel in Da Nang.

As you know I love to ride wherever the bike takes me, to not be constrained by such details as road surfaces. My experience was that in the south (Mekong Delta), one needed a smaller bike especially for the constant crossing of the waterways on craft where the bike storage was internal; even with a YBR the operators of such craft would initially shudder. In the north, there were many unsealed roads & the extremely boggyconditions caused by constant rains made a lighter bike essential.

There were signs of many crossings being built & many roads being sealed (though often poorly) & I was in awe at the speed of development throughout the country, but I wonder if the development has been such as to give these big bikes unlimited access to the splendours of Vietnam.

 

[VietHorse]

There are some riding clips which are captured on Gia Bac Pass.

Part 1: When I was behind of group 2 then tried to catch the first one:


Part 2: Catched the first group around the 3rd minutes:


Part 3: With the group until end of the pass:

 

[VietHorse]

Davidfl;290539 wrote: Nice one. You guys certainly have an amazing collection of big bikes to ride in Vietnam now.

Thank you. You haven't visit the southern part of Vietnam, have you?!

 

[VietHorse]

Rod Page;290542 wrote: VietHorse, great to see the Vietnam forum pumping again; such a satisfying country - visually, historically & culturally - in which to tour.

Like David I was taken by the big bikes - in my time riding throughout the whole of the country I never saw such bikes, indeed only ever saw a couple of large bikes on the one occasion parked outside a hotel in Da Nang.

As you know I love to ride wherever the bike takes me, to not be constrained by such details as road surfaces. My experience was that in the south (Mekong Delta), one needed a smaller bike especially for the constant crossing of the waterways on craft where the bike storage was internal; even with a YBR the operators of such craft would initially shudder. In the north, there were many unsealed roads & the rains constant making a lighter bike was essential for the constantly bogged conditions.

There were signs of many crossings being built & many roads being sealed (though often poorly) & I was in awe at the speed of development throughout the country, but I wonder if the development has been such as to give these big bikes unlimited access to the splendours of Vietnam.

Howdy Rod.
It's also great that I can back on the road a gain. For sure If my bike rolling, there will be RR posting around here.

 

[DavidFL]

VietHorse;290558 wrote: Thank you. You haven't visit the southern part of Vietnam, have you?!

Nope, not been yet; but it will happen.

 

[VietHorse]

Davidfl;290561 wrote: Nope, not been yet; but it will happen.

Tell me when you have firmed plan, David.

 

[VietHorse]

Really had a great time:

This buddy also on his Multistrada Bikepeak first time out of the City:

My GS:

Looked okay huh?

__________________

 

[VietHorse]

We arrived Mui Ne quite early, the sun was still shining hard.
My GS started its adventure life - became my clothes hanger after I had a bath :mrgreen: :happy4:

Ducati club is almost ready for the party:

Some of the coolest bikes:

 

[VietHorse]

We have the riding contest, it's slow riding contest:

We normally like speedy - that 's why slow riding contest is really challenge:

Winer for the races:

Gifts for the good racers:

Ducati club received a trophy from out team:

 

[VietHorse]

It was raining most of the night. Someone left their stuff in the rain without attendance.

But the GS felt good in the rain. It even looked more shiny in the next morning:

Hmm. This Hypermotard tried to be under the shed last night:

Around:

The GS with the Touratech side stand plate, so it can stay really stable on the grass.

Everyone were ready:

Prepared for a ride home:

 

[VietHorse]

We left the SeaLinks resort after breakfast. Decided not to hang around so we went directly to home.
Lunch time:

 

[VietHorse]

Waiting for friend's car:

Lunch place, one of the friend hosted us there:

Quite healthy luch

...

No nê:

Homed quite early, all safe and fun.

 

[TonyBKK]

Fantastic RR Mr Viethorse! :clap:

Looks like the big bike scene is really taking off in Vietnam! :thumbup:

Is it easy to find big bikes for rent now?

Happy Trails!

Tony

:happy1:

 

[rhiekel]

Great report, thanks. Truly amazing to see so many big bikes, good to see Vietnam rocking on....
I have only toured North Vietnam, I look forward to seeing the southern part.

 

[VietHorse]

TonyBKK;290636 wrote: Fantastic RR Mr Viethorse! :clap:

Looks like the big bike scene is really taking off in Vietnam! :thumbup:

Is it easy to find big bikes for rent now?

Happy Trails!

Tony

:happy1:

Thanks Tony.
There are more and more big bikes coming to us... but not for rent, Bro. That's not a good part. You gotta invest quite a lot if wanting to ride a Vietnam number plate big bike

 

[VietHorse]

rhiekel;290639 wrote: Great report, thanks. Truly amazing to see so many big bikes, good to see Vietnam rocking on....
I have only toured North Vietnam, I look forward to seeing the southern part.

There are lot of differences between two parts you mentioned. You gotta try the remaining parts

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A Vietnam made Vid for a Friday morning view - come on guys, just less than 12 hours to the weekend!!