Motorcycle Fever in Vietnam

I felt the first hint of fever after spending only three weeks in Thailand. I’d rented a beat-up scooter on Ko Chang and spent the day circumnavigating the island, rattling up steep hills and through tight curves, while dodging rainstorms and stopping for troops of monkeys.

The scenery was amazing and the roads were fun and just crazy enough to provide the occasional spike of adrenaline. Thus fed, the condition eased into remission and I returned to suffering through long, uncomfortable bus trips for the next month.

While lounging about in lazy Kampot, Cambodia, I stumbled upon an expat-owned restaurant that had a couple of beautiful 250cc dirt bikes sitting out front. Like some kind of post-hypnotic suggestion, the mere sight of the bikes triggered something deep inside. I’d just stopped for a quick lunch, but left with a overwhelming need to climb into the saddle again. The fever had returned.

The bikes rented for $15 a day –which was over half of my daily budget– but I didn’t care. I spent two days roaring up and down the dusty backroads, going nowhere in particular, getting lost, and then finding my way home at the end of the day.

After spending so many weeks trapped in a bus or tuk tuk, it was a revelation to be able to stop when I wanted or turn down a side road to see what lie hidden over the next hill. Everywhere I went, I was greeted with big smiles and when I stopped for fuel or water, I was mobbed by kids.

The bike had plenty of power and the suspension readily soaked up the bumps and pot holes. I was the fastest thing on the road and reveled in it, passing buses, taxis, carts, scooters, and the occasional water buffalo. Not that it’s hard to outrace a water buffalo, but you get the point. It was the most fun I’ve had in years.

After two full days of hard riding, my butt was aching and that seemed to drive my illness into hiding again. Perhaps this observation will someday lead to a cure — I certainly hope not.

So, now I’m in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and I’ve discovered Saigon Scooter Centre, where I can rent a 125cc KTM trial bike. Not only can I rent the bike, but I can rent it one way. I’ll ride it north to Hanoi, where I’ll put it on a train to be shipped back to Saigon. After they collect the bike, they will refund my $650 deposit. As I write this, I’m feeling flushed and my eye lid has started twitching.

There are numerous reasons why this is a less-than-optimal idea. The bike is smaller than I’d like, but 125cc’s is the largest bike that can be legally rented to a foreigner here. The monsoon season begins in a few weeks, so there’s a good chance that I’ll spend much of the coming month drenched or splattered with mud. The fever doesn’t care.

The cost for a month’s rental is $300, plus another $50 to return the bike — this will blow my budget all to hell. And if I wreck the bike, I lose the deposit. The rental is for a full month, but I’ve only got about three weeks left on my visa — I’ll either have to return it early, or spend more money on a visa extension. The fever doesn’t listen to reason.

How often do you get a chance to ride a bike across Vietnam? it whispers.

It really is an insidious disease.

I’m so glad I caught it.

Tagged as: motorcycle-vietnam, motorcycles, Vietnam