West Malaysia loop ride

You know how they say “time flies when you’re having fun”? In reality, though, time flies even when you’re not having fun. In what seems like the blink of an eye, more than half a year has passed since I completed the inaugural West Malaysia Loop Ride.

My butt has been itching to start planning the next loop ride for awhile now. I even had discussions with several people about it! Well, it is now time to get things moving!

So today we see the setup of the new blog for WMLR2011. I will be planning out the legs in November 2010. At the same time, I will be looking for the new gang for the ride. Hopefully, everything will be confirmed before the Chinese New Year and we can get going in March 2011.

Come join the planning! Leave comments if you have suggestions on venues and roads that we should explore. Its time to plan!

My itch to go on a really nice long riding trip has now been scratched…but we all know what happens to itches that get scratched, right? Yup…the itch doesn’t go away…instead…whatever caused the itch…may be temporarily suppressed…but will start to cause another itch not long after. Hahaha! In any case, this post isn’t meant to talk about the new itch…which, trust me, is already growing within me. Rather, I would like to share some of the thoughts from the gang now that the ride is completed. Their thoughts will be in the same question and answer format I used when I introduced them. As usual, it would be verbatim…any edits (when needed) will be indicated…enjoy!

Tony

1. Was the loop ride as a success?
Yes. I was glad that everybody managed to leave and arrive in one piece. There were no accidents (even though there were a few near misses). Excellent leadership shown by Simon, and i am grateful for the opportunity to visit many locations in Malaysia that he brought us to. I cannot even begin to imagine what other locations were left unvisited, perhaps they are too numerous to see them all in this lifetime.

2. What did you like best on this ride?
I enjoyed route 4 thoroughly as they were endless amounts of corners to play with. I loved the feeling of throwing the bike left, right and even sideways while navigating route 4. I hope to bring my CG125 back to route 4 in time to come.

3. What did you like least on this ride?
I disliked the travel from Penang to KL as there was heavy rain and visibility was very poor. Cold,wet hungry and tired ‘Nuff said.

4. What equipment did you bring that was most useful?
Everything was useful, as i have already thought out thoroughly which tools to bring and what not to. As a result, the utility of every piece of equipment was fully utilized.

5. What did you learn on this trip?
I learnt how to enjoy myself with people with different character and interests better. (Edited slightly).

6. What would you have done differently?
No idea.

7. Would you do this again?
Yes, if family and work commitments permit, i would definitely go again.

8. Where else would you want to ride to?
South Africa. It has been my dream to ride there ever since i saw the world map during my secondary school days.

Dan

1. Was the loop ride as a success?
In terms of completion of the trip it is a success, but in terms of having enough time to do individual things like shopping for souvenirs and things like that, I feel it was not so successful. We spent up to 15 hrs a day riding to get to our destination and when we get there, we shower, eat then then sleep. Next morning after an early breakfast its on the road again. No time for a massage, sight seeing or souvenir buying. I think the time table was a bit too ambitious and it was not possible to fit in everything I wanted to do at the destinations. It is however, a good first long trip for me and I really learned a lot from it. The next trip I do, however, will not be so rushed. I will go at my own pace, so I think a solo trip will be more to my taste in the future. Overall, I would like to say that I did enjoy the trip and the fact that we completed the trip safe and sound is in itself a wonder and a testament to all the guys spirits and toughness.

2. What did you like best on this ride?
The sceneries. The sense of adventure. The Freedom. Amazing trip for me. Bragging rights cos I DID IT. Hahaha.

3. What did you like least on this ride?
The hot sun, the long hours of riding. I think we should have ridden at most 300km a day instead of 500km a day. Its tough on my butt and it drains your energy. A dangerous situation to be tired and riding on the road. Wanted to go for a thai massage but our schedule was so tight, it was simply out of the question.

4. What equipment did you bring that was most useful?
Still my protection gear. Can’t do without it. Didn’t really need my rain gear as my jacket although a mesh material to allow wind to pass through was surprisingly quite water resistant. It was completely wet on the outside yet surprisingly dry on the inside. At over S$300 my Komine Titanium 3 jacket isn’t cheap but the quality is amazing. Still getting lots of pleasant surprises on its amazing quality even after wearing it for almost a year. You really do get what you pay for.

5. What did you learn on this trip?
I am still a newbie, so mistakes are inevitable. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to safety and bikes. All will come in good time. One step at a time, One adventure at a time. We all learn by doing. Just don’t stop learning. Eventually I’ll get there one day. Slow and steady wins the race. Thanks to all the guys for all their advice. I know it was for my own good. Thanks for looking out for me. We had a heck of a time. What else can I say? Its Unforgettable. A milestone for each and everyone of us in our own way. We all walk a foot taller after this amazing trip. Feels good to be a man. More confidant now when riding even when feeling tired. Its nothing compared to what we achieved in those few days riding the 2000km. We survived and emerged stronger and wiser. Thanks for all the good company. My pics have just been uploaded onto my facebook photo album. Hope everyone enjoys them.

6. What would you have done differently?
I would have brought a lot less stuff that I found unnecessary. All the inner tubes were heavy and unused. Too many clothes. Need more storage on my bike so I don’t have to lug a backpack. A notebook computer cos most of the hotels have internet access these days. Stay at nice hotels only like Gurney Hotel in Penang. After a hard day of riding, all you wanna do is slump down and relax in a cosy and nice environment. A good thai massage would have done wonders to rejuvenate those stiff joints and aching muscles.

7. Would you do this again?
I would go for another long trip but I would do it differently next time. No more crazy schedules for me as I am the kind that don’t like to be rushed on a vacation. I suppose this isn’t exactly a vacation in the strict sense of the word, so it can’t be helped. However, in the future, I will go solo and ride at my own pace and give myself more time to explore each place before moving on to the next. In order to achieve that, my itineries will have to be very limited in number but that just suits my character a lot better.

8. Where else would you want to ride to?
Still Northern Thailand. Cooler weather, Thai massage, relaxed lifestyle far away from the hectic city lifestyle. A place to retire to in my later years perhaps? Hehehe.

Alex

1. Was the loop ride as a success?
Yes, as we managed to complete the ride within schedule and most importantly, we all return home safe and sound.

2. What did you like best on this ride?
The company, the scenic hills, the picturesque coastlines, the traffic lights, the city chaos and most of all, the tranquil ride on route # 4.

3. What did you like least on this ride?
The night ride + the rain and worst of all, the morning calls.

4. What equipment did you bring that was most useful?
Tank bag, helmet + my glasses.

5. What did you learn on this trip?
That I still have many more good years to ride.

6. What would you have done differently?
Nothing in particular, but perhaps to add 1 or 2 more riders.

7. Would you do this again?
Sure, as I enjoyed the whole ride + all the sharings we had.

8. Where else would you want to ride to?
Push higher north … Thailand.

Simon

1. Was the loop ride as a success?
Absolutely! We managed to loop around the West Malaysia peninsular within the planned time horizon. It was too bad we did not get to the southern most tip of Tanjung Piai but that is close enough to Singapore to visit on a separate ride. I was also concerned that Dan had that bout of food poisoning and am glad that he was able to ride back together with us and that he is fine now. After all, adventure and risk go hand in hand. Getting through the thick and thin as a team while maintaining our composure was great!

2. What did you like best on this ride?
I enjoyed the open road, the magnificent views, the experience of being on my bike and just exploring new places with friends. I have difficulty deciding what I like best though. If it was a destination…it can only be Petaling Jaya. If it was the road, it would be a toss up between Route 4 and the Penang round island road. If it was an experience, it would have to be the climb up to the Muka Head lighthouse…and the great time we had at the swimming pool…hahaha! There were too many things that made this trip special in so many ways I am not surprised it is so difficult to answer this question.

3. What did you like least on this ride?
The fact that I didn’t plan enough time to do the things that we could have done. I mean, it isn’t often that I travel to Kuala Terengganu. In fact, this was my first time there on my own vehicle. Yet we did not have any time to explore the city and the kampungs around was a real pity. I underestimated the amount of time it took for each of the legs as well. I think having enough time and rest would make things a lot better.

4. What equipment did you bring that was most useful?
I brought so many things on this trip. Of course, what I brought was nothing compared to what Tony brought. I think he brought along an entire workshop! Seriously though, the stuff that got used were my MP3 player, the walkie talkie (not mine, and very distorted…but was good enough for emergencies), the water for washing, the Blitz fuel container and my cable lock. I am glad I bought the iXradio two way switch which allowed me to listen to my music PLUS the walkie talkie. The remote PTT button proved to be very nice indeed. The water was used to wash up when we were done with the beach…also in case of emergency for washing cuts and scrapes. The fuel container…well…THAT saved me twice when I could not find a petrol station. Last but not least, the cable lock was invaluable. I felt much safer having the bike secured with that thick cable. Which one was most useful? It must be the fuel container. I can do without everything else…but I would be stranded twice if I didn’t have it with me!

5. What did you learn on this trip?
That people with diverse backgrounds and characters can stick together and have fun on a tough road trip on motorcycles. That I can be inspired by people and places everywhere I go. That there is beauty and joy to be found in children EVERYWHERE. That under our skin, we are all the same, crave for the same basic needs and can relate to each other and find a connection. Most of all, that the saying of “It is the rider, not the bike” is true!

6. What would you have done differently?
I think the biggest thing would be to plan for the legs to be a little shorter, giving more time to explore the stops and rest. IT would be nice to have a night of camping…or two. I would also setup some agreements with the riders so everyone is clearer about what is expected. Most importantly, I would plan for a mandatory pre-trip ride through the expected traffic and terrain situations to improve our riding as a team. These would come in very handy when the next loop ride takes place…hopefully with a tie up to raise funds for a charity!

