w00t w00t GoPro Baby

i just bought myself a GoPro HERO .... yea its the first version not the HERO2 ... since i got an amazing deal and i mostly ride daytime (the HERO is not that good at night)... and its not like i camp every night.... so i just bought it ... i'm not rich but the deal was amazing!! should i repeat it again? the deal was ....... LOL ..... i can buy the HERO2 later hahah .... anyway.... my friend also has the HERO1 and his video was actually quite nice... excellent image quality ... the reason i bought it.... soon me and him we make videos just like Charley and Ewan lol ...

should i get the HERO2? 

Saddlebags headache....

At first... it was between Motocentric Mototrek Sport Saddlebags .... and Nelson Riggs...... and then i've decided just to go with Nelson Riggs since the heat shield pads are designed for the Nelson Riggs bags.... now i'm getting a headache on which Nelson Riggs to get..... should i get the mini's ?? should i get the medium?? or should i get the extra large?? .... i do love a full luggage system ... saddlebags plus tailbags ... although it would be a pain to get on the bike as my legs would have to pass the tailbag....

i love how it look so full...

now my questions are would the medium looks so big on the Terra? i know the mini would look great on the bike but its only a $20 extra and i'll get a larger bag... more extras stuffs to fit...although i wont be doing any touring soon.... and i only live in Borneo...  its an island... i wont be doing touring anytime soon to Morocco! unless there's a bridge or i shipped my bike! .... so should i get the minis? the medium? or the extra large? .... fuck... if only there's a Nelson Riggs on sale here then i could just bring my bike to the shop and compare.... but for now i can only imagine!

 The Mini CL-900

Although it looks small here but on some bikes it looks big... grr headaches headaches...

The Medium CL-950

The medium looks just nice here but my worry is that they will look too big on Terra!

thats the biggest saddlebag 33L , the CL-850... must be too big for the Terra...

Too bad there's no Terra with Saddlebags on google images....

headaches!

# I know i'm over thinking this way too much!

Looking for saddlebags or panniers w00t w00t!

As i've mentioned previously in my previous post, i'd love the look of aluminium panniers on an adventure motorcycle.... the likes of BMW GS or Yamaha Super Tenere... how they look so full....fat.... i just loved it... and i bought the Terra because i saw it was equipped with aluminum panniers too! Though with Derbi, its kinda a different story... most products out there are not built specifically for Derbi Terra's ... although i'm sure with a little customisation it can fit the bike but i like products that are meant for the bike.... an example would be giviusa website, where there is a tab "choose your bike" and alas there's no Derbi in that list.... how pity.... anyway...i'm sure with custom mounting rack i can fit those givi or touratech aluminum panniers with no problems but those panniers will probably cost me $$$$$ and may probably make my bike heavier.... so at the moment i'm deciding on soft saddlebags instead of aluminium....

i'm looking at Komine saddlebags, or Nelson Rigg or Cortech and all the countless list of saddlebags on motorcycle superstore...but now i have to face one problem.... the high exhaust position of the Derbi Terra.... some say it will burn and melt the saddlebag... some say the exhaust heat shields are not hot enough to melt it.... should i just get the saddlebag n just put it on??... but i'm the 'too careful', 'too worried' type of guy..


So i've been looking, browsing and searching on the internet, forums on how to put a throw over saddlebags to a high exhaust mount motorcycles.... but didnt found anything useful... mostly suggest putting a custom mounting bracket, or just get a tail bag, tank bag, backpack .... but i dont like the looks of a big tailbag... i choose style over convenience lol.....some assumed the exhaust heat shields will not burn the saddlebags... but to be more safe i'm thinking of covering the heat shields with exhaust heat wrap or putting the heat wrap on the backside of the saddlebag... but after looking and looking and looking.....

....Finally found the solution....

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/parts/luggage/saddlebags_/nelson_rigg/clhsp_saddlebag_heat_shield_pads.html

 A pad that is specifically designed for the back of the saddlebags... Voila!

