Buying Motorbike Hua Hin

[Gunnar]

Hi

I am going to buy a new motorbike (honda, click or whatever)

Is there any need to walk from shop to shop and ask for the price, or is it close to the same price wherever you buy a bike in Hua Hin?

Thanks for info

[Top Croc]

Hi Gunnar, last week purchased some oil in a motorbike repair shop. I asked the mechanic what bike was more reliable than the others, his reply was Honda by a long way.

Can't help with prices.

[STEVE G]

Gunnar, this website lists the going price for motorbikes available in Thailand.
From my experience, there's not much point in shopping around as the prices don't change much and you're better off just going to the local main dealer of Honda or whatever brand you want.
http://www.motorcycle.in.th/staticpages ... Price_List

[PET]

The latest 2010 Yamaha Mio 125 automatic is worth a look. It has more power than the Honda Click. As to prices you might get a bht500 discount if you look in at Yamaha near Soi41 on Phetkasim Road

[Takiap]

As other have said, there's not much point shopping around as the prices hardly differ from one dealer to the next.

Having been here for 10+ years with bikes being my primary mode of transport, I tried and tested many of them. In my opinion, none even come close to the Honda Wave in terms of reliability. As long as you keep putting gas in, they just keep going. The first one I had clocked up over 100,000 kilometers without repair needed apart from the odd oil change, new brakes, and etc. It took me from Sumut Sakhon to Ubon, to Hua-Hin and back many times, and even down to Sumui. The Honda Wave I have now was first used as a taxi by my father-in-law, and since then, it's done the Hua-Hin to Bangkok trip about 10 times. I've also been down to Ranong and back many times with it, and of course I use it daily here in Hua-Hin. The Speedon bit doesn't work, but I would say this one has also done about 100,000 km's now as well and I've never had any trouble with it at all.

Be warned as well, the automatic bikes like the Click, the Mio, and the Fino are all quite thirsty as far as gas is concerned, although I know that's probably not an issue for you. With that said, I wouldn't want an automatic bike or car even if they could run on water...

[Top Croc]

Those klm traveled are extraordinary let alone trouble free and all from 125cc. My father inlaw has a bike with 60k and I thought that amazing.

[Spitfire]

Well Gunnar, to joke for a moment, going on the assumption that that is a picture of you that you use as an avatar, then perhaps a Honda 'Click' would be a little too, what shall we say.........feminine for a viking type with a tash/goatee, probably would look quite comical.

Maybe a 150 CBR from Honda would be better, definitely better bikes, solid and fast, more robust and not wildly more expensive compared to the 'Click' and all. For the price a CBR 150 is incredible value.

[STEVE G]

In my opinion you can't beat Honda Waves for transport in Thailand, they just get you to where you want to go with the minimum amount of problems and expense.
The first one we had is now up in the Issan village where it gets used as a general family runabout, I think it's done about 50,000 km now and it's still going strong.
We've now got a newer fuel injected version that always starts first time and is very efficient on fuel consumption.
I know some people are into more exotic stuff like choppers and sports bikes, but if you just want to get somewhere a Wave is the thing to have.
Incidentally, I once saw one pulling a trailer with three adults on the bike and four more in the trailer, so you can use them as a people carrier as well.

[tarakandi]

In my opinion Honda is the best, bought my first bike in HH in 87’ a Suzuki 2 stroke hated it kept it for 6 months then bought a Honda and I have had Honda’s ever since, current one is the Air Blade and that is definitely the best one so far

[Spitfire]

In my opinion you can't beat Honda Waves for transport in Thailand..........

It seems that the rest of Thailand agrees with you. The Honda Wave is the best selling bike in the world.

Found this report in the 'Motorcycle Thailand' web site about the first two months of 2009, remember it's just for two months, staggering really. OK, says that sales figure were down but that was serious recession time.

First Two Months 2009 Motorcycle Sales Figures

Monday, 23 March 2009 @ 03:16 PM ICT


Motorcycle registrations in the first two months totaled 229,417 units, 19 percent down year-on-year. Honda, the best selling brand, was hardest hit with registrations down 25 percent to 146,484 units, while its market share fell to 64 percent from 69 percent in the same period last year.

Yamaha registrations for the period fell 6 percent to 66,894 units, with its market share up to 29 percent from 25 percent. Third-ranked Suzuki fell 6 percent to 12,166 units, with its market share unchanged at 5 percent. Kawasaki registrations rose 37 percent to 2,064 units, with its 1 percent market share unchanged.

Tiger Motorcycle sold 161 units. The Malaysian brand JRD sold 353 units and China's Platinum 143 units. Other brands sold 1,152 units.

Family-type motorcycles dominated the market with registrations of 114,421 units in the first two months, helped by fuel-efficient engines. Registrations were still down 20 percent year-on-year, however.

Other categories - family-sport, sport, automatic transmission and off-road - maintained the same market shares.

In the first two months, automatic transmission motorcycles recorded 105,501 units for a 46 percent market share. Family-sport models sold 5,908 units (3 percent) and sport models 1,809 units (1 percent). Other categories recorded sales of 1,778.

The Honda Wave 100 remained the best-selling model at 55,198 units sold in January and February, followed by the Yamaha Fino at 41,564 and Honda Click at 33,167 units.

Amazing figures and to think how many of these things are sold and that is just two months in one Asian country.

[STEVE G]

Apparently Honda have made over 60 million Super Cubs which is the 50cc version that the Wave was developed from, so the total numbers must be huge.

[usual suspect]

GUNNAR
The family & the girls that work for us have bought many new Hondas over the last 10yrs..every time it has been worthwhile to buy the bike in Cha-Am,not Hua-Hin. For the sake of half-hour in a pick-up,you will save money. AND..later get the bike serviced in HH...no need to take back to Cha-Am each time.

[Korkenzieher]

Gunnar (and Usual Suspect), for what it is worth, I received exactly the same information from Thai aquaintances - if I buy, buy in Cha-Am, not Hua Hin. Savings touted as being in the thousands of baht for clicks and nouvos, though not actually taken the plunge yet.

[Farang]

One more thing: IMHO each one of the current crop of 115 - 135 cc automatics have all too small chassis. Any larger person feels cramped on a small bike like that with knees knocking against the handlebars.

Since the old larger chassis Yamaha Nouvo is no longer available, the only way for a larger guy to go is Honda Wave. One helluva bike!