One Hell of a Trip on a Fino Scooter
Chiang Dao | Chiang Mai Province | Cool Season | 670 KM Ride | 3 Days
January 2011 – My first big trip (well it seemed MASSIVE at the time) on a my Fino Scooter. I had only been riding for approximately 8 months or so, and I was riding a Yahama Fino 115cc.
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Contents
Thailand Iconic Roads in the North
Big Bike Tours Recce Ride 2
5 Days 7 Provinces Loop
Border Ride. N.West to N.East – Northern Thailand.
The Yamaha Fino
The Yamaha Fino is a 115cc step-through scooter, and if you know anything about this kind of scooter, you will know it merely chugs along on any kind of incline and has the suspension of a brick. So, basically you get thrown about on any uneven road etc.. and Thailand absolutely has its share of potholes, gravel, poor roads….
Regardless, this trip is firmly implanted as one of my most amazing trips of all time. Purely because i felt like i was on a mammoth adventure. I felt like a true explorer. At the time there were less foreign tourists in these zones also, so it felt like being from outer space..haha.
I loved every moment..even the mini crash i had, due to having no idea about how to brake on gravel. Found myself on the ground with my bike on top of my ankle..which later on became the size of a small grapefruit. The perils of being a self-taught moto rider, with absolutely no idea….
Day 1. Chiang Mai to Doi Mae Salong Via Mae Sai
The ride out. I woke up early and rode up the main R118 to Mae Sai. I needed to get my visa stamped at the Thai-Myanmar border, so I took the main highway to save time. After my visa was stamped, this is when the ride really begun. I rode through amazing scenery, until I reached the Yunnanese town of Doi Mae Salong.
Doi Mae Salong
When I reached Doi Mae Salong. I couldnt believe how different this place was from the rest of the Thailand I knew.
The locals speak Yunnanese. I felt like i was in a whole other country.
The roads were very steep and there were lots of little stores dotted along the mountainside.
It was also surprisingly chilly.
I enjoyed looking at the local tea production, and local shops.
Shin Sane Guesthouse
I checked into Shin Sane Guesthouse and rested up for the night.
I had another long ride ahead of me the next morning and needed to get some sleep, (which proved rather challenging, because my room was part underground and I could hear people walking past my window all night!).
End of day 1
Day 2. Doi Mae Salong to Thaton
In the morning, when the sun began to rise, I took my bike and rode up to the mountain temple in Doi Mae Salong. It was a very steep ride up and my Fino scooter struggled!
Doi Mae Salong Temple
The temple at the top of the mountain road was stunning.
,,and the views over Mae Salong were amazing.
It was well worth the visit, but now I had to try get my bike up the steep incline!
I had to push my bike for part of the way up and then I was able to use momentum to get back down to the bottom!
Breakfast in Doi Mae Salong
Breakfast was near non-existent, but I rarely eat breakfast anyway.
I ordered a simple Yok (boiled rice) dish and then bought some fruit at the local morning market.
Then I headed back to the guesthouse to pack and leave.
I left Doi Mae Salong and headed to direct to Thaton on the R107
Thaton
In Thaton, I checked into a simple guesthouse alongside the river.
The view was pretty.
Inside the bungalow was a simple fan room. I did not mind at all though, the nights had been very chilly.
I cleaned up and headed out to visit Wat Thaton.
Wat Thaton
Wat Thaton route was a super twisty helter-skelter route! I had to keep the momentum up as I climbed. There were several interesting stops along the way up, including this huge white Buddha.
The Buddha stop also provided a really great view of Thaton.
Back on my bike, I climbed higher and higher, and wondered when I would finally reach the top!
Thankfully, I finally reached the top and it was amazing!
I spotted some fantastic huge Naga dragons, and when I got closer, I noticed one was still in progress.
It was so interesting to see all the monks gathered around the Naga.
I imagine it will look amazing when it is completed, like the completed one to the left.
I next continued over to where the main temple stupa was located and spotted a lookout pavilion, so headed there.
The pavilion offered amazing views over Thaton.
After visiting the temple, I headed back to the accommodation and ordered food at the on-site restaurant. I then rested up in my room, ready for another early day of riding.
– End of day 2
Day 3. Thaton to Chiang Mai
I woke early and headed to Chiang Mai, taking as many smaller routes as I could to break up the ride.
Pretty Stream Incident.
I spotted a little bridge and a stream as I was coming along the road, which is when I unfortunately decided to brake too hard on some gravel there. My bike slid out from under me and landed on my ankle. Ouch!
I could feel my ankle begin to instantly swell, but thankfully, my lace-up boots were keeping things tightly in place. I carried on, determined to forget about the pain I was in.
As I was riding along, I spotted a sign for Doi Angkhang. Despite the pain, the rain and the fog, curiosity got the better of me, so I headed towards the mountain.
Doi Ang Khang
As I made my way further and further up the mountain, visibility became near impossible. It was like riding into a completely white atmosphere. Yet, it was still very magical!
Finally, I arrived at a lookout spot with some soldiers, who were very surprised to see me. They told me there is a lookout and walked with me on the muddy field because I could hardly see a thing! The lookout was a simple bamboo structure, perched on the mountainside.
By this point, my ankle was really hurting but my pride prevented me from hobbling too much. I struggled on through the pain.
The view from the lookout was fab, although hard to see at times due to the fog.
I thanked the soldiers then made my way back down the mountain, continuing on to Chiang Dao, where I stopped for a cold drink.
Chiang Dao
By the time I reached Chiang Dao, the sun was shining and my ankle was throbbing. .
I knew there was nothing I could do about my ankle in Chiang Dao, so I drank my cool drink and carried on.
Arrived Chiang Mai
By the time I arrived in Chiang Mai and removed my boots, my ankle had a golf-ball sized lump sprouting from it.
Oh well! I bandaged it up and rested for a week. No matter what, the trip was worth it.
A fantastic trip that I will for sure remember for years to come!
– End of ride
I hope you enjoyed this scooter trip report.
Leave a comment!
We just today added a description of the route on Doi Angkhan https://catmotors.net/routes/doi-ang-khang/ =) My first motorcycle trip in Thailand: Koh Samui – Chiang Mai on a Yamaha Elegance 135cc motorbike =) Cheers! =)
I stumbled over this site and glad I did. I have been wanting to do a Mae Hong Son scooter trip (I can’t ride manual) but my partner has had reservations about me riding the loop on a scooter. This has helped a lot.
Looks like a few other interesting places worth visiting also. Thanks.
-Ali
Good luck Ali! A lot of people ride the roads on a scooter. I personally wouldn’t go back to a scooter for big trips but that is only because my Fino is so unsuitable for these roads, or at least the kind of riding i was doing on the roads. It is this bike i had my accident on, so i am very wary.
I would never actually recommend anyone to ride these roads on a scooter, but i did use a scooter for trips for a couple of years and had great fun doing so. The choice is down to the individual.
Scooters such as Sonics and other step-throughs are really great bikes in my opinion, or bikes with a bit more “oomph” such as the PCX or Forsa.
Ride safe and wish you a great trip.