Now its time to find myself a pair of saddlebags....

Countryside ride...

This was last monday ride, it was pretty spontan last minute ride... i was just waking up when my friend whatsapp me asking me if i wanna join the ride... well of course i said YES! ... haha ,... anyway.... i took a shower and went straight to suit up, getting ready to ride.... destination tutong.... tutong is one of the 4 districts of Brunei .... but we're riding countryside.... where's the fun of riding on highways right? .... with my Terra i'm sure pretty sure i'll be riding a lot on countrysides road.... and i'm always on the look out for off roading adventures.... see how capable Terra is off road.... lol .... but today is just gonna be more of a tarmac ride.... so off we go... there were 4 of us.... 3 off road bikes including Terra and the new FZ16 fazer Yamaha.....

i forgot to set from the start, so this is halfway ride only map

First pit stop... dropping off some stuff to my friend's cuz 

 Smoke break

 First fill-up of the day... from my tripmeter calculations... $2 = 130km

Stop by the side of the road waiting for our Yamaha friends that we left behind lol 

As usual stopped by for drinks... anyway this is our final stop then go home

ice dessert durian.... my tradition after a long day ride!

well this is kinda my 2nd long distance trip... well not really that long though, rode for an hour and a half non stop from Tutong town up all the way to Batang Mitus then WYWY bengkurong.... going at average 80kmh... my hands get that buzzing sensation as i mentioned before but not really worst like the first time..maybe because i was expecting it.... kinda sore bum.... but it was really fun riding countryside..... not slowing down on road hump is a plus with the Terra! .... still not used to the gears or maybe i was too worried or too careful on gearing and revving as it is still not run-in.... i was too careful on riding not more than 80kmh..... but from my iphone's GPS, the Terra's speedometer is not that accurate as the GPS measures my max speed was at 75kmh although on the speedometer i reached almost 90kmh.... but aside that it does feel comfortable on the right cruising speed... not too fast not too slow.....

now i just need to run-in the bike soon!

My ride on a usual sunday... Chop Jing Chew

Every morning on a Sunday i would come to my favorite restaurant to have me a cup of teh tarek and half boiled eggs.... its called Chop Jing Chew... they also serve fresh hot buns ... so good so hot so fresh ... although recently i had an argument with one of the waiter ... the waiter was so rude ... i almost smack his face but i didnt bcos i dun want spit in my foods n drinks lol haha .... but i did wat i did n i had to so he knows that he's messing with the wrong guy...ohhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaa.... hahahah fuck him... its my favorite restaurant n he's trying to spoil my mood... wtf!

As usual i would ride either my scooter or Virago but of course last Sunday i just had to bring Terra to Jing Chew.... ah well....

picking my parking space.. that vulcan is always there!

tried the popular and unique dish... the seama kway teow... it aint good as it used to be! grrr..

Mini BMW looks.... looking good!

My first Terra 125 ride....

Who said that it is the most comfortable bike? and they say vibrations is nothing?? they all lied!! .. maybe for a short distance ride...yea... but long distance ride its a no! ... i got sore bum ... tingling sensations on my hands ... and i think i need an engine crash bar so i can put my foot forward so it wont be tiring..... BUT BUT BUT... wait... i'm not condemning the Terra just yet because the FUN FACTOR is AWETHOME! i meant AWESOME!! i feel like i'm Ewan Mcgregor... now i just need those panniers!

Actually its not all that bad.... i think when you ride long distance on any bike, i'm sure u'll get sore bum... but i'm just unhappy with the tingling sensations i felt on my hands... but the bike really has no problems with vibrations... actually i cant even feel vibrations on the grips but yet after some hours riding non stop i get this tingling sensations like buzzing feel although its not really that bad though.... but its there...gahh... maybe i should install that crampbuster i saw on ebay.... or maybe i should loosen my grips a bit like wat Keith Code told us....

i love the bike.... its light.... i think its super light..... lighter than my Rambla scooter me thinks.... but i've yet to get used to the 6 speed bike and riding not more that 80kmh and that is a pain in the ass.... literally! was worried of over-revving the bike... but so far compare to the Vmax, i'm loving the Terra.... fun vs inconvenience.... sorry vmax.... i think ur just too heavy for me!

