Taling Chan Market: Monday, 31 December 2012

Last motorcycling day for 2012 so thought short trip to Taling Chan Market would be a welcome ride. Given a public holiday, and most people seem to have left Bangkok, I was looking forward to some quiet roads. This was, for a change, quite true.

Trip Statistics:

Mileage at departure: 10,281 kilometers
Mileage upon return: 10,317 kilometers
(round trip: 36 kilometers)

Some pictures of the market:

Fish for lunch!

A nice way to finish 2012 motorcycling. Happy New Year!

Siriraj Hospital Pharmacy: Saturday, 15 December 2013

Needed some medication so took the opportunity to motorcycle to the Siriraj Hospital Pharmacy shops. There are several shops outside the Siriraj Hospital that act as wholesale pharmacies. Their drug prices are significantly lower than those found in local pharmacies. In fact, while shopping I came across many people who seemed to be bulk buying for resale in their own businesses.

I left reasonably early but the sun was out and it was becoming quite hot. While riding I was thinking that perhaps a better pastime could be sitting on the beach enjoying the sun, sand and sea. Then I remembered a photograph my son had sent to me from London a couple of days before. It was a picture of a temperature sign outside a London shop - it read -0.9 degree centigrade. I then reasoned it was preferable to be biking in Thailand, even if hot and having to travel through Bangkok Saturday morning traffic.

Route and statistics as follows:

Route Sathon to Siriraj Hospital

Route statistics from Garmin GPS watch

I'm not too sure how I burnt 539 calories but perhaps that was due to the stress of riding through Bangkok traffic! Whilst only averaging 23.9 km/h, I am sure this was substantially more than could be achieved in car or bus.

After Siriraj Hospital, I rode to K-Village, Rama IV for some shopping. As below:

K-Village, Rama IV - Sukhumvit Soi 26

A motorcycle is a great form of transport and hugely convenient. But, today, I would have enjoyed an air conditioner!

Cafe 66 Car Wash: Monday, 10 December 2012

A pleasant afternoon with nothing particular to do so decided to have a short ride to Cafe 66 Car Wash for a bike wash and wax.

I had spent an hour or two in the morning watching YouTube videos of crazy car and bike crashes - these made me feel quite cautious while riding to the bike wash so I have decided not to watch these anymore!

Location of Cafe 66 Car Wash

Given the motorcycle looked so good after the wash and wax, plus the late afternoon weather was perfect for a ride, I decided to go to one of my favorite spots at the Chao Praya river estuary near the Royal Thai Navy Dockyards.

Location of Royal Thai Navy Dockyards

Bike looking cleaner than the bridge!

Mileage on return: 10,242 kilometers.

Motoaholic: Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Mileage just exceeded 10,000 kilometers so I thought time for a good car wash and service and, given it was such a nice day, I rode (the long way round) to Car Wash 66 only to find it closed. However, I continued on to the Motoaholic service center. This was the first time for me to go to their new facility which is opposite the sales showroom.

I asked for a full service and check of everything. As far as I could tell, everything was checked and the attention to my motorcycle was thorough and careful. The following was replaced:

- spark plugs (x2)
- engine oil (Agip semi-synthetic)
- oil filter
- air filter

In addition, the chain was checked and oiled, and tire pressures checked.

On ramp ready for full service

The bill

Date	Description of Service	Mileage (klm)
28/05/2011	1,000 km service (oil & filter)	1,000
23/07/2011	Intermediate oil & filter change	2,850
17/09/2011	Intermediate oil & filter change	4,705
13/12/2011	6,000 km service (oil & filter)	6,158
13/12/2011	Replace front & rear tires (Pirelli touring)	6,158
01/04/2012	Intermediate oil & filter change	8,566
05/12/2012	Replace spark plugs, oil, oil and air filters	10,153

Mileage was 10,153 kilometers.

The ride home was lovely, my motorcycle was riding like new and the weather was super. I didn't want to stop!

Don Wai Market: Saturday, 10 November 2012

10,053 kilometers start.

Removed motorcycle cover and, at 10:07 a.m., departed on a lovely Saturday morning happy in the hope that the rains have finished for the year (this subsequently proved very wrong).

Earlier, while having breakfast, I had programmed the Garmin GPS to take me to Don Wai Market in Nakhon Pathom Province (Bang Krathuek, Sam Phran, Nakhon Pathom 73210, Thailand). The route was north-west out of Bangkok and the GPS suggested just over 30 kilometers and a 45 minute ride. The Garmin is configured for motorcycle / shortest distance and, since I have taken this route on other occasions, I wasn't sure if the GPS calculated route would be the same as the way I know. Consequently, I ignored the GPS (which consistently had to re-calculate) and followed the route familiar to me which is via Ratchapruk Road,  Boromarajajonani Road and Phutthamonthon. The traffic was quite heavy and the route taken was longer than that calculated by the GPS.

