planning a 2,800km ride...

planning the ride has always been my favourite part of a trip...


route, packing list, place to stay, places to eat, nice food in area, service bike, tires, riding buddies, trip briefing, anticipation, etc are amongst the things to think about...


route planning is my utmost enjoyment.. have a destination, and plan everything in between... ride distance, petrol stop, lunch, hotel, places of interest etc..


this time... a trip to meet my fellow Motorraders in Hua Hin after their month long trip to the golden triangle and more.


Destination: Hua Hin
3 days to arrive (at leisure time)
places of interest: KawThoung of Myanmar, the corners of Ranong-Chumphon, the nice roads and corners of PhangNga-TakuaPa.


So planned the following:
Day 1: KL-Trang (700km)
Day 2: Trang-Ranong (450km)
Day 3: Ranong/KhawThoung
Day 4: Ranong-HuaHin (380km) - meeting point with JWs
Day 5: HuaHin
Day 6: HuaHin-Surat Thani (470km)
Day 7: Surat Thani-Hat yai (340km)
Day 8: Hat yai-KL (540km)


here's how it looks like on google map... :)

now... a route plan and schedule in place... apply leave and on with packing list etc... :)

my BMW R1200GS...

after picking up my newly acquired used BMW R1200GS 2008 in Nov 2009. i immediately took it to attend a Staff Dinner @ Sepang Gold Coast. halfway there, GS was jerking as if fuel starvation but still able to cruise along... a few KMs later, she decided to give up and i rolled to a halt... at Bangi-Sepang highway.


i waited for 15mins before attempting to restart her which failed too & its already dark... a few calls to colleagues & the SC at AB, arrangements were made to send GS back to AB Glenmarie. 2 hours later, a truck came to "rescue" GS while my colleagues came (after dinner) to rescue me!!


after diagnostic, i was told that the relay for the fuel pump has failed. further explanation on the probable cause is "storage".. it was replaced and bike was out of workshop 1 week later and no charge (including truck pick up) as it was under warranty.


a quick visit to Wunderlich proved to be expensive!! Akrapovic exhaust, vario panniers, lower protection bar, fork savers, brake-line protector, cruise control, bigfoot stand & BMW riding gears!!! Zumo 550 was installed.


blue wasnt my favorite color for GS but since i bought it used, i had plans for her to be coated in my fav Alpine White (which BMW later announced for 2010 prod, argh!!)


She has since evolved into what she is today with additional of... Alpine White color, Sargent seat, foglights, LED day running lights, Adventure panniers, front mudflap extender, rear splashguard, topbox (rear seat replacement), Zumo 660, slim tank bag, 3M headlamp protector, front beak extension and lots of stickers on panniers.


Now... i just need a pair of new foglights and black wheels, that will "complete" my GS. :)

not how she looks now but close..

why BMW R1200GS...

it started with a ride to Awana Kijal on my VFR800. the ride was long and was raining heavily. our planned arrival was supposed to be before sunset, however with the rain we arrived way passed 8pm...


after a quick shower, we went downstairs to have dinner... and my hands were so tired that i couldn't hold chopsticks with my fingers and ended up using a fork to eat noodles!!! it was then, i realized that alot of my weight is on my wrist riding the VFR.


immediately after the ride, i was already looking for solutions to long rides. and the options are - to install helibars on VFR OR change to a more comfortable bike for Long Rides.

 sample of helibar on VFR800

Helibars - will raise the handlebar to a higher position where riding position will be a lot more comfortable. example will be like the VFRs used by our Police Bike force. it was a quick solution for my long rides but i dread the look of the VFR with the modification... its just not meant to be like that!!!

More comfortable bikes - options were filtered to a few bikes namely, Kawa GTR 1400, BMW R1200RT & BMW R1200GS. All of them priced at RM115k plus minus. 

