Category Archives: Motorcycles Suitable for Thailand

This category is all about motorcycles and motors scooters that are suitable for driving in such Southeast Asian countries as Thailand. Due extremely high duties on imported bikes that can nearly double the prices charged in Europe and the U.S. comments about bikes that are prohibitively expensive here, lack parts availability and that are suited chiefly for high speed interstates in Western countries are of no interest here.

Motorcycles Suitable for Thailand

Yamaha Nmax Recall: for reliability problems, 2021 new model

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I am creating the Yamaha Nmax recall to emphasis key points in my two reviews of the old model and the new model.

Yamaha Nmax recall is of the new model, not the old one
I am invoking the Yamaha Nmax recall on the new model, not the old Nmax model I presently own.

Yamaha did not invoke this Yamaha Nmax recall. I did. And I did it to give you, the prospective buyer of the old model Nmax versus the new one, the information you really need. To make an intelligent decision on which model to buy. Old versus new.

I am the first to drive Rory’s new Nmax from the dealer’s. While Rory followed behind driving my old model Nmax. I was immediately impressed how smoothly the new model Nmax drove out of the dealership. Because there’s one negative issue I’ve noticed found with the old model. The bike’s engine runs roughly at parking lot speeds.

I knew right off that Yamaha had corrected any remaining negatives prospective buyers might have that would keep them from buying a Yamaha Nmax. Which I believe to be the absolute finest all around small bike one can buy for the kind of driving conditions we encounter in Thailand.

So what gives me the right to publicize my very own Yamaha Nmax recall?

I have lived in Pattaya Thailand for the past 16 years. Where I drive my two motorbikes, my Triumph Street Twin and old model Nmax 365 days a year. Rain or shine. Here a motorbike is an essential took. Just as the car is a necessity for everyday living most places in the United States. Whereas here in Pattaya a car is totally unnecessary except for those who need it to make a living. Or golfers who cannot be touting their golf clubs on a motorbike.

Although I will admit that big motorbike reviews from Cycle World and MCN are very thorough, interest and worth reading. Internet reviews of small motorbikes in the 125 to 150 c.c. class leave a lot to be desired. The good ones from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, etc where English is not the dominant language. Which leaves the English speaking world in the dark. Whereas those reviews in English are nearly always limited to the new features being introduced in the new models.

In Thailand the most important feature of any motorbike is reliability while the second most important is safety which alerting all prospective buyers of either the new or old model Yamaha Nmax about certain reliability problems that have surfaced.

Both the old model Nmax and the new model offer the utmost in motorbike safety three thousand dollars can buy. My Yamaha Nmax recall is due the new model Nmax not living up to the old model’s reliability.

In my two reviews of the old and new model Yamaha Nmax bikes I mentioned my misgivings over the reliability of the old model. But two weeks after I completed both reviews, the need for announcing my Yamaha Nmax recall suddenly came to me.

My pal Rory is a very successful engineer who has a very practical mind. But he has put nowhere close to the mileage on motorbikes as I have. He’s a tech kind of buy who appreciates the advantages that high tech so often beings.

Rory has a keen appreciation for such features as key less ignition and automatic stopping and starting at stoplights bring to the table.

But when I announced my Yamaha Nmax recall to my closest friends Rory finally agreed with me. Telling me, You have been right all along.

A few years ago I bought my girlfriend a brand new Honda PCX 150. But it didn’t take long for the key less ignition system to go bad. We had to call the nearby Honda dealership to have someone come out to fix our problem.

After having to buy an expensive new Honda remote to get the PCX started again, I viewed keyless ignition as a liability ever since.

If your bike has a keyless ingnition system if anything happens to your remote. Even if you’ve only misplaced it. You are done.

But Rory’s been out of town for a few weeks. And when he lent his new model Yamaha Nmax to a friend of his, his friend was unable to start Rory’s six month old new model Yamaha Nmax.

The friend put a new battery into the remote. The small red light that indicates the remote is working comes on. But for some reason the remote is now unable to communicate with the rest of the keyless ignition system.

Yamaha has built into its new model Nmax a safety system that makes it difficult for anyone to steal the bike.

There’s a main switch one uses to start the bike, open the seat up or open the fuel tank. Which sounds like a great idea. Unless something malfunctions with the bike’s electronics that enable this main switch to be turned.

I’ve tried on two occasions to get the main switch to turn. While learning later on that the remote either disarms or disarms protective model for the main switch. And that a very audible click can be heard when this self protective mode is turned off.

Rory’s friend has told me that the Yamaha dealership Rory bought his bike from refuses to come out to look at his bike. Which leaves the friend with just one option. To either rent or borrow a pickup truck so that he can haul the bike into the dealer’s shop. Which is why I am publishing my very own Yamaha Nmax recall.

