Tips for buying a motor bike

Chazza

I have seen some rental places only require a photocopy of the passport (I assume they site the original).

There is a bike group on Facebook -

Motorbikes HCMC

A second-hand Nouvo Yamaha scooter only cost $250-$400. Some shops offer a buy-back when you don't want to use the motorbike anymore. If you have a Vietnamese friend, you may ask him/her to buy it for you. If you walk into a shop by yourself, surely that they will charge you over price. 

if you are NOT a tourist and intend to be in Vietnam for some time, you cannot better a NEW Honda Airblade for quality and resale value.
If you are thinking of buying a second hand motorbike, please take note that the word "maintenance" does not exist in the lexicon of most Vietnamese. Expect NOTHING to work properly. Do your own check ofbrakes, clutch, lights, gears, then take it to a mechanic to fully check.  Ask anyone except the seller what the resale value is.
As far as I know, a foreigner may NOT register a moto in his/her name, which is another problem.
Welcome to Vietnam.

damn. it sounds interesting.

but pretty much I have to keep my expectations low when buying a motorbike. 

also what about insurance for the bike? since the bike will be in another person name, how will this work?

Second hand bikes commonly lack a service history if a less well off person has owned it.
I'd buy a new Honda step though if possible.
Easy to handle.
No worries in the rain...if you own a poncho.
Use very little fuel.

A further thought: if you live in an area subject to flooding - and that includes an awful lot of Saigon - don't buy an automatic motorbike, because the air inlet is  very low and you will suck in water into the engine after any sort of thunderstorm.  In this case, buy a bike with gears.

I have a rather high, Honda 125cc Fortune Wing, which can handle up to 18 inches of non-flowing water without stopping. I live on the outskirts of Nha Trang and it can flood here in any wet season, although we haven't had floods for five years.

Head over to Flamingo Motorbikes, aka Vietnam Motorcycles, 30 Do Quang Dau between Pham Nhu Lao and Bui Vien and talk to Cong. He's an excellent mechanic and knows all the step-throughs, small motorcycles (Sym, Win, etc) up to even the bigger (400+cc) bikes. He'll let you take an extended ride and even rent the bike you're thinking about buying for a couple days so you can be sure. Try that with a buyer- beware-private-sale...

If he doesn't have one you like, he can point you in the right direction. Tell him John from Da Lat sent you and he'll smile 'cause I've bought four bikes from him--all gems. He'll even set you up for maintenance so all you have to do is bring it by at suggested intervals.

One note re maintenance... change the oil every 1500km or less. It's only a few USD and good preventive maintenance.

Quote
One note re maintenance... change the oil every 1500km or less. It's only a few USD and good preventive maintenance.
Unquote

Yes, I agree.  Change the oil as soon as it gets dirty, which is usually way before the recommended 2000km oil change. Doing this will extend your engine life a lot.

If you find you are using a lot of petrol, consider changing the electronic CDI unit.
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_ … e_ignition)

Not only does the bike run so much better, but also you use way less petrol, because the bigger spark burns all the petrol rather that just blowing the unused petrol out the exhaust pipe.

pretty cools tips. i will keep that in mind. i should be getting my bike in about 2-3 weeks which is when i get my motorbike license. ( the driver license exam was horrible i had to wait a long time in the heat.)

what is a blue card?
where can i go to learn some basic repairs in case my bike does break down?

thecoolchazza wrote:

what is a blue card?

ownership card

Oil every 1500km or less??? .. I change oil about 6-8000km but then again i drive 1000cc bike! And recomend is 12000km

Most motorbikes in VN are low tech and low capacity, 110cc or 125cc.

I know, more reason to have longer oil change intervals, 1500km is just too little, even if oil is dark/black don't mean it's bad, actually oil that is clear long is bad oil as it will not clean the engine. think about how differently 1000cc bike what revs 13.000rpm does to the oil and then 125-150cc scooter.
modern oils are pretty good, even the low end like Vietnamese. Normally on scooters oil change is somewhat between 7-10tkm. only time when you need to replace oil sooner is when you just bought is (new) and engine needs break-in period.

Most new bikes are available with fuel injection these days, more power and less maintenance, well worth the extra few mil VND.

Wald0 wrote:

I know, more reason to have longer oil change intervals, 1500km is just too little, even if oil is dark/black don't mean it's bad, actually oil that is clear long is bad oil as it will not clean the engine. think about how differently 1000cc bike what revs 13.000rpm does to the oil and then 125-150cc scooter.
modern oils are pretty good, even the low end like Vietnamese. Normally on scooters oil change is somewhat between 7-10tkm. only time when you need to replace oil sooner is when you just bought is (new) and engine needs break-in period.