Kawasaki GTR 1400

BMW R1200GS Adventure

Weighing all 3 options... after a visit to Sunvay Cycle & AB Bukit Bintang

1. Kawa - awesome power, good looks but somehow i couldn't get used to the riding position and cockpit. Rejected...

2. RT - handsome, comfort and shortlisted

3. GS - rugged, nice riding position and shortlisted too

Brand new BMWs were not available due to shortage of stocks. 2 options were presented to me by the SC in AB, a used RT for 98k and a used GS for the same price of 98k. both are less than 1 year old.

in my mind, i have decided on the GS and wanted an R1200 GS Adventure!! the SC then told me that for my size, the GSA will become a burden to me after a few hundred KMs due to its size and weight. i bought his explanation... hence started looking at the used GS.

it was blue in color, 525km on the trip, 11 months old... after a quick look at the bike at the owner's hse in saujana, i decided!!! a week later the bike was in my posession!!! :)

my VFR800...

she was borned in 2003, but i didn't have her till August 2007. i remembered her as love at 1st sight after i have decided to get back to biking in July '07. She was in Red and only had 9k clicks on her. Sat there most of the 4 years. her previous owner didn't have much time for her...

after getting her, i have placed a new number on her WQJ8711... since then, i have showered her with much love via "more then usual" servicing, best oils available, a set of Ohlins suspension, a set of Honda Original panniers, Laser Exhaust, Power Commander, Paintshield Protection, 3M Headlamp protection, Gear shift indicator, heavier bar-end weights etc...

now, she enjoys her life more as we regularly goes for holidays, both locally and overland... that went on for 2 years till i felt that she was getting abit too sporty for my riding style... hence i looked at other options, ie BMW R1200GS.

But that didn't stop me from giving her the love she deserved, gave her a new coat of paint to refresh her now aging paintwork... the white theme was selected to cover her fine body...

with the new BMW, she was not neglected either, Jeffrey occasionally takes her out for a spin or two... and we had since went on tour a couple of times too. the two bikes met and i would say... a bond is in the air. one sporty while the other enduro... no clash in interest, only split in time spent..

1st April 2011, Jeffrey told me that he'll be meeting the buyer of my VFR in AmBank, i thought he was pulling an April Fool's joke on me.. but NO!! he was serious and the buyer made full settlement for her and was to meet at 1600hrs for a handover of cash & bike!! i was speechless... i had been planning to take her for a ride before something like this would happen, but i guess i had missed my chance for a final fling with her around the curves of Titi-Kong...

Loads of fond memories remain in my mind for our relationship... a 3.5 years of good times... i wish the new owner will treat you much better than i ever did. 

take care and you will be dearly missed, my VFR800... xoxo

am yearning for a longggg ride...

3 of my friends are set to go on a journey of a lifetime (for now, till new ambitions and funds) of 30 days on a biking adventure.. to indochina.

this has got me wondering when i am able to do the same... leave the job & family behind for such a long time and just go touring, just me, my GS & a few good riding buddies..

i AM yearning to ride... long and far... maybe, its my way of relaxation, peace and away from reality for some alone time. for now, i'll have to settle for my weekend rides and hopefully, i'll be able to join my friends when they are on their homeward bound route in a month's time...

Bon Voyage... my friends (Capt Nik, mustakim & ivan slowee)

have a great trip, may it be joyous, fun, smooth & safe...

since 2007 last post...

since 2007.. lots have happened in the last 19 months..

work - workload has doubled with the increased Sales numbers with VW.. and expected to double in coming months

hobbies
photography - got deeper into it... from my 1st D70 to D300, D3 and now D3s. lenses range from 16mm-300mm, flashes, tripods, monopods, bags etc. shooting includes macro, fauna/flora, track racing, dinners, events etc

MTB - have been very lazy to cycle since i got my VFR

Superbiking - from my VFR in 2007, i bought a BMW R1200GS in Oct 2009 and have been riding actively with the GS. more long rides to many destinations.

my Cars - have been proudly in Jetta, GTI, Tiguan, Beetle, Passat CC & now a Scirocco.

frens - made many new frens thru my hobbies, many are a Zodiac cycle younger, thus made me feel alot younger than i really am... :)

hmm.. i guess that's for now... till then, cheerio...

be a Dad when you still can...

was talking to a close fren lately and subject of parenting came up...

when i thought of the subject "be a dad when u still can"... it put a tear in my eye!

why? coz i realize... in a year or two, Sean won't want to be seen with this old man!!! it wont be cool... he will rather be with his teenage frens.

what can i do? that's life... when they are young, they'll stick to u like glue (and usually parents will hope they have extra space from kids). Then when they grow, the bond will dissapear and kids grow apart from parents and be with frens (could it be because parents always give the impression they want be alone?).

short term plan - spend as much quality time with sean as i can. be involve with his activities more..

long term plan - create a mutual liking for a hobby or involve him in my hobbies and groom him to be more attached to me.

hope it works... he's my only son, and i wouldn't want to "lose" him to the reality...