Rainy season is a favourite time of year to ride. Minimal traffic, mostly cool, lush green scenery and low season prices.
I had just fitted a Morgo rotary oil pump on the '71 Tiger so that seemed a good enough reason for a decent test ride.
Original Triumph plunger oil pump
The new Morgo Rotary oil pump.
The bike has already been fitted with a Morgo 750cc conversion and 9.5:1 C.R. pistons so is quite a powerful machine. But a new Morgo oil pressure gauge had revealed that from cold start to hot tickover in traffic, the oil pressure with the standard Triumph plunger pump would drop from 70 psi, to 7 psi when sitting at traffic lights in the city. What a difference the rotary oil pump makes. Now, I see cold start at 80psi (maximum and when the pressure release valve opens) to about 35 psi on tick over. Seems to me the big end bearings should now last forever...
Morgo are a family business now run by the company founder's daughter & husband and make top quality products in Bradford, England.
I recall seeing adverts for Morgo Rotary Oil pumps when I was at school...... over 40 years ago......
http://www.morgo.co.uk/
I took a quick blast down to Phrae to see a friend who is also a LICME member (Lanna Independant Classic Motorbike Endeavour).
We took a ride out to the Doi Phaklong National Park to see the Phu Khao Hin Phakarang (the Coral Mountain).
A good climb up to see it..
..but certainly some amazing rock formations.
Next morning I headed northeast and found Thailand's "Golden Rock".
I had the valve gaps set a bit too tight, so needed the tickover a bit faster than ideal.
I didn't see any vehicles for about an hour after leaving Phrae.... superb. Then headed out to the wonderful 1216 over the Khun Sathan National Park.
Had lunch in Na Noi, then turned south on 1339 to the Sirikit Reservoir. After Na Meun, all new wide tarmac and no-one around...
Down to Pak Nai to the ferry port......
Not quite what I was expecting...
Look Mum, no hand rails, no ropes.....
Off we go, for a 30 minute boat ride.
Looks a like a worried expression to me..
But the ferrywoman was confident.
The reservoir was lower than it should be for September. Need more rain...
That's what I was expecting to go boating on.
50 klms of fun with a road to myself.
Stayed in the Nam Pat Resort; very nice, clean, new, undercover parking and all for 500 Baht.
Next morning, off north up the eastern border roads of Uttaradit .
Also, very quiet out here.
The Phu Soi Dao range was lost in the clouds. The peak is the 5th highest mountain in the country at 2120m.
Kengluang, over the Nan river, heading into Nan province. Dad and daughter fishing in the swollen river.
A little further along the 1083 you come to the promontory of Pha Chu.
The panoramic view from the park at the bottom of the cliff is spectacular, looking down on the Nan river.
Upon arriving in Nan I went Tony's Place to pay my respects to his wife, Wan, following his death earlier this month. Tony was a great guy and great cook. They worked closely together during his last few weeks, so that she would know how to prepare all the dishes in order to continue running the restaurant.
Let's wish her all the best in that and visit the restaurant whenever passing through Nan.
I took a visit to the Nan Museum which is most interesting.
Their prized piece is the Black Tusk.
The dynastic chart of the Lords of Nan.
The last Lord of Nan, a rather stern looking gentleman.
A work from a former Royal artist from Nan.
Thai Lue
A huge table
Suebjata
I stayed at the Nan Noble Garden on the bypass. If you don't need city life, a great place to stay for 800 Baht.
The resort is owned by the descendants of the last Lord of Nan, hence the name of the resort.
Teak leaves under the bike to soak up the oil drips....
Next morning, woke with a smile on my face. I was going to ride the 1148 in the morning and 1155 in the afternoon... should be a great day.
This is the lovely 1027 to Song Kwae.
I hiked 300m upriver to find a more private place for a dip. Looks like not much traffic here either..
Interesting colours in the rock.
Tadman waterfall has 6 cataracts over 1.7 klms.... the 2nd level would do me.
Onto the wonderful 1148 and the Sakoen viewpoint from either side
Lunch in Chiang Kham and then on to the 1155. Phu Chee Fah ("the mountain finger pointing at the sky"), can be seen quite clearly when heading north, middle right of the photo.
It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny with blue skies.
My favourite view on the 1155..
The "chicken strips" are looking suitably minimal on the Avon Roadriders as you would expect on this road.
Then back up alongside the Khong.
4 days without rain and a fantastic ride. About 1,000 miles trip and leaked about 3/4 litre of oil. The sound of the Tiger's engine bellowing through the open mega's provided a constant accompanying music. Wonderful Rainy Season.....