Don Wai Market Location

I arrived at Don Wai market at 11:10 a.m., parked under cover, locked helmet to the motorcycle, and left to explore the market.

The market was much bigger than expected and full of goodies to eat. Most of which were quite unknown to me, and I believe a Thai gourmet (farmer or other) would be needed to interpret all the sweets, fruits, vegetables and other delights. Lunch was fried fish sat next to the river feeding the fish. 

Anyone for Chili

I decided to follow the GPS for the return to Bangkok. This took me via Thanon Phet Kasem Road and heavy traffic due to the construction of the new BTS. In addition it started to rain quite heavily so I stopped for gasoline and shelter. While waiting for the rain to stop, I wandered to the next building which housed a Mazda car dealership. The saleslady kindly offered me a free ticket to the up and coming motor car show so I may well take advantage of her generosity. 

Mileage on return: 10,130 kilometers 

Counter Steering: Monday, 14 August 2012

I have never felt I have mastered cornering and feel my riding is not as smooth as it should be. I therefore spent sometime viewing YouTube videos for corning skills improvement.

One particular video was simple, easy to understand, and made sense to me. This was:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF1ezf8LNNU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I therefore decided to ride my motorcycle and practice counter steering. The closest “twisties” I could think of are en route to Na Kluea where, more than a year ago (May 2011), I met the village idiot and his wife (and consequently stopped going to this village).

Queen's Birthday Poster in background

Counter steering really does work. Subconsciously, I am sure you follow this process to steer round corners; however, it was good to be thinking about and practicing exactly what and how you are cornering. It really helped make my riding smoother, it helped manage the irregularities in corners, and it made left hand bends immediately after a right a pleasure to ride through.

The simple tips I followed were:

- Push right handlebar to turn right
- lean with bike
- grip bike
- push left handlebar to straighten up (from right bend).

Quite simple and I will certainly practice more on my next ride. Mileage upon return was 9,778 kilometers.

Busy Motorcycling Day: Saturday, 28 July 2012

A busy and productive motorcycling day after a very disappointing start with my attempt to see the Olympics opening ceremony. An office colleague said it was showing on Thai TV channel 9 from 3:00am. Thinking this was a little early, and also because I didn't want to see athletes parading around for hours, I thought I would watch the closing session and the fireworks at about 5:00am. However, at 5:00am I was flicking through the channels with not an Olympics program in sight! Plus I couldn't get back to sleep!

So, after a good breakfast at Dean & Deluca, I went to Siriraj Hospital to buy my medicines, and I followed this with a visit to BNH Hospital for a flu vaccination (thankfully no side effects from the vaccination were noticed).

I then went shopping for groceries - the Triumph satchel is suburb for a short trip to the shops on the motorcycle!

Triumph Satchel

And I ended up having the motorcycle washed at Cafe 66 after a super run along the coastal roads and fish farms (all of this on a day when I had decided to do office work - ugh!)

Coastal Road

South West of Bangkok

Casual Day: Sunday, 1 July 2012

Thailand is, without question, quite special. Sunday was an example of a lovely hassle-free and productive motorcycling day. I needed to buy the medication that I have been taking since my heart attack in September 2011, and I thought it would be nice to visit the Kawasaki dealer for details of their Lao – China trip which is planned for August.

It was a nice day for motorcycling as it was fresh and cool (but with the possibility of rain later). I reached Motoaholic (Kawasaki Dealer) and found the shop full of customers and salespersons. Service was no problem and I soon had details of the Lao – China trip. Departure is Friday, 10 August with the motorcycles trucked to Chiang Kong, northern Thailand, and riders traveling by bus or van. Days 2 – 4 are spent touring Wai Sai Province in Lao and Yunan Province in China. Visits are arranged to rain forests, Tiger, Lion, Monkey parks, and the return on 14 August is via Chiang Kong with the bikes again trucked back to Bangkok.

After Motoaholic it was a short hop to Siriraj Hospital and the wholesale pharmacies that supply original medicines at very attractive prices. All medication was available and, given it was now around lunch time, I was feeling hungry. It was such a super day so I decided to ride to the seaside for lunch.

The route, now very familiar, was along Soi Suksuwat, south-west on Rama II, towards, Samut Sakhon, and then left (south) on Ekkachai Road through Mahachai to Changwat.

Lunch of fried fish and rice was super and inexpensive. The return along the rural roads was easy and uneventful. Motorcycle mileage upon reaching home was 9,485 kilometers (and it didn't rain).