Small jap bikes don't have oil filters, that's why you need to change the oil more often, " black " oil means it's full of shit from your engine, ( minute iron filings from the bearing shells, etc ). The oil isn't for just cleaning the engine, it's for lubricating it as well, ( much more important ), and thick , " black " oil isn't a very good lubricant, it can lead to overheating, and stressing/warping of engine parts, or ultimately engine seizure.
I used to change my SYNTHETIC oil, and filter on my 900 at 10k, I change my oil on my 125 now at around 10k also, but only because most of my kms are " open " road kms.

bluenz wrote:

Wald0 wrote:

I know, more reason to have longer oil change intervals, 1500km is just too little, even if oil is dark/black don't mean it's bad, actually oil that is clear long is bad oil as it will not clean the engine. think about how differently 1000cc bike what revs 13.000rpm does to the oil and then 125-150cc scooter.
modern oils are pretty good, even the low end like Vietnamese. Normally on scooters oil change is somewhat between 7-10tkm. only time when you need to replace oil sooner is when you just bought is (new) and engine needs break-in period.

Small jap bikes don't have oil filters, that's why you need to change the oil more often, " black " oil means it's full of shit from your engine, ( minute iron filings from the bearing shells, etc ). The oil isn't for just cleaning the engine, it's for lubricating it as well, ( much more important ), and thick , " black " oil isn't a very good lubricant, it can lead to overheating, and stressing/warping of engine parts, or ultimately engine seizure.
I used to change my SYNTHETIC oil, and filter on my 900 at 10k, I change my oil on my 125 now at around 10k also, but only because most of my kms are " open " road kms.

Every 500KM.
And heat is a major contributing factor in the breakdown of oil.
When oil starts to break down,it ceases to do the jobs effectively.
It is proven that stop-start driving(heat from loss of wind cooling,long idling times affect the bore,build up of residues  in the carburettor from sub par fuels{leading to spark plug fouling},poor circulation of oil to the heads) is a key contributing factor in engine damage.
Large capacity bikes even more so.
Big bikes are designed specifically for consistent higher revolutions re. highway speeds.
Plus if the bike has a wet clutch,the stop start affects the oil too.

15/40 wt oil is too light. 20/40 is much preferred for Vietnam city driving.
And if you have a bike big or small that is your hobby bike,for weekend trips or seldom ridden,
that oil needs to be changed regularly too.In fact possibly more so than a bike that is used daily.

I for one have never followed the VN principle of motorcycle maintenance-

"if it aint broke,don't fix it. If it is broke,clean it up and sell it for top price"

So if you want to change your oil whenever you celebrate your birthday,fine.
If you want to change your oil every 2 weeks,that's fine too.

On a final note,the locally processed engine oil is way sub par.
Their blend is not consistent and their additives are not modern tech.
Cheap and nasty.


The image is for entertainment and educational purposes only.

jimbream wrote:

bluenz wrote:

Wald0 wrote:

I know, more reason to have longer oil change intervals, 1500km is just too little, even if oil is dark/black don't mean it's bad, actually oil that is clear long is bad oil as it will not clean the engine. think about how differently 1000cc bike what revs 13.000rpm does to the oil and then 125-150cc scooter.
modern oils are pretty good, even the low end like Vietnamese. Normally on scooters oil change is somewhat between 7-10tkm. only time when you need to replace oil sooner is when you just bought is (new) and engine needs break-in period.

Small jap bikes don't have oil filters, that's why you need to change the oil more often, " black " oil means it's full of shit from your engine, ( minute iron filings from the bearing shells, etc ). The oil isn't for just cleaning the engine, it's for lubricating it as well, ( much more important ), and thick , " black " oil isn't a very good lubricant, it can lead to overheating, and stressing/warping of engine parts, or ultimately engine seizure.
I used to change my SYNTHETIC oil, and filter on my 900 at 10k, I change my oil on my 125 now at around 10k also, but only because most of my kms are " open " road kms.

Every 500KM.
And heat is a major contributing factor in the breakdown of oil.
When oil starts to break down,it ceases to do the jobs effectively.
It is proven that stop-start driving(heat from loss of wind cooling,long idling times affect the bore,build up of residues  in the carburettor from sub par fuels{leading to spark plug fouling},poor circulation of oil to the heads) is a key contributing factor in engine damage.
Large capacity bikes even more so.
Big bikes are designed specifically for consistent higher revolutions re. highway speeds.
Plus if the bike has a wet clutch,the stop start affects the oil too.

