It took me five days to decide on a motorcycle. I ended up with a 2009 Yamaha YBR 125G. It cost me a bit more than twice what I thought I would spend. My research was based on what I could find on the web: advice from folks on a very low budget. I’m also on a low budget, but I don’t care how much a bike costs, I care how much I can sell it for, how reliable it is and how comfortable it is.

I arrived at Pom Coong Village in Mai Chau on my first day. It took me a few hours longer than I thought, but my trusty GPS app got me out of Hanoi without any issues. I did a homestay there, and it was great. It included diner and breakfast; it was the best and biggest dinner I’ve had in Vietnam.

On my second day, I drove to Son La, it was a nice drive through the mountains, and in the first hour, the fog was as thick as pea soup. My bike is losing power under load at high revs, so I will get a new air filter and check the gas filter. I’ll probably drain the float bowl to ensure no water is in it. Son La does not have much to offer. It’s just a place to stop for the night. I could have easily continued to my next stop today, but I have some time to kill as I’m planning on getting to the Sapa area on Friday night so I can check out the untouristed weekend markets on Saturday and Sunday. These markets are off the beaten track and should be an excellent opportunity to see and interact with some Vietnamese Ethnic folks.

On day three, I figured out that my bike was burning a half liter of oil every 100km, and I was only getting 25 KPL (Kilometers Per Liter). I called the folks I bought the bike from, and they agreed to get another one ready for me. On the way back, the electrical system died, and one of the instrument pods fell off.

I’m back on the road again today after a night in Hanoi. My new (to me) bike seems much better. I’m happy I was dealing with someone who stood behind what they sold. Or I would have been out quite a bit of cash.

This evening I’m in Nghia La, I had a great day riding, and there were some fantastic views. Every day I see more and more ethnic folks and fewer tourists. I did not see one westerner once I got out of Hanoi this morning. I like riding in Vietnam. Riding in Central America in 1995 ruined riding in the US for me. I stopped riding for about 11 years. You can set your level of risk here and choose which rules to follow. Just the way I like it. Since none of the people I know now ever knew me riding a bike, you don’t need to fear for my safety. As I’ve said before, I’m much safer on a bike than in a car. That still holds.