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Motorbikes for Hanoi to Saigon trip, buy or rent?
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mrbump
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Hi there,
Looking for two motorbikes, preferably 125cc or up, for a trip from Hanoi to Saigon. We're planning on spending a couple of weeks max in Vietnam so could someone advise whether it's easier for us to simply rent a couple of bikes in the North and return in the South or should we buy?
Have just seen in another post someone had two bikes for sale which included the following:
Registration cards & insurance, removable luggage racks, luggage straps and bungee cords, helmets, rain poncho's, locks, spare parts and tools.
Ideally we'd need all of the above regardless of buying or renting! Any and all advise or offers welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks
Mark
#1 Posted: 7/2/2012 - 01:20
octopus29
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you should buy. the renting fee will be around $10 per day. If you crash, you buy them a new one, if you crack, they will charge you money. when do you want to do the trip?
#2 Posted: 8/2/2012 - 09:36
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arah
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Buying's a good idea but with limited time you need to try and find a place that does a buy back. Otherwise you might end up in Saigon with a bike you can't sell (or can't sell quickly enough). I'm a braindead right now I'm sure there are places that do that - I'll try to remember the names later. In the meantime you could try Vietnam Motorbikes or the Minsk place on Luong Ngoc Quyen (mentioned on this site under Hanoi) which might be able to help.
#3 Posted: 9/2/2012 - 20:04
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mrbump
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cheers, looks like rental is the best option for us I found those websites now with the guides etc.
Thanks!
#4 Posted: 10/2/2012 - 23:39
eastwest
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But do you really want to bike from Hanoi to Saigon in only 2 weeks?
You will have to spend a lot of time on the bike and it would leave very little time to stay in any place.
I would recommend to take the train or fly to Danang and if you're interested still take a bike from there to HCMC. Biking the whole route would only be worth it if you have 3-4 weeks or more. Unless riding is the primary goal of course.
#5 Posted: 10/2/2012 - 23:51
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Hi,
I think buying takes up too much precious travel time with paperwork, govt, and surprises. Rental prices aren't too bad, and a good shop can guarantee that you won't have breakdowns since buying a used bike means uncertainty about its reliability. Buying a bike also means buying and selling riding gear which are usually free when hiring. Also agree that buyback from a shop can be a good idea.
travellings-arah is correct, the shop on Luong Ngoc Quyen is a great place, and Mr. Hop has a great variety of bikes. His shop also does buy back services. They've many years of experience, and they really know their bikes, so it's best to call or email them to talk about the kind of trip you want, and if you'll be riding mostly on or off road. Their Futures have cool and tough luggage racks and taller, aftermarket suspension and they work surprisingly well even on rough countryside roads. But, they also have a good variety of bigger bikes for highways or for offroad riding.
My office staff rented 8 of their Futures for a massive offroad trip, and they blew my mind for how well they coped with bumps and mud in the countryside (and with 2 passengers!)
If you're going all the way south to Saigon, check out the mountain roads in Quang Binh province near Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.
You can also consider exploring just the northern third of VN which really has the best mountains in the country and some incredible riding. Easy to burn a week or more in just the north, and then train or fly down to DaNang to skip the sometimes boring central VN and move onto the south from there.
I hope you have a great trip!
#6 Posted: 16/2/2012 - 00:35
MarnusNel
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Any help needed.
We are two friends arriving in Bangkok on 22 December 2012.
Our plan so far is :
22 Dec - Bangkok
23 Dec - Bangkok
Then heading off to Cambodia side (dunno how yet)
Spend some time in Cambodia and possibly Vietnam (we would like to do some biking around for a few days up to 27 Dec.
Then somehow get to Koh Samui side (can we take a ferry across the gulf of Thailand or must we fly)
Then spend time in Thailand (possibly renting bikes)
Flying back to South Africa from Bangkok on 4 January 2013.
So - no real plans but would like to get some info wrt travelling around etc.
We not concerned about accommodation as hotels are cheap enough and Im sure there are enough places to chose from.
(I have previously only been in Phuket for 10 days so this is a wild trip)
Please suggest what can be done in the time we have etc etc.
#7 Posted: 26/11/2012 - 10:44