If you can only have one motorbike in Cambodia, what would you get?

I'll be doing ~70% Cambodia and the remainder taking long distance trips, sometimes internationally. Something like the Yamaha Ténéré 700 would be perfect but is out of my budget...

I'd love to pick up an R6 for runs to Bokor mountain and Yamamoto circuit without fully winding up a CRF250L or another small dirtbike, but then I'm stuck with an overpowered bike on cratered dirt roads...

I've been following a rider vlogging on youtube, she does massive road/trail trips on tarmac, through desert sand, jungle mud tracks, and pretty much everything in between.

She's working her way through Africa at the moment, her last season was a ride from South America to Alaska and for the beginning of the Alaska trip she bought a new CRF300 Rally and talked about her thoughts as to why she chose that bike over bigger bikes she's previously used, and also the CRF450L which she took for a drive.

She went for CRF300 because it's lightweight and it seems to be working well, for her at least. It seems like a great, all-purpose bike. If you like your bikes bigger there's the 450L which seems like a good compromise between weight and power.

Xr250

Or a dream

Where would you be going internationally?

Are you buying the bike outside of Cambodia?

Random Dude wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 1:25 pm I've been following a rider vlogging on youtube, she does massive road/trail trips on tarmac, through desert sand, jungle mud tracks, and pretty much everything in between.

She went for CRF300 because it's lightweight and it seems to be working well, for her at least. It seems like a great, all-purpose bike. If you like your bikes bigger there's the 450L which seems like a good compromise between weight and power.

I just watched the video where her clutch basket went after powering through a mud road in Africa - pretty crazy trip she's on.

My first thought was a CRF250/300L. They're cheap and parts are plentiful since they're made in Thailand, and reliable AF. They're not bad for longer trips cruising at 65 mph. The 450L has more frequent maintenance and costs 10k vs 4k for the 250L.

If I was ONLY going to stay in Siem Reap, Honda CRF250L would be the bike for sure.

Darkcel wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 2:00 pm Xr250

Or a dream

I do dream of the times I had an XR250...

Alex wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 2:08 pm No matter where you go in Cambodia, it's pretty much guaranteed that worse riders have already gone there on worse motorcycles. In other words, I wouldn't overthink it, but I'd choose something that any village mechanic knows how to fix.

True that - you don't really need anything more than a Honda Blade 110 to get around SEA. I'm a bit of a bike nut though, so I'm looking for something a little more lively.

DeparRudeAnts wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 2:55 pm Where would you be going internationally?

Are you buying the bike outside of Cambodia?

Most of the long distance trips would be to Bangkok from Siem Reap, with some trips to Lao thrown in and maybe Vietnam.

This would be my first purchased bike in Asia. I've been searching the Thai classifieds too. It seems like a Cambodian plated bike wouldn't be too limiting compared to other countries, but I don't know too much about all that.

TRO wrote: ↑Mon Aug 07, 2023 2:09 am

Alex wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 2:08 pm No matter where you go in Cambodia, it's pretty much guaranteed that worse riders have already gone there on worse motorcycles. In other words, I wouldn't overthink it, but I'd choose something that any village mechanic knows how to fix.

True that - you don't really need anything more than a Honda Blade 110 to get around SEA. I'm a bit of a bike nut though, so I'm looking for something a little more lively.

DeparRudeAnts wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 2:55 pm Where would you be going internationally?

Are you buying the bike outside of Cambodia?

Most of the long distance trips would be to Bangkok from Siem Reap, with some trips to Lao thrown in and maybe Vietnam.

This would be my first purchased bike in Asia. I've been searching the Thai classifieds too. It seems like a Cambodian plated bike wouldn't be too limiting compared to other countries, but I don't know too much about all that.

As far as I remember, there were some kind of limitations. I can't remember from where to where else, or which bike plates. Times could have changed since, but probably best to ask a real bikey, I've never taken one over any boarders

TRO wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 11:11 am If you can only have one motorbike in Cambodia, what would you get?

I'll be doing ~70% Cambodia and the remainder taking long distance trips, sometimes internationally. Something like the Yamaha Ténéré 700 would be perfect but is out of my budget...

I'd love to pick up an R6 for runs to Bokor mountain and Yamamoto circuit without fully winding up a CRF250L or another small dirtbike, but then I'm stuck with an overpowered bike on cratered dirt roads...

A ujm style is best.

600-1300cc with comfy suspension, great brakes and enough hp for all that you come across.

Not peaky and twitchy like a r6, not sluggish and slow like a crf300

There's a guy in Siam Reap with a yellow Hyosung Suzuki copy for like 2 grand, great bike

Don't buy anything that's been Cafe converted or Khmer owned