 

BIRA Circuit Training: 9-10 June 2012

The 20 or so Bangkok participants convened at the Motoaholic Dealership (Thaksin Monument) for the BIRA track day at around 8:00am. To my surprise we left promptly at 8:30am after a short briefing on the route to be taken for the day. This was to take us over the Talat river ferry crossing (Prapradaeng pier) to Sukhumvit and then to route 34 and the Bang Na highway.

Mileage was 8,880 kilometers when my number was attached to my motorcycle front mudguard at the departure point. I was #18 which, I hoped, would be a lucky number for me.

We had a short photo shoot while on the Talat ferry river crossing, and we stopped at about 9:30am at the Esso petrol station at Bang Na, just out of Bangkok, on route 34 to Pattaya. This proved to be quite a long stop as we had to wait for some late starters. However, it did give everyone time to relax, eat and drink as needed.

There were one or two intermediate stops for petrol etc., but by 12:00 noon we were able to stop alongside a reservoir after following a super twisty road that traversed the edge of the reservoir. The reservoir is a little west of the main 3144 / 7 route to Pattaya and well worth a visit for those with time to spare.

Lunch was taken a short trip away and afterwards we made our way to BIRA Circuit for a quick look before travelling into Pattaya and to the hotel. Our hotel, the Icon Place is, I believe, owned by the Pattaya Kawasaki Big Bike dealer who additionally owns many motorcycle shops around the town. It was new and comfortable and not expensive.

I had breakfast after a walk along the beach road, and it consisted of rice and egg from the nearby 7-11. We checked-out early and made our way to BIRA Circuit in plenty of time for the day's events.

We spent the morning with motorcycle training (lecture and handling on small bikes). The small bike handling practice is something every biker should do and perfect. It has helped me tremendously, and it has hugely improved my self confidence and low speed control (needless to say, the one in the short video clip is not me!)

After the handling practice we had lunch at the circuit and a short rest. Then the moment arrived - we were taken to the track on our own motorcycles. Participants were split into a small number of groups, and each group was taken to a corner where we were told how to take the corner. Cones were placed at appropriate places to help track positioning. We were then encouraged to ride through the corner(s) several times, and thus gradually build-up confidence and ability. We moved to another corner and repeated the process.


Once we had become reasonably proficient we were lead around the track while gradually increasing speed. This continued for several laps and until the instructors came into the pits allowing participants to ride freely - whoa!

This was super and could continue as long as you felt able. I came into the pits two or three times to rest and take stock of what I was doing right / wrong, and then returned to the track. I gradually improved but, to be frank, never felt as though I had "mastered" the circuit - there always seemed to be one corner I would get wrong. Fortunately there were no mishaps and everyone survived (although I did see one or two bikes traversing the grass)


I did, however, learn a tremendous amount and my confidence has grown substantially. Huge thanks to Kawasaki, to the dealers, and to the staff and trainers who are just great.


Training ended around 5:00pm and we made our way in convoy to Bang Saen for a super seafood dinner.

The return to Bangkok was wonderfully wet but no-one cared - it was such a great weekend. Mileage on return of 9,303 kilometers (weekend mileage of 423 kilometers). First stop - a shower and sleep. Second stop - Soi 66 car wash! Number 18 was obviously a lucky number for me!

Changwat Samut Sakhon: Sunday, 13 May 2012

I have used the motorcycle on a few occasions over the last month to go shopping or visiting. On one occasion I was caught in the rain so decided to take my ER6 for a wash and wax. This was done at the usual Cafe 66 and, given such a nice day, I decided to ride to the seaside.

It was quite hot and I was not wearing a jacket, so I now have sun-burnt arms! The ride was, however, well worth the sunburn!....

Wonderful "smelly" shrimps drying in the sun!

I also dropped by the local Kawasaki dealer, Motoaholic, and registered for the next track riding course at Bira Circuit near Pattaya (9-10 June) - hopefully I will learn how to ride around corners!

Mileage on return to Bangkok was 8,799 kilometers.

1st Birthday: 7 April 2012

My ER6 will be 1 year old on 7 April 2012.

Treatment received to date:

Date	Description of Service	Mileage
28/05/2011	1,000 km service (oil & filter)	1,000
23/07/2011	Intermediate oil & filter change	2,850
17/09/2011	Intermediate oil & filter change	4,705
13/12/2011	6,000 km service (oil & filter)	6,158
13/12/2011	Replace front & rear tires (Pirelli touring)	6,158
01/04/2012	Intermediate oil & filter change	8,566

Pattaya: Weekend 31 March - 1 April 2012

Decided my route to Pattaya would include breakfast at Dean & Deluca followed by a visit to the Dirt Bike Shop in On Nut 76. I also decided I would use the Garmin GPS for the journey, not because I do not know the way, but rather to record the route and statistics for later uploading to the Garmin Connect web site.

