Thai Vintage Enduro weekend to Omkoi, south of mae Sariang

[KTMphil]

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30 Thai's on vintage enduro bikes (The Thailand Vintage Enduro Club) & Justin, did a 4 day ride to a small village in the Omkoi region south of Mae Sariang (R 105 area). I managed to get Justin to run me through some of his photo's, this is some of the story:


Meeting at a PTT on R 108 in the Hang Dong area around 7.30am was the plan. Justin said he got there 0745am & was the only bike there, concerned about this had to keep driving to all 3 PTT stations in the area to make sure he had the right one!











One of the Thai riders is about to ride this 600km

 

[KTMphil]

Some beautiful vintage bikes

 

[KTMphil]

All very keen

 

[KTMphil]

& they're off! Down R 108 to Hot!

















First bit of drama - Long engine bolt comes loose and falls out, engine nearly comes out of the bike

 

[KTMphil]

Lunch stop south of San Patong on R 108















Guy in the middle is "Ginny" or "Vinny", one of the main organizers. Lady on the right, his wife has only been riding 6 months and gets stuck in.

 

[KTMphil]

Next bit of mild drama, this guy's float bowl is jammed in the carb, time to strip that down, lots of eager helpers around not a problem.

 

[Loop]

SL 125`s!! there`s a blast from the past-one of the first "big bikes" i ever rode and a TL 125 that a friend use to lend me for trials competition. There was a twin cylinder SL 175 around in those days too.

I just love Thais enthusiasm for anything nostalgia/retro.

I bumped into a club with mainly immaculate old CB 350`s and some CB 250`s at a PTT station near Nakhon Thai one time,lovely,cared for old bikes.

 

[KTMphil]

Finally some dirt trails, one of the enthusiasts changing his front sprocket gearing for dirt!

 

[KTMphil]

Changing the rear Shock underway!




Some creative gear carrying configurations

 

[KTMphil]

Snack break in the woods












Group rider shot

 

[KTMphil]

THE START OF SOME DIRT TRAILS







Justin came across this fantastic lady that was immensely shy, he said he'd buy some pumpkins from her, then she loosened up a little






Great photo!




Can you imagine how much they must weigh? Being carried by the forehead.

 

[KTMphil]

Drink stop






River fish at a small shop on the trails






& then of course, time to party






Who needs fancy pivot pegs anyway?

 

[KTMphil]

Starting to get a little wet out there now and a little muddy








& a little more







Pretty much a non-event for the locals





















Big smiles, no matter what the terrain from the Vintage Enduro Riders






All pretty wiped out now

 

[KTMphil]

The mud is pretty wet now and is starting to stick







Front sprocket covers are starting to get packet with mud, chains are getting bar tight













Justin asked this guy how far back to his village, he said 9km (with one shoe)!

 

[KTMphil]

Glorious mud

 

[KTMphil]

Dinner in the village












Now pissing down with rain







They told Justin that there would be fresh fish for dinner. I think he had visions of a nice, big, Mekong river fish, like you'd get in Luang Prabang, with ginger and herbs protruding beautifully from its mouth, didn't really expect this!

 

[LUFC]

You've got some patience dude!

 

[KTMphil]

Indulging in the "Laos Khow" -- home made rice whisky






When they ran out of moonshine, they went and scooped some more with plastic bags

 

[KTMphil]

Some of the fancy, top shelf, fermented moonshine







This piece of bamboo fed everybody for 3 days







The delicious fish underway

 

[KTMphil]

The enthusiastic Enduro Girl with Justin's KTM










& then the way home after 30 hours of constant rain

 

[KTMphil]

Got pretty nasty, Justin was worried the Giant Loop bag would drag on the sides of the ruts!

 

[KTMphil]

A few photo's of the hydro-electric project they were contributing to the village near Omkoi

 

[KTMphil]

The support truck havin fun in the mud

 

[Ally]

Justin, your pics are amazing & I am quite sure in reality the conditions were actually far worse.

Well done you.

What happened to the Fak Tong?

Ally

 

[bigntall]

The trip was comprised of some gents (and a couple gals) from the Vintage Enduro bike club in combination with one of the Tech colleges. The Tech college built and donated the hydro electric wheel and the Vintage enduro boys would transport it back to the vilage. It sounded an easy enough plan.