7. Would you do this again?
I will certainly do this again. The experience of riding out on the open roads with nobody but the team to rely on is invaluable! The camaraderie that the gang shared with me is something I will cherish for a long time. I am especially happy to have had the opportunity to share my country with the gang and hope to share with more people in the future…I especially want to make something more out of this ride to benefit the less fortunate!

8. Where else would you want to ride to?
I was really inspired with the images and stories that I read (and watched) in the “Long Way Round” book and video of Mongolia. I can still remember the open plains that Ewan and Charlie rode on, the people they met, the thoughts they had…and how they were just so captivated by the beauty, simplicity and spirit of the country. I would love to ride to (and through) Mongolia one day.

By now you would already know that I woke up early in the morning all excited about the ride ahead. After all, this was going to be a nice and easy ride to the historic town of Melaka and the route included a visit to the Sepang Formula One Circuit, go-karting in a specially constructed kart track, a refresher at the seaside town of Port Dickson, culminating with a delicious dinner in Melaka…and some well-earned beer! Yes…I was definitely looking forward to this ride!

Breakfast was the usual fare at the hotel because we wanted to…yup…maximize daylight! So for me it was my usual noodles or fried rice dish.I really dislike having breakfast in a hotel in Malaysia…not because of the food was bad…but because I felt there was much better food to be found outside. Well…you know that already. So anyway, I was wondering if Dan was feeling better…and eventually…I saw him in the dining room…yeah!!! However, he was there only to let me know that he had decided to head straight back to Singapore because of his food poisoning episode.

I can understand how he must have felt. It is no fun to be sick in a foreign place, even if it wasn’t very far from home. I have been sick on my travels before and have longed to be home with loved ones during those times. However, I felt it was important that he consulted with a doctor on his condition and get some medication to alleviate the symptoms. I was glad that he agreed to do that. While Dan was getting ready, Alex, Tony and I had a discussion on our options. We unanimously decided to stick together as a team and head back to Singapore. At the same time, we felt it might be better to ride to Melaka still and let Dan have the option of getting rest there if he wasn’t feeling well enough. Furthermore, with the added stops at Sepang and Port Dickson, it will give him the opportunity to use the toilet if needed…and to rest if necessary. I thought it was a good idea and mooted it to Dan on our walk to the clinic. He was worried he would be a burden to the gang…but after a little reasoning, he concurred.

We went to this place called Klinik Bakti at Jalan 14/20 in Petaling Jaya Section 14. Somebody told me this Indian doctor was really good so that was where we went. When I got up, there was an older lady behind the reception glass. I told her the story about needing to see a doctor…she asked a few questions, asked for Dan’s identity card…and then motioned us to get into the consultation room. Once inside, she sat on the doctor’s seat and started asking a ton of very good questions…she was the doctor!!! I thought it was so cute that she was a one woman show there…very cool. The final diagnosis was food poisoning…nothing some antibiotics and stomach medication will not solve. She also mentioned it was better to rest at least half a day before riding…but that Dan should decide since he would know if he was fit to ride. When we got back to the hotel, Dan made the decision to ride. I insisted we start as late as possible (which meant noon since that was check out time) so he could have some rest after taking his first dose. Everybody was briefed on the plan and the meet up time was fixed for noon at the lobby.

We were now experts at packing our bikes. Not only was the packing done faster, the positioning of items were a lot better as well. In fact, my own bike packing has changed quite dramatically and I now find that things are a lot easier to get to when I need them, and the bags stay in place and does not interfere with riding comfort at all. Yeah! There’s nothing like real life experience honed from necessity…seriously! Since it was now noon, we had to get some lunch…come to think of it…I didn’t see the lunch pictures in my collection. I wonder where they went!? Now that I did another search, I realized I didn’t take any pictures of the lunch place. Hahaha! Anyway, we had lunch at Subang Jaya…had some simple Malay food (self serve!) and it was very delicious…as usual! After that, we headed off to towards Sepang!

Since I had never been to Sepang…and I had only ridden on the motorcycle lanes for a day or so…I made a wrong turn which proved costly in terms of time. We got stuck behind a very big jam because some truck had dropped a huge piece cargo (looked like some machinery) onto the bridge blocking two lanes! It took us quite a few minutes to clear that jam…but we did…and the road became a lot clearer after that and we followed the signs and headed towards the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Eventually, I spotted a sign that said Sepang F1 Circuit and it was a breeze to get there. I had wanted to take the opportunity to tour around the circuit…to see the sights. But since we now had the possibility of heading back to Singapore, I decided we would just stop for a brief photography session. We stopped at this knoll where we overlooked turn 11…in fact, we were standing to the left of section C1! The track was booked for a private event that day and it turned out to be for the Ferrari Club! There were many Ferrari’s going around the track…I felt like I was at the races. These two were casing each other. In fact, by the next lap, the yellow one was in front! I think some of these drivers are under instruction because one car spun out twice at this turn…it was quite a spectacle!

We stuck around for awhile watching the folks race around the track…and taking pictures of the cars…or the track…and of each other! Hahaha!

A rare portrait of Alex

Dan is looking better now...

See that red Ferrari on the track? Sounded great too!

Everybody looked well rested and happy at this point so it was a good idea to move to the next stop…Port Dickson! I have to confess that I did not study the route very well for today’s ride…but hey…this is what an adventure is all about, isn’t it?? So push on we did! I had intended to stick to Route 5 as we head south…but since I wan’t a hundred percent positive about the name of the towns we needed to pass through, I decided to use a more tried and tested route. So I had the team headed towards Seremban and from there pushed onto E1 (better known as the North-South Highway) towards exit 219 which took us onto Route 53…and onto E29 (the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway)…and eventually to Route N8 which led us all the way to Port Dickson. So what should have been a short hop turned out to be longer in terms of distance (since we headed east into Seremban from Sepang)…but we saved time as we were on faster roads…and skipped the main part of Port Dickson town…instead…luck put us at the south of the town which was where we would take a pit stop anyway. So here’s a tip: Study your route and be clear about the towns that you will be passing through to save on time and energy…because your luck may not play out the same way…hahaha!

I don’t know about you but oceans have always been special for me. I love it when I can spot the ocean while journeying on a long road. There’s something about the ocean that appeals to me…I can’t put my finger on it exactly…but I know that my heart skips a beat every time I see the ocean. We were riding along the roads from Seremban to Port Dickson and it was dry land all the way. I was thrilled when I made the last turn on Route N8 because all of a suddenly…I could see the beautiful azure of the ocean! I had spotted an outcrop somewhere down the road where two houses were built…it looked like the perfect spot for a pit stop. Unfortunately, it turned out to be private ground and we were advised to move somewhere further down south where there were some other public but quiet beaches. However, Alex spotted a place up the road with a beach-side restaurant and suggested we go there instead…so that was where we went.

The Regency at Port Dickson was a nice looking resort hotel located directly on Route 5. We parked our bikes inside and proceeded straight for the Coconut Grove…even the name sounded relaxing to me! I really liked what I saw when I got there…

The Coconut Grove

…we quickly got down to the business of studying the menu for a refreshing drink. I was craving for an ice cold beer…who wouldn’t? Unfortunately, we still had some distance to ride to Melaka…and very like to Singapore. Good thing the menu was packed with options! I eventually settled on a drink that reminded me of the ocean…a Gunner…a beautiful mix of ginger ale and ginger beer with a dash of Angostura Bitters. Yeah, I know I said many times before that people who drink ginger beer or ginger ale are old…but dang…those two really mix well together and the bitters made it a PERFECT mix for relaxation alongside the water!

I decided that I would take some photographs of the place while we were waiting for the drinks to be prepared…I simply had to get onto the sand…I had wanted to come back to Port Dickson for so long. You see…I used to come to Port Dickson when I was a young boy…we used to put up in one of the bungalows by the sea…and when it was low tide, we used to walk on the dry sea bed across to an island about 500m away. I remembered the sand to be powdery white…soft sand that swallowed up the feet as I walked on them…warming them up and providing a fantastic cushioning effect. The sand here was almost the same…and yes…my MX boots did sink in slightly. But the highlight was definitely the view!

Taking pictures as usual (Tony's photography)

It would be fun to sit on this swing!

And somebody could not resist!

An intoxicating mix of colours...too bad I lost my polarizer!

I love the kampung inspired architecture

Eventually, the drinks arrived…we downed them quickly…and then ordered a second round…plus fried chicken wings and French fries to share. It was super yummy…especially using the fingers!!

Gunner - Ginger Ale, Ginger Beer and Angostura Bitters

Rosy Watermelon Breeze - Watermelon, pineapple and lime juice

So can anyone tell me if the Ginger Ale or the Ginger Beer was on top?

It was soon time to go…and believe me…we all wanted to just stay here for a little bit longer. However, the sky looked a little threatening as it was getting dark to the north-east…so I thought it was best we moved along. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as it started to rain just as we left the Coconut Grove. So we put on our rain gear (at least I did) and we continued on our journey along Route 5 towards Melaka. I had made a dinner reservation just before we left the Coconut Grove for a simple restaurant dinner in Melaka so we now had a time constraint for the journey an hour and a half to be exact to cover the 80km or so along Route 5. The rain and the rush hour traffic (which wasn’t taken into account in my time estimate) certainly did not help the situation. We found that we had 40km to cover with just 15 minutes if we wanted to make it on time…that was impossible. So I made a stop here in order to push the reservation out and give us some additional time. Dan parked just behind me while Tony and Alex parked further up along the road. Unfortunately, Alex’s Steed fell while he was adjusting his tank bag! Good thing Tony could help him lift it up! There were a bunch of kids from the kampung who came up to check out my bike while I was on the phone so I spoke with them a little…and gave them the packs of raisins that I had brought along. All kids love raisins…I sure did! Too bad I had packed up my camera because of the rain…or I could have taken pictures of the boys. I love seeing kids on my travels…always reminded me that life can be pure and simple…and that you can find joy in the smallest…most insignificant things!

