Hi to all from Jim on my first posting on GTRider (prompted by DavidFL and to avoid an earbashing).
A little about myself: 58, Brit, retired (sort of) and in CM for 4 months to continue learning Thai after 3 months last Sept/Oct/Nov.(in preparation for move to Thailand later this year)
Brought up on bikes. First a BSA Bantam 125 then Triumph 21 (350 Bathtub heavy lump and gutless wonder). Also had in the 60's a 1932 Ariel Square Four 600 which, after detaching the sidecar, found it went like a rocket to first corner, which it could not understand. Bought it for 6 pounds in 1964 and sold it on for about same,. Must be worth a fortune now.
More recently have owned Kwak ZZR600 for 3 years and last bike in UK was ZX6R (one of the first 636's) which unfortunately is now in one million pieces due to being t-boned by a ...er. lady driver. No sexism intended, just reporting a fact!
Well, the report - did the Samoeng round on Saturday on clapped out 100cc Dream I have on long term hire from Smile (Th. Ratchdamnoen), with g/f. Intended to go only to Kangsadarn Resort in Mae Sa valley for a beer in great relaxing surroundings, but weather so good (at last) that decided to do the loop again (first did it 12 years ago) and it never ceases to be source of enjoyment - even on a Dream. Maybe its the drum brakes that don't work and my love of twisty roads. Just makes for such a great fun ride.
This time stumbled upon Strawberry Fair at Samoeng where I won two packets of Tom Yum Goong mix!
Anyway, for anyone out there who's not done this trip, it's such good fun. David recommends anticlockwise for experienced riders and I have yet to do it this way. If you take a Dream or similar, maybe clockwise is better as you have the long downhill section after Samoeng which is brilliant, but which may be a bit of a slog the other way on a low power machine.
Managed at last to convince the g/f to got to Pai/MHS on a bike (maybe a bigger one) and I am now working on extending this to the full MHS loop. If I do I'll bore you all with another report.
Safe riding and all the best.
Jim
A little about myself: 58, Brit, retired (sort of) and in CM for 4 months to continue learning Thai after 3 months last Sept/Oct/Nov.(in preparation for move to Thailand later this year)
Brought up on bikes. First a BSA Bantam 125 then Triumph 21 (350 Bathtub heavy lump and gutless wonder). Also had in the 60's a 1932 Ariel Square Four 600 which, after detaching the sidecar, found it went like a rocket to first corner, which it could not understand. Bought it for 6 pounds in 1964 and sold it on for about same,. Must be worth a fortune now.
More recently have owned Kwak ZZR600 for 3 years and last bike in UK was ZX6R (one of the first 636's) which unfortunately is now in one million pieces due to being t-boned by a ...er. lady driver. No sexism intended, just reporting a fact!
Well, the report - did the Samoeng round on Saturday on clapped out 100cc Dream I have on long term hire from Smile (Th. Ratchdamnoen), with g/f. Intended to go only to Kangsadarn Resort in Mae Sa valley for a beer in great relaxing surroundings, but weather so good (at last) that decided to do the loop again (first did it 12 years ago) and it never ceases to be source of enjoyment - even on a Dream. Maybe its the drum brakes that don't work and my love of twisty roads. Just makes for such a great fun ride.
This time stumbled upon Strawberry Fair at Samoeng where I won two packets of Tom Yum Goong mix!
Anyway, for anyone out there who's not done this trip, it's such good fun. David recommends anticlockwise for experienced riders and I have yet to do it this way. If you take a Dream or similar, maybe clockwise is better as you have the long downhill section after Samoeng which is brilliant, but which may be a bit of a slog the other way on a low power machine.
Managed at last to convince the g/f to got to Pai/MHS on a bike (maybe a bigger one) and I am now working on extending this to the full MHS loop. If I do I'll bore you all with another report.
Safe riding and all the best.
Jim
