I'm in the market for a motorbike. My goal is fairly simple - It's cheap and it runs. I don't care what it looks like if the price is right. What are your best tricks for finding a good deal? Where do you usually search? I'm in Siem Reap, if that makes any difference, though I'm not opposed to hopping on a bus for a good deal.

Does anyone know if the Boxer 150s are decent? I saw one of those for a price that seemed pretty good.

Perhaps ask on the FB groups in Siem Reap, seems someone is always leaving town and selling one. Alternatively there is a Brit who runs Joe Bar and Garage, often has different bikes in and would certainly be a good source of information of where else to try https://www.facebook.com/joebargaragean ... sfX-mvrKjV

There is a lot of confusion about this. As far as i am aware you cannot register a vehicle in Cambodia in your name if you are a foreigner and the vehicle has been regisetered in Cambodia already. As all vehicles must be registered now (in theory), you can onyl buy a new one or a newly imported and undregistered used one. Your alternative is to register it in a Khmer's name. If you are stopped and the vehicle is not registered to you and you cannot provide evidence of permission to use it by the registered owner then it can be confiscated. before everyone shoots me down in flames with "I have lived here 500 yeqars and it doesnt happen" I know 2 people it has happedned to in the last 6 months and one of them was me, so up to you

pczz wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 4:23 am There is a lot of confusion about this. As far as i am aware you cannot register a vehicle in Cambodia in your name if you are a foreigner and the vehicle has been regisetered in Cambodia already. As all vehicles must be registered now (in theory), you can onyl buy a new one or a newly imported and undregistered used one. Your alternative is to register it in a Khmer's name. If you are stopped and the vehicle is not registered to you and you cannot provide evidence of permission to use it by the registered owner then it can be confiscated. before everyone shoots me down in flames with "I have lived here 500 yeqars and it doesnt happen" I know 2 people it has happedned to in the last 6 months and one of them was me, so up to you

Was the problem the fact you couldn't show the (ownership) card, or the fact the card was not in your name?

Try the App Khmer 24, loads of bikes on there

keep in mind if you find a boxer 150...
you need a driver's license...
plus, it was probably run into the ground pulling a tuk tuk..
I would suggest you look in Siem Reap...
Why would hop on a bus and ride 6 hours to PP and then have to drive it back to SR?
look around Siem Reap...
passap costs nearly nothing in the meantime.

Easy. Go up to someone on a bike you like the look of and say:

"I need your clothes, your boots, you motorcycle."

Best said in a German android accent. And why not throw in a "Get to da choppa, NOOOOOOW!" as well.

Just to let them know you are serious.

pczz wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 4:23 am There is a lot of confusion about this... so up to you

Out of curiosity, because this is my first motorbike here, how did you deal with the situation when they first pulled you over? I don't think there's any confusion about it. You definitely can't Legally have a bike if you're white. Living here, you know there are Tons of westerners riding around on motos. You'll likely get pulled over at some(or multiple) point. Douche-bags who function on racism and corruption/greed are facts of life, and they're more blatant about it here. I do have a pretty friendly face and work for a respectable school in town, so that will be helpful when I open my wallet to pull out my $5 bribe money and my school ID is right there.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 7:32 am Was the problem the fact you couldn't show the (ownership) card, or the fact the card was not in your name?

I could see this as being a problem.

Khmu Nation wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 8:24 am Easy. Go up to someone on a bike you like the look of and say:

"I need your clothes, your boots, you motorcycle."

Best said in a German android accent. And why not throw in a "Get to da choppa, NOOOOOOW!" as well.

Just to let them know you are serious.

Classic.

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 9:14 am

pczz wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 4:23 am There is a lot of confusion about this... so up to you

Out of curiosity, because this is my first motorbike here, how did you deal with the situation when they first pulled you over? I don't think there's any confusion about it. You definitely can't Legally have a bike if you're white. Living here, you know there are Tons of westerners riding around on motos. You'll likely get pulled over at some(or multiple) point. Douche-bags who function on racism and corruption/greed are facts of life, and they're more blatant about it here. I do have a pretty friendly face and work for a respectable school in town, so that will be helpful when I open my wallet to pull out my $5 bribe money and my school ID is right there.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 7:32 am Was the problem the fact you couldn't show the (ownership) card, or the fact the card was not in your name?

I could see this as being a problem.

Best route on this is to get the ownership card transferred to a trusted Khmer you know. You probably won't know the seller at all, so riding around with their ownership card is risky. I have mine registered with my brother-in-law, if I ever get pulled over (which I don't because I've been here so long and I also can do the freshie-boy duck & swerve manouvre ... #NotReally #BS), then worst case he would be able to come and prove that he is the legal owner of the bike & I'm all good. Pain in the backside, but honestly I don't see it happening - I'd put $5 that $5 is enough to say "call my friend/relative xyz if you want, or just take this $5 and let's both get on ..".

What I do see is a lot Chinese being pulled over - which of course is inherently racist, even some Khmer can look very Chinese, so I bet that's bloody annoying for locals. I seldom see westerners pulled over unless they've done something moronic like riding without a helmet (those jockstraps still exist), lights on at daytime (oh boy), running red lights, etc. The most interesting one to me is that the boys in blue also still pull over people for merging right into traffic through a red light - I think the law was changed to make this a legal manouvre recently, but still seen some police who are unaware of it - or is it judgemental, i.e. can only merge when there is no oncoming traffic? Not sure. I think I've also dodged one of these by virtue of riding a bike that weighs 300kg, plod had a look and then thought 'big bike + 6ft foreigner = pretty hard to stop versus the 14 year old kid on a Honda Dream with no wing mirrors behind ...