With my heart filled with the smiles of the kids…and with an additional 45 minutes on to cover the remaining distance, we pushed on. I could not resist stopping here for a few minutes though…I am a sucker for the countryside…

I love the combination of dramatic sky...and countryside

A quick stretch before the next push

And thanks to the fantastic range of my trusty Marley, we had to make a fuel stop not long after…

Another petrol stop...at least there is a sunset!

…by this time, my phone battery had run out…so we simply had to make it to the restaurant and hope that we would have a table. You see, this was a really small place with only six tables or so. I would bet that most people who go to Melaka…even those who go there frequently…and those who love the Jonker Walk area may not know of this place. It was a small, inconspicuous little shop that offered deliciously home cooked Teochew cuisine, all cooked with good quality fresh ingredients right out front! Yes, in order to eat, you gotta walk through the kitchen! Incredibly…for such a well-hidden place, it was almost always full! I really wanted to make sure we got there by 7:30pm…but we were half an hour late!

The good news was that they just had a group vacate as we got there so we had a table! Yeah! I am sure you are wondering how anyone could put a kitchen on the outside of the restaurant…I was wondering the first time I was told about this place as well. Fortunately…I had my camera with me…

See the door through the kitchen???

Inside...how many tables do you see? (Tony's photography)

…there are a few dishes that are must haves whenever I dine here…I ordered up the house specials of oyster fried noodles and steamed fish. I did not order the yam dessert which was also a house special because the rest of the guys wasn’t up for it. While I could attempt to describe how the dishes tasted…I think it is best that I let the pictures do the talking here…

This is a MUST have! Eat with garlic, chili paste and vinegar.

Comfort food - simple, clean, delicious!

Tofu with minced meat in special sauce...yummy!

Gotta have some vegetables - check out that Chinese smoked meat!

…there is a proper way to have two of these dishes. The oyster fried noodles goes with chopped garlic, chili paste and black vinegar. The steamed fish goes with the sliced chilies marinaded with fermented soy bean paste. All the condiments are home made…in fact…the chili paste has the small anchovies in them…YUMMY!

Melaka was a checkpoint for this day because it was originally a venue for a sleep over. It was about half past nine by the time we were done with dinner. The idea of the checkpoint was to check if Dan was feeling good enough to push all the way back to Singapore since he was recovering from food poisoning, or if we should stay the night and push forward the following morning. Since Dan felt good enough to push on, that was what we did. We did stop by Tangkak as I had to refuel…coincidentally, Tony’s grandmother was at Tangkak…so we stopped by for a short visit. I enjoyed the visit very much…and it sure was great to see his little nephew…especially how he loved the bikes!

Tony and his grandmother

The rest of the way back to Singapore was via the E1…we rode as quickly as we could. However, speeds had to be lower in the rain because it was difficult to see with water on the visor. Some people say that it is easier and safer to ride on the E1 because you can ride on the shoulder. I completely disagree with this for small bikes that max out at 80-100kph because the cars, buses and trucks all go at speeds above 110kph…some are WAY above 110kph. On top of that, some people stop at the shoulder for a rest…or a breakdown…or whatever reason…and if you don’t spot them early enough…well…let’s just say I hope your emergency braking from 80-90kph technique is solid!

I was getting really tired since it was after 10pm when we left Tangkak and we had close to 200km to go before hitting Gelang Patah. I stopped the gang at every rest stop purely because I was getting sleepy as well. To make a long story short…we did eventually get to the GP petrol station at three in the morning…where there was a group of big sports bikes from Singapore doing their usual refueling run. We also met a rider who is a member of the Singapore Bikes Forum (ozpass, if I remember correctly). He was riding his AfricaTwin…and it looked VERY big next to my Marley…hahaha! It was nice to chat and he helped to take my favourite picture of the gang.

These bikes made it through the West Malaysia loop ride!

My favourite picture of the gang

Official odometer reading at the end

The official reading of my odometer was 67997 at Johor Bahru. This meant we traveled a total of 1322 miles…making it 2127.55km! Yeah!!!

I made the following fuel stops for this leg:

• Petaling Jaya
• Seremban (60 miles or 97km)
• Somewhere near Lubok China (phone battery dead…so no record of distance from here)
• Tangkak
• Machap
• Gelang Patah

We headed off towards the checkpoints…a breeze in the Malaysia side…then it was the Singapore side. No problem with immigration…but really tough at customs…both because of the timing (it was past 3am!!) and because I had SO MANY boxes and bags to open…that were netted down. The young lady officer was friendly and we had a good chat while I opened my side boxes…then my tripod case…it took quite awhile because of the straps I had put on them to keep them secure. She did not see every box I guess because it was going to be more of the same. Alex and I made it through relatively quickly. Unfortunately, Tony and Dan had to go to the office. I waved goodbye to Alex and he left for home. I waited at the side of the expressway because Tony would be traveling on the same route as me for quite a distance more. He came out about 25minutes later…Dan was at the office for a longer time before he could leave for home. We all got back around the same time at around 4am because of the different distances from the Tuas checkpoint. I found out later they had to go fill up some forms because of the walkie talkies. Oh well…next time we have to remember to bring along the certification papers for those!

All in all, I enjoyed the loop ride tremendously. I got to travel on the roads I had always wanted to go on…and share it with three riding buddies. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat…and I hope that you too will go on your own loop ride!

I usually wake up early when I am away from home. I don’t know why. Maybe it is because I am sleeping in a different bed…or maybe its because I don’t want to waste any time sleeping when I can be out exploring…but today I had wanted to go out for a walk and see if I could capture the sunrise. However, all was not to be as I snoozed my alarm one too many times and woke up with just enough time to get to breakfast on time!

The Crystal Crown in Petaling Jaya

It was great waking up in the morning after a good rest from a long ride. Today was no exception. I met up with Alex and Tony at the breakfast room and we had a nice and easy breakfast. Dan elected to have a little more rest. I think the long ride late into the night took a toll on him. I had some nasi lemak which was pretty good! I have never been a big fan of hotel breakfasts in Malaysia. After all, why “waste” stomach space by filling it with a hotel breakfast when a local breakfast not far away can be so much better? Still, hotel breakfasts had their benefits…especially since it did not require putting on all my gear just to ride five minutes out for some hot Wan Ton Mee.

This was how I wasted my stomach space

I made up for this by going for a walk after breakfast to the nearest market about 20 minutes away. It was amazing how quickly those minutes flew by…must be because of the great conversations we had…though I cannot recall the topics of our discussion! Hahaha! I quickly saw a stall (it was actually a truck with special equipment at the rear platform) that sold home made soya bean products (the drink and the dessert). I simply had to have some because it has been a long time since I had “Tau Fu Fah” (a soya bean based dessert)…especially with the “black sugar” (palm sugar, I think). So I had a bowl…and Alex decided to join me. The dish was awesome! It was hot, it was lightly firm, it was smooth and it was the perfect sweetness! Yummy!!

Tau Fu Fah stall!

Eating in...PJ stall style (Tony's photography)

We went walking around the area after that to explore the neighbourhood. I chanced upon what looked like an Alfa Romeo signboard. On closer look, the sign actually said “Alfa One”…it was an internet cafe…hahahaha! How creative the owners were to come up with a name like Alfa One with a modified Alfa Romeo logo! Tony noticed a bike shop just across the road from this Alfa One place so we went in to take a look. They had lots of stuff…we were interested in something that we could use as a simple windscreen on our bikes. We found the screen for an RXZ and were talking about how it could be mounted on our bikes. The lady there must have overhead our conversation as she advised us not to use that screen because it can crack at high speed wind gusts. She suggested that we try out the GIVI factory instead somewhere nearer town. I was glad that she openly advised us…showed that she wasn’t there just to make money…very cool! Did you realize that going “back” always seemed faster than going “there”? I mean, if I spent the same time getting from Singapore to Melaka…the leg back to Singapore always seemed to take less time. No difference this morning because the walk back to the hotel was quick…much quicker than the walk out. Hahaha!

Alfa ONE...hahaha!

Since this was a rest day…we decided to take a rest in the hotel before riding out for lunch…yeah…more time for me to blog!!!

Soon it was time to head out for lunch. Dan decided to join us as he was out of bed. I decided they should try some Fried Hokkien Mee for lunch and led them all the way to the section 14 corner coffeeshop…the one opposite “Simon’s Delights” (not mine unfortunately). However, I found out that you can only get this from that stall in the night time. SO I decided to have the gang try some Ipoh Hor Fun instead since we did not have any when we passed Ipoh yesterday. As usual, we got lots of attention everywhere we went. I guess putting four bikes in a procession with riders fully geared up would capture some attention…hahaha! I ordered some “light” lunch of Hor Fun with soup, steamed chicken, Wan Ton soup and bean sprouts. Lunch tasted fantastic and the aunty at the shop was very kind and helpful in getting our orders out.

Steamed soy sauce chicken

Restoran Soo Kee at Jalan 21/17, SEA Park, Petaling Jaya

Dan, though, was feeling out of it. He had been going to the toilet quite a lot and even vomited in the morning, it seems. He was feeling dizzy again this morning and decided he would give it a miss. So he slept at the table while we enjoyed out lunch…poor kid! He decided to rest back at the hotel after lunch…so I led him back there before we proceeded onto our afternoon program.

