SE ASIA - DAY01 - SINGAPORE TO HATYAI
The ride to the Singapore border was smooth, so was clearing both the Singapore and Malaysia checkpoints. I was initially bothered about if the width of the lanes can allow my side panniers to clear, but it appears that there were ample width even with the panniers on.
With the full 40kg load including the weight of the side panniers, I can really feel the load. Instead of getting the 20km/l on a normal day, my meter says that I am only getting 15km/l. Does this weight affect the mileage so much ? Anyway, I have to keep a close eye on getting refueled when the tank goes below 50%.
Traffic was not heavy except when passing through KL and Penang.
Other than these two areas and Bukit Kayu Hitam, I manage to cruise at average of 140km/hr.
Knuckles were swollen due to the constant vibration from the handle bar. The gloves can only absorb that much of vibration. My elbow and shoulder joints were aching so much until I stop at the R&R and stretch it out before continuing again. Average of 1 stop for every hour of riding.
Both the Bukit Kayu Hitam(Malaysia) and Sadao(Thailand) side of the border have recently migrated to a new building. There are now about 10 counters in Sadao and it is definitely much faster than before. The good part is that the same counter now stamps your passport as well as your vehicle conveyance form. Just one step instead of two previously.
If you arrive at the peak hours where the tour buses drop loads of Malaysian tourist, you will have to take a queue number outside and wait at the yellow plastic chairs. Once your number is called, you can then enter the air-con building and queue behind the counters. No charge required on importing of the vehicle.
The first day ride was really a test of endurance. Together with the rest stops, I took a total of 11.5 hrs to reach the hotel in Hatyai. That includes spending about 30mins clearing the border at Thailand and the rest stops in the R&Rs. Totally exhausted when I reach the hotel.
Lee Garden Hotel - Not a bad hotel to stay. Cost only SGD24 a night and comes with underground carpark. Saw quite a few Malaysian big sports bike parked there as well.
During the R&R stop in Ipoh, I noticed there was a drip of engine oil below my bike where I parked. That was when I checked that the engine oil level have gone down below the minimum mark. It appears that the engine oil drain plug was leaking engine oil. Despite attempts to tighten it, it was still leaking. I guess the washer inside the plug needs to be replaced but its not something I can or want to do at the roadside. I did bring a bottle of engine oil and managed to top it up.
The plan is now to bring it to Triumph service centre in Hatyai tomorrow and sort it out before proceeding with my journey.
At the meantime, I shall reward myself with a nice bowl of bird nest and Ginseng Tea for the successful push to Hatyai in a day.
Noticed that Alipay and Wechat pay have fully caught up with the market in Thailand. You can pay your purchases in Thailand 7-11 with them.
I have a Tiger as well and I note that fuel consumption goes up a lot at speeds over 110 km/h. These bikes are not very aerodynamic so fuel consumption increases with speed much more than with a touring bike.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. Yes, most vehicles will lose the fuel consumption efficiency once you exceed a certain RPM. Tiger is no exception. Of course, the aerodynamic does plays a part as well, but I am not sure just how much impact it does have compare to overall fuel efficiency.
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