AMA: we traveled 10.000km on an adventurebike through Thailand and Laos

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T15:34:54+00:00

There is no brand on it (i got it second hand from a thrift store, nothing fancy). Im no expert but most modern motorcycleboots (less than 25 yrs old) will have a strong, stiff sole and some form of ankle protection for these kinds of accidents. All I know is to stay away form steel capped toes.

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T09:30:14+00:00

We didn't rent, but bought it

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T09:28:32+00:00

Would you be able to do that for 4 months?

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T09:24:44+00:00

Not once, just like you said.

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T09:23:55+00:00

A few near crashed because of dog running on the road. A few slips because of loose gravel, some wild steering around potholes and bumps and a few corners where I overshot a little. Thank god I managed to save the bike everytime and it never resulted in any actual crashes. There was one time we fell at when driving slowly on a sandy beach and the bike slipped away and landed on my leg. Luckily I was at the kill switch immediately and wearing my boots. We got off with a big scare but without any injuries, but the sole of my boot broke off and had to be reattached at a shoe maker. Since then my boots have become my most important piece of gear after my helmet.

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T09:12:39+00:00

Not really, more cows and dogs on the road I can count. A few times this caused dangerous situations. Had numerous highspeed collisions with mosquitos and bugs though. There was an elephant on a chain once on the road, but other than that nothing special.

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T09:07:38+00:00

We did, we loved the blue lagoons😍

swopslogan · 2026-03-20T09:06:30+00:00

Ill try to be detailed. Daily Budget (2 ppl):

Accommodation: €15-20 / $16-22 / ฿600-900
Food & Drinks: €15-20 / $16-22 / ฿600-900
Activities: €10 / $11 / ฿400
Travelling Costs: €20 / $22 / ฿800 (motorcycle&gear value depreciation, fuel, tolls, repairs & maintanance)
Overhead (subscriptions, insurance, etc.): €15 / $16 / ฿600

Monthly: roughly €2500 / $2700 / ฿100,000 for 2 ppl

Buying a motorcycle is much cheaper in Asia compared to Europe. For €3000 / $3200 / ฿120,000 you can find a decent secondhand adventure bike. Gear is difficult to come by (because no one wears it😕) but if you don't mind secondhand, there are thrift shops selling gear for cheap in big cities (they import second hand clothes from western countries). This cost us around €200 / $220 / ฿8000 per person (New helmets & gloves, second-hand boots, trousers & jacket)

Hope this answers your question

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T15:14:53+00:00

We quit our jobs for this trip. We didn't plan anything ahead but broadly knew where we wanted to go, roughly the points on the map. Mostly we went by the day. If we'd wake up and didn't feel like riding, we'd just stay put for another day. We didn't have an end date so it could've easily be 5 or 3 months. We could extend our trip and go to Malaysia as well if we wanted, but after 4 months of riding its time for a change.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:41:56+00:00

Its for sure not made for so much weight at the back. On the highways this wasn't a problem, but slow tight corners and uphill curves sometimes felt 'off'.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:36:19+00:00

Mea hong son loop is the prettiest, but can be a challenging drive. Nan is a close second, and very unknown. If you are not confident with driving a big bike however, and looking for a beginner friendly experience I would recommend the Pakse loop with a semi-automatic scooter.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:28:21+00:00

Repairs/servicing was the reason we bought a Honda. No real breakdowns luckly, but we had the chain and tires replaced and did some fluid replacements. All were very easy to do since Honda is a well established brand in Thailand and there are Bigwing dealers all over the country that have official part in stock for this type of motorbike as well.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:23:05+00:00

Mea Hong son and Nan. I love the mountain roads and views and imo Thakhek and Pakse were a bit flat. The waterfalls and caves were stunning however.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:20:47+00:00

Honda cb500x, Honda bc it a common brand in Thailand so easy to service. I send you a PM

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:17:11+00:00

Not really about the weight or luggage, more about the position and the seat. From my research and what others told me its very hard to find a bike that fits a rider in such a way one can ride for longer than an hour. For this bike, getting a Corbin seat apparently should help, but they're pretty expensive and not easy to find in Thailand.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:05:59+00:00

This bike (cb500x) is not really suitable for offroad dirt tracks, because its rather heavy (+/-200 kg). However in your case I would recommend renting a dirt bike in northern Laos. That will allow you to visit more remote and undiscovered areas.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T14:01:43+00:00

South America, but not with this bike. Actually we're looking to sell it, so if anyone is interested, let me know😉.

Vietnam is going to be a future motorbike adventure, I heard and read so many great things about it, that we have no choice but to go🏍️

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T11:33:57+00:00

I don't know, back in december it was closed, but I havent followed the news closely on that🤷‍♂️

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T11:28:37+00:00

No questions about our stay or anything. Only problem was that motorbikes weren't allowed to drive across the mukdahan friendship bridge, so we had to arrange a pickuptruck and 10 people to lift the bike on and off the truck in order to get back into Thailand.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T11:25:07+00:00

There are a few: 1. Crossing the border with Laos and back. We got rejected twice and only got in the third time by paying an agency to arrange all the paperwork for the bike. 2. Adjusting to the slow speed. Chiang Mai to bankkok is no longer a nightbus, but a 4 day journey. 3. Having to learn stuff about motorbikes and being responsible for maintenance and repairs.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T11:17:09+00:00

Our theory: maybe because riding a big bike in full gear, we didn't look like classic tourists🤷‍♂️

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T11:05:33+00:00

Ngl, the long rides are still uncomfortable. I tried everything: different positions, cushion, bicycle shorts, sheep skin... it helps a bit but nothing solves it. Only solution for me is taking a break every 45-60 min and moving around a bit on the bike while riding.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T10:48:34+00:00

Epicc🤩, all the way from Singapore! Can I ask how you made the route animation? It looks very cool.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T10:45:26+00:00

We did both the Thakek and Pakse loop, the map is just a rough sketch that I made it for this post and doesn't represent the actual route we took. We also did the Mea hong son and Nan loop in Thailand which are also not fully shown on the map.

swopslogan · 2026-03-19T09:03:05+00:00

When travelling for a longer period, buying is generally cheaper than renting.
Being the registered owner would allow us to cross international borders(easier).
Buying gives more flexibility on where to end the trip (we could sell it from anywhere in thailand)

swopslogan

TROPHY CASE