The afternoon program was a really loose one since…it was a rest day. But I knew I wanted to visit my dad’s grave. Both Alex and Tony decided they would ride out with me. Now I didn’t remember how to get there…so I telephoned my uncle again…and found out that he wasn’t sure either. The only instruction I had from him was to head towards Subang Airport…so that was where I headed with the gang.

I had never ridden a motorcycle in the Klang Valley. I can tell you honestly that the riding here is great! They had dedicated motorcycle lanes that ran alongside the main expressway…how cool is that!!?? So I rode on these motorcycle lanes and was on the lookout for the Subang Airport sign. I must have mixed up the signs (yup…again!) because we ended up in Subang Jaya (the town) instead! We ended up making a humongous figure of eight just so we could get back onto the expressway. This time I did not take the motorcycle lane as I did not want to be lost on such a hot and sunny day! I eventually found the cemetery…and it was just extra peaceful there. We parked out bikes outside the gate and took a look around. After doing what I went there to do, we sat at the gazebo and had a nice chat before heading back to the hotel.

A well maintained cemetery

My dad's grave stone...he was so handsome, isn't he?

Tony liked this plant for some reason...hahaha!

The bikes were still doing well!

The way back was mostly uneventful…but I do have two things to say: I really liked the motorcycle lanes…and I saw a big guy trying to push a Proton Saga up the expressway ramp! Needless to say, we stopped our bikes at the side of the road and helped them out. It was easy since we were so strong…HAHAHAHA!!! Now back to the motorcycle lanes…they are built like mini race circuits…complete with bends, tight corners, up and down slopes, tunnels and all. I guess this explains why so many bikes ride like they were in a race!!!

The Proton Saga...and the big guy who was pushing it alone

A signboard just for motorcycles...but some exits do not have them!!!

One of many tunnels...

Alex mentioned that he felt really thirsty so I took them back to the same place we were after breakfast. This time I had some Soya Bean milk with black sugar…while Alex and Tony had some fresh guava juice, some guava slices…and some “Sardine Ham Chim Beng”…and they were delicious…according to Tony. Hahaha! We headed back to the hotel soon after refreshing ourselves…and decided we would use the swimming pool…YEAH!!!

Which should we get??

SOOOO yummy!!!

There was a bunch of folks from India  at the pool area. It looked like they were having some team building activity there. Good thing they were out of the pool so we had it all to ourselves! It was very fun because Tony brought along a camera that can be used underwater. We captured some nice shots and videos too! Check back in a week to see them…and trust me…you will have a GREAT time watching some of them! Three persons in a swimming pool with time to kill must be some kind of magic formula…hahaha!

The view from the hotel window...clouds are brewing (Tony's photography)

The hotel pool...it is smaller than it looks...REALLY!

They were already in the pool when I got there

I had to take some pictures before getting in (Tony's photography)

Alex & me in the pool (Tony's photography)

Tony posing underwater

Tony swimming underwater!

Stingray wannabe! (Tony's photogaphy)

Demonstrating the "Frog" style...very effectively!

What fun!! (Tony's photography)

Peace to all! (Tony's photography)

I arranged to have dinner with my No Five Uncle and Aunty and we were to meet at 7:30pm. We decided to take a taxi there since it was a short distance away. Dinner turned out to be excellent! I only took pictures of two dishes…because I was too hungry and forgot all about photographing the rest! Oh well…you’ll just have to imagine the food: Roast chicken, steamed green vegetables, steamed fish, crispy fried large prawns…plus another chicken dish near the end…which I ate 80% of! How am I gonna maintain my figure???

Waiting in front of the wrong restaurant!

Our first dish for the night...

...and our last dish for the night!

Dan was still sleeping when we got back to the hotel…I hope he will feel better in the morning so he can re-join the ride!

Well…it turned out to be a fun day! I had a great time with the gang…chatting, joking, walking around, riding, dining etc. It was a fantastic day to spend a rest day…don’t you agree?

Tomorrow we head to Melaka…tune in again soon!

I’m back from lunch…and a nice ride…its time to do part 2 of yesterday’s ride. You can read about today’s ride later when I blog about it.

As a recap, we had lunch at a corner store just outside the town of Taiping along route 1. I noticed this store mainly because there was a Carlsberg sign hanging outside. Lunch was excellent and we had a good rest there. During lunch, one of the gang requested for me to give a two minute notice before I start off…its a good idea…though I think I am really bad with these things.

Anyway, we set off after lunch on route 1 heading south for Ipoh. Along the way, we passed through the towns of Kuala Kangsar and Sungei Siput. These small towns are very attractive to me for some reason. I just like the atmosphere in the smaller towns because I feel very relaxed every time i get into one. I took a wrong turn at Kuala Kangsar which turned out to be…a blessing…because we got to see the istana (palace) of the Sultan. It was HUGE and grand…I could not resist taking a picture of the gang by the gate.

Stopping at a traffic light junction

Istana gate at Kuala Kangsar

We also passed by several other places. One notable place was a hill that I used to call 狮子山 (Lion Hill) because the shape resembled a lion’s head. My brother and I used to be really fond of this landmark because it stands about halfway between Penang and Kuala Lumpur. You see, we used to travel this route very frequently with our parents because we lived in Penang and have relatives in KL. So we always looked out for it. I still like this place a lot!

Route 1 had some curves too!

"Lion Hill"...can you make out the lion's head?

The road had become a lot more dusty because we were in the industrial area. A very large and impending cement factory came suddenly into view on the right immediately after making a corner. It looked like something you might find in a Batman movie…a very Gotham City kind of industrial look. It was so big that it sat on both sides of route 1 with two long conveyors spanning the road! Amazing!

The "Gotham City" cement factory

We rolled into Ipoh shortly after that. The original plan was to have lunch in Ipoh. Unfortunately, due to the later start and the delay at the bike shop, we were too hungry to wait till Ipoh. And since we had eaten at Taiping which was just about 90km from Ipoh, we were too full to want any food! So we just rode pass the city and headed for route 5…which would take us the rest of the way to the Klang Valley. I found route 5 easily and decided to fill up the bikes there before moving on. It proved to be the right move because the skies opened up while we were resting at the petrol station! But this rain stopped relatively quickly so we decided rain gear wasn’t necessary. However, to protect my camera, I covered my bike with the rain cover…which meant…no more pictures!

Sky was threatening the whole day...

Bikes were still doing well!

Now I have to confess that I wasn’t familiar with the roads from there on because I had planned to go on a route that was more like a detour. I wanted to go near the coast hoping that the roads would be more interesting. You see, I liked the drive from Port Dickson to Melaka so much when I drove there I was looking for something similar. So I spent quite some time trying to figure out if I should head towards Lumut or Meglembu. In my mind’s eye, both these places were south of Ipoh…but I suppose the petrol station happened to be no the very outskirt of Ipoh and between those two towns. So I asked for directions from a truck driver…who directed me to the North-South Highway (thank you very much)…so I detoured again…stopped somewhere and rechecked the GPS…so Lumut it is!

The ride to Lumut on route 5 turned out to be quite different from the road from Port Dickson to Melaka. It was long and straight…more notable was that it was the evening rush hour by the time we hit this stretch of road. We were still very far away from our final destination at this point…so it was going to be a late arrival. To make matters more interesting, I encountered two conflicting road signs: Sign number one said to turn left to Sitiawan on route 18 and go straight to Lumut on route 5, followed by sign number two said to go straight to Lumut on route 18. So I had to stop the convoy and recheck the route. I knew we would get to Sitiawan on route 5…so we turned anyway…and later down the road…there was a sign that said we were on route 5. Hahahaha! So if you do decide to drive or ride down this route, be sure to note the locations you want to pass through…and be prepared for a contradictory sign or two.

Things started getting even more interesting as we passed Sitiawan because what was a fine drizzle started turning into a heavy rain. We took shelter under the staircase of an overhead pedestrian bridge (yes, we have these things in Malaysia too) and put on our rain gear (guess who looked like he was going skiing with his “rain” gear on?). Thing is…we took so long to put them on, the intensity of the rain lightened when we pushed off. Hahaha! Anyway, push off we did until around eight in the evening because I wanted to stop for dinner. I spotted a roadside structure that served food near Telok Intan and we stopped there for a quick dinner. I also filled up my tank with my reserve fuel from my trusty (though unwieldy “gasoline” tank). Alex and Dan decided to remove their rain gear after dinner because the rain had stopped. Me on the other hand decided to leave mine on because there were still dark clouds in the sky…and they were DAMN tough to remove. Hahaha!

Putting on rain gear (Tony's photography)

Dan must have put on the wrong gear...those looked like skiing gear! (Tony's photography)

The masked crusader...all set to conquer the rain! (Tony's photography)

We're ready too...but check out those reflective stickers on my bike! (Alex's photography)

Enjoying dinner near Telok Intan (Encik's photography)

Serendipity struck me again soon after because the extremely dark sky soon started to light up with a magnificent series lightning bolts…it was almost continuous for a good 20 minutes…I really enjoyed this part of the ride because it was like watching a show while riding…and the light did make the road more visible! It then started to rain…and I was so glad I left my gear on. We kept pushing on anyway…because it was getting really late and we were still a long way from Petaling Jaya. At one point, the rain got so bad that we had to move at 60kph because some had difficulty seeing the lines on the road. We also passed an accident scene where three cars seemed to have skidded and collided. Good thing there wasn’t any injury…at least I didn’t see anyone hurt.

We eventually rode into civilization again when we got to the Klang Valley…and arrived at the hotel just before midnight. We were all tired but I thought the gang did great to stick together and arrive in one piece…ok…four pieces. Hahaha! We had three rooms…and turned out the room that Dan and Tony were sharing had some weird shit in the tub (I kid you not!) and they got upgraded to a junior suite! Who said shit is a bad thing???

