Singapore to London in 1973

[merantau]

A mate, Herman, and I did this trip in 1973. I shipped my CB450 Honda from Melbourne to Singapore and then drove up to Darwin in an old Vauxhall Velox with another mate and two Canadian women who were going home via Singapore and wanted to see a bit of SE Asia on the way.

We left Darwin by TAA to Baucau, in Potuguese Timor, then made our way by truck to Dili, and then Kupang in Indonesian Timor.

After that it was a plane to Bali then across Java to Jakarta, ferry from Merak to a port in South Sumatra. Then a train to Palembang. My 3 friends flew to Singapore from there whereas I continued by bus up to Lake Toba eventually leaving Indonesia by plane from Medan to Penang.

By this stage my mate, Hermon (H), had accumulated the $$$ to finance the trip and buy a new CB175 in Singapore. So he flew over, met up with us and did just that.

In the meantime my bike was still in Melbourne held up by a wharfies strike! So H and I spent 3 weeks riding 2-up to Bangkok and Chiang Mai on the 175. We went via Penang and returned to Penang as that was where we had to ship the bikes to Madras from.

So after Penang I hitched down to Singapore to pick up my bike which had arrived - finally!

I don't have many photos of the first part of the trip. I have a few from India heading west.

The above show the state of the Trans Sumatra Highway in 1973. I was on that bus. Four days from Palembang to Lake Toba via Jambi and Bukittinggi.

I stayed overnight in Jambi with that family. I met their son, Dr. Henry Joseman, who was returning home after completing his medical studies in Java.

I will post more over the days to come

 

[Ah Boon]

Very interesting and I look forward to more..!! I was working in Singapore at that time (1971 through 1974) and I, too, had a CB175. I rode it to Penang in 1 day (13 hours). No mean feat in the days without an expressway and no bridges to Penang. Primay reason for the trip was to observe and help out in the pits for a friend racing a T500 Suzuki. That was in the days when they held bike races in Georgetown. Cheers.

 

[merantau]

Very interesting and I look forward to more..!! I was working in Singapore at that time (1971 through 1974) and I, too, had a CB175. I rode it to Penang in 1 day (13 hours). No mean feat in the days without an expressway and no bridges to Penang. Primay reason for the trip was to observe and help out in the pits for a friend racing a T500 Suzuki. That was in the days when they held bike races in Georgetown. Cheers.

Honda make excellent machinery as we know. The 175 was faultless and my mate rode it in London for a while before selling it. He purchased it from Boon Siew & Company. I believe they are still the Honda agents. I still ride a Honda - a modified CB750 which I've owned since 1980. I loved Penang.

 

[merantau]

When we returned to Bangkok, after a brief stay in Chiangmai, we thought it would be a bright idea to begin our trip back south at midnight - cooler and less traffick. Bad idea!
About 200km south we hit some road works. The road was crossing an embankment between fields and a pipe was being installed beneath. Our lane had been replaced by a gaping hole. About 20mts before the drop there was a flimsy wooden barrier and beyond that a pile of screenings. I was nodding off on the back and didn't see a thing. But I heard H yell, "SHIT" and next instant we were both flying through the air.

Luckily the bike, and us, didn't end in the ditch. H had a badly cut face and I was fortunate to land on my right side. I was able to stand up but knew my shoulder was in bad shape but not broken

Immediate concern was to stem the bleeding so H could see. Once this was done we got the bike upright. But in the crash the rear brake pedal had bent so when H got on the back the swing arm came down and engaged the rear brake.

Eventually we stopped a truck to get H to hospital and I followed on the bike. They looked after us so well. H got 27 stitches in his wounds and I was x-rayed and given the all clear. But I couldn't walk much the next day and my arm had little movement. It took about 5 days before I could raise it to horizontal both forward and laterally. I will never forget the kindness of the staff in that little hospital in Phet Buri.

H and Jimmy a Tamil guy whom we met in Penang.

 

[Ah Boon]

When we returned to Bangkok, after a brief stay in Chiangmai, we thought it would be a bright idea to begin our trip back south at midnight - cooler and less traffick. Bad idea!
About 200km south we hit some road works. The road was crossing an embankment between fields and a pipe was being installed beneath. Our lane had been replaced by a gaping hole. About 20mts before the drop there was a flimsy wooden barrier and beyond that a pile of screenings. I was nodding off on the back and didn't see a thing. But I heard H yell, "SHIT" and next instant we were both flying through the air.

Luckily the bike, and us, didn't end in the ditch. H had a badly cut face and I was fortunate to land on my right side. I was able to stand up but knew my shoulder was in bad shape but not broken

Immediate concern was to stem the bleeding so H could see. Once this was done we got the bike upright. But in the crash the rear brake pedal had bent so when H got on the back the swing arm came down and engaged the rear brake.

