CM Bike Week, Do They Ride or Just Pose?

wimpy · Dec 12, 2005

CM Bike Week was kind of fun. I'm not really into choppers, but there were quite a few interesting sport bikes in town as well.

A pretty Triumph; never mind the oil spots.

This was the nicest machine I ran across. Sorry, still trying to figure out the new camera.

This guy apparently gets around a bit.

For 400 baht, all the food and drinks you can consume; not a bad deal.

So this afternoon we went for a putt around the Samoeng loop, expecting to see bunch of bikes. We saw a total of four bikes, and three of those were choppers.

We stood around for 20 minutes at the Sala watching the sun set, and taking some snaps of the bikes. Not a single big bike came by.

I don't get it... All these guys come from all over Thailand on their fancy machines. You have an absolutely perfect afternoon and one of the finest roads in Thailand, and nobody takes advantage of it! What a bunch of turkeys!

Wimpy

BobS · Dec 12, 2005

In the past few days, there was Lampang Bike Week, Mae Sai Bike Week, Chiang Rai Bike Week. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon,

Most of the bikers plan their travels for the week before the Chiang Mai event, and head home on Sunday.

Consider yourself lucky that the bozos were not out there with you. In the past, there were organized rides on Saturday as part of Chiang Mai Bike Week - including the Samoeng Loop.

Those rides were the definition of a clusterf**k. The sport riders were racing, the choppers cruising, somebody stops for photos and the riders behind pile up, guys decide to beat the crowd and ride the loop in reverse. etc, etc. ALWAYS had accidents.

The first year's party was at the Mae Ping. They finally returned it to that location after some pretty lame years.

BobS

"The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not and never persist in trying to set people right."

Colin · Dec 12, 2005

Yes I got the impression that bike week was more about posing and being seen to be there rather than actually riding around

If Ty-phoo Put The T in Britain Who Put The Cun-t In Sc-unthorpe ?

Jade · Dec 13, 2005

They ride long distance like no other and it is not just "for show".

wimpy · Dec 13, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by jade

They ride long distance like no other and it is not just "for show".

So why wasn't anyone out on the Samoeng loop on that perfect Sunday afternoon?? I know they hadn't all gone home, as I saw quite a few of them roaring around the city on my return.[8D]

DavidFL · Dec 13, 2005

Yeah I agree that the viewpoint from Chiang Mai is not great.
But you could look at it that they all ride to get to Chiang Mai, but don’t get to Chiang Mai to ride.
However I reckon that the bulk of the riders are at bike week in Chiang Mai for the image of being a biker, & not necessarily riding.
For many of the riders I think that the bike week party is "the end of the road" = no more riding, just drinking, looking at each others pretty bikes & gals.

But if you're out & about in the North before bike week there are scores, if not hundreds, of guys from out of town - Bkk / Malaysia / Sing - riding around the North on their way to Chiang Mai for the image party.
In the last week or two before bike week I've been on the MHS loop / the Golden Triangle / Nan & there were lots of motorcyclists from "out of the North" riding touring around. So they do ride, but if we just hang out in town waiting for a ride to be organized, nothing happens. This year was particularly bad, & I know that the main sponsor aint at all happy about that aspect - no organized bike week rides.
The comment / observation was also made to me that it seemed like the only party stayers were the Harley / chopper riders, & the “real riders” left after an hour or two. I agreed.
So what happens next year could be real interesting.

Davidfl
Keep The Power On

helenk · Dec 15, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by jade

They ride long distance like no other and it is not just "for show".

They may ride long distances but funny paint and spiky bolts ARE, surely, just for show. The new handlebars on my TDM, on the other hand, make the whole bike noticeably lighter and faster. They look good, too. [

]

Look at our photos:
Link removed

BobS · Dec 15, 2005

Anyone ever figure out who "THEY" are?

As far as the riders, a few ride a fair distance, most don't. Quite a few show up trailering the bikes.

Hey, they have fun dressing up in their biker costumes. Who cares?

BobS

Peter R · Dec 15, 2005

"Most" of the attendee's ride Harleys, would you want to handle one of those things around the twisty roads of the North?
At CMBW they are doing what Harley's do best, sit still and look pretty or cruising slowly around the streets while making chuffing noises. For me owning a bike is about riding and preferably riding fast around good roads, so the CM bike week has little or no appeal. But don't really give a Flying F**** if other people get a hit off doing something else.

Colin · Dec 16, 2005

Hi BobS
I think you hit the nail on the head with your last comment

If Ty-phoo Put The T in Britain Who Put The Cun-t In Sc-unthorpe ?