15/40 wt oil is too light. 20/40 is much preferred for Vietnam city driving.
And if you have a bike big or small that is your hobby bike,for weekend trips or seldom ridden,
that oil needs to be changed regularly too.In fact possibly more so than a bike that is used daily.

I for one have never followed the VN principle of motorcycle maintenance-

"if it aint broke,don't fix it. If it is broke,clean it up and sell it for top price"

So if you want to change your oil whenever you celebrate your birthday,fine.
If you want to change your oil every 2 weeks,that's fine too.

On a final note,the locally processed engine oil is way sub par.
Their blend is not consistent and their additives are not modern tech.
Cheap and nasty.
[img align=c]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/de/8f/ac/de8fac218748807eb6306597823035f7.jpg[/url]

The image is for entertainment and educational purposes only.

Did you mean 5000 km? ( or do you work for the oil companies, lol ), Yes, oil with a thicker Viscosity is important in warmer climates. Fuel injection/electronic ignition gets around many of the ignition/sparkplug issues. I've never believed, ( or bothered doing it, and I used to own many cars/bikes at the same time, for many years ),  that oil needs to be changed more often when the bike/car isn't being used much, do oil containers have useby dates on them? I've bought cars that have sat for 10 or more years, with the original oil in them, no problem, a bit of fuel and away they go, ( usually ). Not so lucky with Yank import V8 motors though, probably 100 + kms without an oil change, lift off the inlet manifold, and you can't see the lifters because of the thick crust of sludge, ( sometimes like concrete ), no wonder they rattled.

bluenz wrote:

jimbream wrote:

bluenz wrote:

Small jap bikes don't have oil filters, that's why you need to change the oil more often, " black " oil means it's full of shit from your engine, ( minute iron filings from the bearing shells, etc ). The oil isn't for just cleaning the engine, it's for lubricating it as well, ( much more important ), and thick , " black " oil isn't a very good lubricant, it can lead to overheating, and stressing/warping of engine parts, or ultimately engine seizure.
I used to change my SYNTHETIC oil, and filter on my 900 at 10k, I change my oil on my 125 now at around 10k also, but only because most of my kms are " open " road kms.

Every 500KM.
And heat is a major contributing factor in the breakdown of oil.
When oil starts to break down,it ceases to do the jobs effectively.
It is proven that stop-start driving(heat from loss of wind cooling,long idling times affect the bore,build up of residues  in the carburettor from sub par fuels{leading to spark plug fouling},poor circulation of oil to the heads) is a key contributing factor in engine damage.
Large capacity bikes even more so.
Big bikes are designed specifically for consistent higher revolutions re. highway speeds.
Plus if the bike has a wet clutch,the stop start affects the oil too.

15/40 wt oil is too light. 20/40 is much preferred for Vietnam city driving.
And if you have a bike big or small that is your hobby bike,for weekend trips or seldom ridden,
that oil needs to be changed regularly too.In fact possibly more so than a bike that is used daily.

I for one have never followed the VN principle of motorcycle maintenance-

"if it aint broke,don't fix it. If it is broke,clean it up and sell it for top price"

So if you want to change your oil whenever you celebrate your birthday,fine.
If you want to change your oil every 2 weeks,that's fine too.

On a final note,the locally processed engine oil is way sub par.
Their blend is not consistent and their additives are not modern tech.
Cheap and nasty.
[img align=c]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/de/8f/ac/de8fac218748807eb6306597823035f7.jpg[/url]

The image is for entertainment and educational purposes only.

Did you mean 5000 km? ( or do you work for the oil companies, lol ), Yes, oil with a thicker Viscosity is important in warmer climates. Fuel injection/electronic ignition gets around many of the ignition/sparkplug issues. I've never believed, ( or bothered doing it, and I used to own many cars/bikes at the same time, for many years ),  that oil needs to be changed more often when the bike/car isn't being used much, do oil containers have useby dates on them? I've bought cars that have sat for 10 or more years, with the original oil in them, no problem, a bit of fuel and away they go, ( usually ). Not so lucky with Yank import V8 motors though, probably 100 + kms without an oil change, lift off the inlet manifold, and you can't see the lifters because of the thick crust of sludge, ( sometimes like concrete ), no wonder they rattled.

500KM.
It costs me 80-100 thou.
All driving done is stop start.
I was in oil industry long time ago and I guess clean oils have always been important to my machines.
The problem with engine oil in a vehicle that is seldom used,is that exposure to air(humidity,crankcase breather tube) and sitting in a sump for a long period(contains gunk already) creates a container where nothing can escape or be burnt off. Oxidation and contamination,fuel soot from incomplete combustion,moisture from air intake systems.
This long sitting 'soup' is then warmed up and distributed throughout a seldom run engine,coating all internal parts with suspended contaminants.
Mind you,if the engine has an oil filter,then of course time between changes are longer.

