Vietnam Motorcycling travel guide, Vietnam motorcycle tips Options

Motorcycling in Vietnam

Always keep your eyes forward and slow down at every intersection. If
you and another are both converging on the same spot then who ever
make the first evasive move (to the left or right) is the action that
both of you should then follow. You are not bonded by notions of
right
or wrong driving rules from back home - if the guy turn to avoid you
and it means he is heading into traffic and even if it is on the
wrong
side of the road, then it is good practice. By following the first
move everyone know each other’s intention. If you are heading
straight
at someone then communicate to the other person by giving your handle
bars a bit of a turn in the direction you are committing yourself to
indicate to them what you are about to do. Whatever you indicate will
then lock you into a non-collision situation.


If someone is walking across a busy street without looking then turn
so as to go behind them. This will enable them to keep moving forward
instead of getting stuck waiting for some space in front of them.
This
rule perhaps more than any other is the one behind the fluidity of
the
traffic. People always go behind, not in the front of the blocking
entity. This then allow the object to keep moving and thereby keep
the
roads open. Be particularly wary of kids playing soccer or badminton
on the pavement, old deaf dogs, cows and buffaloes. Give them a blast
on your horn, slow down and pass them on the other side of the road.
Remember that larger, moving vehicles can often hide other bikes
behind them which can cause havoc if you make some false assumptions
at intersections when blindly cutting in front of larger vehicles
either traveling parallel or at right angles with you. When you are
turning then indicate with your arms as well as your indicators and
make long, curved turn - never slow down to an all most stop and then
turn sharply - you will be taken out. If crossing a busy intersection
then move into the “down traffic” side of another vehicle. The guy’s
“traffic shadow” will buffer you against other traffic and you can
then cross no problems. Otherwise do what the Vietnamese do, which is
to cross right in the middle of it. Do not make any sudden jerks or
speed changes. Just cross consistently and slowly. People will see
what you are doing and they will make room for you to cross. When
driving through water the best thing to do is to make sure you are in
the first gear and you are giving the engine heaps before plunging
in.
Never try to start the bike if water has already got into the exhaust
pipe as the compression will suck some into the engine, thereby
wetting the sparkplug and making it hard to start. It is possible to
drive through water which is high enough to cover both the exhaust
pipe and carburetor. So long as you are revving the engine heaps then
all the exhaust fumes will keep the water from getting into the
engine. Do not change gear when crossing.


Assume a large vehicle will come around every bend and drive in
anticipation of it. When entering a zone of unpredictability - an
intersection, an adjacent pig and buffalo etc. - then click down a
gear with the clutch still engaged. If you then need to slow down
quickly you can then release the clutch causing the bike to slow down
in conjunction with an application of the brakes. If however you need
to accelerate to get out of trouble then rev the engine a bit and
then
release the clutch. You will be in a lower gear and be in a position
to speed away. Thus arrange yourself so that you can either
accelerate
using a lower gear - recognize a potentially dangerous situation and
put yourself in the best position to do something about it. Keep the
time when the clutch is open to a minimum. Disconnecting the momentum
of the bike to the engine is dangerous - you have no control over
power or deceleration. In normal potentially dangerous circumstances
use the engine to slow down first by changing down a gear or two,
then
think about braking.


If you do have to slow down quickly then start with your front brake
first. The momentum the push the bike down onto the front tire.
Causing it to the flatten out on the road thereby increasing its
traction and friction. Then apply the back brake on the bike has been
pushed into the ground by the effect of the front braking. You might
need to pump - that is squeeze then release the brake levers - the
two
brakes to get stronger effect. Along with a changing down of the
gears
will then ensure of the greatest braking potential. If you are going
to hit something head on then remember this. It is a million times
better to hit something while you are still in control but
nevertheless moving forward than to careen into it having slammed on
the brake too much - skidding gets you no where. Better to hit
something at 10km/h than 40km/h. Therefore practice high speed
braking
when you get the chance. Get a feel of what it’s like to have the
back
wheel skidding to the left or to the right. Controlled braking really
can slow you down quickly and effectively. You just need to practice
front brake then back brake so that if you have an emergency you
won’t
distinctively go straight for the back ‘skidding’ brake. Move the
bike
by leaning, by shifting your legs out and pushing down on the foot
pedals. Try not to steer too much just by turning the handle bars and
try to keep your spine perpendicular to the bike’s axis.


