10mm is all it takes.

The HUBB meeting in Chiang Mai was a good event to make a few contacts with fellow overlanders as well as some of the local ExPats who ride out here. I met Jeff who runs a bike shop and we agreed to go on a trail ride out together a few days later. Morgan came along too to make up a gang of two KTM's and one Suzuki DRZ 400.

The HUBB meet

Jeff had a puncture on the ride there so we popped along to the X-Centre, where hungover backpackers like to throw themselves off a crane with an elastic band strapped to their ankles or down a hill in a big inflatable ball.
There were a couple of Pirelli tyres there which would have been suitable for the KTM at £80 for the pair, despite being 10mm undersize on the width. I decided that I would pop back the next day to get them fitted. We all though that 10mm would not make a huge difference.

Back on the dirt at last and despite describing himself as a 'Gentleman Trail Rider', that DRZ can shift. I had fun skidding round corners due to the lack of tread on my existing tyres but succeeded in riding off-road quite quickly without falling off. I was rather pleased with myself.

The next day I popped back to the X-Centre's workshop to change my rubber and stick some heavier fork oil in. The tyres seemed ok despite feeling a little twitchy but I put that down to needing to wear them in a bit.

Sending the lads off to change the tyres, balls to using my tyre levers!

On the ride back into town as I was riding in the outside lane of a dual carriageway in case some bugger pulled out from a side road without looking and some bugger on a scooter pulled out from a side road without looking. I had no warning. The scooter just rode straight across the main road without even looking. If I had been a Thai 4x4 they would have been killed. Luckilly I was a Fallang on a big bike but still T-Boned them and down we all went in a screech of tyres and scraping plastic. I picked myself up off the floor, rather angry, and mouthed off a bit. The scooter was being ridden by a Thai woman who was wearing a helmet. The man, who I think was her husband, on the back had managed to do a complete somersault over my bike but was completely un-injured thanks to the baseball cap that was protecting his skull. He immediately jumped up, shook my hand, then started directing traffic around the scene.

I moved my bike out the road and went back to tend to the woman. She had a sore hip so an ambulance was rung and she was carted off. A policeman also arrived at the scene and indicated that we had to wait for the traffic police. I waited with 'the husband' who seemed unconcered about his missus. His breath stunk of alcohol and he kept shaking my hand. Having heard stories of Westerners involved in accidents where the blame is placed entirely on them despite the circumstances I was wary. 'If you weren't here the accident wouldn't have happened' is apparently the post event report. The policeman wanted to see my driving license so I showed it to him but kept a firm grip so he couldn't confiscate it. I also made sure my keys were safely hidden away.

Eventually the traffic police arrived, took some photos, wrote something in their big book of accidents, asked for my mobile number, told me they would call in a few days, then buggered off. I think they could see that the guy who had been on the back was a bit worse for wear and maybe thought he was the rider. He also hopped on his scooter and wobbled off, leaving me on my own with my damaged bike. Thanks guys! You are a credit to the Thai police force! I counted myself lucky that I had not been carted off to jail though.

The forks were slightly twisted so I got out my tools to re-align them. I had also lost my right wing mirror at last. It has taken some previous abuse before deciding to give up. Whilst tinkering I met a guy who had flown his small plane from Germany to Thailand. That sounded like a paperwork nightmare, especially since he had also brought his dog.

On the way back to the hostel I could hear some rattling from the front and discovered that my headlight had been smashed. I had wondered where the glass in the road had come from and was dissapointed that my Touratech headlight protector was seemingly unable to provide protection from people's heads.

At least I had learnt a new lesson. Despite all my problems on the trip and no matter how stressed I get I always learn something.

The next day Jeff had organised a big bike ride out, eventually getting to the Burmese border to do a visa run. In no particular order there was a Triumph Bonneville, Triumph Tiger, Africa Twin, Harley and Honda Hornet. On the highways I was left behind on the KTM, not having the same top speed, but I could just about keep up with some of the other bikes in the corners. The new tyres felt ok, if a little twitchy. We stopped after a hundred km or so and I discovered my bash plate had lost 4 bolts and was thus only secured by one. The first time that had ever happened.

We stopped that night in Nan and proceeded the next day to Chiang Rai along some quiet country roads. Whilst coming round one corner Jeff decided to stop to take a photo. The Harley in front of me slowed and went round him momentarily blocking my view of Jeff. I braked, not too hard and the front skidded and tucked under on some gravel. I almost ploughed straight into the back of Jeff but he heard me coming and moved forwards a bit more. Apart from a bit of road rash everything was ok. I noticed that I had even captured the event on camera. At least I had learnt another lesson, don't try to keep up and ride too close to your limit. It's very easy when riding with the pack to want to keep the rear brake lights of the guy in front in your sights, especially since I usually ride alone.

Jeff demonstrates which side is supposed to be up when cornering.

We proceeded further on along the roads, this time I was taking it easy. As I rounded one corner coming down a hill I saw the rest of the guys pulled over. I guessed that someone else had had an off so started to slow down. Before I knew it the front had once again tucked under and I was on my arse on the floor. More gravel but I also had another idea as to what was causing it now...

The other biker who had wiped out was One-Armed West. A very good rider on his Honda Hornet despite having only his right arm for control. He had come round the corner and slid on some gravel. His bike had shot 15 foot down the hill after taking out a concrete bollard and he had come to rest 5 feet further down the hill, just missing a crop of freshly cut bamboo.

Mr West plays hide and seek.

He was dragged back up the hill and managed to scare the local populus who had turned up to help when his fake arm popped off. His bike was pulled back up the hill too and loaded into the back of a local pickup truck. He also jumped in the front and was whisked back home to Chiang Mai. Seemingly all he had was a busted hand and some bruising.

A bloody lucky escape!

When we arrived in Chiang Mai we drank and danced the night away then tried to get up early the next morning so that those that had to could nip across the Burmese border on their visa run.

I managed to convince the border guards to let me take my bike across for an hour since I also needed new paperwork for the bike as well as myself. I was waved out of Thailand and let into Burma. A not very official looking offical in an office made me pay 50p for insurance for my bike. At another office some more people made me pay 50p again for what they seemed to describe as a permit for my bike. They then wanted about 40p for a scrap of paper with my registration number written on it. I got bored with the 'paying for paper' game so took it and just rode off. A policeman told me I was only allowed about 5km into Burma so off I went expecting to find a checkpoint down the road. 10km later and there was no checkpoint so I stopped in a field to take a photo of a confused looking man with some cows. I then rode back to the border.

Although I didn't venture very far, Burma seemed like a cross between Cambodia and India. Road rules were out the window and the horn is man's greatest invention. At least I had earned a sticker for the bike. I've now ridden in every adjacent country between here and the UK.

New sticker covering up the road rash.

I rode back to Chiang Mai and straight to a guesthouse. I was shattered so pretty much went straight to bed. The next day I went to treat my bike to a good clean at the local Shell petrol station. I also wanted to change my tyres back to my well work Metzlers which had lasted since Iran. Despite being only 10mm smaller and looking fine, the Pirrelli's just weren't grippy enough, also possibly since they were a slightly harder compound. I also repaired my headlight and various other bits. I'm becoming a master of bodgery. Thankyou to Ian for letting me use his workshop!

I'm going to set off South tomorrow. I think I've overstayed my welcome in Northern Thailand. It's too easy to travel here. I need some stress and adventure again.