I've read somewhere in a Derbi forum that these Terra's have fuel sensor light blinks intermittently although the tank is still full.... and my first ride is just that.... the fuel light light up although i still got fuel... but i didn't panic because i've read it before so i just continue... talking about reliability .... i'm worried with the Terra though for its reliability issues.... but so far so good....

went for a solo ride

i wanna run-in the engine quick so i decided to do a solo trip, riding on countryside roads, covering 80km, its hot weather nowadays... i can see haze... but i did not stop to take pictures... just trying to get comfortable with the bike.. i dont have to slow down passing road hump.......  it was fun fun fun....

Just got my Terra 125 .... last Saturday that is...

Just got my Terra 125 last Saturday.... was so excited that i didn't get to update my blog .... on saturday....

sexxxyyyy....

(hooking up on 16th of June 2012)

I just signed my blue card today!

I just signed my blue card today!

still empty! gasp!! but signed :D !

Signed all the necessary documents, so hopefully by today or tomorrow i'll have a license plate registration number...... and hopefully i'll be able to ride the Terra 125 this weekend!!

The one that i chose

Here is the picture of the Terra 125 that i'm about to purchase, as you can see its still in the showroom... waiting for my bank loan approval to come through....

Hello sexy..... you me ride....

The thing about Derbi dealership here is they only brought in one of each model.... meaning i'm the only guy who owns the Derbi Terra 125 here in Brunei.... one and only!! 

.....i hope support is not a problem..... kwang kwang kwang....

Terra 125 vs Terra 125 Adventure!

At first, the option was easy.... there was no option! ... the only available Terra was the normal Terra 125. The adventure was booked and was kept away from the showroom to a private store.... so i set my mind on the Terra 125.... anyway i love the Terra's look fell in love at first sight.....

Terra 125 .... it looks like a bike that Ewan McGregor rides!

Terra 125 adventure ... this one looks more like Yamaha Tenere

i've googled Terra 125 and do a bit of researched on it.... not so many reviews about it though...as if the bike is an endangered species.....but there's a few more reviews on the adventure model..... its basically the same bike.... same engine.... there are a few significant changes .... which im not sure whether it is a better change or upgrades or individual taste change.... the adventure comes with knobbly tyres (off road), bigger front tyre, much more higher, handguards, taller windshield bla bla bla ..... and from google images only the adventure equipped with alu panniers BUT i read somewhere in a forum the Terra 125 can also be equipped with the alu panniers as it is the same bike but i've never seen images of the normal Terra with alu panniers... but i have no choice as the only available Terra is the normal one.... anyway in the end its all about the looks right? so i set my mind to Terra 125.... 

When im about to make the purchase, thats when the dealer offered me the adventure model.... he said "if u want the adventure i can give it to you, the guy booked booked only but no yet down payment or pay deposit" ......... and i go fuccckkkkk!!!

arrghhh headaches.... why do i have options?? why cant i just decide on one? now i have two models of Terra to choose from.... which gives me plenty of headaches..... i love the Terra 125 it looks like a mini BMW GS.... thanks to the beak... which the adventure model is lacking although can be custom made..... i hate having choices..... this happens before when i'm about to buy a scooter and i felt like i made the wrong decision.... although i love that scooter.... so i was thinking and thinking and thinking.... comparing the two, which one is better, which suits me.... will i be doing a lot of off-roading?? because it seems that the adventure is more suited to it from the reviews that i read..... the adventure also seems to be more appropriate for long distance trip (the reason i chose to buy a dual sport/adventure bike).... but my mind said its the same engine.... its basically the same bike .... so logic tells me the normal Terra 125 can also do long distance trips ....