Checking in at the Crystal Crown (Tony's photography)

Some other observations that made this leg unforgettable:

• Alex almost skidding when he hit a particularly bad patch of road in the dark and rainy stretch. He did well to maintain control.
• Dan riding his bike many times around the petrol station.
• The biker who decided to show off his cub by riding really fast and weaving in and out of the gang…almost pulling a wheelie.
• Dan exercising his dirt riding skills when he almost skidded over a pile of sand.
• The traffic light that kept all directions on red for a good minute.
• Dan almost went past the exit at the expressway as we were heading for Petaling Jaya. Good thing he managed to turn with the rest of us.
• The other traffic light that kept our direction red for three cycles while the other directions had their turns!
• Alex needing a Red Bull because he was getting so tired at one of the petrol stations.
• Tony having one of his blinking LED panels drop off and did his usual MacGyver magic with Supa Glue.
• Alex getting to utilize ALL of his brand new toys…er…I mean gear…right Alex?

You get the picture…hehehe! We made the following fuel stops along the way:

• Penang (before heading off)
• Simpang Empat (63 miles or 101km)
• Ipoh (73 miles or 117km)
• Telok Intan (74 miles or 119km)
• Tanjung Karang (52 miles or 85km)

Well, it sure was an interesting ride…and Klang Valley turned out to be super fun today…watch for the blog!

The third leg of the West Malaysia loop ride turned out to be the most eventful and trying time for the gang. One objective of the loop ride was to give the gang a taste of the diversity that can be found in the peninsular. We have already seen how different things are in Johor Bahru, Mersing, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu along the east coast on the first day. We experienced the exhilaration of riding the magnificent route 4 that links Jeli to Gerik on the second day, and the beauty and thrill of riding around the Penang island on day three.

As usual, I wanted to start out early to maximize daylight. Here’s a tip: it is always a good idea to start off as early as possible so the journey can be covered under light. The best way to do this is to start as soon as the sun rises. This way you can see better on the roads since there is light and, hopefully, arrive at the destination before the sun sets. Nothing feels better (well, actually some things do feel better but you get what I am trying to say) than rounding up the day’s riding with a good dinner at the destination…but I digress…

A beautiful morning...

So peaceful here...

We headed out for breakfast at seven in the morning and had some simple local fare. We had roti for breakfast…I had roti canai, Alex had chapati, and Dan had roti telur (of course he had to order it as “canai with egg” even when the server asked if he wanted roti telur, which is what we locals call it…so his order came as roti canai…or prata kosong using Singapore lingo…hehehe), and Tony, well, Tony had mee mamak (or mee goreng Indian style). I enjoyed my roti tremendously. There is something about this roti that really gets me in a good mood…hahaha! Maybe its because they use a lot less oil than the roti prata in Singapore…hmmm…

Wait...let me pose! Hahaha!

Tony's mee mamak...and oxygen

Alex's chapati

My roti canai...nothing comes close!

With breakfast over with, we went back to pack and check out. As I was readying my bike for the ride, I noticed that the left pannier rack had come loose. A closer inspection revealed that the restraining screw and nut had come loose and fallen off…probably during the round island ride. Thank goodness it came off then when I had my panniers stored in the hotel room. I cannot imagine what would have happened if it came loose with my panniers on! I am sure you can guess by now who had the right tools to secure the rack so we could continue on the journey…and so after some MacGyver magic, my bike was good to go! I checked up on the weather earlier in the morning and all locations registered “cloudy” skies…but those looked like heavy clouds in the satellite picture…so I briefed that we might encounter rain on the way down. The sky was pretty clear in Penang so we all decided to ride with dry gear to start and change onto rain gear when it rains. We eventually set off around 9:30am to fill up and oil our chains…and then its off to the Klang Valley!

While we came onto Penang island on the ferry, we rode out on the 13.5km long Penang Bridge, of which 8.4km is over water. The ride on the bridge was an experience in itself…no visitor to Penang should fore-go an opportunity to ride on this bridge. I felt a lump in my throat as I rode off the bridge onto the main peninsular at Perai. Leaving the island is like saying goodbye to a loved one. Still, the ride had to go on and we quickly got onto the North-South Highway heading south…and took the first opportunity to get onto route 1. Along the way, I saw a rider on a Singapore registered supermoto speeding past…he looked like he was having loads of fun too!

The magnificent Penang Bridge

Route 1 was very different from the other routes we had taken: 3 (main east coast route), 2 (route into and out of Kuantan), and 4 (mainly Machang to Jeli to Gerik). This particular road is mainly dual carriageway and passes through many smaller towns. Its a little like riding pass Senai (a town in Johor state close to Singapore). Some of these towns are so small all we saw of them were a row of shops! Still, there was quite a lot of traffic…and plenty of trucks too…and I lost count of the number of traffic lights along the way. I thought it was great that we had the opportunity to ride on such a different route…it really brought out a different riding experience!

Now I had wanted to check on our engine oil levels when we filled up in Penang. Unfortunately, in my excitement to get to the Klang Valley, I had forgotten to do the check. Tony signaled to me at one of the traffic lights that he wanted to check something on the bike. The sharp reader would wonder why he did not use the walkie talkie since we had that setup…the truth of the matter was that these walkies were really not that great and many times all we hear is a heavily distorted voice…and it wasn’t because of wind since we were still! Oh well…so I pulled the gang over and we checked our oil levels. To our dismay, it was running low!!! The good news was that there was a bike shop just 100m down the road from where I had stopped (Sungei Jawi is the place, in case you want to visit this shop). You see…there is something to be said about serendipity!!! We had them change the oil for the three dirt bikes and the rear running light for my bike since that blew the day before. I watched the mech drain the oil from all three bikes…and was taken aback when I saw that Dan’s bike had almost no oil left! Thank goodness Tony signaled when he did…any further and his piston might have seized! Phew!!! It took about an hour to have everything done…and we hit the road soon after that as we still had a long distance to cover. Oh…and one of the mechs poured in the new bottle of oil without using a funnel…and not one drop was spilled…man…that took REAL skill!!!

Bike shop at Sungei Jawi

On the road again...don't mess with Alex!

Route 1 was good…but I didn’t want to spend all our time on a major trunk road and had planned to take the gang onto one of the side roads. So we turned off at A22 (just as we entered Perak) and headed west for awhile. I knew that Malaysia had a very diverse landscape…but what caught me by surprise was how that landscape change took place. This was not one of those gradual changes…it was a night and day change…that one turn took us from riding through small towns and sparingly populated industrial buildings…to a huge and flat maze of padi fields littered with small farm houses and make-shift scarecrows. To give you a sense of scale, we were riding along this flat farm land for the next 30km! It was farm land as far as the eyes could see…it was amazing! We rode along the A22 and turned south at the A190. We had to cross a bridge at Taman Kurau Permai so we could get onto the A100 which will eventually lead us back onto route 1. While I did see on Google Maps (when I was planning the route) that we would be crossing a river here, I did not expect the bridge to be quite so modern and large…and the view was even better!

We were on the A100 immediately after the bridge…and it was like someone had clicked on a new screen saver as the landscape was now endless rows of oil palm trees! You got to be there to really see how this changes occur…and how the road is so straight…and practically deserted! I spotted a Hindu temple along the way because it stood out so tall among the oil palm trees. There was also a solitary rain tree that provided for shade further down the road. Please come back to this post to see the photographs after the weekend of 14 March 2010!

Oil palm trees...

Didn't expect a modern bridge here...and what a view!

The solitary rain tree

Now I am not a meticulous planner when it comes to traveling. I like to explore…to get lost now and then…and to discover new places. I got my opportunity not long after seeing that solitary rain tree…we got to a split that I did not remember seeing on the map…and both directions took us to route 1! I decided to check my map before proceeding as it was hot and sunny…with hardly any shade…so I knew the gang would be tired and thirsty. So after what seemed to be an eternity (for them I’m sure it was), I led the gang in the direction of Simpang Empat. The other reason I wanted to get this right was because I needed fuel…so I could not afford to get this wrong…hahaha!

Double checking a road sign that we passed (Tony's photography)

The junction that didn't show up on the map

So…I got it right…hehehe…and we got to a small petrol station with just two pumps. I got my bike filled up…and we were ready to head off for some lunch. I was scanning left and right as soon as we got back onto route 1 for a suitable place for lunch. I eventually spotted a small row of shops on the left just outside Taiping and decided to stop there. This was a simple store that sold rice with Chinese dishes…and like any kampung store, we chose the dishes and took as much as we wanted onto our plate. No complaints about portions sizes! Lunch was VERY tasty…especially the wild boar curry! Yummilicious!

Filling up at Simpang Empat (Tony's photography)

My lunch...dig that wild boar curry!

Ok…its time to head out for lunch now (in Petaling Jaya)…so watch out for part two later today!

The Penang island is a mere 295 square kilometers in size…slightly less than half the size of Singapore, the Pearl of the Orient is everything that it is fabled to be. It seems Penang is the ONLY state in Malaysia that has a majority of Chinese (all other Malaysian states has a Malay majority). This explains, I suppose, the variety of Chinese dishes that is so popular with visitors.

I was the first to wake up this morning…as usual…and got ready for the ride. I had planned a relaxing ride all around the island so the gang can experience Penang in a way that most people would not have. I was eager to set off early because I remembered how long the trip took when my dad used to drive us around back in the 1970s!