Eventually we stopped a truck to get H to hospital and I followed on the bike. They looked after us so well. H got 27 stitches in his wounds and I was x-rayed and given the all clear. But I couldn't walk much the next day and my arm had little movement. It took about 5 days before I could raise it to horizontal both forward and laterally. I will never forget the kindness of the staff in that little hospital in Phet Buri.View attachment 92647
H and Jimmy a Tamil guy whom we met in Penang.

Boon Siew are still in business but the founder died in 1995. I aso bought my CB175 in Singapore from Boon Siew. I spend the best part of every southern winter in Penang or other SEA & northern hemisphere countries and have done since 2005. I am in Penang now but due back to New Zealand in two weeks time.
I have ridden from Penang through Phuket and on up to (bypassing) Bangkok so often I have lost count. It can be a challenge in daylight so I hate to think of it in darkness, especially in 1973..!! I am happy you ( + your mate and the bike) survived to tell us this tale. That was quite a trip - two-up on a CB175..!!
Honda do build some great bikes and I have owned a few including, but not limited to, a CB125 through to a CX500T (in Melbourne) and a VF1000R. I have also owned Matchless, Nortons, Suzukis, Yamahas and Kawasakis (No American or European bikes). Currently I own a Kawasak ER5 (500cc twin with 103,000 Km), an EX300 Ninja and a CBR400RR (project). I still do in excess of 12,000 km/year and plan to continue as long as I am able. (83 and counting).
BTW: As an apprentice back in about 1962, I dreamed of doing the ride to the UK but could never afford it. Hence my particular interest in your tale.
Cheers

 

[merantau]

Boon Siew are still in business but the founder died in 1995. I aso bought my CB175 in Singapore from Boon Siew. I spend the best part of every southern winter in Penang or other SEA & northern hemisphere countries and have done since 2005. I am in Penang now but due back to New Zealand in two weeks time.
I have ridden from Penang through Phuket and on up to (bypassing) Bangkok so often I have lost count. It can be a challenge in daylight so I hate to think of it in darkness, especially in 1973..!! I am happy you ( + your mate and the bike) survived to tell us this tale. That was quite a trip - two-up on a CB175..!!
Honda do build some great bikes and I have owned a few including, but not limited to, a CB125 through to a CX500T (in Melbourne) and a VF1000R. I have also owned Matchless, Nortons, Suzukis, Yamahas and Kawasakis (No American or European bikes). Currently I own a Kawasak ER5 (500cc twin with 103,000 Km), an EX300 Ninja and a CBR400RR (project). I still do in excess of 12,000 km/year and plan to continue as long as I am able. (83 and counting).
BTW: As an apprentice back in about 1962, I dreamed of doing the ride to the UK but could never afford it. Hence my particular interest in your tale.
Cheers

83 and counting - I like it! I'll be 76 in December - and counting! You do a lot of miles and it can only be good for you. Good for me too. The most enjoyable riding for me is in Indonesia and I will be back there early next year for a few months of adventure.
As a matter of interest, my passion for motorcycles began at an early age. A mate of my old man's rode out from London to Melbourne in 1954 on a Sunbeam 500 outfit. He was accompanied by his wife. He was 57 at the time. His name was Cecil "Tex" Ledger and his wife was, Elvina. She was 35 and a was a nurse.

The Sunbeam was the first motorcycle I ever rode on. I'll never forget the thrill. Vivid memory for a 5 year old.

Some photos.

 

[merantau]

So, after we left the hospital in Phetburi we headed back to Penang. On arrival there was a telegram from my mate in Singapore informing me that the ship, with my bike on board, had docked and that he was staying at the Kian Wah Hotel in Bencoolen St.
So, I hitched down to Singapore but Immigration didn't want to let me in. They said I was "an undesirable Hippy" - the main evidence for this being the telegram mentioning a cheap hotel in Bencoolen St. This was a good experience for me as it gave me an appreciation of what it feels like to be discriminated against, something that millions of people suffer on a daily and ongoing basis.

I was eventually allowed in for a week when a more senior officer was summouned to examine the Bill of Lading I had for the bike.

I went directly to the port. The crater was still on board. A few hours wait and it was sitting on the wharf. I borrowed a crowbar and levered open the crate. The battery was completely dead - as I suspected it might be after being idle for 3 months. It had fuel. In those days you were not required to empty your tank

I tried kicking the bike over - nothing. What to do? I noted that there was a decent hill leading up to the port gates, soo I pushed the bike outside, ran alongside, jumped on and - bingo! The rolling start fired her up. She ran really roughly but I made it to the Kian Wah and replaced the battery the next day.