i do a lot of googling ... and many happen to tour on the Terra adventure, there's this chick from Singapore Cherie went to do long distance trip on her Adventure, there this guy rotor or retor i think, also did the long distance trip with an Adventure.... my mind says go for the Normal Terra 125 because of its looks but my heart says go for the Adventure because of its 'upgraded' specs so it should be a better bike....  but i finally found some blogs dedicated to the Normal Terra 125.... the guy did a tour with his Terra 125...ahhhhhh i felt at ease.... like i said logic told me its the same bike... both model can do long distance trip.....

so like i said, in the end its all about the looks.....

 i chose the Terra 125!!

So Why Terra 125???

To be honest.... i wanted the Yamaha Super Tenere but at $31000 BND (Brunei is same as Singapore dollars) .... thats way over budget ... at $31k i could buy a toyota vios with extras for accessories or i could buy a Harley Sportster and the extras for accessories or yadaa yadaa yadaa.... anyway something about a motorcycle with aluminum panniers that turns me on....

Look at that.... So sexy...i love how it looked so "full"

But the main culprit of me wanting these types of bike.... which is Dual-Sport/adventure type of bike.... is because of watching Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's The Long Way Round..... i was so inspired that i decided to get a dual sport bike and start touring the world....well not really the world....maybe go round Borneo??? 

i always liked the idea of touring on a motorcycle for a long distance trips...back then i was thinking of America, touring on a Harley from coast to coast....ahh well something that i dreamed about.... but for now Borneo for a start! But i was so inspired by The Long Way Round.... and i loved the BMW GS that they rode in the documentary.... the on/off roading adventures.... i just love adventure..... and camping..... just like what Ewan and Charley did.....

The main culprits that made me want a Dual Sport/adventure bike..... inspired really...

There's not a proper BMW motorcycle agent here, maybe there is but i just dont wanna check but i'm sure it will cost a fortune... that's when i decided to ask about the Yamaha Super Tenere..... and after discovering the cost of owning a Super Ten will guarantee make me eat instant noodles everyday aka Maggi and indomee, i still wanted to own it..... thats when i stumbled on pictures of the Terra 125 adventure..... 

Hey look.... aluminium panniers!! and upskirt lol

i looked at the pictures of the Terra Adventure and OMG.... it got aluminum panniers.... then i realised the reasons i want an adventure bike is because of the aluminium panniers..... and i remembered my local dealers  did have the Terra's in their showroom.... so it's time to get my ass off to the dealers....

i've googled the Terra, do a bit of research on it ..... yes it is a 125cc .... well one thing for sure is it's cheaper than buying the Super Tenere..... it probably wont have the power of a 1200cc engine but some people did a tour with a 125cc.... the Terra will probably be lighter .... and experiences from a Vmax, i'd probably be more comfortable on a smaller cc engines .... not heavy as fuck!  and i chose to just own the smaller cc bikes.... right now i'm favoring my scooter and my Virago 535..... after the crash i just felt like i wanna sell off the Vmax.... but its my ultimate dream bike although ironically its the bike i crashed with ..... well anyway...

so i've decided to own the Terra.... the question now is..... the Normal Terra or the Adventure Terra???

More headaches for me coming up

A little bit of history....

So i've been proper riding since late 2003, my first bike was a Yamaha Maxim 400, some called it "old chopper" but i called it Maxim.... that was quite a nice bike ... carburator system ... bought it from an expat who was about to leave the country for a grand! .... "As you can see its a nice bike" .... the guy keep saying that yadaa yadaa yadaa ...  it was indeed a nice bike .... its been with me for 8 years now but i did not maintained it well it got so rusty (more like i left it to rust!!) that i had to let it go... i really loved it but to bring back all the shining looks will sure collateral damage my wallet! and there he goes Maxim.... see you on the road ....

Maxim instagrammed!