I am not a big fan of the idling automatic starting and restarting systems on either the new model Yamaha Nmax or Honda PCX

I know that this sounds like a great idea. Because particularly in a city such as Pattaya there’s a lot of long waits at stoplights. Which wastes a lot of gas. Or so it might seem. But in the real world of 125 to 155 c.c. motorbikes most bikes are capable of getting 120 miles to the gallon. So the small amount of gasoline wasted at stoplights is not going to make much difference in the bike owner’s pocket book.

I know if’s annoying to hear that engine idling for five minutes whenever you pull up to a red light. Which it’s so reassuring to hear that engine stop and then to be able to start up instantly by pulling back on the throttle as soon as the light changes to green.

The problem is all that automatic starting and stopping puts a very significant toll on the bike’s battery and other electrical components driving that automatic stop start system. Which makes the bike significantly less reliable over the long haul.

Am I telling you not to buy the new model Yamaha Nmax? No way because it’s still one helluva bike. But if you are thinking of trading your old model Nmax for the new model with all its bells and whistles you might just want to keep your old model.

In spite of what I’m caliing my Yamaha Nmax recall on the new model. Even if you are not too concerned about the reliability issues I’ve mentioned you might prefer buying a used mint condition old model Nmax to the new model for other reasons I’ve mentioned in both of my Yamaha Nmax reviews.

Jack Corbett Video Channel, Motorcycles Suitable for Thailand

Triumph Street Twin three years ownership in a thirty minute review

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Driving my Triumph Street Twin three years should make all the difference to those deciding between the 2016 series or its successor.

My Triumph Street Twin next to a Yamaha Nmax
Behind my 2018 Triumph Street Twin is my neighbors Yamaha 155 c.c. Nmax, In my opinion the 155 c.c. Yamaha Nmax is the absolute finest all around motorbike money can buy for Pattaya Thailand’s driving conditions. You can learn all about the superlative Yamaha Nmax in my Yamaha Nmax bike review in which I compare the new model Nmax to the older model pictured here. So why on earth would anyone buy a Triumph instead of a Honda, Kawasaki or Yamaha if one just has to have a much bigger bike? Because it’s a Triumph and there’s nothing like a Triumph as you will soon be finding out when you watch this latest review.

Although I might be exaggerating a little by claiming I drive my Triumph Street Twin every day. It’s true that I’m driving either my Triumph or my Yamaha 155 Nmax close to 365 days a year. While I give equal time between my two motorbikes, my three years driving my Triumph Street Twin should provide useful information you probably won’t be getting anywhere else.

A 30 minute tour around Pattaya Thailand caps off 3 years of living with the Triumph 2018 Street Twin proving its one of the most reliable, agile, and great handing motorcycles in its class.

Such as should I buy a 2016 to 2020 model Street Twin or the latest and greatest model that came out in 2021? Or should I buy either over competing Japanese bikes?

Driving my 2018 Triumph Street Twin three years is why you should be wading through my thirty minute review from start to finish. If you want to get the right answers to such critical questions as to reliability, cost of maintenance, comfort, and riding enjoyment over the long haul.

For example, if you live close to the ocean, humidity can transform a heavily chromed motorcycle into a maintenance nightmare. I live just 200 yards from the Gulf of Thailand

My white Yamaha SR 400 was a gorgeous bike. But unfortunately due to my living just 200 yards from the Gulf of Thailand, I was constantly having to paint over a lot of its chrome or polishing other chrome parts that I didn’t want to cover with black pain.

where the humidity kept turning my Yamaha 400 SR into a rust bucket that constantly needed attention. But when I traded it for my Triumph Street Twin I quickly found out that my Triumph needed hardly any attention whatsoever.

My 900 c.c. Triumph Street Twin develops just 54 horsepower while the upgraded 2021 model gained 10 more horsepower when the Triumph engineers gave the new model 500 more rpms. That’s almost 20 percent more horsepower, which should give the new model a very significant edge. But does it really? In the real world?

I can almost guarantee that when you watch my Triumph Street Twin review you will change your mind about how much difference that extra 10 horsepower really makes.

You might have never thought about it, but tires can make a huge difference in a bike’s performance. Or how much faster can you go if you pay $2000 for better brakes. Close to the end of my Triumph Street Twin three years driving experience, I upgraded my tires from the stock Pirelli Phantom tires to Pirelli Scorpion. At the end of this review you can watch how well the new tires perform on a sandy deeply rutted trail. And learn how an investment in high performance Brembo brakes can help you go a lot faster.

But in the end a Triumph is a Triumph. Its styling will never go out of date. While nothing sounds as good as a Triumph.