MHS Challenge Ride on a scooter (completing the loop in one day)! Well, this is going to be a bit of an odd ride report. It’s been a while since I have written any kind of ride report due to Covid-19. I have been out on rides of course, but local rides and nothing really worthy of a blog/trip post. For those rides, I focused more on just posting up YouTube videos.
So, let’s get to this scooter challenge…
A few days ago in a local group, a rider posted up about wanting to take on a MHS challenge. The Mae Hong Son Loop is northern Thailands most famous loop and is considered to be one of the world’s best motorcycle routes. The classic version of this loop is around 600kms which reportedly has 1864 curves (with 765 of those concentrated on the 100km Pai mountain route stretch).
Table of Contents
Origin of the Challenge
The first documented MHS challenge ride that I know of was back in 2003 on the GT.Rider Forum, which David Unkovich (the GT.Rider) then arranged again in 2010. Lots of fun and makes for some really fun reading. (Links to these ride reports below).
GT.Rider Scooter Challenge in 2003 (photos courtesy of GT.Rider):
Read about this fun ride HERE
GT.Rider MHS Challenge in 2010 (photos courtesy of GT.Rider):
Read about this fun group ride HERE
Challenge Accepted!
Despite saying I would never ride a big ride on a scooter again (following a bad accident many years ago), once I saw a scooter challenge post (posted on May 22nd, 2021) on a Social Media group, I decided that I would go for it.
This period is Monsoon Season in Northern Thailand with temperatures reaching around 38 degrees Celsius, so there were additional hazards of potential rain and high heat.
The Bike I Chose
A Honda Click 125i
I had a bit of a frantic time sourcing a bike in a short period. Mark, the owner of Mango Bikes kindly offered me a bike for free, but once his mechanic heard what I planned to use the bike for, he decided not to, which I totally understand. If you are going to be taking on a challenge like this, it is important to be upfront with the rental company you will be borrowing from.
Eventually, I was able to source a bike via Ying from Mr Mechanic, who came through with a Honda Click 125i and took me along to the main garage to talk it over with their mechanic. I explained what I planned to do and they helped me work out the best bike choice with the mechanic saying he would go over the bike before I picked it up a few days later
I collected the bike one day before the ride and I packed it up with a few snacks and coconut water (electrolytes!). My plan was to get a good night’s sleep but struggled and by 5 am I was wide awake after a poor sleep (not unexpected. Happens every time before a big ride. I am sure most riders can relate).
The morning of the ride
From the get-go, things took an unexpected turn…
Three of us were planning to ride this Mae Hong Son Scooter Challenge. Confirmations were made the night before and we would meet by 5.55 am, with stands up at 6 am. Except I ended up being the only person waiting at the planned meet point! Turned out that the organiser had taken off before 5 am. That in turn made the other rider take off early (which I did not realise at the time). I messaged the group saying I would wait until the agreed time at the agreed location. Let’s just say it was a little irritating to start off my ride in this way.
Moving on…
The Scooter Challenge Route
An anti-clockwise loop starting from The Mellowship Jazz Club.
The Mae Hong Son Loop
At 6 am there wasn’t much traffic and thankfully not overly hot. I wore my Inuteq Dry Cool vest which had been cooling in the fridge overnight, so that helped too. In a small bag at the front of the scooter, I packed an ice bucket with ice and a cloth (clip of this HERE), which I knew would come in handy for soaking myself down on the ride. The first leg is boring highway, so all I could do is chug along until I got on the R1095 Pai route.
By the time I reached Pai, it was 8:30 am and I was kicking myself for going into Pai town, using the main garage instead of the one on the outskirts. The garage was busy and I could feel the clock ticking. Given that I had to wait in line I got my phone out and sent a message to the rider group chat saying where I was and wishing the guys good luck. The previous messages from earlier in the morning had been unread, so I wondered if they might not check their phones on this ride until after the scooter challenge ride is over.
I filled up and rode through Pai town seeing as I was already there (quiet at this time, but restaurants were open), then headed off to Mae Hong Son.
By 10 am I arrived in Mae Hong Son and decided I may as well turn on my GoPro. I had been hoping for a neck-and-neck style group ride to record, but the guys had a head start, so the chances were slim. I figured I should just enjoy the ride for what it was: A solo ride challenge.
After Mae Hong Son the route (the classic route) is not my bag. It is long sweeping curves that are arduous on a smaller bike. I prefer the Khun Yuam – Mae Chaem route (or even better, the R4009). It was beginning to heat up and I felt a bit of irritation creeping in that I didn’t have an extra hour of coolness (it would have been my preference to ride earlier, but I stuck to the plan…). Tally ho!
During the ride, I stopped briefly at intervals to freshen up, with just one longer rest and cool down at the pretty Bo Kaeo Pine Tree Garden. I had 5 fuel stops. The original Relive ride is here (I forgot to turn off the app, but as you can see from the photo at the end, the time stamp shows 9 hours and 22 minutes. It took me a bit of time to get my phone out of the bubble wrap envelope under the seat. The bike clock showed 9 hours and 20 minutes when I came to a stop).
Things I wish I had done differently on the scooter challenge? I wish I had treated it more as a race, actually. Despite this being announced as not the agenda, it clearly was. I could have skimmed more time off the ride. In particular, I wish I didn’t somehow get disorientated after Ob Luang which caused me to get off my bike twice and open up the seat to get out my phone to check Google Maps.
Why I had this disorientation? I have no idea. I suppose the heat maybe? Talking of heat. I wish I had set off earlier. Nonetheless, it’s all good. In the end, this stuff only comes across as excuses, so I will leave it at that.
Video of The Ride
Given that I had nothing to show except me uneventfully riding the MHS challenge on a scooter (which isn’t a lot of fun to edit or watch as a viewer), I decided to put this video together using the Relive app and my GoPro footage.
An unedited snip of the ride is HERE.
Lengthier unedited footage from my GoPro (starting from Mae Hong Son until the SD card is Full)
Was a good ride. 🙂 So, will you take on the Mae Hong Son scooter challenge? If you do, have a safe and fun ride!
You Can Thank/Support Via:
@Motogirlthailand
Riding solo in Thailand and sharing my adventures, insights, and tips is a passion of mine. If you’ve enjoyed my report, there are a few ways you can support me and help keep the wheels turning.
Say Thanks!:
Consider buying me a coffee through BuyMeACoffee.com/motogirlthailand or becoming a patron on Patreon.com/motogirlthailand. Your support helps me continue creating content, exploring new routes, and bringing you closer to the rich culture and landscapes of Thailand.
Motogirl Shop!:
Check out my shop page where you can find MotoSplore GPS Route Map guides, exclusive MotoGirlThailand merchandise and products I recommend for every rider. Every purchase gives you a great adventure and helps fund and support the running costs for Motogirlthailand.com