Back then, as it is an old bike, i spent a lot of money to get the Maxim to start so instead of spending on maintaining the Maxim i decided to get me a 2nd bike..... i think this was 2010 or 11 , i bought myself a Chinese bike called Jialing 125cc for $700!! that bike looks bad ass... its a like smaller version of Harley Soft tails .... but too bad the 125cc engine is not powerful, i know you cant ask a lot from a 125cc but this Jialing vibrates uncomfortably, its like having a buzzer on your feet! and before u say it it doesnt feel anything close like a massage! and climbing uphill is a pain, you have to changed the gear all the way to 1, was worried couldn't make it uphill, felt like it will stop halfway middle of the hill.... although it looks good ... but in the end i sold this bike to a Filipino guy for $1k plus... i dun remember how much exactly.... but i remembered spending it buying an iPad..... from Jialing to iPad hmmm....

It didnt look this good before!

I had long haired before so i cant get a full license as the officer from the Land transport Dept asked me to cut my hair first before i can come to get the L license , "This is like a school, you have to be presentable yadaa yadaa yadaa" .... YAWN! .... so long story short i kept my hair long for quite sometime until i decided that its time to get a haircut.... so "i killed 2 birds with 1 stone" ... i took my motorcycle license and renewed my ID card on the same day i had my haircut..... Anyway now that i am officially a legal rider i decided to get myself a brand new scooter, my own named on the bluecard/registered bike....before, with the maxim n jialing i rode it illegally heheh.... it was between Kymco Downtown 300 and a Derbi Rambla 125 .... in the end i took home the Derbi Rambla....! it was actually quite expensive for a scooter of the 125cc range but i liked the look so much that made my decision....

Plenty of storage especially with the top box installed!

I loved scooters.... its so light and easy .... just twist and go!! but on a highway it always felt like there's a car will ram me from the back (touch wood!) .... With speed cruising at 80kmh..... 100kmh tops ... i realised the downside of a small CC engine scooter.... fun ride with fellow scooters but fear ride on solo trips .... so anyway a few months after i bought the scooter.... i heard that someone selling his mint Virago 535 for dirt cheap! OMG! Virago 535!!... my favourite bike and most sought bike of all time.... its the best middle weight cruiser ... just enough power to cruise slow or go fast!! its low.... surely flat footed when idle ... and nice looking bike too! it can also be customize or bobbered... if that is a word.... There's always room for one more bike i wud say.... in the end i brought it home, proud, happy as the new owner....and i still remember grinning from ear to ear when i brought it back home! 

A little to the left is the garbage disposal area!

If you have been counting.... i already owned 4 bikes ... but then i've sold 2 , my Maxim and Jialing ... and the story continues..... i also happen to own a classic car... a toyota celica TA23 ... i remember i told myself not to sell the car as it is my dream car .... but then time changes ... the car has been with me late 2004 or early 2005... so thats 7 years... but i only rode the car maybe a few times... maintained here and there...bit by bit.... as you can see... i love classic cars , im a collector but not so much a mechanic type of guy... i dun want my hands to get dirty!! haha....and i also dont like the hassle of maintaining it, registering it to Land Transport bla bla bla so instead of letting it parked in the garage to rust ... i then decided to let it go ... but wait .... no one wants to buy it during this economy crisis... maybe its a bit expensive but hey... this is the most sought car in Brunei , so then i try putting up ads if anyone wants to swap it with a big bike ... i was looking at dragstar 650 and the likes etc etc etc .... i din get a call but when i did, he wants to swap it with a scooter 250.... hello??? scooter?? 250?? thats not a big bike is it? hell no i aint gonna swap it with a scooter....

And Then... i got the text, "Wanna swap with my R6?" ..... my mind stopped thinking for a second ... is this guy for real?? i've never liked racers.... i always said that they're too fast for my liking... for me the idea of riding is to feel the wind on your face... catch the scenery .. not blurry scenery because of too fast ... just chill and relax ride... that was my kind of ride.... and i've never ridden racers before .... but my heart said that it had to happen ... i have no time for my Celica and there will always be a first time... cut long story short.... i did it! SWAPPED!!!

