The Ural has more than enough power even two up. With traffic and road conditions, one tops out at 45 mph anyway. The bike performed brilliantly off road especially in the mud even two up. The brakes are not quite up to modern standards but are sufficient. This was my second trip to Vietnam, and I don’t think you gain much by going to a full on enduro, you could only go faster for short stretches. That said, there is a guy in Hanoi who rents a couple of old Honda 250’s and they appear to be in good shape. For die hards, there is a three week trip in Laos along the Ho Chi Min trail on rented Honda enduros. An Australian expat spent years tracing it with the help of a retired CIA pilot who was based in Vientien during the war. You spend days camping in the jungle between hotel stays as this is pretty primitive stuff. They say it is significantly hotter than the trip I was just on even at night. A bit much for me, primarily because of the heat. The British TV show Top Gear made a special about riding in Vietnam and Kung made a cameo appearance as the support technician. Now you know why I ride dirt, to have sufficient skills to ride the world. There are still a great many places where one can only go by foot or two wheels. Next up, maybe India?
Awesome pics and stories,,Thank You for sharing... Was that a roasted dog that I saw sitting on the table of the butcher stand???
I'll bet that it used to bark at things. Great trip and photos Cleate. Thank you very much for sharing them with all of us. Baja trip had nothing on this adventure. I would love to do something like this in the future if I could just get the wife to buy off on it. Thanks again, Gary
Seriously cool, hahmule It looks like in this picture what you wearing is more expansive then what you're riding --> for sharing (That hydroelectric thingamajigy is kinda cool)
Thanks for your replies. Vietnam has strict limits for engine size and severely penalizes anything over 175 CC. Kung bought the Urals at a Police auction supposedly for parts, but he was able to pay the right people to get them licensed. By the time he paid for the bikes and all the, ahem, fees, he estimates he has about 6K US invested in each bike. FYI the police are riding air cooled 250 CC Hondas.
Wow, looks like a very interesting place. Thanks for the pics. But please tell me this isn't a dog at the butchers table.
Yeah, that dog picture is weird. It looks like the dog is jumping up on the table, except for looking completely de-haired and possibly gutted.
Wow! Just...wow! Excellent report, Clete! Eric and I sat down and enjoyed it together, and of course we talked about doing something similar someday. That ride on the Ho Chi Min Trail sounds like something we'd enjoy a lot. As for the dog issue, is it better than Mexican French toast? WoodsChick
Your photos bring back some memories. My wife's mom is Vietnamese. 10+ years ago we took a trip to Vietnam as part of our honeymoon to see the country and visit some of her relatives. I'll never forget it. Yes, that is a dog. IIRC only certain breeds are raised and sold at meat markets, not much different than chicken or cow I guess. There are different "pet" dogs. When you go to the markets you will see the same kind of dogs lined up ready to buy like you would chickens or pigs. I did not try any, but would have. Halong Bay is really something too see. I'd like to go back and do a trip by bike, and the OP is correct, you would rarely need a bike to go over 35-50mph. Oh and, for sure, check out the Top Gear Vietnam episode. Maybe their best ever. Thanks for sharing, truly appreciate it. Cheers Scott in Sacramento
