MOTORCYCLES: My New Favorite Mode of Transportation!

loving my rental motorbike in Bali!

MOTORCYCLES: My New Favorite Mode of Transportation!

I never thought I’d see the day when I liked motorbikes, let alone declare them as my favorite mode of transportation!

I’ve been terrified of motorbikes my whole life. They always seemed so exceptionally dangerous to me.

notice my hip bag strapped on my hips while I’m cycling…

Besides, I’m a bicyclist and fitness chick! I’ve been diligently riding a bicycle for transportation, for exercise, for pleasure and for long-distance travel ever since I was in university. I’ve bicycled all over Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Bali and through parts of many other countries. For years I have rarely been separated from my trusty bicycle.

Why would I want to drive a motorbike? Besides being dangerous, they’re noisy and polluting. No thanks!

But sometime, somehow during my vast world travels my views started ever so gradually to shift.

More precisely, a few years ago in Thailand, in my mid-30s, I actually mounted a motorbike for the first time in my life, much to my own surprise and terror. A laid-back Thai guy I’d met in a rural area of south Thailand took me on a motorbike sight-seeing excursion around his hometown. We visited a local temple and a famous lake.

Being totally clueless about motorbike travel, I assumed that a motorcycle passenger had to hold on tightly to the driver one way or other in order to not fall off. I proceeded to squeeze poor Chai with my hulky bicycling thighs all day long, while I gently clutched his shoulders.

He commented repeatedly, “Wow, you have really strong legs.” In hindsight, I presume he was trying to give me the hint that I didn’t need to hold so tightly. But indirect hints usually fly right over my head.

At the time, I just innocently agreed that, yes, my legs were strong from cycling and years of ballet training. But by the end of the day, I came to realize that it wasn’t crucial for a motorbike passenger to hold on to the driver.

Riding with Harley Club in Phuket – Thailand

After that enjoyable motorbike tour, I began catching local motorcycle taxis for short town trips in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia… wherever they were convenient. I also hung out with a Harley Motorcycle Club in Phuket one year. I gradually got accustomed to riding on a motorbike and lost my uncontrollable fear. “Motorbikes might be ok,” I thought.

Still, I never attempted to drive one myself until 2010. I was teaching scuba diving in remote Amed, Bali. My usual mode of transportation around Bali was by bicycle.

But the extremely hilly terrain in Amed turned me off of bicycling on a daily basis to and from diving jobs. In fact, it wouldn’t have been possible as I would have faced a serious risk of decompression sickness. Besides, I never would have had enough energy on top of daily scuba diving.

So I needed motorized wheels. I forced myself to acknowledge that I needed to drive a motorbike. I convinced myself that I could drive a motorbike.

learning to drive a motorbike in rural Bali

Once I wrapped my head around that concept, I found a local guy renting bikes by the month. He and a couple of my dive colleagues taught me how to drive on Amed’s quiet village roads. I practiced driving back and forth through town. Gradually I drove a bit further, took some turns, drove a bit faster, and eventually tried a steep curving hill. I did it!

Training over, I promptly rented my very first motorbike and began driving every day on Amed’s steep winding headlands and valleys. I even got to enjoy it. Suddenly, I could do a lot more things and go many more places. I wasn’t confined solely to one bay in Amed.

I had freedom and independence. I could even drive to nearby Amlapura city to buy supplies. And I could take leisurely pleasure drives on my infrequent days off. I discovered that motorbiking was grand!

great rural roads in Bali – en route to Mt Agung from Amed

At the end of the dive season, in preparation for writing my guidebook Cycling Bali, I made a bold move. I drove my motorbike the entire way around Bali island. I drove up all of Bali’s major volcanoes, through most of its twisting mountain roads, along all of Bali’s extensive coastlines and the island’s charming interior roads.

I loved it!

Motorbiking made climbing hills sooo much easier than a bicycle! I was impressed. I could go much farther, see a lot more, and still have energy afterward. I was converted to a motorcycle enthusiast.

