2 stroke Minskavarna, 125cc, 6.000km around 2/3 Vietnam

[quocdat]

My trip began when i bought a old Russian motorbike for myself, don't need to much money but can reach my ambition: classic motocross.

I think modify motorbike a little similar to adventure. Lack of motocross accessories so hard but when i started, everythings became easy

About my motorbike: Minskvarna
I modified it half years ago



Changed the frame and gas tank


chosed handlebar for comfortable



Original cylinder



Painted



In the first step, i only changed the frame, suspension, and tires, the wheel-base keep original

Second step: tested it


with short wheelbase, higher i was easily wheelie







And easily broke it :(

Third step

I changed my mind when i've made plan to go around my country from Hanoi - capital of Vietnam to the ending land (Ca Mau...) and go back to my home, totally is about 6.000km. And in decide to stabilized my motorbike with long wheelbase.

My solution is: lengthen swingarm, change 21in aluminum front wheel and 18in rear (original is steel wheel and so heavy). Front suspension from Suzuki GN 125, rear from Chinese motocross, in Vietnam so hard to find motocross accessories :(







And finally...

Fourth step
When i finished stuff with my motorbike, the only thing is begun my longer trip to many city in the south of my country-where i'd never been there. I calculated my trip only 4.500km with 15 days but when i was on route, many things happened (broken bike, beautiful location could not refuse) and my trip longer with 6.000km and i think that is always the most interesting part of travelling, we never caculate or know when or where things happen.
Don't have enough english to tell whole my ride but if have any advrider come to Vietnam, im ready to share my experience in everwhere i came...





From Hanoi to Ho Chi Min city, i and my fridens had meeting with strom and a rainy week, day by day, when i waked up, the first thing i took is raincoat.





Quang Binh gate, far from Ha Noi 700km


Hue city originally rose to prominence as the capital of the Nguyen lords a feudal dynasty which dominated much of southern Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th century. This city is perhaps best known for its historic monuments, which have earned it a place in the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.








Front of An Hien garden house that was originally the residence of the 18th daughter of Duc Duc Emperor. The gate of the house has an ancient arch design with a tiger-face figure and stylized designs on both sides.Aristocratic flowers consist of all kinds of orchids and land orchids. Besides the modern roses imported from the European GauJard and Meilland companies, you can find wild tomentose roses. Particularly, the garden has a big camellia presented by a Japanese Flower Association.



From Hue, i had to ride ove the Hai Van moutain pass, not to high but smoky moutain could make the hilling and cornering more dangerous but always fun


Coffe on the top of Hai Van moutain


The entrance to Hai Van quan looks like that of an old citadel with its stone strucure and moreunfathomable in the mist


Hoi An is a small city on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. This city possessed the largest harbour in Southeast Asia in the 1st Century and was known as Lâm Ấp Phố (Champa City).


Japenese Bridge in Hoi An


Chinese houes in Hoi An




Quiet streets




ao Lau is a soup made with noodles, pork, and greens that can be found only in the town of Hoi An.


From Hoi An, i rode to Qui Nhon, Nha Trang where have many long beautiful beachs. The ony bad things is the storm made whole sea became crazy that i can swim :(. What a pity



Highview to the Qui Nhon's beach



Rains make my bike had a little flu


Checking carburetor - thats the reason i love classic motorbike, you can touch, fix it like a simple toy.


Champa town. The kingdom of Champa (Chăm Pa in Vietnamese or Chiêm Thành was an Indianized kingdom of Malayo-Polynesian origins and controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832. It has the oldest known written Malay language from the 4th century AD, predating Sumatran texts by 300 years



Cham Pona Gar town in Nha Trang - the city is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent subadiving. Pona Gar Located on the 20-meter-high Cu Lao hill just two kilometers north of Nha Trang, the towers were built between the 8th and 13th centuries on Cu Lao Island to serve as the Holy See of the Champa Kingdom of Panduranga, but archaeologists believe this site was used for Hindu worship as early as the second century.










White sand in Nha Trang make me feel i was riding my bike on the snow- thats so fun.










100km to Ho Chi Minh city, the rain stopped and i could see the blue sky



Binh Thuan Bridge



Tasted food in Can Tho city -the city, regarded as "Western capital", with an estimated population of 1,121,000 as of 2004, is the biggest city in the Mekong Delta and famous because of its floating markets, Cai Rang, Phung Hiep, where people sell and buy things on the river, its bird garden (Bằng Lăng), Ninh Kieu port and others.




Day 9 in the rivers west of Viet Nam









The last sunshine in the end of my country- Ca Mau is located in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, and is the southernmost of Vietnam's 59 provinces






Ha Tien the where have the last boder gate of Viet Nam






'






From Ha Tien, we go back to home and had only 3.000km



Back with other way, i have to go through Truong Son moutain and many forest and these are the best road i'de ever chosen - beautifulf landscape, poetic valley and wild primeval forest. Ho Chi Minh trail is the way i chosen. Parts of what became the Ho Chi Minh trail had existed for centuries as primitive footpaths that facilitated trade in the region. The area through which the system meandered was among the most rugged in Southeast Asia: a sparsely-populated region of rugged mountains (1,500-8,000 feet), triple-canopy jungle and dense primeval rainforests. During the First Indochina War the Viet Minh maintained north/south communication utilizing this system of trails and paths.


Da Lat - The town is located 1500 m (4,920 ft) above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau in the southern parts of the central highlands (day15)


















went by the town of gold where have many original Minsk with off roand tire-chain (day20)






Fixed my bike again


Easy sleep



on the boat to Phong Nha the area is noted for its cave and grotto systems as it is composed of 300 caves and grottos with a total length of about 70 km, of which only 20 have been surveyed by Vietnamese and British scientists; 17 of these are in located in the Phong Nha area and three in the Ke Bang area. Phong Nha holds several world cave records, as it has the longest underground river, as well as the largest caverns and passageways.





300km from home




Back to my city after 25 days...

[rufus]

[motorradrudi]

beautiful pics from an "unknown" country!

Thank you very much!

Best greatings from Germany
Rudi

[Gadget Boy]

Fantastic bike build and tour! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into Vietnam, something we rarely see on here

[calrider]

Thank-you Quocdat! Your country looks amazing. And what a cool motorbike!

[Dave-in-Turkey]

Great RR, not often we get to see pictures of Vietnam..

[King Frolic]

You live in a beautifull country and that bike is cool.

Your bike look like a Monark ISDT.

[Tequiladezert]

What a cool bike and awesome pics,,, thanks for sharing them with us.

[popescu_mihailraul]

Straight to the point !
If you want it, you can do it !
My respect !

[quocdat]

Thank all for cheering me. That make me more powerful to make another bigger trip in near future
Wish i have a Monark ISDT

[Questor]

Thank you so much for taking us along on your cool journey.

I'd like to ride out there some day...
Q~

[Stillupright]

That was a beautiful ride quocdat. The Vietnamese countryside is well shown in your photos and your ability to repair your bike was useful several times. Your english is easy to understand - enjoyed your ride report

[ChangoGS]

Thanks for the report !!!! I like your Minsk bike.
I also have a Minsk 125cc here in Texas.

[tomski74]

Great! Now, that's what I call an adventure!
Your Minsk reminds me of the first bike I ever put my hands on - my dad's 1963 WSK 125cc back in Poland

[mindheavy]

very nice ride report quocdat! the pictures were beautiful! breaking down is no fun, but glad to see you can easily make repairs and get back to riding!