Markit
After nearly 8 years of denying and putting them down I have finally decided to enthusiastically join the swarms (pods?) of motorcycle drivers on the Indonesian roads and I can confirm my original statements about the deadliness of the undertaking. On the upside it's also the most fun you can have (except building here) with your cloths on. Cruising through Bali's highways and byways with the smell of flowers and the occasional meal being cooked is a sheer joy. And the WOMEN!!! Blessed be the holy Ying and Yang! A mate and I tried to hit as many of the Balinese highpoints on this list as we could this week ( [url=http://bali.mehthesheep.com/natural-attractions/]22 beautiful hidden natural attractions in Bali[/url] ) but sadly were often waylaid by the need to re-hydrate with Bintang because as nice as it is to motor, it's some dry work too. For anyone looking to switch over I can recommend the new Yamaha NMAX (with ABS, cause it's all about stopping) for around 28 million and change. It's a real man's scooter with about 150cc and enough power to pull a fat assed Bule and a small brown local in comfort and some style. Mine is white so if I cut you off then curse away :icon_e_biggrin:
Steve Rossell
After nearly 8 years of denying and putting them down I have finally decided to enthusiastically join the swarms (pods?) of motorcycle drivers on the Indonesian roads and I can confirm my original statements about the deadliness of the undertaking. On the upside it's also the most fun you can have (except building here) with your cloths on. Cruising through Bali's highways and byways with the smell of flowers and the occasional meal being cooked is a sheer joy. And the WOMEN!!! Blessed be the holy Ying and Yang! A mate and I tried to hit as many of the Balinese highpoints on this list as we could this week ( [url=http://bali.mehthesheep.com/natural-attractions/]22 beautiful hidden natural attractions in Bali[/url] ) but sadly were often waylaid by the need to re-hydrate with Bintang because as nice as it is to motor, it's some dry work too. For anyone looking to switch over I can recommend the new Yamaha NMAX (with ABS, cause it's all about stopping) for around 28 million and change. It's a real man's scooter with about 150cc and enough power to pull a fat assed Bule and a small brown local in comfort and some style. Mine is white so if I cut you off then curse away :icon_e_biggrin:[/QUOTE]Anon: "Motor scooters are for men that love to feel the wind blowing' on their vaginas." :O
davita
Markit...if you don't mind me saying...I would love to hear abour your adventures. Please write an essay (blog) and post in the blog feature. It is your life experience and no-one should deny or critique, which we do on the open forum.I'm serious...you have climbed the volcano and now biked some of the hinterland....I, for one, would love to read about those experiences as I'm a little too old, and envious, to do that myself.
Markit
Why are you too old? What the feck have you got to lose? Climb on a motor scooter as either driver or pillion and shoot off - the world is your oyster and it's a lovely experience. Vicarious pleasure is one thing but why forbid yourself something because you're too old? I've got some bad news: you are going to die and it will probably be horrible and painful. I will share that self same fate as will everything that is alive now on planet Earth.Never ever again say you are too old for anything or I will be unmerciful, I promise.
Markit
Anon: "Motor scooters are for men that love to feel the wind blowing' on their vaginas." :O[/QUOTE]But very manly vaginas...
Rangi
For anyone looking to switch over I can recommend the new Yamaha NMAX (with ABS, cause it's all about stopping) for around 28 million and change. It's a real man's scooter with about 150cc and enough power to pull a fat assed Bule and a small brown local in comfort and some style. Mine is white so if I cut you off then curse away :icon_e_biggrin:[/QUOTE]Those bikes are good but for an even more manly scooter I recommend the new Yamaha Jupiter MX King. I had the 2011 Yamaha Jupiter MX which was 135cc which I loved and also learnt to ride a manual bike on, but the 2015 model came out and is 150cc and I got it about 5 months ago and love riding it. With it being manual it gives you much more control, being able to use Engine breaking and being able to use the gears and certain times like dropping down for increase acceleration in overtaking maneuvers and for going up Hills ect ect.