I liked it so much that when I returned to Bali this year, I decided to rent a motorbike again if it was useful to my travels around Indonesia. It was, and I did. In fact, I rented a motorbike from the same Balinese guy I had two years ago.

drive through banyan tree in Bali’s central mountains

This year I drove the entire way around Bali again, visited all of my favorite spots, and even discovered several new places. I’ve uncovered Bali’s most scenic and least trafficked roads. I’ve been able to complete my visa extensions by myself, since I could visit the Indonesian Immigration offices on my own (sometimes quite distant). And I drive up and down Bali’s volcanoes numerous times, all without getting exhausted.

Three months after arriving in Indonesia, I traveled over to Lombok island, Bali’s nearest neighbor to the east. I promptly rented a motorbike in Mataram city and drove the entire way around that island as well. It was ideal, especially since Lombok’s roads are practically empty but (mostly) in excellent condition.

typical empty road along Lombok’s stunning west coast

I had intended to drive across Sumbawa, Komodo and Flores islands, too. Quite unfortunately, my visa extension process at Mataram became so complicated that I had to stay on Lombok for three entire weeks! So much for Flores and Komodo dragons.

Oops, I almost forgot to mention my other motorbike excursions outside of Indonesia. Earlier this year I rented motorbikes several times on Penang and Langkawi islands in Malaysia. Those were simple day trips to explore the islands. Each time I completely enjoyed driving my motorbike, exploring new places, and stopping wherever, whenever I wanted. Having my own wheels (whether bicycle or motorboke) is so much better than relying on public transportation.

Now that I’m a motorcycle enthusiast, I can hardly wait to drive motorbikes in other countries!

riding a rental motorbike in Penang – Malaysia

Great points about motorbike travel:

Basically, it boils down to having freedom and independence.

* I have my own wheels, which makes me independent from public transportation

* I’m not stuck to following bus schedules and routes

* I can access places that are difficult or impossible by public transport

* I can hop on my bike and travel anytime / anywhere I want

* I can usually avoid traffic jams by weaving around cars, buses, trucks (bigger vehicles that are stuck)

* While driving, I’m outside, surrounded by nature (as opposed to being confined inside a car or bus)

* I can go further and faster than by bicycle

* There’s little physical exertion required

* Particularly, it’s much easier for climbing hills and mountains

* Inexpensive petrol. Great gas mileage.

In some ways, motorcycle travel is even better than bicycle travel:

* I can go further and faster than by bicycle

* Much less physical exertion required

Bicycling in Bali

On the other hand, motorbiking does have some disadvantages over bicycles:

* Noisy engines

* Engine noise blocks out sounds of nature

* Have to buy petrol

* They’re polluting

* Driving is tiring but I get no exercise

* For long distances, driving strains the eyes, back and hands

* Motorbikes are terrible in bad weather- rain, cold, full sun. You’re fully exposed to the elements

* Accidents have very bad consequences

Despite these disadvantages, particularly the engine noise and lack of exercise, I still love driving a motorbike and can’t wait to do more biking in other countries.

QUESTIONS:

 Do you drive a motorbike?

If so, what do you love about it?

If not, would you like to? Why or why not?

Have you ever driven a motorbike in a foreign country?

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 If motorbike travel in foreign countries sounds fun and interesting to you, check out this great guidebook to Motorbiking Vietnam: 

Two Wheels & Rice Fields – The Ultimate Guide to Motorbiking Vietnam

Two Wheels & Rice Fields- The Ultimate Guide to Motorbiking Vietnam

My friends and fellow travel bloggers,  Elise and Anthony Milotic of Positive World Travel, have written this excellent and very thorough guidebook to motorbiking through Vietnam  based on their own motorbike trip through the country.

If you’re planning to visit Vietnam and/or you love motorbike travel, check out their awesome guide to get started.

Read my review of Two Wheels & Rice Fields

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