Nilgiri Hills, south India

 

[Capss]

Great write up and old photos, thanks for sharing

Wayne

 

[merantau]

I spent just one day in Singapore before heading back over the Causeway to Johore and the north. I can't recall much about the trip save from picking up a young Malay hitchiker and dropping him off in Georgetown.

I felt a bit mean dropping him off but I was headed for a village of Chinese fishermen at Batu Feringhi where H was holed up waiting for my return. Memories of the awful 1969 race riots may have still been very real for many people so I thought it best not to set a young Malay kid down in Chinese kampong. Very likely the young kid would not have felt comfortable being there but I'm just speculating here.

So the plan was for H to get both bikes on to the MV Chindabaram while I took the train back to Bangkok after which I would fly to Rangoo, spend a few days in Burma then fly to Calcutta and take the train down to Madras to meet the boat - and the bikes!

As it was the only passenger plane the Burmese had crashed the day before I got to Bangkok so I took the direct flight to Calcutta. I spent a few days kipping at that venerable institution - the Salvation Army Red Shield Guesthouse in Sudder St. - a real traveller's hangout if ever there was one - before taking the long train trip, 3rd class of course! - to Madras.

I arrived the day before the ship was due in. It was great to catch up with H again. There was an eclectic mix of bikes on board. An Englishman had an 850 Norton Commando, there was an Aussie couple on new CB750 Honda's, an Aussie on an RD350 Yamaha twin and finally, of all things, an Aussie on a 250 Ducati single.

A funny story about the Aussies with the Honda's. They had bought a lot of watches in Singapore and were smuggling them into India. The guy was worried that if they got sprung, Customs would also relieve him of his expensive wrist watch - a Swiss Bulova.

So the guy asked H to wear it for him. As he handed it over he joked: "Don't get any bright ideas about pissing off with it. My bike's faster than yours."

Getting the bikes off was a really palaver. Everyone had a Carnet, of course, and Indian Customs were meticulous - and SLOW. The dock workers were demanding large amounts of baksheesh- and it was effing HOT!

Eventually all was settled and we rode out the Port gates, ecstatic to be free of the bureaucracy. We headed directly for the hotel I'd spent the night in - the Malaysia Hotel in Rasappachetty St.

We got in the room. H looked at his wrist and blurted out: "Faark! I've still got the guy's watch! We spent the next hour riding around checking hotels - to no avail We hung around for another day but - zilch. H had that watch for about three years. He lost it while swimming in the Phwe Lake in Pokhara, Nepal while on his return trip to Australia in early 1976

 

[merantau]

I had been to India in 1970 and spent a couple of months travelling in a VW Kombi that two mates had driven to Madras from Marocco.. A mate and me hitched from Melbourne to Darwin, and then travelled Indonesia etc to make it to the rendezvous outside the Madras GPO.
So I knew what to expect re the road and riding conditions, as well as the heat, the food and the locals.

It was all new for H but he took it all in his stride and we quickly formed a solid riding partnership.

We headed south for the beach at Mahabalipuram and spent a few days relaxing and swimming. Then we headed inland to make our way to the Nilgiri Hills to escape the heat.

However, H developed severe Abdominal pain which he could not shake. So we ended up at the Christian Medical College Hospital in Vellore. It was the the first Indian hospital to do kidney transplants.

He was admitted and underwent various tests which revealed nothing. After a few days he was back to his upbeat self and we were on our way. During our time there I was taken in by one of the young doctors, Rohan Ganguly, who was very kind to me. He rode a 250cc Triumph Cub and took me on a visit to a leper colony. I learnt a lot about the disease on that visit Rohan dispelled many of the myths about the disease that were common at the time. For example, people's toes and fingers do not drop off, and the disease is not highly infectious. There is really no valid reason to force sufferers to live apart from the general population. It is the stigmatisation of these people- a social issue - that needs to be tackled.

Keeping warm - trying to - in the Nilgiri Hills

 

[merantau]

The hills have an very different atmosphere to the Plains. The mist in the morning, the ice on the lakes, the people wearing woollens, balaclavas , mufflers and gloves. Lots of Christians, lots of churches and cemeteries, businesses that still retained British names - even some old British cars. And a few Anglo- Indians living out their twilight years, abandoned by the British, caught between two cultures.

 

[merantau]

In Ootycamund it was bloody cold at night and in the early morning it was near freezing point. We camped for a couple of nights in the forest and explored nearby hill stations, Connor and Kotagiri during the day. Then we headed back down to the Plains for some warmth