Rider's Corner

OK legends, before anyone has a coronary — yes, this one-star review is a joke. 😂🍿
But like all good comedy, it’s inspired by real life.
Every now and then we genuinely do get cranky tourists leaving bad reviews because we refused to rent them a motorcycle without a proper licence. Apparently “Me mate Dave taught me on a scooter in Bali after twelve Bintangs” is not recognised by the insurance companies as formal rider training. Who knew? 🤷‍♂️
So we decided to imagine what the ultimate angry review might sound like if one of these blokes really let loose online… and honestly, “Ronnie from Essex” practically wrote himself.
At Rider’s Corner we know the rules can sometimes feel like a pain in the backside, but there’s a reason for them:
Northern Thailand’s roads are stunning… but they’re also real roads with real reckless drivers, real decreasing radius corners, and very real opportunities to launch yourself into a ditch wearing singlets and thongs.
We’d genuinely rather lose a rental than see somebody get hurt.
Anyway, enjoy Ronnie’s review, have a laugh, and if you do have a proper motorcycle licence — we’ll happily set you up with a bike and point you toward the best roads in Thailand. 🍻🇹🇭
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Righto… we might’ve gone too far with this one. We took the pattern from those classic backpacker elephant pants and replaced the elephants with motorcycles. Ian's still deciding if this is bogan biker culture at its best, or it gets him thrown out of Thailand. What do ya reckon, would you wear this rig on a T shirt?
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Here are our seven North Thailand touring maps again, updated with improvements, many of them suggested by you, dear reader. The higher resolution files are available on our website, link in the comments below.
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Prepping for next high season, how does this look for a banner street-side under the Rider's Corner sign?
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This elegantly attired Brisbanian took one of our new 2026 ADV160s out for a month and had a cracking time putting thousands of kilometers on it. He was kind enough to handle the break-in service at 1,000 kms (for which we reimbursed him). And he also enjoyed our hilarious Monkey Bike in town for a couple of days. So glad to work with customers like you, come back again soon!
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Today Bank added a Honda NC750X to the fleet, a model that is new to us and we probably should have adopted sooner. It's an interesting bike that will tick a lot of boxes for customers touring north Thailand. First, it has a DCT transmission, so the experience is like riding an automatic, with the bike shifting up and down the 6-speed box seamlessly. Look ma, no clutch lever, and no shifter lever. Second, it's got a low stress, torque happy engine that is the pinnacle of Honda reliability, and also remarkably fuel efficient. Being a 750 cc, it has some extra grunt compared to the NX500s, and while it is not a sporty bike, it is quick off the line. And the piece de resistance, it carries the fuel under the seat, so the usual tank area features a cool locking cubby-hole that can hold a full face helmet or your valuables. Our standard top box and panniers set-up will go on the bike soon. We're starting the NC750 out at a low season rate of 1700 baht per day, rising to 1900 baht per day in high season.
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Here's the last of the maps, at least for a while. Ian is always earbashing about the 3054 south of Mae Tuen to Mae Ramat. And fair dinkum, it is a ripper, famous for its 34% grade sign, very narrow and twisty. But there are so many good rides here. The 1090 "death highway" to Umphang is life affirming.
A near perfect two day trip: Leave Chiang Mai and go down the 1184, the super twisties on the 106, hit the little back roads (1102 and 1107) to avoid the 1 highway, 1175 west (don't do it west to east because the police tend to turn back foreign riders), overnight in Mae Ramat or Mae Sot. The next day, up Ian's favorite 3054 and the scenic 1099, home on the 108. You beauty!
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Strewth, this map making is hot and thirsty work. But see if you agree, this is an essential yet under-appreciated bit of outback that every Chiang Mai-based rider should know about. From the 118 down to Lampang is a dense network of country lanes that are heaps of fun. There are even a few little water crossings in here. While the roads on this map are all paved, a few are extremely narrow and/or steep (for example above Mae Kampong and around The Giant Chiangmai coffee shop). And if you haven't been to the Khun Tan railway tunnel, that is worth a day ride in its own right.
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Three new sticker designs came in today, bringing our total to 17 unique RC funnies in the basket on Khun U's desk. One free per customer, 20 baht for extras.
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Nan is our happy place — some of the best roads in northern Thailand, not much traffic, a lush and sleepy province that preserves the best aspects of rural Thailand. We've separated Nan riding into two maps. The first shows you three options to get there from Chiang Mai, and includes the Bo Klua and Mae Charim loops. The second features the cracking roads south on the way to Loei. As with our other maps, these are all paved roads. Suggestions welcome for points of interest to add.
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Yeah mate, another map. We’ve stitched together a proper rider’s overview of the Golden Triangle region, just the best roads, tight corners, mountain views, the original o***m heartland. If you’re keen for a few days in the saddle, this one’s a ripper.
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