After faffing around with work commitments and waiting on parts arriving for the bike, it was now 3 months since i had gotten my hands on the KTM 690 Enduro and the bike was seriously overdue a decent ride out. So it was decided, Pattaya, through Bangkok up to Kanchanaburi, on to Sai Yok and Baan Ricky Motocross resort.
The bike had done around 400kms since new and apart from the 100 odd Km,s ride from KTM in Bangkok, i had only done little spurts around town. Mainly due to the fact that the seat, wind protection and handling on this bike is, no sorry, was shit. I fixed all three by adding a Scotts steering damper, an aftermarket screen that takes the wind from hitting you mid chest to a much more rider friendly hight around the helmet. And lastly the Air hawk cushion, this thing worked a treat. It does lift me up an extra 1/2inch or so, and the KTM already has me on the tip toes, but once you get going its no bother really. The steering damper, it took me 3 goes to get it set up right, now can rip through the gears with almost no head shake, and can weave through the traffic at slower speeds easily. The fun you have on this single cylinder 690 can only be described as yee ha, way haaaay and haha all rolled into one.
So, the GPS had been fitted, Co-ordinates for Sai Yok punched in, avoid toll ways option selected and a quick look at the planned route, seems ok, ive never driven through Bangkok and well, what ever way you go its gona suck no doubt. Of i go onto the 7 from Pattaya, change to the 3 at Chonburi and into Bangkok riding under the main elevated highway. Roadworks everywhere on the 3, rain on, stop a few times to adjust GPS, the Montana 650 GPS i have is having serious problems with the vibration through this KTM. No way i will be navigating through Bangkok if i cant get the screen to stop spinning round every 5 seconds. Eventually figure out lock screen in Vertical is the way to go.
So now Bangkok on the Friday before the Buddha holiday weekend!! I dont know i managed it, but i thought i had missed turn offs in Bangkok 3 times, but each time it was me reading the GPS to early, I would really like to have next turning in ??? Meters, and i know it must be possible. Will dive into the Garmin pages online to get that set up for next time. So even though the GPS took me right into the centre on one of the busiest traffic days, i some how made it through. Im sure i pissed of a few moped riders, the KTM is not as nimble through the traffic and i stopped mid lane a few times because i just didnt have the turning circle to get round the next car stuck in traffic. Moped riders take note: Do not follow Yellow rain suited man on too tall bike through Bangkok traffic
Driving West out of Bangkok on the 4, i thought we would never leave the heavy traffic and constant stops at lights behind, but once on the 323 things started to get allot better, id now been on the bike for almost 4hrs and the airhawk has earned a gold star. The KTM is also making car dodging on a highway allot of fun, loads of torque to filter though safely. After Kanchanaburi town, the 323 really comes into its own, fast sweeping smooth tarmac, which is just as well as its getting dark and by the time i turn of down onto the 3343 into Sai Yok its pitch black and the hotel is a welcome sight. I stayed in Sai Yok River house, nice clean room overlooking the river, cold shower, nice thai food and cold beer. Breakfast Buffet of thai sausage, fried rice and veg, tea and coffee, pretty average stuff. For the price i paid, 1200 baht i was expecting more, but i guess hotels here are priced higher.
So day 2 and im of to Baan Ricky, about 40kms up the road from Sai Yok. I had called them mid week and said i wanted to come up, check the place out and rent one of his bikes to play around on the motocross track and maybe do some trail riding. Ricky has two bungalows on his property but they were both rented out for the weekend so he got me a room at the Sai Yok Yai coffee resort,3kms away and 700baht/night and very decent. New, clean and a hot shower.