I had just fitted a Morgo rotary oil pump on the '71 Tiger so that seemed a good enough reason for a decent test ride.
Original Triumph plunger oil pump
The new Morgo Rotary oil pump.
The bike has already been fitted with a Morgo 750cc conversion and 9.5:1 C.R. pistons so is quite a powerful machine. But a new Morgo oil pressure gauge had revealed that from cold start to hot tickover in traffic, the oil pressure with the standard Triumph plunger pump would drop from 70 psi, to 7 psi when sitting at traffic lights in the city. What a difference the rotary oil pump makes. Now, I see cold start at 80psi (maximum and when the pressure release valve opens) to about 35 psi on tick over. Seems to me the big end bearings should now last forever...
Morgo are a family business now run by the company founder's daughter & husband and make top quality products in Bradford, England.
I recall seeing adverts for Morgo Rotary Oil pumps when I was at school...... over 40 years ago......
http://www.morgo.co.uk/
I took a quick blast down to Phrae to see a friend who is also a LICME member (Lanna Independant Classic Motorbike Endeavour).
We took a ride out to the Doi Phaklong National Park to see the Phu Khao Hin Phakarang (the Coral Mountain).
A good climb up to see it..
..but certainly some amazing rock formations.
Next morning I headed northeast and found Thailand's "Golden Rock".
I had the valve gaps set a bit too tight, so needed the tickover a bit faster than ideal.
I didn't see any vehicles for about an hour after leaving Phrae.... superb. Then headed out to the wonderful 1216 over the Khun Sathan National Park.
Had lunch in Na Noi, then turned south on 1339 to the Sirikit Reservoir. After Na Meun, all new wide tarmac and no-one around...
Down to Pak Nai to the ferry port......
Not quite what I was expecting...
Look Mum, no hand rails, no ropes.....
Off we go, for a 30 minute boat ride.
Looks a like a worried expression to me..
But the ferrywoman was confident.
The reservoir was lower than it should be for September. Need more rain...
That's what I was expecting to go boating on.
50 klms of fun with a road to myself.
Stayed in the Nam Pat Resort; very nice, clean, new, undercover parking and all for 500 Baht.
Next morning, off north up the eastern border roads of Uttaradit .
Also, very quiet out here.
The Phu Soi Dao range was lost in the clouds. The peak is the 5th highest mountain in the country at 2120m.
Kengluang, over the Nan river, heading into Nan province. Dad and daughter fishing in the swollen river.
A little further along the 1083 you come to the promontory of Pha Chu.
The panoramic view from the park at the bottom of the cliff is spectacular, looking down on the Nan river.
Upon arriving in Nan I went Tony's Place to pay my respects to his wife, Wan, following his death earlier this month. Tony was a great guy and great cook. They worked closely together during his last few weeks, so that she would know how to prepare all the dishes in order to continue running the restaurant.
Let's wish her all the best in that and visit the restaurant whenever passing through Nan.
I took a visit to the Nan Museum which is most interesting.
Their prized piece is the Black Tusk.
The dynastic chart of the Lords of Nan.
The last Lord of Nan, a rather stern looking gentleman.
A work from a former Royal artist from Nan.
Thai Lue
A huge table
Suebjata
I stayed at the Nan Noble Garden on the bypass. If you don't need city life, a great place to stay for 800 Baht.
The resort is owned by the descendants of the last Lord of Nan, hence the name of the resort.
Teak leaves under the bike to soak up the oil drips....
Next morning, woke with a smile on my face. I was going to ride the 1148 in the morning and 1155 in the afternoon... should be a great day.
This is the lovely 1027 to Song Kwae.
I hiked 300m upriver to find a more private place for a dip. Looks like not much traffic here either..
Interesting colours in the rock.
Tadman waterfall has 6 cataracts over 1.7 klms.... the 2nd level would do me.
Onto the wonderful 1148 and the Sakoen viewpoint from either side
Lunch in Chiang Kham and then on to the 1155. Phu Chee Fah ("the mountain finger pointing at the sky"), can be seen quite clearly when heading north, middle right of the photo.
It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny with blue skies.
My favourite view on the 1155..
The "chicken strips" are looking suitably minimal on the Avon Roadriders as you would expect on this road.
Then back up alongside the Khong.
4 days without rain and a fantastic ride. About 1,000 miles trip and leaked about 3/4 litre of oil. The sound of the Tiger's engine bellowing through the open mega's provided a constant accompanying music. Wonderful Rainy Season.....
