Ride through Vietnam, it will be one of the best things you have ever done. Just finished and so content and proud of our accomplishment, the bikes we rode are now for sale. The stuff about police hassles is rubbish, maybe once true but no longer. The amount of bikes for sale or hire to anyone speaks volumes, it is too big an industry now for Vietnam, as long as you don't kill anyone you will be fine. we drive and wave at the cops and they wave back, or just ignore them and they will ignore you.
Hi! Two Aussies here in Vietnam for 2 months, spent the last month riding from hanoi up to sapa and down to HCMC!! Best thing I have done in my life, hard yet so so rewarding. We now have two bikes for sale in Saigon (HCMC) Honda Win Copy (CM 110cc) and a Honda GL luxury sport.
I brought the Honda Win Copy (VCM 110cc)with only 1200kms on the clock so it was not even run in and for the next 2000 kms I thought the bike had a top speed of 70 in 4th. I spoke to a mechanic and he told me it will do 95! So i have babied the engine unwittingly. It has been run in very well as a result and with only 5030 kms on the clock the bike is still very shiney and needs no work done at all and I have needed to do nothing to it unlike the minsk i brought and later had to abandon. ELECTRIC Start is a huge bonus as anyone who has done a long stop start trip will attest. The headlight is very bright and I have riden at night quite happily, despite the warnings. Doing a trip like this will see you doing some night driving even if unwillingly so get a good light.
I want 450 US as it is still as new and I have cared for it with love. I was offered used bikes like mine for 600 by locals in Hanoi! I went cheap brought a Minsk for 295 and it was money down the drain plus constant delays at Mechanic shops. Cost 350 by the time it died. Sorry Minsk lovers but I had a bad time. The Vietnamese hate the minsk in the cities as they are noisey tractor like 2 strokes and blow so much smoke you will see in your rear views people holding their mouths and glaring at you if you care to look. I would go as far as to say they are offensive to the locals other than in very remote places where you see locals riding them occasionally.
The Honda is not in the same condition as it has done 58,000 kms but it is 50cc more powerful and brakes very well. Kickstart and the headlight is acceptable but not great. It looks tired but it is a strong genuine honda and that is very important. Asking price is 350 or nearest offer. I have heaps of great pics of the bikes over the course of our trip and am proud to email them to you on request.
Contact me (Sam) on
or Glen on They are local numbers so not expensive.
I don't want to start a war with minsk lovers I know they are legion so please don't take offense with my personal opinions.
You can also contact us on but ph contact is much preferred.
#2 Posted: 6/5/2010 - 15:39
Posted from within Vietnam
A bit of advice after doing 4 800 odd kms. Carrying loads of spare parts is not really feasible your bike will have enough to carry as it is. Our trip took a month and two weeks we did every major destination however. The Minsk added 2 days to get to sapa and when it died up in the mountains it took another 2 days to get a new bike. When the Honda GL needed servicing or fixing it added hours if not days to our trip depending on the part needed and the reliablity of the mechanic. Some things are fixable in an hour, broken chain 20 mins or less, flat tire even less, but anything significant like replacing a battery or a headlight or electrical work will often add a day to your time budget as by the time the work is completed it is too late to leave on the same day, over time this adds to the cost of your travel significantly as food and accommodation for the extra night is more pricey than a mechanic. Try to avoid having work done in Saigon or Hanoi as the prices are so much higher than in the towns. a chain repair costs 20,000 dong, tightening the chain is free if you have a flat tyre and that should cost about 20,000 for repair, 50,000 to replace tube. But these are not big city prices. Avoid middle men at all costs as they will add so much more to the price. IF the problem is obvious go straight to a Ru Xe (bike mechanic) if not so much then ask the hotelier or any local friends you have to explain the problem on the phone but always pay the mechanic direct if you can. Not always possible but try.
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