Alex and Tony came out not long after I got myself ready. We (just three of us this morning as Dan wanted to have a little more rest) decided to take a short walk out for breakfast. We had some Penang prawn noodles for breakfast at a place just down the street. Unfortunately, the coffee stall wasn’t open at that time of the morning (around 7:45am) so we had to find coffee in a different shop…and we did just next door! I had an additional tosai as well…and Alex had a chapati…hehehe! It was really nice to take it easy after two hard days of long distance riding on slow bikes…what a luxury! However, we did not ride here just to sit around and chat…so we headed out soon after.

At the prawn noodles place (Tony's photography)

A hot local breakfast...my favourite style!

Dan was still sleeping when we got back to the hotel room…but he woke up with a start because he wanted to pass us the key to the lock that he used to lock up his and Tony’s bike. He was going to go back to sleep but eventually decided to get up and join with the ride…so the gang was back!

We headed out around 10:30am and started riding up north towards Batu Ferringhi. The ride out was an easy one…I decided we would ride slow and relaxed today just to have the change of pace permeate everything we did today. Setting off at 10:30am did have benefits…we essentially skipped the rush hour traffic…the roads were very clear and we had an excellent ride all the way to Batu Ferringhi.

I like Batu Ferringhi. No, I don’t like that place because of the tourist attractions…but one with many fond memories for me…you see…my mom and dad used to bring me to this beach when I was young and I always enjoyed those outings. Further more, the beach at Batu Ferringhi is littered with many large rocks, making it look very dramatic. I love the way the waves crashed on those rocks and how the the spray seemed to come alive!

Batu Ferringhi...love those rocks! (Tony's photography)

A closer look...can't get enough of them rocks!

We had a whole day’s itinerary ahead of us…so we moved off from Batu Ferringhi and headed towards Teluk Bahang. I saw an access road that seemed to lead towards the beach and took it. While it led to a private gate, we decided to park at a spot next to the beach. You know how the movies always portray the beaches at Hawaii or Brazil? Can you picture those long stretches of sand? The waves? The throngs of thongs?? Hahaha! Now I don’t mind the thongs if there were only girls there…but there are usually many guys there as well…and I really prefer not to see them. Well, the beach at Teluk Bahang was a LONG stretch…and on top of that…the sand was powdery white…AND IT WAS EMPTY!!!

My private beach in Penang...

...oh well...almost private!

I read in some motorcycle forums that people who own TW200s like to take them to the sand…you know…dunes and beaches. They always looked like they were having so much fun. So I decided to take my bike to the sand this morning as well…and it was GREAT FUN! I did not stay on the sand long though because I wanted to take pictures so you can also see this fantastic place…but you will have to wait because…yeah…you already know why. Hehehe…while we were here…I went around taking pictures (as usual), Alex decided to do some work (he looked like he was doing some work), Tony was taking pictures of Dan frolicking around. Hahaha!

What is Dan doing??

Alex's model shot

A private moment with his injured brake pedal

Frolicking on the sand

I took the gang to Kampung Nelayan next to see if we could rent a boat to take us out to one of the beaches that can only be accessed by boat…or a VERY LONG hike. I found a tour operator at the Taman Negara Pulau Pinang (a.k.a. Penang National Park). We packed our lunch at a stall outside the park gate and headed off to Monkey Beach. It was a short boat ride of around 15 minutes…and then all you see is a beautiful bay with lush vegetation, swaying coconut trees, hammocks, benches…and jet skis! We quickly settled down to have our lunch…hot rice, beef curry, fried egg, fried chicken drumstick, lemak curry gravy…YUMMY!!!

National Park visitor centre

Boat rides here!!!

Getting on the boat (Tony's photography)

Start! Start! Start!

Making way...finally!

Full speed away!

I like boats!

Monkey bay!!! Muka Head lighthouse is on one of these hills!

The gang all ready for lunch

Lunch looks great...but tastes even better!

With lunch over, it was time to get to the Muka Head lighthouse. Dan did not come along as he was barefooted (he took off his boots and left them at the tour operator’s shop), and Alex didn’t want to stress himself out. Hahaha! So Tony and I set off for the trail that would lead us to the lighthouse. Unfortunately, we had to walk across the entire bay to access the trail. I found out during this walk that it was a lot harder to walk on loose, powdery sand than the tight, packed sand nearer to the waves. So with my riding pants and boots, my camera and bag of photography gadgets, I walked on this tight, packed sand towards the trail with Tony.

A fresh water pond on the way to the other side of the bay

The hike up the trail was tough from the very start. While the were steps all the way up, these steps were laid many years ago. I remember having to walk up when my mom and dad brought me there more than 20 years ago. The condition of the trail was…well…let me just say that they could be in better shape. Hahaha! Seriously though, some of those steps were so high it took a lot of energy just to climb on. Tony was climbing like a monkey…but I was climbing like the old man that I am. Hahaha! I was perspiring in places that I didn’t realize had sweat glands…and had to take so many breaks I lost count with my fingers…just so I could catch my breath and give my thighs a rest!

Some facts about the Muka Head lighthouse

Ready to climb???

Tony was making good progress...me...not so!

Each step was an agony!

I see you, lighthouse!!!

Each step was almost an agony! I found myself saying “I will conquer you, Muka Head!” time and time again just to psych myself up. After what seemed to be hours, I finally heard a voice shouting…I’m here already! Wow! Light at the end of the tunnel! Still, I took two additional rest stops before stepping through the gate to the lighthouse. By then I looked like I had just stepped out of a shower! I was drenched from head to toe…and my entire body was on fire. I had to sit down for quite awhile at the base of the lighthouse before climbing the last 40-50 steps to the top of the lighthouse. I saw some large water tanks and decided to pour some of the cold water over my head and body just so I can cool down…I was a pretty hilarious sight, I’m sure! I’ll spare you the details of the last steps…except to say that the climb was all worthwhile when I stepped out onto the platform and looked out…the view was SPECTACULAR!!!  Wait for the pictures…because I am sure I cannot describe that view…except that it took my breath away…yup…again.

I made it!!!

Cooling myself down...and wetting my pair of boots...sigh!

Proud entries on the log!

Thankful for small steps...

The last flight!

Here comes Tony!

Eastern view (Tony's photography)

Southern view (Tony's photography)

Western view (Tony's photography)

Busy with the camera... (Tony's photography)

The real deal (Tony's photography)

More stairs!!??? (Tony's photography)

Loving the view (Tony's photography)

Tony's model shot

Picture postcard anyone?

Man on a mission (Tony's photography)

Thank you, Malaysia!

We meet a couple from England on our boat ride back to Kampung Nelayan. They were on holiday and spent seven days in Penang. I thought they had a good plan…taking an airplane to Penang and then renting a Honda Cub to get around the island. I started noticing many other holiday makers doing the same thing after that. Strange that I never noticed this before, isn’t it???

I had wanted to take the gang around the island as a unique way to experience the Penang island and to have a nice ride. I didn’t expect the road to be the way it was though…because it was…I am running out of superlatives here…er…GRAND! Hahahaha! Seriously again, the shortest way to get from Kampung Nelayan to Balik Pulau was around the hill that stands in the centre of the island…and the road around this hill has all sorts of pleasant surprises! Parts of it reminded me of the Jeli-Gerik road, other parts of it reminded me of the driving heaven that the Top Gear folks found…mainly deserted…many corners and bends…many hairpin corners…many ascents and descents…and some fantastic switchbacks! Wooohoooo! We stopped at a tropical fruit farm along the way to refresh ourselves and the fruit juice there was excellent! Oh yeah…we also met a couple from Singapore who were riding a Penang plated Honda Cub! We also met a Bosnian fella who was living in Penang for the last few years…all he said was…he used to ride bikes…and that it was hot in Penang…as in the weather. Hahaha!

Nelayan to Balik Pulau...beautiful curves!

Nice ninety degree turns and bridges...

This is great!!!

They just kept coming!

The couple from Singapore (Tony's photography)

It was getting late by then so I decided to head back towards town. Along the way, I chanced upon Jalan Pantai Aceh…a road the led us through a typical “modern” kampung in Penang. I remembered Tony commenting that he did not see many houses when we first got onto the island. The ride on Pantai Aceh showed yet another face of Penang. I am simply amazed at the diversity of this island! We also stopped by a rest stop with a beautiful vista of the western part of the island. We had a little incident then because one of the gang turned in a little too enthusiastically…and well…let me just say that some of us felt it was a close call. The good news was the beautiful view…and a little path that I explored. Actually, that path was steep…so steep that my bike was slipping even when my brakes were fully applied! Hahaha!

Resting at a beautiful vista (Tony's photography)

The slope that didn't want to let me live!

After this short detour, we headed back into town for food. Unfortunately, the only stall on my list that was still open was the Penang Road chendol stall…so that is where we went. The chendol in Penang is different from those in Singapore and Melaka. It was not as sweet, nor as thick…but it was ice cold…and very tasty! I gulped down my bowl and literally licked it dry!

THE Penang Road chendol stall

We were feeling pretty tired by then…so it was time to head back to the hotel and then walk out for dinner. Unfortunately, it was also the time of day where the traffic was heavy as many people were heading home from work. The ride back to the hotel was through thick traffic. So as the saying goes…when in Penang, do as the Penang Kakis do…lane split like crazy! Of course, Alex’s Steed had wide handlebars…and Tony’s DR had humongous panniers…but we got back to the hotel safely…and headed out for a nice dinner of Marmite pork ribs, sambal vegetables, fish slices with ginger and onion, oyster omelette, special tofu and fried bee hoon. Unfortunately, we were all starving by then and completely forgotten about taking pictures…but like all the food that we had in Penang…dinner was super yummy!

Stuck in traffic!

So here I am back in the hotel room blogging about today. It took me quite awhile to blog tonight because there is so much I want to say! The rest of the gang are sleeping now…so I think its time for me to turn in as well…as we have a long ride tomorrow…along the west coast…to the Klang valley!