Markit
We can road-rage it together sometime? But only if you promise not to do the Peter Fonda finger at the Balinese!
Steve Rossell
G'day 'Rangi' Sounds like the Jupiter MX is a good option. I've always ridden motorbikes and before I came here my main form of commuting was a V-twin 650cc bike.....sh!t...I'm tearing up just thinking about how much I'm missing it. :icon_e_sad: I'm currently using a Vario scoot' which is fine for getting around on but I'm planning on travelling further afield.Anyway, did you need to change over from MX tyres to more road friendly ones? How does the fuel usage and tank capacity compare to something like an auto scooter? And more importantly does it have a guard to protect my vagina from wind and rain?
Rangi
We can road-rage it together sometime? But only if you promise not to do the Peter Fonda finger at the Balinese![/QUOTE]It would be my pleasure
Rangi
G'day 'Rangi' Sounds like the Jupiter MX is a good option. I've always ridden motorbikes and before I came here my main form of commuting was a V-twin 650cc bike.....sh!t...I'm tearing up just thinking about how much I'm missing it. :icon_e_sad: I'm currently using a Vario scoot' which is fine for getting around on but I'm planning on travelling further afield.Anyway, did you need to change over from MX tyres to more road friendly ones? How does the fuel usage and tank capacity compare to something like an auto scooter? And more importantly does it have a guard to protect my vagina from wind and rain?[/QUOTE]https://www.semisena.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/spesifikasi-yamaha-jupiter-mx-king-1501.jpg[/IMG]As you can see it is a road bike so comes with road tyres. Its fuel tank is very similar to a Vario and usage depends on how you drive it really, but it is pretty good.
Steve Rossell
Thanx Rangi for the pics. I 'ass'umed that the MX tag meant it was a more off-road type vehicle.It even looks like it has adequate 'mangina' protection.:abnormal:
Markit
Ok guys I have to say I'm slightly disturbed by the Christmas tree looks of your Jupiter MX and would feel like the "Empire Strikes Back" was just around the corner. Just look at the Nmax - it's got understated "cool" (possibly, drool) written all over it. And the position is pure "laid back Harley" if I do say so myself. Friends have sat on mine and with a quivering chins had to go back to their "normal" scooter with unhappy spelled out large all over. So do your self a favour and don't look at the the picture here. [ATTACH]2544.vB[/ATTACH]
Rangi
I guess is that where generation gap comes into play on our opinions on what is "cool". http://ferboesrichardson.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/wpid-img-20150312-wa0050_wm1.jpg[/IMG]
Steve Rossell
Ok guys I have to say I'm slightly disturbed by the Christmas tree looks of your Jupiter MX and would feel like the "Empire Strikes Back" was just around the corner. Just look at the Nmax - it's got understated "cool" (possibly, drool) written all over it. And the position is pure "laid back Harley" if I do say so myself. Friends have sat on mine and with a quivering chins had to go back to their "normal" scooter with unhappy spelled out large all over. So do your self a favour and don't look at the the picture here. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2544[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]Emma Chisitt?
Markit
Does the rocket in the picture light your lights? I think it's slightly silly when pointed at the guy wearing full Formula 1 outfit sitting on a 150cc scooter. If your buttons are that obvious then I guess that's the scooter for you.My "Mangina" doesn't even get moist (giggle, giggle).
