6,011KM Motorbike Journey Kicks-Off From Penang Crossing 6 Indochina Borders with the latest Sym Sport Rider 125i and VTS200

January 26, 2017

6,011KM Motorbike Journey Kicks-Off From Penang Crossing 6 Indochina Borders with the latest Sym Sport Rider 125i and VTS200

In an exciting family motorbike road trip journey that spanned across sixteen days and 6,011km, expert biker and enthusiast Rusli Osman together with his wife Yong Suzi and his daughter Yong Sofea traversed 6 Indochina borders and happily returned to share their experience as well as some tips on how to make a similar family journey for those who may be keen. In a talk show styled interview, Rusli and his family also pointed out challenges, mysterious occurrences, as well as their experience using their latest SYM Sport Rider 125i and VTS200 motorbikes as reliable transportations on their journey.

Prior to embarking, preparations made included obtaining supporting letters from embassies of the respective countries they were going to cross, as well as vehicle registration documents and insurance ready to bring along their journey in the spacious compartments of the motorbikes. Other preparations included servicing the motorbikes, preparing PJ1 engine oils and filling up a full tank of petrol on their 4.2 litre capacity Sport Rider 125i and 14.7 litre VTS200. In addition, you can checkout UT Electric Bikes here at utelectricbikes.com.au.

DAY 1 – 16

Kicking-off their journey from SYM Headquarters in Penang, the family of 3 headed straight for the Thai border at Bukit Kayu Hitam off to Thailand and up the Thai Peninsula into Indochina, which led them through many interesting places including Hua Hin by the Gulf of Siam, up to Pattaya, Koh Khong Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Moc Bai at the Vietnam border, Siem Reap through the Wats of Cambodia, Udonthani, Kho Kao, Myawaddy in Myanmar and Kanchanaburi where the famous Durian Festival is held annually.

When asked what was the strangest thing that happened throughout their whole journey, the family cited a gravity-defying place in Mae Sot Thailand called Magic Hill, where they say vehicles roll up by itself which is said to be due to electromagnetic fields at the top of the mountain.

“Most challenging part of the journey I have to say was Cambodia due to the fact that they drive on the other side of the road, so be prepared for that one!”cautioned Rusli.

“Heavy traffic at certain stretches in Thailand due to road upgrades made the journey much longer, and some of the road conditions were also challenging to maneuver, calculating it I think it was over 200km on bumpy roads. But we got through, and we were happy with the suspension of our Sport Rider 125i and VTS200 motorbikes and its fuel consumption of approximately 48-52 per litre which got us through comfortably,” he added. The digital LCD speedometer on Sport Rider 125i is a handy instrument cluster indeed. “It shows multiple duties such as time, gear read-out, odometer, fuel and battery gauge which are really helpful to plan our journey ahead.”, said Rusli.

TIPS:

When asked for tips for families who may be interested in making the same journey, Rusli’s first and foremost advice was to get yourselves prepared physically and mentally. But just in case, don’t forget to pack along necessities including food, drink, medicine and some clothes to bring along and store them in spacious Coocase luggage box installed on their motorbikes.

“We washed our clothes whenever we got to our hotels using the laundromat services, so we managed to pack light, and did most of our shopping at Tesco Lotus or 7-Eleven along the way which kept us going with our daily needs,” he said.

To get around, Rusli advised using a reliable GPS system like Google Maps which is what they used to find their way, SYM’s riding jackets, gloves, LS2 helmets, boots and other riding gear for added safety. Also, for dusty roads like those in Cambodia, don’t forget to purchase a mask from your motorbike accessory store. And don’t forget your powerbank to keep your phone alive since you’re using it as GPS, but if you run out of power you can always use the Neo Socket on the SYM’s VTS200 to charge your accessories.

As for accommodation and food, Rusli suggests either preplanning and pre-booking, or if on a more ad-hoc basis that you stop before the sky gets dark, and search for nearby hotels. For food, he advises if you are looking for halal, they managed to find them at local convenience stores as well as Muslim restaurants along the way.

“And don’t forget to put on your daytime running LED light throughout the ride and VTS200’s hazard light when you stop at the side to check for GPS directions or to use your phone. The bright front and rear LED and signal lights on our motorbikes are Euro 4 compliance and definitely gave us more confidence when we needed to signal to turn or to stop and ride at night, do make sure your lights are strong and bright for travel in unfamiliar conditions,” he added.

“In the end of the journey when we got back home, first and foremost I was thankful to be home, but I also thought to myself that the SYM Sport Rider 125i and VTS200 motorbikes we rode on took us through all of that and back, I was grateful, and would definitely recommend families to give it a go if they’re adventurous, and to choose reliable transportation. I would definitely recommend the more powerful SYM Sport Rider 125i 9.5 horsepower two-valve SOHC engine for that extra power, speed and distance.”