::: Viethorse & Tony BKK rides BKK-Khao Yai National Park-Wang Nam Kiao loop.

[VietHorse]

Living in Vietnam, and I had a plan going for a business trip in Bangkok for some days.
Take that chance, I really love to experience a ride in Thailand as I had never done one.

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Well, after several communications, calls, hangout, chit chat... we came up with the great recommendation by TonyBKK and others: Khao Yai National Park-Wang Nam Kiao loop

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Landed at Bangkok Thailand:

Checked - in:

A nice evening hang out with some friends and Riders in Bangkok:

Well, Vietnamization was here:

Here is the suggested plan for our day trip:

Quote:

Certainly the most popular day trip out of Bangkok has to be the Khao Yai National Park-Wang Nam Kiao loop. The basic loop is about 450km and can easily take the entire day as there are quite a few things to do along the way- good food, viewpoints, etc.

Now, Let's start with my preparation from home. Yeah, as a biker, you always like to use your own gears, as they fit you, they operate as you wanted, and you are familiar with them, even some small issues of them.
I 'd love to bring with my helmet and my riding boots. But those seem almost occupy my baggage. Anyway, need to be reasonable - this is what I brought along to Thailand for the riding trip:

As advised, I have contacted BBR quite early to get the Versys, before someone take it - it was known as the only Big Bike for rent shop in BKK.
Saturday morning, get on the taxi quite early, I think it was just earlier than 7:30AM. The appointment with BBR and Tony was 8:30AM, but I don't really know how is the traffic in BKK that time and also the road from my Hotel to BBR shop. Earlier is better than late.

Reach the BBR location. But the taxi driver did not know how to find the exact house #. We took some rounds around the area but could not find. I have tried to call BBR, but no answer. Called Tony, his reply the address the same what I have. Lastly, the taxi driver asked a motor-taxi guy, and that motor-taxi guy knows the place and showed us. I think the taxi driver had to pay the motor-taxi guy some Bahts.

Arrived BBR:

Waiting... I just realized that my Garmin GPS was ON and running out of battery. Damn! I have fully charged it last night, and put it into my backpack to get ready for the day after. But, damn, the power button was unintentionally stuck with something inside the backpack an turned the Garmin ON all night long! Damn it!!!!

That time, the BRR neighbor just opened her shop. I came in and asked her to let me charge my GPS for a while. She agreed.
Waiting....

(to be continued...)

 

[VietHorse]

8:33AM, BBR showed up. The girl (Nut) said she left the mobile fone in the shop - so that why I could not reached her.
Tony also arrived. He's ready!

There were 3 or 4 Versys inside. I was appointed to a black one. The only one without stock exhaust but a bloody loud 2Bros.

This versys has a Garmin mount kit ready. I just need to click my Garmin on.
I tried some locations to put my GoPro, but this bike seems having not much room for the mounting kits I have brought with.
Luckily, the guy showed me a helmet with the GoPro adhesieve on top. Good one. I meant the mount kit, not the helmet.

.
Well, I think that quite enough for a ride. A bike with clear maintenance record, just 18xxxkm ODO, a fullface helmet, leather gloves, an amoured mesh jacket, camera, GoPro, riding shoes (borrowed from Tony - lucky me - same size and they fit me well).

Ready to ROOOOOLLLL:

(to be continued...)

 

[VietHorse]

Versys seemed quite strange to me. High seat, high handle bar, tiny windshield and almost no front fairing. Would be very tough to me when riding with hi-speed.
However, gotta forget it and get myself to be used to the bike. I adjusted the break and clutch levers one more time while riding.
To the main road, I am still not very familiar with left hand riding. Still confused sometimes. Lucky me, I have Tony rode at front, so that I just followed him.

The first gas stop:

Yeah, I were there:

Gas price almost the same as currently in Vietnam. However, I forgot to ask about the quality.

Got back the road, I can't remember how long we have done befor reaching the first cafe stop.
A coffe cup and some cookies for each of us. I did not forget to charge my poor GPS for a while. Well, I did not intent to use the Garmin as a road guider, but I need it to record the tracklog. It gonna be a good memory of mine.

We spent quite long time at cafe', I think not less than 30mins.
Now the time to be back on road a gain:

(to be continued...)

 

[VietHorse]

I have no idea how some of photos from my Photobucket don't show up. Dang!

 

[KTMphil]

Trung - Looks like you had a great ride with Tony north of Bangkok & lucky with the weather - thanks for taking the time to post this.

 

[VietHorse]

Yeah, we were very lucky as this really rainy season all around SE Asia. At this moment, it's bloody heavy rain out of my windows.

 

[VietHorse]

(Some below photos are captured from video with low quality)
..

