Vietnam by motorcycle. Part 2.
I addressed some of my concerns and opinions about seeing Vietnam by motorcycle and now will move on to giving some information on how to survive this insane traffic if you chose to ignore all common sense and drive yourself.
Finding a bike
There are inexpensive (around 5 dollars a day) motorcycles and scooters available everywhere for rent in Vietnam. Do not be surprised if you have to turn over your passport for the duration of the rental. Most rental bikes have some minimum maintenance and are fine for local trips. The safest option is to fly or take train between destinations and rent locally for day trips.
There are many young adults that want to drive the length of Vietnam by motorcycle. This is where I have concern. There are shops in the big cities tourist areas that will sell you a bike for your long distance drive and then purchase it back at ¼ or less the price when you reach your end destination. If you choose this option BEWARE!! Many bikes are not roadworthy and are dangerously in need of repair.
Some advice….
Do not buy a Minsk or a scooter. The Minsk is not reliable with a 2 stroke engine and difficult to find parts and a mechanic in southern areas. A scooter will leave you will a rear end so sore, daily km limits will be very low. A Honda Win (or Chinese copy) is what most of you will end up with. One in reasonable condition should cost no more than 5 million dong (250 dollars). If you are satisfied on how the engine runs, be sure to check out the following to assure it is roadworthy.
Grasp the chain at the rear middle of sprocket where you would think it tight with almost no movement. If the chain is loose against the sprocket, that means that the sprocket and probably chain are worn out and will most likely fail and strand you somewhere down the line. If they try to tell you it is no problem, look at the rear chain adjuster and be sure that it is not at the end of its adjustability.
Check the front and rear brakes by either test drive or forward rolling. Most of these bikes will be drum brakes and not as strong as a disk. If the make a grinding noise or seem to lock, do not buy. These two issues can cause you to wipe out at any given moment. Of course there are more issues to check but they are more obvious. Lastly, be sure that a blue registration card is included as without it, police may seize it and it will not be worth anything as resale. Do not pay any more than 3mil for bike without blue card and expect nothing for it at the end.
Tips for minimizing travel disruptions
OK… Now you have your bike and time to start the adventure. Some things to consider is the route you will take, where you will overnight, and what to see. My next post or posts will get into more detail about road rules and traffic safety, however for now, here are a few tips when you do Vietnam by motorcycle.
Vehicle Insurance (Bao Hiem) is very inexpensive at less than 4 dollars. It can be purchased at many motorcycle shops and repair facilities. Just keep an eye out for a roadside sign. You will never use it but it will go a long way to satisfying the police that you are trying to be responsible. Odds are that if you present a blue card and insurance when pulled over, they will ignore the fact you are driving without a valid license.
Travel with a partner. If you are on a solo journey, find someone headed in the same direction. You can usually find someone at a local popular restaurant of backpacker hostel. A travel partner will assure you can get some kind of assistance if you get into situations where you are unable to respond.
Obey the speed limits. There is a 0 tolerance on speed and even only 1 km above can land you a ticket. The fins is small at 200000 dong and NOT corrupt tea money like so many say, however, it is important as there are so many hazards we of the west have not experienced, it is just safer. Also, keep in mind that the bike you are driving is probably not stable like your bike back home.
To be continued……..
In Vietnam by motorcycle part 3, I will go into the actual rules of the road and information on how to be safe. After that I will go into suggested roads and destinations to travel on your bike.