Motorbike lessons

ofparadise · Post by **ofparadise** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:18 pm

Do any of you have recommendations for a good, intensive motorbike learners class in Phnom Penh.

I don't speak Khmer, and the schools I've enquired with seemed a bit perplexed by my questions... lol. Seems like khmer style bike lessons have the following syllabus - balance, starting and stopping, then you're off to the races.

An absolute beginner here, so I i guess I would need somewhere that has a circuit and teaches basic bike handling, wet, oily surface, accident prevention and correct falling/skidding techniques to stay alive. It would be good if they have a basic maintenance/servicing course so I can keep my machine in working order without relying on shops for everything.

Also want somewhere that teaches highway and offroad techniques so i can eventually move up to a higher cc bike.

any ideas?

pczz · Post by **pczz** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:26 pm

ofparadise wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:18 pm Do any of you have recommendations for a good, intensive motorbike learners class in Phnom Penh.

I don't speak Khmer, and the schools I've enquired with seemed a bit perplexed by my questions... lol. Seems like khmer style bike lessons have the following syllabus - balance, starting and stopping, then you're off to the races.

An absolute beginner here, so I i guess I would need somewhere that has a circuit and teaches basic bike handling, wet, oily surface, accident prevention and correct falling/skidding techniques to stay alive. It would be good if they have a basic maintenance/servicing course so I can keep my machine in working order without relying on shops for everything.

Also want somewhere that teaches highway and offroad techniques so i can eventually move up to a higher cc bike.

any ideas?

No chance. they do not do lessons on how to drive, just show you the basics at the bike shop when you buy one and let you get on with it. Instruction in driving schools is just on highway code. Even the bike test is a joke, just drive round a short course at the centre to show you can balnce ster and stop and do a multiple choice quiz on highway code. I was an instructor in a previous life and had considered running a course but i doubt there are enough takers. i took people to diamond island and used the big car park there a few times. usuallu empty on a sunday in the day.

Kayve · Post by **Kayve** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:58 pm

Hail Mary on your first intersection. If you make it, do it again and after a while you'll be fine and know how to drive

(that's how khmer do it)

pczz · Post by **pczz** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:06 pm

Kayve wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:58 pm Hail Mary on your first intersection. If you make it, do it again and after a while you'll be fine and know how to drive (that's how khmer do it)

Rules of the (khmer) road
1. cars drive as near as possible to the centre of the road except then they don't
2. the little lane on the left is for motorbikes except when its blocked by other stuff
3. traffic lights are optional at night and at times in the day
4. Car drivers are required to be using at least 1 phone for texting at akll times. do not expect them to see anything like you!
5. Drive agressivley. Pussies get slaughtered!
6. drive defensively getting hit hurts!
7. always wear a helmet
8. always wear shoues, jeans, jacket and gloves. even lightweight ones can save you on the painful gravel rash
9. It is priorite adroit here. Anything coming from the righ has right of way, including people pullingout fom the curb. they will not look, they dont have to. Secondly you are responsible for what is in front of you. people do weird things on the assumption you will be able to avoid them so dont go too fast.

It aint all bad. I have fallen off once on the road in near 10 years, and that was a seized rear wheel, not anyones fault. Just rmeember you have to do the thinking for evryone else, becuase they will not!

ofparadise · Post by **ofparadise** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:15 pm

pczz wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:06 pm
Kayve wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:58 pm Hail Mary on your first intersection. If you make it, do it again and after a while you'll be fine and know how to drive (that's how khmer do it)
Rules of the (khmer) road
1. cars drive as near as possible to the centre of the road except then they don't
2. the little lane on the left is for motorbikes except when its blocked by other stuff
3. traffic lights are optional at night and at times in the day
4. Car drivers are required to be using at least 1 phone for texting at akll times. do not expect them to see anything like you!
5. Drive agressivley. Pussies get slaughtered!
6. drive defensively getting hit hurts!
7. always wear a helmet
8. always wear shoues, jeans, jacket and gloves. even lightweight ones can save you on the painful gravel rash
9. It is priorite adroit here. Anything coming from the righ has right of way, including people pullingout fom the curb. they will not look, they dont have to. Secondly you are responsible for what is in front of you. people do weird things on the assumption you will be able to avoid them so dont go too fast.

