What I finally did that I've been so nervous about was buy a motorbike. I've seen a few foreigners cruising around Vietnam on motorbikes and even full-fledged motorcycles and haven't heard too many stories of injury and death, other than my own accident in Hue (Huế) last year, so what could be the danger? I've been understandably apprehensive since that accident about driving a motorbike again, but I've now thought about it extensively and decided the accident was all my fault. In new agey parlance I've 'taken ownership' of the accident and the upside to that is that it puts me back in control and so by changing my driving techniques I can avoid having another. That's what I'm going with anyway. That can be my epitaph, 'He Took Ownership'.
The most common motorbikes in Vietnam seem to be the Honda Dreams and Waves. You see so many of them that they quickly become non-descript. Sort of like a Honda Civic or Accord in the USA. You also see a few larger real motorcycles like Honda Rebels and the old Russian Minsks, but I've never tried a large bike and was only kidding about that dying thing, so I decided to start with something on the small side but hopefully with a little style.
The real styling motorbike to have in Saigon and all over Vietnam is undoubtedly the Vespa. The Vietnamese fall for that Italian style just like the rest of us even though the Vespa bikes are significantly more expensive and costly to maintain. But I have to say they sure look nice. You see plenty of new Vespas and also a lot of older restored ones and they all look good.
I hear varying versions of how much a Vespa costs. I've seen ads for old ones with asking prices of around $1000 US and up. I heard from someone who seemed reliable that a new one will run around $3500 US. I also heard from someone else that a new one runs $9000 US which I have a real hard time believing since I see too many of them on the streets of Saigon and don't think so many Vietnamese could or would spend that much on a motorbike but it wouldn't be the first time (today) that I've been wrong about something.
Most motorbikes in Vietnam are made in Japan, and increasingly, China. The Chinese also noticed that Vespas look good and that even though they're expensive there's a lucrative market for them so the Chinese did what they're infamously known for, they started making a version of their own that looks remarkably and coincidentally similar to the Vespa. You see many more Attila Syms on the streets here than you do Vespas and the Attilas have a reputation for being more reliable at, of course, a fraction of the cost. Many Vietnamese I've spoken to said they would prefer the Attila over a Vespa even if they had the money for the latter.
Since I wasn't looking for a new bike I perused the Vietnam Craigslist, yes that same Craig of San Francisco, and found a post from someone who restores old bikes such as Honda Benleys and Cubs among others. After meeting him, a Vietnamese who lived many years in the USA - in Vietnam they're known as Viet kieu (Việt kiều), I decided to just take the plunge and do it. I decided on a Honda Cub for a few reasons. First and foremost I like the way they look, especially the pics of the nicely restored bikes he showed me. The second reason is that they're relatively small bikes and there are 2 reasons why I like this. First is that since it was going to essentially be my trainer/starter bike I figured I should start small both for my own personal safety and also the cost of the bike. That way if I realized I just didn't have what it takes to navigate Saigon's swirling maelstrom of traffic, I could bail out at minimal cost. And maybe also minimal personal injury. The other reason for driving a small bike is there's no driver license required in Vietnam for bikes with engines under 50 cc. The beauty of this restored bike is that it actually comes with a newer engine that just may be larger than 50 cc, I mean I just don't know since I'm no expert and who can tell just by looking at the engine from the outside, wink, wink. The motorbike registration card which dates from over 10 years ago under some Vietnamese name says the engine size is 49 cc and who am I to question an official registration document? Bottom line is that I can get by without a driver license on a Honda Cub.
Vietnam is not the free-for-all it was years ago. You will often see the traffic police, the CSGT, dressed in their tan uniforms standing by the side of the road flagging down drivers to pull over. They do this by blowing a whistle and pointing their baton at the driver of interest. The most common offenses I believe people are cited for are driving a motorbike without a helmet and not having a license, registration, or insurance. I've been told driving sans helmet will cost you 1 million vnd, about $50 US. In the past the CSGT have mostly left foreigners alone largely, I imagine, because they don't want to try to communicate with them but last year I saw a few foreigners pulled over and being spoken to in English by CSGT officers. I bought insurance since I am supposed to have it and am also planning on getting a Vietnam driver license since I may want to upgrade to a larger bike and it's just a good idea. Insurance for 1 year currently runs 86,000 vnd, about $4.25 US.
As was pointed out to me by an Aussie who's been driving around Saigon on a motorbike for almost a year, it's the acceleration that's important and not so much the top end. The obvious reason for that is the ability to surge out of tricky spots like finding yourself in a 4 foot corridor between a bus and the curb with the 4 feet diminishing right in front of you. One of the principles of driving in Vietnam is that if you don't move into an open space in front of you someone else will. Vietnamese drivers, like Mother Nature, abhor a vacuum.
I have to say my bike sure seems to have a lot of guts for that small engine. Top speed I've hit thus far is 75 km/hr (47 mph). Must be because I'm such an excellent driver.
Another nice aspect to buying the Honda Cub is that it was custom made so I could pick out the colors. I thought red and black would look menacing enough, but I have to be honest and add that a Vietnamese girl riding a pink bicycle told me my motorbike was cute. I guess a small motorbike, even one painted in those macho colors, can't transcend its true self. I did mention that it's only my starter bike didn't I?
I've also gotten many curious looks and a few smiles and thumbs ups from Vietnamese who see me on the bike. It's not so unusual to see a foreigner on a motorbike in Saigon, but most will be riding bland rental bikes.
So far I've logged 200 km (125 miles) on the Saigon streets including 2 stints in rush hour traffic with no scratches or dents on the bike or myself. Once you figure out the few rules about driving here the experience changes from one of white-knuckled terror to being actually enjoyable. Except for the rush hour traffic.
Xe om? It's the name for the many free-wheeling motorbike taxis in Vietnam. All that's required to go into business is the bike and a helmet for your passengers. Om refers to hugging the driver in front of you as you ride on the back seat though I don't think many of them actually get much of that. I use them a lot and have even gotten to/from the airport on one. They typically run about half the cost of car taxis, though you'll usually have to bargain to get that price, and are faster than a car when traffic gets heavy as they weave their way through the tangle. You'll sometimes be thinking 'xe omg, never again' when you reach your destination.
My 'cute' restored Honda Cub. I'm liking it!
This and the next 3 pics were all taken in about 10 minutes while I sat at a cafe in district 7 in Saigon. This one is your basic Honda Wave or Dream or whatever.
Another Honda loaded up like you'll often see. You'll see washing machines and refrigerators transported this way, too.
One of the contraption variety. Some of these 3-wheeled vehicles are leg powered. A lot of loose material gets transported this way in Vietnam.
Yuppie girl on her Vespa.
One of the common Chinese-made Attila Vespa knock-offs. This guy looks to have lost a sandal, but he's got his obligatory coffee drink.
Quintessentially Vietnamese, the squid bike. Xe mực? Those are the dried squid you can see hanging. He first pounds them to tenderize them and then heats them using power from the battery. Also note the fluorescent light. OK for a snack, but don't fly to Vietnam just to try it.
1 comment:
Cute scooter!
Post a Comment