I met Ricky and Joe Saturday morning, immediately made to feel very welcome and was very impressed with the bikes they had sitting waiting, 3 x YZF250,s. All sitting on stands, looking immaculate and oiled up ready to go.View attachment 19567
2 Motocross tracks out back and a short grass track with a few smaller jumps in the front to play on. Happy days. Now i am pretty useless out on a motocross track, but that why i was here, to have a play around and get used to the bikes. The other weekend guests started to arrive, a young lad Sam and his Girlfriend Amy, Sam had ridden allot back in England and Amy was to have her first real shot on a dirt bike. Ricky had prepared a KLX 110 for Amy. So Sam went up the back for a few sighting laps on the YZF and Amy of down to the Paddock to give the KLX a run. So after i had gotten a few photo,s, it was my turn to get on with it. And i decided to play around with the YZF on the grass track. Haha, this bike is amazingly light and has very fast pick up, i have a CRF 250L back in Pattaya, but this is night and day stuff here. I forgot to ask Ricky what size sprocket was on the back but im guessing it was more than a 50 tooth. Great fun to ride and even though i was still not man enough to get some clean air on the little jump i decided to head out back to have a sighting lap on the motocross track....OK, sighting lap...then another...and one more and naaaah, think i will head back to the grass track out front...View attachment 19578View attachment 19577
So the other weekend guests arrive, Martin and Gary, two young lads who have ridden two up from Bangkok on a CRF250L!! I thought they were mental then, and having spent the next two days with them i know i was right..haha. Gary rented a KLX 250 from Ricky and set about showing is how its done. Being a former pizza delivery boy had worked wonders and he put the KLX through its paces first on the grass track, and later on in the day chucking it over some table tops and threatening to take on a double at the motocross track out back. Great Stuff. Martin on his shinny new CRF went straight into the small jump at full speed first time round the grass track and the CRF performed just as it has been designed and through him off over the handlebars...Ouch, and luckily for him only a few minor scratches and the usual gear lever and handlebar bends on the CRF. Ricky and Joe to the Rescue with tool kit on hand and Martin was back out. Now showing me up by getting clean air and no doubt wondering along with me why i could get the YZF to do the same..
Later in the day Sam shows us how its really done by pulling some really amazing jumps and i can only dream of being born again with some cahoniesView attachment 19573View attachment 19572View attachment 19571
Some photo,s of Gary and Martin on the KLX and CRFView attachment 19575View attachment 19574
A few stops during the day for food, all well prepared at the restaurant at Baan Ricky and before we know its beer o,clock and every one has had a blast. Oh and Amy had also mastered going over the small jump on the KLX, first time round smooth as you like, 2nd time round she went for a one handed wave style side ways exit while pulling a wheelie...it was the most amazing thing i had seen on two wheels since Martins earlier exit on the CRF. View attachment 19569View attachment 19568
That night was Ricky,s birthday and a great feast was put on. Some lovely food prepared the staff and Ricky,s lovely wife Boom. A big thank you to Ricky and Family for letting is all join in.
Next day, slightly hung over, Sam and Amy headed of to do the local sights and myself, Martin, Garry, Ricky and Joe hatched a plan to go look for some new trails in the mountains around Baan Ricky. After a few false starts looking for way up, we hit a lovely stretch of trail riding and end up heading into a Ranger camp site. View attachment 19580View attachment 19585View attachment 19588
Being unsure of whether we are allowed in, we head up the road and thankfully when we get to the ranger station we are greeted with fresh cups of water and a small tour of their camp site. The ranger explaining with pride how they get the fish in the river to clean the pots and plates by sitting them into the river, the fish then go to town eating up all the leftover,s and at the same time the ranger catches a fish for the next meal...Now that has to be some sort of Catch 22 for the fish!View attachment 19528
A great way to spend a sunday afternoon, and when we get back to Baan Ricky its time for some food and a few beers. As Sam and Amy have moved out, i now get to stay in the Bungalow, its been very well designed and was very comfortable. I had been giving Amy some stick the previous night as she mentioned the water was FREEZING...toughen up i replied..haha, well Sunday night i found out that the water is FREEZING. Ricky assures me that the water heater will be fixed before his next water delivery from Antarctica arrives. But ye, 650/night for the bungalow is a crackin deal.