Markit
Some friends and I took the chance and decided to "see" some the country we have chosen to live in and packed up our shorts, tshirts and frilly underthings and set off last week on a bit of a tour. Got the ferry from Padang Bai to Lombok which takes about 4 hours to get there - those that get sea-sick take note the fast boats are a rollercoaster ride but the slow boat is a gentle cruise. Cost point IDR 120k and pack nothing as there's lots of goodies offered before launch and the Nasi Campur aint that bad. Got to Lombok and took a left headed for Sengigi, which is the jumping off point for trips to the Gilis and found the governments attempts to create the "New Bali" can be seen with every second hotel/resort either for sale or derelict - or both (more about this later). Spent the first night in Sengigi - stay down town as the out of town places are ghostly and quite lonely. There is some great draft Bintang to be had there. Muslim islands generally suck for beer supply - it's kinda like doing a crack deal each time you order and fecking expensive - one place charged us 70k/beer :icon_e_surprised: - always ask first to avoid apoplexy, usually it's between 35 and 40 similar to Bali. Best thing that can be said for Lombok is that the roads around the north are brilliant for motorbiking - wide, well kept and largely empty. Whether this is part of the govs plan to attract more tourists I don't know or care it's just fantastic for biking. Long stretches of empty, good highway curving through some spectacular (but really, really dry now) scenery. Got to the other side of Lombok and took the ferry to Sumbawa which is only booked at a half hour but can (and did) turn into 2 hours of waiting to dock. Sumbawa would make the US dustbowl look tropical. It's the pinup child for deforestation and dry, dry, dry. Calling it a ****hole might be erring on the side of generosity. It is poor and dirty and grim but has some spectacular women. Willing and lovely with great tits. The roads on the main drags (Sumbawa Bera to Bima and then down to Lakey) are the equal of Lombok and even fewer people on them. If you use Google maps believe what they say DO NOT go off on your own you will get eaten and raped, in that order. There are some evil roads going to evil places with some skinny, hungry people living (if you can call it that) there. For biking it's damned good and that was the main point of the trip. Food's good too - ate all local grub on both islands, street food all the way and the only time we had any trouble was on the last night we decided to "treat" ourselves to some classy western grub - always a mistake in my experience. Isn't there something in the Bible about ****ting through the eye of a needle? On the road back from Sumbawa we got back to Lombok (seemed like heavenly lushness in comparison to Sumbawa - but the girls are plug ugly - thank goodness for the Jilbab it covers a multitude of sins (If the girls wear a Jilbab is that funny hat the boys wear a Jackbab?) and headed south to Sasak country. You couldn't hope to find a more surely, thankless and unfriendly bunch of Indonesians and Kuta is a complete **** hole so next time you read "Lombok Kuta is the next Bali", of for that matter any other Indonesian destination, you can tell em to go piss up a rope. I've been to 6 of the admittedly huge number of Indonesian island in the last 3 months and they were all ghastly, poor, dry and miserable places with the shining exception of Bali. Upon reaching Lombok/Sumbawa/East Java/Sulawesi I was utterly shocked by the huge number of shiny, new, no expenses spared Mosques being built everywhere but have yet to see one new school or hospital. Have taken to advising beggars to ask their Imam for money as he appears to be minted. Oh I'm not talking one or two, in the first hours drive through Lombok we counted 20 before we gave up counting... 20 in construction shiny, new Mosques. I figure if this keeps up they will have one for each family. Maybe their belief protects them from illness and accident? Well if it's some comparison to Bali you are after or just a great ride on a motorbike (ok, scooter, but a very manly scooter) then I recommend pack a bag and head off with a mate or 2 for some island hopping, it's great fun and worth the time.
Markit
Since flying the highways and byways of Bali on my scooter it's come to my attentions that we may "have a problem Houston". If you take note of the locals they all have a very pleasant openly friendly expression on their faces as they cruise. Not giggling or stupidly happy but open to new and nice things. Bule all look like they are headed to a funeral and of someone they hated. Please next time on your scooter when you feel the wind fluttering the lips of your mangina examine the face you are showing the world please. I've found that if I make an effort and smile pleasantly at all and sundry the men all smile back and the girls, well the girls... Just find out yourselves.
Mark
Markit, are you riding on an Indonesian driving license, an international one based on your home country license, or the proverbial 'Rp 50k per polisi stop' program? If you got the Indonesia license, it would be helpful to hear how that went.
Markit
My international license ran out on Jan 1st and I'm now on the 50k/per until I can get may Indonesian one, which has been started. I will happily report how that goes when it has... gone, that is.
Fred2
By the time I put my helmet, sunglasses and mask on nothing to see. save me from scaring the girls and stops my wife hitting my helmet when I look look.
