Motorbiking in Asia forum

Motorbikes for Hanoi to Saigon trip, buy or rent?

mrbump

backpacker
Posts: 11

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

backpacker
Posts: 20

Posted from within Vietnam.

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
travellings-
arah

adventurer
Posts: 473
Located in:
Private message

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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www.supportcarlbart.com
mrbump

backpacker
Posts: 11

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

som tam seller
Posts: 699
Private message

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
VietBri

newbie
Posts: 1

Posted from within Vietnam.

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