Even if your not doing any bike events, Staying here is highly recommended. We had control of the restaurant on Sunday night, Ricky has a projector and it was Moto Gp qualifying and then the masters Golf.
Monday, Me Martin and Garry decide to head of to Pilok on the Burma Thai Border, we had been looking on the map and Ricky and Garry had both done it before, the road looks nuts on the map and nuts it was. Nice ride up north then when the road starts to head up the mountain its switch back city, all around the side of a mountain, the road condition is about 70%, some times it was great then other parts had huge pot holes, trails of gravel and wet leaves. But proceeding with caution, unlike the group on Vespa,s heading back down the hill and it is still allot of fun.
Stopped of at the view point.Not sure about the camp site though!
and then at a waterfall,Great way to cool off.
the road down to the waterfall was nuts, i wasnt sure how the KTM with road tyres would handle coming back up, had a few side ways slides but was pretty good.
Finally at Pilok, enough time to tour around a little bit, get told of for something by the border guard and head back into Pilok for some food and fuel.
The lateness of our leaving Baan Ricky and is mucking about with photo,s and waterfalls ment we had to start heading back sooner than we would have liked. Gary had to had back the KLX to Ricky and we wanted to get into Kanchanaburi. So of we went on a mad dash back the same way we had come. Managing to get slightly lost at a junction that i never even noticed on the way up. We got back to Baan Ricky at Dusk and decided to head of in the rain back to Kanchanaburi, Me with Gary on the back of the KTM this time.
Stayed in the Tamarind Guest house, great value there if it had not been for me paying for a room in the morning that had already been paid for the night before!. it was really Buddha day now, so wasn't sure if we would get a drink but found a bar doing the usual shutter down routine as the cops came past. Cracking end to a cracking weekend.
I have made plans to head back up to Baan Ricky, and explore Kanchanaburi further in Ocotober. Hopeing the others can make it back also. What a great first weekend out and about on the KTM. Cant wait to see more and meet up with other happy bikers out there exploring.
The bike had done around 400kms since new and apart from the 100 odd Km,s ride from KTM in Bangkok, i had only done little spurts around town. Mainly due to the fact that the seat, wind protection and handling on this bike is, no sorry, was shit. I fixed all three by adding a Scotts steering damper, an aftermarket screen that takes the wind from hitting you mid chest to a much more rider friendly hight around the helmet. And lastly the Air hawk cushion, this thing worked a treat. It does lift me up an extra 1/2inch or so, and the KTM already has me on the tip toes, but once you get going its no bother really. The steering damper, it took me 3 goes to get it set up right, now can rip through the gears with almost no head shake, and can weave through the traffic at slower speeds easily. The fun you have on this single cylinder 690 can only be described as yee ha, way haaaay and haha all rolled into one.
So, the GPS had been fitted, Co-ordinates for Sai Yok punched in, avoid toll ways option selected and a quick look at the planned route, seems ok, ive never driven through Bangkok and well, what ever way you go its gona suck no doubt. Of i go onto the 7 from Pattaya, change to the 3 at Chonburi and into Bangkok riding under the main elevated highway. Roadworks everywhere on the 3, rain on, stop a few times to adjust GPS, the Montana 650 GPS i have is having serious problems with the vibration through this KTM. No way i will be navigating through Bangkok if i cant get the screen to stop spinning round every 5 seconds. Eventually figure out lock screen in Vertical is the way to go.