It aint all bad. I have fallen off once on the road in near 10 years, and that was a seized rear wheel, not anyones fault. Just rmeember you have to do the thinking for evryone else, becuase they will not!

hahahaha... true, true. I drive here and it took me a few days to get into the rhythm of the roads here. Can't imagine how i'd fare on a 2 wheeler though. I've had many close shaves with bike riders. It boggles my mind to see how someone could be on a bike, looking at a phone.

All while squeezing past a bus and a truck ...

ofparadise · Post by **ofparadise** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:21 pm

pczz wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:26 pm No chance. they do not do lessons on how to drive, just show you the basics at the bike shop when you buy one and let you get on with it. Instruction in driving schools is just on highway code. Even the bike test is a joke, just drive round a short course at the centre to show you can balnce ster and stop and do a multiple choice quiz on highway code. I was an instructor in a previous life and had considered running a course but i doubt there are enough takers. i took people to diamond island and used the big car park there a few times. usuallu empty on a sunday in the day.

you've confirmed my suspicions.

But i really want to learn how to ride...lol. Even considered hiring a private instructor from home to come down and coach me.

Couple of mates from home regularly travel to malaysia, thailand and indonesia as a convoy to tackle the trails there. But they seem to avoid KOW like the plague.

Kuroneko · Post by **Kuroneko** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:23 pm

Getting your first motorbike riding instruction in Phnom Penh would be like getting your first weapons training lesson at the Alamo!

ofparadise · Post by **ofparadise** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:24 pm

Kuroneko wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:23 pm Getting your first motorbike riding instruction in Phnom Penh would be like getting your first weapons training lesson at the Alamo!

2 ways that could turn out.

Dead or traumatised.

Spigzy · Post by **Spigzy** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:01 pm

Does not exist; if you've never had driving or riding lessons back home, then you're better off just taking a tuk-tuk or taxi.

I'd been driving at least for 15 years in the UK before I started riding here. The driving lessons gave me all the road safety knowledge I needed for a car, plus awareness of motorbikes - see how many times a Khmer checks their mirrors before turning ... does not exist. Once you've got your road safety knowledge, then the rest does become as simple as "how do I operate this particular vehicle?".

I'd never ridden a motorbike in my life until I came to Cambodia. Day one lesson by the wife was "how to ride a moto in a circle and move from 1st to 2nd gear and back again". Day two lesson was "Let's ride to Central Market from Toul Kork". Baptism of fire isn't the word, but slow speed and my defensive driving (now riding) skills kicked straight in. A few years later I picked up a 135cc Bajaj as it had a tiny moto like engine, but clutch & gears to learn that - again the principle of driving a manual car clutch/accelerator made that a doddle to pick up. It is also the perfect bike for that stupid MPWT test with a turning circle a sports bike or cruiser cannot perform easily. And then I finally moved on to a bigger motorbike, HD 883 Sportster in my case - aesthetics over off-road capability, yet small & nimble enough as a daily rider in PP traffic. Would I ever go back to a car & driver? No way.

Anyway, if you've got a driving license for a car/moto & experience from back home, just roll with it - learn the principles of riding a bike Khmer style, but let your Western training & defensive driving/riding skills keep you out of trouble. I would also fully recommend riding a moto here for a bit BEFORE driving a car, I picked up so much about how motos ride here & their (bad) habits, that again I used when driving a car I was far better prepared for. If I'd gone out on day one straight to a car, I feel I'd have had the most stressful drive of my life & probably would have gone full road-rage - whereas now I can just smile behind my helmet with the thought "I knew you were going to do that, you prick".

Post by **Clutch Cargo** » Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:14 pm

I had a full motorcycle license from my home country before I first came to Cambodia so I already knew how to ride albeit I hadn't done so for many years.

When I first started having ideas of getting a moto here, I started to change my focus whenever I was commuting on the back of a motodop or tuktuk...instead of looking at the scenery or cute girls as the case may be, I started to really focus on the traffic flow and how the experienced guys went about it. There's a method in the madness really. Did this for a few months. That gave me a lot of confidence starting out.

Hesitancy when riding a moto here can get you into trouble but I nevertheless recommend, on balance, it's better to go slowly..in the beginning and don't venture too far, stick to roads you are familiar with when it's not busy.

Lastly, and if you have little experience riding a moto, get a fully automatic one. You need to have all your senses and faculties focused on the road and the last thing you wanna do is have to think about what gear you're in and do you have to change. Also, consider getting a scooter with ABS...this can really avoid a lot of issues.

Good luck. I had a lot of expat friends tell me: are you crazy or what? But I'm glad I nevertheless persisted and now I feel quite comfortable about it.

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