Motorbikes in Thailand: Embracing the Lifestyle of A Rider from Novice to Enthusiast

It is warm and humid. The industrial smell of machinery and engine oil is in the air. Dust Floats hectically in between the sun's rays. And there she is. A beauty. Blue. She will be mine—my first motorbike in Thailand. 

It's not a motorbike; it’s a scooter, a 125 cc moped. In 2005, we moved from Germany to Thailand, and after a few weeks of settling in, I caught the desire to get mobile and see everything I could of this exotic place. 

I had a motorbike experience in Germany many years ago. My father's sentence, “Everything that starts with MO is a NO,” is still in my ear, meaning motorcycle, moped, motorbike, etc.

But now, here we are in Pattaya at the little Honda dealer buying one as a family (a son, 2 years old)—a scooter, not a car. Also, right away, and all kinds of things were said about my sanity, friends spoke of a midlife crisis, but of course, that is nonsense.

4 Reasons Why We Bought a Motorcycle in Thailand

#1 The Weather

In contrast to Germany, there is no ice, no snow, and it is rarely cold. Also, the weather invites you to ride a motorcycle.

#2 The Normal Means of Transport in Thailand 

In Germany, having only a motorbike and no car is very unusual. Not so in Thailand. Here, every family has one or more motorbikes and a car if they can afford it. Furthermore, motorcycles in Thailand are used as bicycles. Just like the bikes in Holland, they are seen everywhere.

#3 The Ease of Getting to Know the Surroundings 

It is much easier to drive through the streets on a motorcycle and explore your new home than by car. Turns into dead ends, small narrow streets, or the ubiquitous traffic jams in Thailand's cities make a motorbike the first transportation choice.

#4 Suitable for Families

Yes, a motorcycle in Thailand is suitable for families. In addition, there are child seats - similar to bicycles in Europe - for motorbikes and a brain bucket for children. It's ideal for us as a “mini” family. Also, we bought a top box later for carrying things.

Buying the Honda Wave 125i

Buying a motorbike in Thailand is easy, and in contrast to other countries, you don't need a driver's license in Thailand to buy a motorcycle. Also, around 1,000 euros (48,000 THB) was fair for the top model with injection technology and 125cc.

In comparison, today's street price is 55,000 THB which corresponds to almost 1,500 euros at the 2020 exchange rate - which has changed a lot. And now, 15 years and 100,000 km later, it turned out that it was an excellent decision to buy this Honda Wave 125i. 

It has not let me down all these years. It has adapted well to all my conversions, and apart from changing tires and regular oil changes; the motorbike has never seen a workshop.

Becoming an Avid Motorcycle Rider

Since then, I have been riding a motorcycle in Thailand and have become an avid rider. Besides, the most extended tour with this motorcycle was with a friend from Phuket to Pattaya in 2010. 1300 km in 4 days. This sparked my love for motorbike touring through Thailand, but more later.

In the meantime, our family has grown. My 2nd son was born in Pattaya. There was only one solution to ensure both children had a good place on the motorcycle. A side hack was needed - another standard MC accessory in Thailand.

So, in 2011, we had a side hack manufactured and mounted on this motorcycle, which is still there today—more about the sidecar in another post.

Big Bikes in Thailand

In 2019, the children were much older. Thus, the opportunity arose to travel in pairs or alone with a larger motorbike. 

In addition, I have been working in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) for some time now, and my wife in Pattaya uses the car with the children to go to school. I usually had to commute back & forth on the weekends by bus. 

So, a more extensive weekend warrior and more comfortable seats for the longer distance looked like a good option.

Pricing of Big Bikes

Thailand's big bikes are not big bikes in our European understanding. Anything over 200cc is called a big bike. 

Also, imported motorbikes cost a considerable amount of money compared to Europe or the USA. For example, a Harley Davidson Road King costs around $ 20,000 in the US, around 600,000 THB. 

The Harley dealer in Bangkok sells them for 1,400,000 THB - almost Triple the price! Bikes like the Goldwing or BMW 1200RT are also considerably more expensive in Thailand. This led me to look for a motorbike with a more reasonable price/performance ratio in Thailand. After searching hard, it became apparent that the ones produced in Thailand made more sense.

Honda Forza 300

At the beginning of 2019, I borrowed a motorbike from a buddy in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) to quickly get from A to B. It was a Honda Forza, model 2014. Honestly, from the outside, it’s an “ugly” motorcycle in Thailand (sorry, that's my opinion). 

But I was impressed by the driving behavior in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok), lane splitting between the cars in a traffic jam with excellent handling despite the size and weight. Then, I went down to the local Honda dealer to see a Honda Forza and behold a new model and beauty!

And that was the start of my motorcycle journey in Thailand. I will post regular updates on my latest Thailand tours and short trips around Bangkok.

There are still so many roads to explore. Just start, and let the adventure carry you away!

So, until next time... Rumble on!