I am mainly referring to small engines that do not have a paper element type oil filter.
Air cooled with only a mesh screen filter, possibly a centrifugal filter also.
Used in tropical climates,only in stop start conditions.

bluenz wrote:

Did you mean 5000 km? ( or do you work for the oil companies, lol ), Yes, oil with a thicker Viscosity is important in warmer climates. Fuel injection/electronic ignition gets around many of the ignition/sparkplug issues. I've never believed, ( or bothered doing it, and I used to own many cars/bikes at the same time, for many years ),  that oil needs to be changed more often when the bike/car isn't being used much, do oil containers have useby dates on them? I've bought cars that have sat for 10 or more years, with the original oil in them, no problem, a bit of fuel and away they go, ( usually ). Not so lucky with Yank import V8 motors though, probably 100 + kms without an oil change, lift off the inlet manifold, and you can't see the lifters because of the thick crust of sludge, ( sometimes like concrete ), no wonder they rattled.

Synthetic oil should be changed every year even if you never ride or drive the vehicle. Their compounds break down and are less/not effective over time.

The cars that sat 10 years before you bought them... did you change the oil almost immediately? I'll bet you did.

-JohnD- wrote:

bluenz wrote:

Did you mean 5000 km? ( or do you work for the oil companies, lol ), Yes, oil with a thicker Viscosity is important in warmer climates. Fuel injection/electronic ignition gets around many of the ignition/sparkplug issues. I've never believed, ( or bothered doing it, and I used to own many cars/bikes at the same time, for many years ),  that oil needs to be changed more often when the bike/car isn't being used much, do oil containers have useby dates on them? I've bought cars that have sat for 10 or more years, with the original oil in them, no problem, a bit of fuel and away they go, ( usually ). Not so lucky with Yank import V8 motors though, probably 100 + kms without an oil change, lift off the inlet manifold, and you can't see the lifters because of the thick crust of sludge, ( sometimes like concrete ), no wonder they rattled.

Synthetic oil should be changed every year even if you never ride or drive the vehicle. Their compounds break down and are less/not effective over time.

The cars that sat 10 years before you bought them... did you change the oil almost immediately? I'll bet you did.

Of course I changed the oil, ( pumped up the tires as well ), as I did with all the cars I used to buy, I only used to use Penrite oil, ( they had a particularly good type, Harly 50, I think it was called , good for noisy lifters, etc. ).
These cars were in storage, not sitting exposed to the elements so much, although I used to pick up a few that had been sitting outside for some years, with no problems getting them going again. This was back in the 70's - early 80's when we had real oil, and cars that nearly anyone could work on.

cronolegs wrote:

To answer the opp's question
You do not need a passport. www.tigitmotorbikes.com   we are on Trip advisor
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_R … _City.html

Flamingo travel as someone else has mentioned are also a reputable company.

To answer the oil questions.
Foreigners seem to always over think motorbikes in Vietnam.
If you buy a real Honda motorbike you will quickly learn that Honda recommends you change the oil every 1000km on their motorbikes.
They are the largest motorbike company in Vietnam, I think their advice is probably good to follow when dealing with "real" motorbikes.
They come with a 2 year guarantee. If you fail to follow their 1000KM oil change where the Honda mechanic stamps the log book, then the guarantee becomes void. They take it seriously, and so should you!

Chinese motorbikes on the other hand - at TigitMotorbikes we recommend changing the oil every 8 hours if backpacking to Hanoi.
Or
Once a month if you are living in the city.

Simple reason, is that they overheat quickly and are not designed to be driven long distances. Changing the oil seems to help the piece of garbage to keep on trucking. Most Chinese motorbikes also have small oil leaks that are not fixable.

Old and crap Yamaha Nouvo scooters that Expats love. You should be changing the oil every 2 months in the city. Or follow the rule for the Chinese crap and change every 8 hours when travelling.
Reason being, if it has an oil leak and the engine dies... your holiday is over
The old models are also low quality and half broken in the first place. A simple 4USD oil change should guarantee at least your engine does not die.

Jon

I'm pretty sure my Honda Future FI, had services at least 2000kms apart.  warranty was 2 yrs or 24k km, whatever comes first, ( I've done 32k with oil changes at 5k intervals, still running like a dream, no, not a Honda Dream )