So now Bangkok on the Friday before the Buddha holiday weekend!! I dont know i managed it, but i thought i had missed turn offs in Bangkok 3 times, but each time it was me reading the GPS to early, I would really like to have next turning in ??? Meters, and i know it must be possible. Will dive into the Garmin pages online to get that set up for next time. So even though the GPS took me right into the centre on one of the busiest traffic days, i some how made it through. Im sure i pissed of a few moped riders, the KTM is not as nimble through the traffic and i stopped mid lane a few times because i just didnt have the turning circle to get round the next car stuck in traffic. Moped riders take note: Do not follow Yellow rain suited man on too tall bike through Bangkok traffic
Driving West out of Bangkok on the 4, i thought we would never leave the heavy traffic and constant stops at lights behind, but once on the 323 things started to get allot better, id now been on the bike for almost 4hrs and the airhawk has earned a gold star. The KTM is also making car dodging on a highway allot of fun, loads of torque to filter though safely. After Kanchanaburi town, the 323 really comes into its own, fast sweeping smooth tarmac, which is just as well as its getting dark and by the time i turn of down onto the 3343 into Sai Yok its pitch black and the hotel is a welcome sight. I stayed in Sai Yok River house, nice clean room overlooking the river, cold shower, nice thai food and cold beer. Breakfast Buffet of thai sausage, fried rice and veg, tea and coffee, pretty average stuff. For the price i paid, 1200 baht i was expecting more, but i guess hotels here are priced higher.
So day 2 and im of to Baan Ricky, about 40kms up the road from Sai Yok. I had called them mid week and said i wanted to come up, check the place out and rent one of his bikes to play around on the motocross track and maybe do some trail riding. Ricky has two bungalows on his property but they were both rented out for the weekend so he got me a room at the Sai Yok Yai coffee resort,3kms away and 700baht/night and very decent. New, clean and a hot shower.
I met Ricky and Joe Saturday morning, immediately made to feel very welcome and was very impressed with the bikes they had sitting waiting, 3 x YZF250,s. All sitting on stands, looking immaculate and oiled up ready to go.View attachment 19567
2 Motocross tracks out back and a short grass track with a few smaller jumps in the front to play on. Happy days. Now i am pretty useless out on a motocross track, but that why i was here, to have a play around and get used to the bikes. The other weekend guests started to arrive, a young lad Sam and his Girlfriend Amy, Sam had ridden allot back in England and Amy was to have her first real shot on a dirt bike. Ricky had prepared a KLX 110 for Amy. So Sam went up the back for a few sighting laps on the YZF and Amy of down to the Paddock to give the KLX a run. So after i had gotten a few photo,s, it was my turn to get on with it. And i decided to play around with the YZF on the grass track. Haha, this bike is amazingly light and has very fast pick up, i have a CRF 250L back in Pattaya, but this is night and day stuff here. I forgot to ask Ricky what size sprocket was on the back but im guessing it was more than a 50 tooth. Great fun to ride and even though i was still not man enough to get some clean air on the little jump i decided to head out back to have a sighting lap on the motocross track....OK, sighting lap...then another...and one more and naaaah, think i will head back to the grass track out front...View attachment 19578View attachment 19577
So the other weekend guests arrive, Martin and Gary, two young lads who have ridden two up from Bangkok on a CRF250L!! I thought they were mental then, and having spent the next two days with them i know i was right..haha. Gary rented a KLX 250 from Ricky and set about showing is how its done. Being a former pizza delivery boy had worked wonders and he put the KLX through its paces first on the grass track, and later on in the day chucking it over some table tops and threatening to take on a double at the motocross track out back. Great Stuff. Martin on his shinny new CRF went straight into the small jump at full speed first time round the grass track and the CRF performed just as it has been designed and through him off over the handlebars...Ouch, and luckily for him only a few minor scratches and the usual gear lever and handlebar bends on the CRF. Ricky and Joe to the Rescue with tool kit on hand and Martin was back out. Now showing me up by getting clean air and no doubt wondering along with me why i could get the YZF to do the same..
