Hello everyone,



To introduce myself "formally", my name is Akira and I am a 28 year old "veteran" of motorcycles. I have been riding motorcycles and rebuilding engines since age 11 and have an unhealthy obsession with machinery in general. "Professionally", I have worked in the automotive industry (mechanic, shop foreman, then owner of a small tuning shop) until 4 years ago when I made a move to Cambodia where I stayed until late 2013. I live in and still reside outside Cambodia but make frequent trips back because my wife is from Prey Veng and lots of the family is in Phnom Penh.

During my stay I encountered a sea of confusion regarding the motoring world of Cambodia and even went through a lot of rocky trials with encounters of fake parts, complete incompetence, being ripped off, learning how things operate here, crashing, etc etc. Needless to say, I wasn't terribly thrilled about the prospect of owning anything here and to be frank, even as a mechanic I still have trepidation regarding motos in general in the kingdom.

But one thing I've been considering is to try and share what I do know about mechanics and "tips" to having a moto in Cambodia in general, as well as maintenance and DIY repairs. All too often I see bad advice being passed around and offered amongst the expat (and Khmer) community, and that is something I would like to help change, if at all possible.

So in essence, I am interested in composing a basic free guide for the Cambodian expat community on moto ownership in Cambodia on the aspects of ownership and maintenance on motos to help take out the apprehension of what can be a very useful and also enjoyable experience of using a two wheelers as one's transportation.

This will be a work in progress and feedback from the community is always welcome in order to provide a better more useful guide as things progress.

So please, any question you have about motos (whether generic, maintenance, repair/troubleshooting, purchasing, etc.) please ask here, PM me, or if you are not a regular poster, email me @ [email protected]

I look forward to this upcoming project as I hope it can help those seeking moto advice and answers.

AE86 (Akira S.)

Akira has already given me invaluable advice on the tuktuks and I'd encourage anyone else to take him up on his offer. His level of experience and knowledge is a very rare resource here in the Kingdom, and that's a very generous offer.

^^Cheers for the kind words, but I want to assure people that I'm not alone in what I know. There are plenty of knowledgable people out there, even here. I'm just one crazy enough to try putting what little I know into writing...


Either or:

Here is the general outline I have for the guide. Please feel free to add anything or suggest anything you might want to see or have questions about.


Basic walkthrough of riding a motorcycle:

Controls

Techniques


Basics of what is available

Types of motos: Automatic, Semi Automatic & Manual

Manufacturers and models available

General misc information (country of origin and manufacture, targeted theft bikes, safety features, etc.)



Basics of ownership

Explanation of documents involved with moto ownership

Registering a new bike

Registering a newly imported bike (used)

Purchasing process (ownership transfer)

Selling process

Basics of pre-purchase inspection




Basics of maintenance and repair

Maintenance intervals and explanations

Checking oil

Light bulb replacement

Brake adjustment

Front and Rear

Filling up tires and determining pressure

Adjusting the clutch

Adjusting the carburetor

Adjusting the chain

Spark plug replacement


EDIT Additions:

Road tax (and to add, different forms of tax such as import tax, VAT, etc.)

Difference between old and new license plates

Ownership card transfer

Changing an owner card?

Road tax - especially the difference between old and new plates

^^Good ones and suggestions, added that to the outline post.

Thank you

Dealing with bolie who pull you in for no tax, even though you have old plates!

I don't know how to ride that big motorbike. I only can ride the scooter.

Samouth wrote:I don't know how to ride that big motorbike. I only can ride the scooter.

Samouth, can you place both feet solidly on the ground when you sit on a big bike? If not, you might want to think about finding another dream - it's not safe on the road otherwise.