First Post: Word of Caution

Due to popular demand and a very long time of contemplation, I have created this riding blog to document all the road trips that I have been!

I will include some maps, and probably some tips in my post. Hopefully, aspiring riders / tourers will find it useful!

A big shoutout to Rizzie, Diddy and fellow SCR members who persuaded me to document my riding journeys! Without you all, this blog probably would not exist! :)

A big shoutout to Vanga Ganesan too! You have been my inspiration with your trips up to Thailand. My sincere apologies for not following you to Thailand last year as I was not mentally prepared. But know this, you're my inspiration to do all these that I am doing now!

To begin my very first post, I would like to just share some word of caution to potential riders and tourers out there who are wanting to take up the challenge, quoting my #redefiningyolo hashtag and taking to the roads of Malaysia.

• Riding in Malaysia is completely different than in Singapore.

Most Singaporeans drivers / riders I know out there that I have surveyed thus far share the same consensus about driving / riding in Malaysia: It is Dangerous.

It is, and that is one thing you must first get your head around. I recall the first time I entered Malaysia through the second link, it almost scared the crap out of me. I was totally unprepared for the open roads, the darkness, the portholes, the language, the toll,... Basically everything.

I did not know that you have to remove your helmet at the custom, I did not know where to buy the T&G (Touch and Go) Card, I did not even know you had to pay toll, or how much to prepare. I only knew that the maintenance for my old second-hand Vespa GT200 was too expensive in Singapore. That was the deciding factor that propelled me into unknown territory.

That was September, 2015.

In all honesty, I am still learning. And having driven approximately half of all West Malaysia, I still cannot be certain that I knew it all already. Every trip into #bolehland is a new experience. Meeting new people, facing new situation, bumping around the unknown. Hence, I will just share whatever I know on this blog in future posts.

Road conditions at night on a Malaysian Highway, en route to Singapore from Mersing.

Note: The darkness of the road without street lamps. Roads are often littered with animals (alive and dead), and with portholes. Unmarked roadworks are also a common sight.

• You cannot take safety for granted.

I absolutely hate it when people approach me telling me that they will drive to and from Malaysia without doing any preparations. Worse, if you are going to do interstate driving without having driven in months in Singapore. You must firstly be confident with your machine before you go the distance! Safety on the road is of utmost importance whenever you go travelling. Ensuring the machine you are handling is in tip-top condition is also of great importance as that will be your only thing your trip would be dependent on.

Cases of theft, robbery, and rape are on the high across the border. Worse when there are news of terrorist attacks at your destination / along your way there. Do your homework and bring along essential items. Avoid affected areas, travel during daylight, bring extra locks (chains / steering locks / disc locks / alarms / etc). Always wear full riding gear (riding jackets with padding, long pants and covered shoes). You will never know what you will encounter, hence you must always be on your guard against potential harm.

Drive with extreme caution and be wary of the extreme road conditions you may encounter along the way. Gravel roads, portholes, animals, and reckless drivers are common across the border. I often see people beating the red light, or cutting three lanes without checking. You must drive with extreme care on foreign soil.

This is how I secure my bike before I bought thicker chains from MotorWorld.

Yes, having bicycle locks are better than no locks at all.

• Plan your trip.

In all honesty, I am always guilty of this. However, I can safely say that I know the highways enough to decide on which route would be beneficial for me to take.

On smaller roads, petrol kiosks are often closed after midnight. When travelling after midnight, always stick to the North South Highway (NSH), otherwise known as E2. However, one must be aware that everyone drives above the speed limit along the NSH. In many occasions, I have buses and trucks cutting me at over 120kph.

Sign up for AAS (Automobile Association of Singapore) membership (if you're driving a rented car / an old machine). Know your free tow areas and know how much extra you'd need to pay in the event whereby you'd need to tow your machine. Be prepared and have a record of all the emergency numbers of the places you are going. Know where all the free emergency telephones are and how far are they apart. These will help you handle emergencies with greater confidence.

If you are not confident riding at high speeds, I suggest you sticking to the smaller roads where people generally drive slightly slower (90-110kph), or not enter Malaysia at all until you are confident with your machine.

• Have a great time!

If you have done all your necessary homework, planned your trip, figured out all the locations of petrol kiosks, understood your machine (i.e.: mileage per tank / turning circle / top speed / tendency for speed wobbles / etc), and bought all your safety equipments (i.e.: lock / chain / steering lock / disc lock / GPS tracker / etc)... 

Go, and have some great time! But remember, do all these with caution.