Set off at about 8:00am after packing my 20 litre and 30 litre Kriega motorcycle luggage - neither were full but I thought it would make a change to use both bags. I also decided to wear my new Rev-It jacket.

Breakfast of potato omelet, almond croissant and cappuccino (non-fat milk) was excellent. My only worry was that rain had been forecast and I had forgotten to bring my rain suit. After a couple of minutes pontificating about whether to return home to get a rain suit it not, I decided would just get wet if it rained as my Rev-It jacket is advertised as being water proof!

The route to On Nut and the Dirt BikeShop was no problem and I was pleased I made the trip. The shop is full of interesting motorcycle accessories and I was able to ask for prices and delivery times for some parts for my BMW R1150R.

From the Dirt Bike Shop I took 3443 to Sukhumvit Route 3 and then followed the usual route 7 into Pattaya. Traffic was very heavy along parts of the journey and the weather very, very hot and humid. Not the most comfortable, but nevertheless a good ride, and I arrived safely at my hotel at about 1:00pm (mileage at hotel was 8,394 kilometers)

Sat on the hotel balcony in the afternoon was equally hot and humid. The sky was overcast and there was considerable thunder and lightening - no rain though!

My medical check-up the next day was good and I was able to set-off for Bangkok by about 12 noon. It was considerably cooler than the previous day and the ride pleasant and uneventful. Upon reaching Bangkok I took the motorcycle for a service (8,566 kilometers and an intermediate oil and filter change). After the service I enjoyed grilled fish and a glass of red wine at the local Italian Restaurant.

A thoroughly enjoyable biking weekend!

Changwat Samut Sakhon: Sunday, 25 March 2012

A lazy weekend so thought short ride to the seaside would be a pleasant way to try-out my new Rev-It touring jacket. The jacket was super and very comfortable.

I headed to the a mangrove re-plantation facility at Changwat Samut Sakhon and was pleasantly surprised the see a Thammasat University group planting mangrove seedlings - rather them than me wade through the muddy shoreline!


A great little ride which was finished-up with a motorcycle wash and wax at my usual Cafe 66. Mileage upon return a symmetrical 8,228 kilometers.

Ayutthaya: Wednesday, 7 March 2012

A Public holiday in Thailand and decided to ride to Ayutthaya. This would be one of my first times to ride north out of Bangkok. I set the GPS coordinates to Latitude : 14° 21' N Longitude : 100° 35' E as Wikipedia suggested these were the Ayutthaya Historical Park coordinates in the center of Ayutthaya. The temperature was 28°C and relative humidity at 92%.

The Garmin GPS calculated a "scenic" route rather than follow the main highway. It suggested about 90 kilometers and a 2 hour trip. The route was through the center of Bangkok by way of Victory Monument and north along Phahonyolthin to the Don Muang expressway. Then turned north-west to join country road 3469 into Phra Nakon Si Ayutthaya. This part of the journey was quite lovely as the road was quiet and followed the river into Ayutthaya.

When in Ayutthaya I made my way firstly to the railway station and secondly to the historical park.

The following is from Wikipedia:

The Ayutthaya historical park covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, which was founded by KingRamathibodi I in 1350 and was the capital of the country until its destruction by the Burmese army in 1767.

In 1969 the Fine Arts Department began with renovations of the ruins, which became more serious after it was declared a historical park in 1976. The park was declared a UNESCO World heritage site in 1991. According to "Tourism Asia,"[1]thirty-three monarchs including King Rama IV governed from Ayutthaya.

Quite a lovely day. I stopped at a motorcycle accessory shop on the return to Bangkok and bought a new jacket (now my 6th motorcycle jacket). This one for the Philippines. Mileage on return 7,950 kilometers.

Pattaya: Saturday, 25 February 2012

I packed an overnight bag and set-off for a trip to Pattaya. My reason for travelling to Pattaya was to try to resolve with the previous hotel I stayed at, what appeared to be double-billing on my Visa card. It was not really necessary to travel to the hotel for this (I could have called) but it gave me a purpose for a motorcycle trip. 

Mileage was 7,370 kilometres, the time was 08.40am, and the temperature was 29°C with relative humidity at 83%.

I took the now familiar route of Talat river ferry crossing, route 3 (Sukhumvut Road) south through Samut Prakan, Bang Pakong and the Chon Buri by-pass, to route 7 and on into Pattaya. After visiting the hotel and getting the double billing addressed I had a lunch of “Bangers n’ Mash” with soda water at an English Pub. The hotel did not have rooms available so I decided to return to Bangkok. 

Upon return to Bangkok the motorcycle was duly washed and waxed at my regular Car Wash (“66” at Suksuwat Rd 66). Mileage was 7,680 kilometres giving a round trip journey of 360 pleasant kilometres.