I am a big fan of Top Gear…you know…that television program where Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May talks about everything relating to cars. They have these ridiculous challenges that are really fun to watch…and sometimes…inspiring! I remember the one where they drove around Europe looking for driving heaven…a stretch of road that has the magic combination of twisties, fast straights, fantastic scenery AND the seclusion. While the Top Gear folks are mostly in Europe, they did find a fantastic riding road in Vietnam (yes, on one of their challenges). Well…today I rode on Malaysia’s best riding road…the stretch of route 4 from Jeli to Gerik.

We had wanted to set off early today so we could maximize the daylight and decided to meet for breakfast at 6:30am. Interestingly, I was the only person in the breakfast room at that time. I guess riding such a long distance on our very first day did take a toll. The rest of the gang showed up not long after and we had a simple breakfast which included the usual toast, scrambled eggs, beans, mee goreng, nasi goreng…you get the picture. One of the gang (guess who?) spilled the entire serving tray of mee goreng…can you believe that? I didn’t know if it was bad to laugh…but I did. Hahaha!

My breakfast at Kuala Terengganu

The rest of the gang...finally!

Having decided to set off at 7:15am, we hurried to pack our stuff and check out. Unfortunately, it proved to be a futile effort to try to make that time because we had locked the bikes up in such a tight formation. It took us quite awhile to get them unlocked and loaded up that it was already 8:15am! Hahaha! So much for trying to maximize daylight. Still…better late than never, right?

Our first order of business was to fill up the bikes and oil our chains. We got a good taste of Kuala Terengganu rush hour traffic as we headed out to the petrol station. There were cars and bikes everywhere!!! I won’t bore you with details on our ride in town…but…I will tell you what I really like about the petrol stations in Terengganu…they have a “motosikal” pump! Yup…a pump dedicated to motorcycles…PLUS…there are pump attendants to help you with the pumping! Just ride up, open the fuel cap, tell the attendant how much…watch him pump, close the cap, pay…and GO! I loved it!!! I don’t think they loved us very much though as we were the slowest at the pumps given we had to remove our gloves…and boy those gloves can be really hard to remove when in a hurry!

Oh well…onto the ride. Getting out of Kuala Terengganu was a snap. Just follow the signs for route 3 towards Kota Bahru and Jerteh. How tough could that be? Hahaha! So that was exactly where we headed. The ride to Jerteh was north bound for about half the distance…and west bound the second half. The second half was where things started to get better! I think because it gets better at the second half, the road planners made us to past the landfill site at the halfway point…gee…what was that SMELL!!??? Still, that foul smell was quickly forgotten because of the promise of a good riding road. We lost sight of the ocean and the surroundings quickly transformed into hills and lush vegetation. The road started throwing twisties (not the snack!) at us and we lapped them up happily. All too soon, we found ourselves at the petrol station just outside Jerteh.

This was no routine fuel stop because the next stretch would get even more interesting. I wanted to make sure everyone knew what to expect and gave a small briefing on handling the twisties, overtaking and a refresher on our riding formation. The gang listened attentively…well…they looked attentive…and then we set off for the ride of our lives!

I am sure Singapore riders (and some drivers) are familiar with Rifle Range Road and South Buona Vista Road…and even Mount Faber. If you combine the curves of these roads…add a huge dollop of breathtaking Malaysian countryside…a deep blue sky with lightly scattered clouds and fantastic cool, dry weather…you will still not be able to grasp how good this road was. Yes…it was THAT good! In fact, it was so good that I found it very hard to stop to take photographs. Hahaha! But I did…and will load them as soon as I get back.

I am thinking that it is futile for me to describe today’s ride on this blog because I will never do justice to the ride. But I do want to highlight a few of the more interesting places that we stopped at so you can picture them and be in the ride experience as well. So here goes.

First up: lunch break. I was searching for a place to have lunch along the Jeli-Gerik road and found many places along the road. The places are interesting because they look like people are opening up their homes as shops for others to have a meal. There were so many of them lining the streets (not exactly lining but you get the idea) that I didn’t know which one to choose. As I was looking around I spotted a huge rock outcrop that put the Little Guilin in Singapore to shame. It was one solitary, big and majestic looking rock. I decided to turn into the nearest road I could find that might take me there. As I turned in, I spotted a row of three shophouses…and the one in the centre looked to be some kind of food place. So we decided to eat there. It was an interesting lunch. The Makcik only served rice with some traditional Malay dishes…today’s offering included Curry Ayam, Ayam Masak Merah and Ayam Kicap Manis…yes, ALL chicken dishes. She also had some salted eggs and an omelette dish. Oh well…Makcik was really nice and told us how to get to the rock so we made our way there after lunch. There were some folks having a picnic there…a very pleasant place with a river running through it. Perfect for an afternoon nap!

The rock that caught my eye

Makcik's simple warung

Self service...which chicken dish do you prefer?

I had all three!

Yummy Bandung...guess who had Teh Ais?

The rock up close...

Alex and his Steed

Marley enjoying the break

Looking good from every angle

Thats me...happily walking around (Tony's photography)

Time for a self portrait! (Tony's photography)

Nah, we did not nap there. Instead, we pushed on towards Gerik. I made another unplanned stop not long after this one…because I ran out of fuel. You see, I saw plenty of petrol stations along the way after Jeli. Unfortunately, there wasn’t ANY petrol stations the moment the mountain ascent started. So I ran out of fuel after this high bridge…good thing too because I spotted a dam that I thought I would photograph from the bridge. Unfortunately, not only did I run out of fuel, Dan had a problem with his rear brake…the spring seems to have come undone. So Tony (a.k.a. Mr Handy-man) did his MacGyver magic and we could continue with the ride.

Time to refuel...and look at those curves!

Extending Marley's range (Tony's photography)

No problem...my WD-40 can solve anything! (Tony's photography)

What WD-40 doesn't solve...MacGyver can! (Who took this?)

The ride went uphill and downhill with many long sweeping and tight corners weaved together into a mind-boggling and intoxicating combination. The riding was completely invigorating! I chanced upon a vista with lots of lumber trucks. I could not resist stopping there for a look…and boy am I glad I did! We were treated to a vista that just took our breath away…not just our breath apparently because there were many other people who parked there and just could not stop taking pictures! We had a great time just enjoying the magnificent view…and…yeah…taking pictures. Hahaha! I really like the pictures from this place…so watch out for them!

Heaven!

Looking good!

Tony "MacGyver" Chan - nothing stands in my way!

Peace!!

Marley wants a shot too!

I gotta have one if Marley has one! (Dan's photography)

Marley likes to think he came off roading all the way here

Tony and his tricked up DR200

That's me at work... (Tony's photography)

After riding for awhile we had to cross yet another bridge…this was a LOOOOOONG one and I just could not resist stopping (yeah…again) to explore a little more. It turned out to be a place where you could rent a boat for a tour of the lake. There were some major BIG lakes in this part of Malaysia and a boat ride costs RM150 or so. I think it would have been a good and worthwhile boat ride…unfortunately…we did not have enough time for that and still make it to Penang before sundown. So we took photographs instead. I also chanced upon three Malay lads having a bit of a snack and chat in one of the huts. We made small talk in a mixture of English and Malay. They ended up offering me some keropok (crackers) from Kelantan (did you know Kelantan and Terengganu were famous for keropok??) and an apple. I was really glad I had the opportunity to chat with them. They were really nice!

The big lake - people need to be careful not to silt this up!

A routine boat ride for him - paradise for me!

Thats me enjoying the view

Tony could not resist fondling these...

The LOOOONG bridge! See that truck!?

I'd love to go for a spin

The fuel stops for today’s journey included the following:

• Kuala Terengganu
• Jerteh (67 miles or 108km)
• Just after Jeli (65 miles or 105km) – I ran out of fuel here
• Gerik (54 miles or 87km)
• Kulim (64 miles or 103km)
• No fueling in Penang yet as Kulim wasn’t that far away

It seems that the uphill and downhill combination made Marley a lot hungrier for fuel. I suppose that shouldn’t be too surprising.

Up and down, round and round...

Chasing for a change...

Woohoo!!!

So we finally got to Butterworth and headed over the Penang island on the ferry. It has been a long while since I had last been on the ferry…and it was my first time on the ferry with a bike. I was a little overwhelmed by the memories I had of my childhood days riding the ferry with my parents in the car. I had always liked the ferry and I still liked it today. The ride was fast and smooth. Getting on and off the ferry was almost flawless…except when one of the gang almost had a fall…hahaha! Leave a comment if you want to guess who!

Waiting to get on the ferry...someone almost fell as we moved off...

I'm amazed they are still in service after so long!

The huge under deck...cars, trucks and motorcycles in here!

My favourite view as a kid

Enjoying the ride...

I love sunsets!

Penang...finally!

Penang island was very much similar to how I remembered it from my last trip here. The streets were filled with cars, buses, trucks and motorbikes. Just getting out of a junction can take five to ten minutes given the traffic. To top if off, our first choice for accommodation (the YMCA) was fully booked due to a travel group from abroad. So we had to hunt around for an alternative. We did find an apartment that was available for a night after making some calls (to friends and hotel contacts). Unfortunately, Tony’s GPS took us on a wild goose chase. All was well in the end when we found out that the Gurney Hotel & Residences had rooms available. So here is where I am sitting and blogging…after that nice dinner along Gurney Drive. Again…pictures will follow when I get back.

Looking for alternative accommodation...Alex, are you tired? (Tony's photography)

In our room at Gurney Hotel...at last!

Well, it sure has been an eventful day. We had a great ride and beautiful stops, I met some very nice people and we had a great lunch and dinner. What more could a motorcycle adventurer ask for?