It was so lucky to me as having Tony with me this trip. I was advised that not to say anything until we pass the gate. I had a glance at the price: 400Baht for Foreign! Whilst Thai is charged 70Baht only.
This is location of that gate: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=+14%C...=17&iwloc=near 14°13'20.45"N 101°24'20.97"E

Successfully passed the gate as a Thai residence, Tony informed me that's good time to turn my GoPro on. Well, lots of fun must be ahead.

(photo by Tony)

The first corner right after where we stopped for turning on the GoPro:

A lot of trees along the road. Really nice and clean road. I was so keen to see the some monkeys or elephant crossing...

The Versys seemed not really be handled well by myself. I am familiar with naked or sport touring bikes, with the lower seat, lower handle bar, with big enough windshield and side fairing. This versys quite high to me. I can't touch both of my foot on the road. The high handle bar made me feel floating while cornering.
And one more thing is the helmet. It was so noisy and it made me feel like I was hanging on the wing of a jet plane. Sometimes on highway, I was feeling like riding at 180km/h but actually just 120km/h.

Some more turns captured from video:

Really nice roads for any biker:

To this turn, I suddenly saw the dark color on the road surface. Sh*t...!! Oh not sh*t, that must be some big elephant just pee on the road!!!

I lost control in a second. Lucky me, the Versys is not as heavy as my VFR so the rear of the bike still stable. I just squeezed and pushed the breaks, slowly returned back to the road from the grass without "landing".

Tony was just right behind me, saw that, and pulled his throttle after I confirmed myself Okay.

(to be continued...)

 

[VietHorse]

...
Tony was in front of me for a while after I missed the corner.

Some more turns captured:

Sometimes the road just like that - straight:

An open area. I was thinking it was the highest point of the road.

We descended right after the open view:

About 12:15, we stopped at KhaoYai cafeteria. about 30km plus from the gate:

(to be continued...)

 

[VietHorse]

Reached the stop, Tony kept asking me "how 'd u feel?". Well, so excited. So happy. What else I could say!??
Told him that I had not seeing any elephant droppings and others, just the corner which I almost mess up with the wet surface.

First thing was to charge my bloody poor Garmin:

Just sit and having some drinks:

Our stuff:

Tony was telling someone that he is being with me... Oops... who knows who the hell am I... haha...

Our bikes also rest:

Been there, done that:

Back on road again, Tony show me a great view to the forest below:

Marked:

(to be continued...)

 

[nikhuzlan]

Nice report. How much would a Versys cost for a week?

 

[VietHorse]

Oh, hell. I almost forget to finish this threat. Thank Nik.

Nice report. How much would a Versys cost for a week?

BBR offer almost 11,000Bht/week. I don't know about the limitation of km for a week, but it 's 350km/day. 5Baht for each additional km.

 

[VietHorse]

We continued with some more twisties, then straight, then off the road with some 4x4 trucks:

Well, the Versys seemed very suitable with such kind of road surface. Very comfortable

We reached a gate, looked like a temporary one:

Oh shiiittttttt..... Big shiiiitttt..... What the hell is this?!?!?

It's Bonanza Circuit which Tony has mentioned to me. But I had never thought this place is the one, as seeing the uncompleted road and temporary gate.

There were numbers of HD:

It was:

HOG booked the track full day for their safety training:

Tony seemed excited also:

The trainer:

First time in my life standing near the track like this:

I 'd love to ride on a track one day, and especially having some short riding training. All I have learned is from my daily life and youtube.
Hopefully one day...

(to be continued...)

 

[VietHorse]

Both Versys stand beside the track with jealous:

And so this little boy:

HD guys still struggling with the cones and turns:

The Thai instructor - the only one who can made the scratching sound by dragging the foot pegs to the hot track surface:
:

Bloody nice Cafe Ducati - suddenly miss my CX650 - still middle of no where!!!!!

Really impressed with this full track HD XR1200. This has all the parts for a real track bike: seat, front and rear forks, rims, tires, foot pegs, break and clutch levers, steering damper, break discs... etc...

Ohlalah... let me try once:

That Thai guy was Tony 's instructor as well:

(to be continued...)

 

[VietHorse]

....
We were at that track too long. I think it was around an hour or so.
No doubt that with the hot track and all the bike are roaring, the time fly damn fast.
End up my water bottle from the back pack, we return with the incomplete loop. I knew it was too bad that I could not do even one lap, however, next time, never been to late.

We left Bonanza Circuit about 14:00hrs plus. The road out less twisty than the road before the track. But it was fun, clear roads, clear sky, nice sun, we could take good speed for that part.

Time for "lunch" - it was almost 16:00hrs!!. Tony led us get into a small shop beside the road. It was somewhere in Wang Nam Kiew (14°22'52.69"N 101°42'27.27"E):

In front of the lunch place:

Well, I don't know what it says:

Quite big pond:

We will follow the road on the left to BKK:

Tony knows some Thai so he can order food. My Thai is zero, but really happy with what he ordered:

Too much, we could not finish this:

Yummy....:

Wow:

(to be continued...)