Later in the day Sam shows us how its really done by pulling some really amazing jumps and i can only dream of being born again with some cahonies
View attachment 19573View attachment 19572View attachment 19571Some photo,s of Gary and Martin on the KLX and CRFView attachment 19575View attachment 19574
A few stops during the day for food, all well prepared at the restaurant at Baan Ricky and before we know its beer o,clock and every one has had a blast. Oh and Amy had also mastered going over the small jump on the KLX, first time round smooth as you like, 2nd time round she went for a one handed wave style side ways exit while pulling a wheelie...it was the most amazing thing i had seen on two wheels since Martins earlier exit on the CRF. View attachment 19569View attachment 19568
That night was Ricky,s birthday and a great feast was put on. Some lovely food prepared the staff and Ricky,s lovely wife Boom. A big thank you to Ricky and Family for letting is all join in.
Next day, slightly hung over, Sam and Amy headed of to do the local sights and myself, Martin, Garry, Ricky and Joe hatched a plan to go look for some new trails in the mountains around Baan Ricky. After a few false starts looking for way up, we hit a lovely stretch of trail riding and end up heading into a Ranger camp site. View attachment 19580View attachment 19585View attachment 19588
Being unsure of whether we are allowed in, we head up the road and thankfully when we get to the ranger station we are greeted with fresh cups of water and a small tour of their camp site. The ranger explaining with pride how they get the fish in the river to clean the pots and plates by sitting them into the river, the fish then go to town eating up all the leftover,s and at the same time the ranger catches a fish for the next meal...Now that has to be some sort of Catch 22 for the fish!View attachment 19528
A great way to spend a sunday afternoon, and when we get back to Baan Ricky its time for some food and a few beers. As Sam and Amy have moved out, i now get to stay in the Bungalow, its been very well designed and was very comfortable. I had been giving Amy some stick the previous night as she mentioned the water was FREEZING...toughen up i replied..haha, well Sunday night i found out that the water is FREEZING. Ricky assures me that the water heater will be fixed before his next water delivery from Antarctica arrives. But ye, 650/night for the bungalow is a crackin deal.
Even if your not doing any bike events, Staying here is highly recommended. We had control of the restaurant on Sunday night, Ricky has a projector and it was Moto Gp qualifying and then the masters Golf.
Monday, Me Martin and Garry decide to head of to Pilok on the Burma Thai Border, we had been looking on the map and Ricky and Garry had both done it before, the road looks nuts on the map and nuts it was. Nice ride up north then when the road starts to head up the mountain its switch back city, all around the side of a mountain, the road condition is about 70%, some times it was great then other parts had huge pot holes, trails of gravel and wet leaves. But proceeding with caution, unlike the group on Vespa,s heading back down the hill and it is still allot of fun.
Stopped of at the view point.Not sure about the camp site though!
and then at a waterfall,Great way to cool off.
the road down to the waterfall was nuts, i wasnt sure how the KTM with road tyres would handle coming back up, had a few side ways slides but was pretty good.
Finally at Pilok, enough time to tour around a little bit, get told of for something by the border guard and head back into Pilok for some food and fuel.
The lateness of our leaving Baan Ricky and is mucking about with photo,s and waterfalls ment we had to start heading back sooner than we would have liked. Gary had to had back the KLX to Ricky and we wanted to get into Kanchanaburi. So of we went on a mad dash back the same way we had come. Managing to get slightly lost at a junction that i never even noticed on the way up. We got back to Baan Ricky at Dusk and decided to head of in the rain back to Kanchanaburi, Me with Gary on the back of the KTM this time.Stayed in the Tamarind Guest house, great value there if it had not been for me paying for a room in the morning that had already been paid for the night before!. it was really Buddha day now, so wasn't sure if we would get a drink but found a bar doing the usual shutter down routine as the cops came past. Cracking end to a cracking weekend.
I have made plans to head back up to Baan Ricky, and explore Kanchanaburi further in Ocotober. Hopeing the others can make it back also. What a great first weekend out and about on the KTM. Cant wait to see more and meet up with other happy bikers out there exploring.
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