Join us for day 3!

I had trouble sleeping last night. I remember desperately trying to finish packing for the trip…and when I finished packing, grabbed a quick bite and then tried very hard to get enough rest as the ride today was a long one. However, I tossed and turned in bed for an hour before, thankfully, falling asleep.

I woke up with a start this morning at 4:30am. I don’t know why but I just did. It is a little irritating that my body refuses to let me rest when I wanted so much to do so. I suppose the excitement of going on the ride was impossible to ignore. I took my time to get ready…made coffee…and then took an impossibly long time to get into my gear (remember the new boots??). I eventually left at 5:50am to meet up with the rest of the gang.

I have read many ride reports in the past on the forums and always wondered what was the big deal about riders giving other riders a “send off” for their rides. Well, Chris was there today to send us off…and you know what…it was REALLY NICE to have him there! Hahaha!!! Chris rode with us all the way to the Shell station at Johor Bahru. He also took several photographs of us…hahaha! I was pleasantly surprised when I checked my Facebook during breakfast to see that I was tagged! Thanks Chris!

Getting ready to set off

Almost ready...

Final checks...

Now we know why he calls himself dancingbiker

We left Johor Bahru at 7:30am and headed north on route 3. This road will lead us all the way to Kuala Terengganu. I wanted to start early so that we can arrive before it got dark. We started off with a good pace, riding along around 75-80kph. It wasn’t long before we got to our first stop…BREAKFAST! We went to this Bak Kut Teh store in the middle of nowhere (Kiang Kee Bak Kut Teh) and it was superb! You will have to wait till I get back to Singapore to see pictures since I have no facility to edit my photographs here. I will also post GPS coordinates when I get back. I gotta say the food was FANTASTIC! I know, some people say that food always tastes good when you are hungry…but trust me when I say this…I know my Bak Kut Teh and this one was really good! It could be the closest good one from Singapore! Hahaha! Since we wanted to be alert for the ride, we decided to moderate our consumption of food until we got to our first stop. So we only had some ribs, trotters, tau pok (tofu) and salted greens…all this with a fantastic pot of tea…HEAVEN!

Edit: photographs are ready!

You cannot miss this big sign along Route 3

Bikes doing well...

Pig trotters...yummy!

Pork ribs

Tau Pok...is there an English name for this?

The whole spread

We headed off soon after and proceeded towards Mersing which was another 88km away. Since my bike had the shortest range (75 miles and I hit reserve), I was a little worried if I could make it all the way. Sure enough, I had to switch on my reserve just 20km away from Mersing. We got there eventually though and I had a chance to fill up my tank. Good thing too that I filled up my external “backup” tank back in Johor Bahru! The ride up to this point was fantastic: winding roads, rolling hills and plantations with the sun back-lighting the slight haze to give a dreamy texture, and cool weather…it was fantastic!

We oiled our chains at Mersing and headed off towards Pekan. The weather was warming up now and the haze has lifted quite a bit and I felt a little more comfortable with my fully loaded bike. My iPod was running with my favourite groovy tunes…but all of a sudden…my earphones became silent! Sigh, so no music for this leg…and no radio communication either. The good news was that I needed to make an intermediate fuel stop since Pekan was just a little out of my range. So we stopped at Rompin after an 80km ride and filled up. I found out then that I had inadvertently dislodged the plug of my cables…thank goodness it was just a simple mistake on my part!

I don’t want to bore you with details on our fuel stops but just so you know, I had to stop in quite a number of places so I could get the range that I needed for my small tank. Here are all my fuel stops:

• Johor Bahru
• Mersing (80 miles or 129km)
• Rompin (39 miles or 63km)
• Pekan (54 miles or 87km)
• Kuantan (31 miles or 50km)
• Paka (65 miles or 105km)
• I haven’t filled up yet at Kuala Terengganu…so wait for this last one!

Not bad for a 500km ride, huh?

A few notable incidents happened today during the ride. Since we were traveling on route 3, there were the usual collection of traffic. Cars, bikes, trucks, buses, dogs, monkeys and cows! Roadkill is also to be expected on such a long ride…nothing unusual, no? Hahaha!

OK…what WAS notable was the fact that somewhere in the hot afternoon, I heard a loud sound…it sounded like metal falling onto the road from my bike. I decided it was a good idea to stop and figure out what exactly happened. Good thing too! What happened was that my tool tube cover worked itself loose during the ride and one of the tire irons fell out! Just as I came to a stop, my spare light bulbs fell out as well. Dan traced our steps with me all the way back a good 200m just so I could recover the tire iron. I sure am glad I did because that tire iron was a loaner from Ah Chun. Hahaha! Too bad I could not find my spare spark plug which also fell out. Oh well…it was time for a MacGyver moment and Tony provided a wire wrap to help wedge the cover tight. So…on with the ride!

Sometime later, I was a little shocked when a bike came out of nowhere and overtook me. It turned out to be an RC8! How cool was that!!! What was interesting was that soon after, another bike zoomed past…followed by another…and another…and…you get the picture! We eventually caught up with this bunch of crazy, fast superbikers from KL at the next fuel stop. No, we didn’t chat as we needed to rush off…but it was great to see all their bikes! They were rather interested in our motley crew as well…hahaha! Who says you need big bikes to tour?

My favourite moment of the day turned out to be an ad hoc stop that I made when I spotted the South China Sea on my right. I chanced upon an access road that Alex’s Steed could get on and decided to make a stop there. We had a great time chilling out. Nothing like a beautiful and natural spot to relief the stiff muscles from long rides…of course…the ice cold water from Tony was also welcome relief!

What a fantastic rest stop!

The gang enjoying the ocean breeze

We did eventually get to Kuala Terengganu…too bad it took us so much time to get here and the sun had already set! Still, we managed to find ourselves a nice little hotel (Mingstar) to rest for the night. Yeah, it looked a little cheesy but the rooms were clean, neat and pleasant. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised that the rooms actually looked close to the ones on the website!

Mingstar...so cheesy looking, no?

Dinner was a simple affair as we were too tired to venture far. I had some Maggi Goreng and Teh Ice for dinner…followed by a super delicious Ramly Daging Special burger! Hahaha! I simply love this burger that can only be found in Malaysia…I just cannot resist it! I did spot an item that I never noticed before…Burger Arnab…no prizes for guessing what that is! Again…pictures will come later!

Dinner at the warung down the street

Satisfactied smiles after a nice meal

One should never miss this anywhere in Malaysia!

The rustic and irresistible Ramly burger

Burger Arnab...gotta try it next round!

Well, it was a good riding day. It is time now to kick back and get some rest before starting again tomorrow morning. I better get to bed as breakfast is at 6:30am!

Good night folks!

The dates are set, the first pre-trip meeting is over and now it is time to get the stuff prepared. There are so many things to take care of that some times I find myself just sitting in a daze not knowing where to start! But start I must and start I did!

The most obvious item to get ready is obviously the bike. So I went over to Ah Chun’s place yesterday to give my bike a once over. Taking a look at the oil, brakes, chain, tires, lights…and horn. I discovered that my horn wasn’t working on my last ride…so I had it replaced with my backup unit. It is working properly now. I also had a fault on my left rear signal light. This unit was snapped off when I had a fall during one of my off road jaunts…it was still flashing then so I did not get it fixed. Well, it stopped flashing last week. And my rear tire was also getting pretty worn out. Apparently, that tire was a 2002 model…so it has been years since the last change!

Changing the tire turned out to be a mini-adventure. Firstly, I had to choose which tire I wanted to change to. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective) there were only three choices to pick from: Dunlop K180, Bridgestone Trailwing TW34, and Shinko SR428.

My original set were Dunlops (first picture above) but I wanted something different. I opted first for the Bridgestones (middle picture above)…but they were out of stock. So I eventually settled for the Shinkos (last picture above). I thought they looked really nice…though I had some doubts about their ability to handle serious off roading due to the lack of knobs. However, I felt much better about them after reading this trip report from a guy (and gal) who rode around South Africa on brand new Shinkos on their TW200s.

Now that the selection was done, it was time to replace the tires. It took awhile to replace the tire due to the absurdly large size. I mean, have you ever seen a dual sport bike with a tire of this size? It is only 14 inches in diameter at the wheel but it is 180mm wide! The inner tube was the same as those used for some trucks!!! In fact, we tried fitting one into my tire but the valve won’t seat fully as it was a little too wide. So I opted to order a new set of original tubes…while using my current set of tubes for the moment.

With that done, it was time to fix the signal light. Because the light housing was snapped, I had to get both of them changed so they look uniform. The actual switch was easy. However, there was still no light on the left rear signal lamp. After trouble shooting for awhile, we decided eliminated the light bulb, the light bulb connector and wire. Which means the problem was further up the wiring. We quickly found the problem once the seat was removed…one of the connectors came loose! So it as a quick fix.

Now that my bike is in tip top condition, it is time to think about the other areas of preparation…PACKING! This is a biggie for me. I have been wrecking my brain thinking of different ways I can get all my gear packed. Here is a quick list:

• External two gallon fuel tank
• Camera gear (Nikon D2Hs, 3 lenses, flashes and mini-tripod)
• Notebook
• 2L water for washing wounds in case of emergency
• Water for drinking
• Spares (spark plugs, bulbs, tubes, oil etc)
• Rain gear
• Clothes
• Toiletteries
• Other essentials

There sure is a lot of stuff to pack on my rather small bike! So if you have an idea how I can get all of this organized on my bike and still have space to sit comfortably for the 2000km journey…please leave me a comment. I sure need all the suggestions I can get!

Want to know how the rest are getting on with their packing? Leave a comment and I’ll get them to write…should be interesting, no?