4/24/12 -- Motorcycle Hunting - The Batmobile Vs The Honda Win

Yesterday was a full-on motorcycle hunting day. Josh and I started in the easy locations - the rental agencies which offer guided tours of northern Vietnam, and trips to Saigon. These folks are obviously in business, but at the same time are very friendly and accommodating. There's a number of shops across the north eastern side of Old Town Hanoi, and they vary in the quality of bikes, and clarity of their programs. After stopping in at an international hostel, I got the chance to chat with Liam, one of the front desk guys. He's from the UK, and is now living and working in Vietnam. He told me all about his two-wheeled journey through the mountains of Vietnam, which seemed to match closely with what I've ready online. He purchased a Honda Win (110cc) for about $250 USD and rode the whole route on his own. I had a chance to ride the popular Honda Win 110; it feels rather like a child's toy that some adult has put 100,000 hard miles on. This tiny little motorcycle has four speeds, bland acceleration, and terrifying mushy drum brakes. The crazy thing is that people ride them, and sing the praises of the "wonderful Win." I don't get it…… this is certainly not my style. Liam however seemed to like the tiny bike. He chuckled when I asked him about encounters with the police "just ride past them" he said confidently "they won't chase a Westerner - there's too much liability." "It'll only be a problem if you stop and they ask you for a $10 bribe." He said the cops tried to flag him over 4 times over the course of a month and he never had a problem. He just rode past and smiled! What a wild world.

Honda Win Bike - NOT what I will be riding

I have located a number of motorcycles that I would genuinely like to purchase, but they are so coveted by their owners that it's almost impossible to convince anyone to sell them to you! Lau, who works at Hanoi Motorbikes was a great example. I really like this guy's style - you can tell he's knowledgeable, realistic, and a total gear-head. His hands are covered in grease, and he beams with pride as he lets me sit on his own red Honda XR250 dirt bike. "How much will you sell it to me for?" I ask. "It's very expensive" he replies with a matter-of-fact intonation. "But business is business - $4,500 USD." A comparable bike in California would sell for $3,000, but supply and demand creates an expensive pricing structure for imports here. I took it for a spin around the block and up on the highway, blazing past the locals on their tiny scooters. Most folks stare, mouth-agape at this gangly white boy on an enormous red dirt bike. It makes me chuckle, and one twist of the throttle makes me smile ear to ear!

Practicality and finances seem to be making it much more realistic to rent motorcycles while in Vietnam, and then consider purchasing when I get to Cambodia. Across the boarder there are rumors better stock and lower prices. So to start my voyage I rented this crazy Batmobile bike:

The Batmobile! A barely-pretty, but
well maintained Honda Baja 250

This is a Honda Baja 250 that has been taken apart and put back together so many times it's barely recognizable! All the decals are gone, and every one of the plastics have been replaced with a wicked-mean looking matte-black OEM parts. This thing looks ANGRY! I asked the rental folks how old it is, and they have no idea. I'm guessing the frame and plastics are about 8 years old, and god knows about the rest…… While it's clearly seen some miles, the tires, brakes, suspension and chain all seem to be in good condition. A quick spin around the block at dusk reassured me - its quick and runs well. This is going to be FUN! I get the bike for six days for the screamin deal of $175! Drivers license? Don't worry about it. Insurance? Sure, you can do that if you want, but we don't offer it. Collateral? You'll bring the bike back….. right? There's a bizarre sense of lawlessness in Vietnam, but not in a bad way. You get the feeling that people are more trusting here, that folks just expect others to do the right thing - and they do!

Today Josh and I are off to visit the Vietnam Army Museum, and the 'Hanoi Hilton' prison made famous to Americans by FAILED Presidential candidate John McCain during the 2008 US election. More to come tomorrow!