More motorcycle tips: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/a...ing/motorcycli...
and http://www.activetravelmagazines.com...-travel-guide/


Vietnam motorcycle tours: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/t...goryId&catId=8

On Dec 24, 5:02*pm, Active Travel Vietnam
wrote:
Motorcycling in Vietnam

Always keep your eyes forward and slow down at every intersection. If
you and another are both converging on the same spot then who ever
make the first evasive move (to the left or right) is the action that
both of you should then follow. You are not bonded by notions of
right
or wrong driving rules from back home - if the guy turn to avoid you
and it means he is heading into traffic and even if it is on the
wrong
side of the road, then it is good practice. By following the first
move everyone know each other’s intention. If you are heading
straight
at someone then communicate to the other person by giving your handle
bars a bit of a turn in the direction you are committing yourself to
indicate to them what you are about to do. Whatever you indicate will
then lock you into a non-collision situation.

If someone is walking across a busy street without looking then turn
so as to go behind them. This will enable them to keep moving forward
instead of getting stuck waiting for some space in front of them.
This
rule perhaps more than any other is the one behind the fluidity of
the
traffic. People always go behind, not in the front of the blocking
entity. This then allow the object to keep moving and thereby keep
the
roads open. Be particularly wary of kids playing soccer or badminton
on the pavement, old deaf dogs, cows and buffaloes. Give them a blast
on your horn, slow down and pass them on the other side of the road.
Remember that larger, moving vehicles can often hide other bikes
behind them which can cause havoc if you make some false assumptions
at intersections when blindly cutting in front of larger vehicles
either traveling parallel or at right angles with you. When you are
turning then indicate with your arms as well as your indicators and
make long, curved turn - never slow down to an all most stop and then
turn sharply - you will be taken out. If crossing a busy intersection
then move into the “down traffic” side of another vehicle. The guy’s
“traffic shadow” will buffer you against other traffic and you can
then cross no problems. Otherwise do what the Vietnamese do, which is
to cross right in the middle of it. Do not make any sudden jerks or
speed changes. Just cross consistently and slowly. People will see
what you are doing and they will make room for you to cross. When
driving through water the best thing to do is to make sure you are in
the first gear and you are giving the engine heaps before plunging
in.
Never try to start the bike if water has already got into the exhaust
pipe as the compression will suck some into the engine, thereby
wetting the sparkplug and making it hard to start. It is possible to
drive through water which is high enough to cover both the exhaust
pipe and carburetor. So long as you are revving the engine heaps then
all the exhaust fumes will keep the water from getting into the
engine. Do not change gear when crossing.

Assume a large vehicle will come around every bend and drive in
anticipation of it. When entering a zone of unpredictability - an
intersection, an adjacent pig and buffalo etc. - then click down a
gear with the clutch still engaged. If you then need to slow down
quickly you can then release the clutch causing the bike to slow down
in conjunction with an application of the brakes. If however you need
to accelerate to get out of trouble then rev the engine a bit and
then
release the clutch. You will be in a lower gear and be in a position
to speed away. Thus arrange yourself so that you can either
accelerate
using a lower gear - recognize a potentially dangerous situation and
put yourself in the best position to do something about it. Keep the
time when the clutch is open to a minimum. Disconnecting the momentum
of the bike to the engine is dangerous - you have no control over
power or deceleration. In normal potentially dangerous circumstances
use the engine to slow down first by changing down a gear or two,
then
think about braking.

If you do have to slow down quickly then start with your front brake
first. The momentum the push the bike down onto the front tire.
Causing it to the flatten out on the road thereby increasing its
traction and friction. Then apply the back brake on the bike has been
pushed into the ground by the effect of the front braking. You might
need to pump - that is squeeze then release the brake levers - the
two
brakes to get stronger effect. Along with a changing down of the
gears
will then ensure of the greatest braking potential. If you are going
to hit something head on then remember this. It is a million times
better to hit something while you are still in control but
nevertheless moving forward than to careen into it having slammed on
the brake too much - skidding gets you no where. Better to hit
something at 10km/h than 40km/h. Therefore practice high speed
braking
when you get the chance. Get a feel of what it’s like to have the
back
wheel skidding to the left or to the right. Controlled braking really
can slow you down quickly and effectively. You just need to practice
front brake then back brake so that if you have an emergency you
won’t
distinctively go straight for the back ‘skidding’ brake. Move the
bike
by leaning, by shifting your legs out and pushing down on the foot
pedals. Try not to steer too much just by turning the handle bars and
try to keep your spine perpendicular to the bike’s axis.

More motorcycle tips:http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/a...ing/motorcycli...
andhttp://www.activetravelmagazines.com/motorcycling-travel-guide/

Vietnam motorcycle tours:http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/t...goryId&catId=8

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On 24 dec 2008, 07:02, Active Travel Vietnam
wrote:
Motorcycling in Vietnam


Interesting. It may even apply to the place I live in.

That´s Brazil, located in Latin America, indeed. But I don´t know of
any Vietnam hereabouts.