Vietnam forum

Posted from within Vietnam.

I would do far more research. It's not just a case of picking a bike up. Even taking a bike across borders isn't a case of just doing so. Difficult without the paperwork being in order. Plus of course licensing and insurance issues. Lots gloss over the insurance and licensing aspect and yes, you might be lucky and not have an accident or get involved with the Police but if you do, expect to pay out big money as the insurance in Vietnam is not worth the paper it is written on (max liability is about $2k USD). Indeed some web sites that do bike tours openly admit this and say 'that they like to say there is no insurance'. Too much paperwork involved............

And of course if you get stopped by the Police (they are fairly active in HCMC nowadays), without the correct paperwork, the bike is an immediate 'on the lorry' job. How you continue your journey is your problem. How do I know this? Simple, my better half managed to get my scooter seized for a month for speeding and riding in the wrong lane! She had to get the bus back (30km).

And if you are expecting road conditions to be civilised....dream on. But who am I to stop you. If you are going up and down hills the bigger the bike, the better. Yes, smaller bikes might get up there eventually but they will labour up them. Bigger is better. bearing in mind it will be chilly in Hanoi, roasted in HCMC. You'll need good maps etc as the signage leaves a lot to be desired in many places. Bike repairs are fairly cheap but it does depend on your bargaining skills.

Carefully choose who you buy the bike from, give it a good check over and make sure you go with a Vietnamese. As soon as a foreigner walks in, the $$$$ signs light up in the sellers eyes. You become their good RICH friend! It's one reason Minsks are popular as most are sold by foreigners to foreigners. Most Vietnamese would have a scooter anyday! Have fun!

thanks for the info.
im not sure what to do now to be honest,i think i will just go to ho chi minh and chill for as long as it takes to decide which mode of transport to use for the trip.i have a full uk motorcycle licence and years of riding experience pluss i can service the bike myself but il just go there and chill and see what happens,ive plenty time and am in no hurry.
things may also be depending on money so il have to do a bit more research on price comparisons between bus,train or bike.and if i do go for one which type.

There is a strange fascination with smaller bikes in SEA. I mean, for the people here they are cheap, and money is tight. But with backpackers they seem averse to larger bikes and attracted to smaller bikes. Of course, I understand that in Vietnam there is a CC limit so smaller bikes are the only option. But even here in Thailand, among the transient community I see that same fascination.