After living here for more than a few years I have tried to adapt some to the Thai methodology of doing things. Obviously I have not adapted well enough as I was the only one dumb enough to show up at the 7:30 AM start time. Needless to say by 9:30 am people actually arrived as I sat gobsmacked at the PTT station. I was initially keen to do this ride since I was told we'd be riding off road to Omkoi. I knew no tracks that went there so was gung ho to get into some new tracks. Sadly I should have known things would not quite go according to plan as we plodded along highway 108 instead of off road tracks. Auughgh!!!

I'm off for dinner now but just so i don't leave Ally hanging, i bought the faktong from the hill tribe lady and balanced it between my legs on the trail until I came to the next person I saw wandering the path and donated it to them. The tough rural life always inspires me and being witness to the people provides a lot of the joy that makes living here interesting. I purchased the pumpkin off the lady as a way to develop some rapport from the normally quite shy (especially when a female is encountered alone) Karen tribe gal. It worked as 40 baht for a couple pumpkins was just too much profit for her to pass up. I usually never pay full retail for anything, however in instances like this i gladly leave extra money on the table for those that can truly be in need. 40 baht for a wonderful interaction that keeps me coming back for me.

 

[LUFC]

Got pretty nasty, Justin was worried the Giant Loop bag would drag on the sides of the ruts!

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Hope they are not my forks in disguise!

 

[Satonic]

Flat tire? Or V low pressure + Rim locks?

Wonderful photos and lovely to see you being the only 'Alien' in a group of what seem friendly Thai guys. I'd love to join along on trips like this but I have no idea where to start and how to meet these guys!

Cheers

 

[Stokes70]

nice photos justin!!, so when is the next one you are going on??

 

[bigntall]

Hope they are not my forks in disguise!

I'm dying to get them on the bike. Now guilt, something I rarely ever feel being a selfish prat, has precluded me from mounting your gorgeous legs up. However I'm sure the guilt is ebbing quickly

 

[bigntall]

Flat tire? Or V low pressure + Rim locks?

Wonderful photos and lovely to see you being the only 'Alien' in a group of what seem friendly Thai guys. I'd love to join along on trips like this but I have no idea where to start and how to meet these guys!

Cheers

I was searching for any and all grip available as even the 4 wheel drive trucks were spinning up everywhere and unable to climb the hills. We ended up leaving three bikes on the track as the mud was simply too much for them to continue on.

Meeting the Thai riders is easy enough if you're in Chiang Mai as they are all over Doi Sutthep on Sundays. Just smile a lot, be polite, and try not to grope them around a camp fire like I mistakenly did. Good bunch of guys as long as you have no concern for efficiency, punctuality or pragamatic situation analysis. Put the emphasis on just enjoying the ride and you'll have a blast.

 

[Satonic]

Good bunch of guys as long as you have no concern for efficiency, punctuality or pragamatic situation analysis. Put the emphasis on just enjoying the ride and you'll have a blast.

Haha that also sounds like a lot of my friends back home

Unfortunately I'm in BKK. Maybe after the rain stops I'll try and head north for a few weeks and can hopefully meet up for a blast then.

Cheers

 

[bigntall]

nice photos justin!!, so when is the next one you are going on??

Sarcastic bastard. As soon as my memory blocks out the times of biting my tongue, viens bulging on my forehead, and waiting two hours at a gas station for my fellow riders. It's just different thats all and I figure i can handle "different" about every other month or so, haha.

I'll try and get some video uploaded tomorrow.

 

[Lao2stroker]

Great pix and a true "Thai" tale.....Those old SLs and TLs are great...I broke my ankle racing one as a vintage motard, a TL125....And I thought the same about that tire, too...Looks like you needed all the grip you could get..and patience!

 

[KTMphil]

Some photo's from endurogirl

 

[KTMphil]

One more

 

[bigntall]

Bit of video.

This from the first hill encountered on the track, of course as each ridge came and went more people fell, bikes broke, and tiredness set in. So lets enjoy the enthusiasm from the first hill.

Not wearing my chest protector so the GOPro alignment is buggered and I failed to adjust for it. So enjoy looking at the KTM triple clamps.

 

[bigntall]

Well that didn't work. Phil you could you throw me a lifesaving ring and post the video up for me purdy please?

Here's the link: 1st hill - YouTube

Cheers.

 

[johnnysneds]

Sounds like you had a right laugh J, wish I had come along now . Never seen mud that deep up this way before!!

 

[Ally]

"Yiiii Haaaa!" never sounded so good

Great video footage Justin, thanks for taking us on a walk up the hill in the mud.

Ally

 

[KTMphil]

Looks like Endurogirl might have had a problem