Both parties happy with the swap...

And so my motorbiking experience is up a notch.... i loved the power, the torque of the R6! but i have to admit the first time i rode it, i did get overtake by a saloon car going more than a 120kmh! anyways i always told myself that i will never go really2 fast with it... i'm not young.... my adrenaline hormones are getting less and less... i think the fastest i did was about 160kmh... i only rode it for work... which is about 7km from home..... i cant go faster anyway as it is a short distance ride... and by the time i hit 150kmh, there will be cars infront of me.... anyways what i love about it is the power.... twist it and swooooshhh i go.... no cars will rammed me from the back thats for sure.... the R6 did make me spent more on accessories... like leather jacket, full face helmets and gloves.... and somehow owning the R6, all big bikers, racers will give me the nod, thumbs up or will wave saying hi .... and thats a first..... when you're on a scooter, the big bikers will just passed you by like you're invisible but when you're on a racer, all the bikers then waved, giving thumbs up as if we know each other....what do u called it?? ahhh an acknowledgement! but only comes with big bikes though....

So i tried going long distance with the R6.... god damn hell its a pain for my back!! no wonder racers rode fast... they just wanna reach their destination early so they can get off the bike! its a contradiction from my beliefs of riding..... riding should be slow and passionate like making love muahahah.... i guess cruisers make slow passionate love and racers just do quickie!! lol no offense!! anyway.... its against my passion of riding... dont get me wrong i love racers...and all the glory that came with it.... but i just cant stand the back pain i will suffer.... i guess its individual preferences.... i always asked myself how did the racers do it?? they looked so comfortable...it did make me envy of them but it just not worked out between me and my R6!.... and one thing happen too.... everytime i hit the brakes... my balls will get squashed on the tank! Ouch!!

Looked like it was a long time ago!

and so i heard, a friend of a friend is willing to swap his long time Yamaha VMAX for a racer..... OMG!! Yamaha VMAX??? thats like my ultimate dream bike!!! 

To be continued....

Now continues.....

so how to start? well first what i liked about the vmax is it looks..... looks like a classic muscle car..... and i always called the Vmax a muscle bike... so anyway.... before i wanted to make the swap, i was thinking that i'm on the "losing" side because value wise the Vmax would be lower than the R6.... Vmax is 93, R6 is 03..but of course engine wise Vmax is 1200! so i was still thinking and thinking and thinking and the guy sent me his Vmax pics but im not yet convinced....not that i dun like the Vmax, its just that if i sell the R6 i will get more $$$$...... until i saw it in front of my eyes.... i fell in love with the Vmax all over again.... value or no value i just dont care anymore...i want the Vmax...so  i've decided to make the swap pronto! even though the color is maroon!  (the color grows on me)

This is one heavy motherfucker!

The most talked about features of the Vmax is the Vboost! oh man...i frikkin love it! Vboost is something something carburator something something butterfly something something fuel is fed twice?? anyway what it does is when ur RPM reach 6k, it will go faster! like u get slingshot or something.... if u know Vtec by honda i think thats basically it.... its similar....... my dream bike in between my legs...oooh.... i did not regret my decision... the swap from R6 to Vmax is the right thing to do......

or so i thought....

one day i was about to ride with my new fellow Harley Davidson 48.... i crashed.....

My first proper crash... it skidded as the side of the road is slippery...

i even got the crash recorded via my fren's GoPro... although the car in front of him is blocking the view of the crash..... it could've looked like a proper MotoGP crash lol .... and i couldnt carry the Vmax on my own, it needs 3 person to carry the vmax to stand.... the damage is not yet calculated as it is still in the workshop as i speak..!

Swollen knee, tore my jeans, socks, gloves and my soul!!

Felt like i hit earth after flying high with Vmax pride lol

After all the fuss with the Vmax, being too heavy, too powerful, then i'd realised the advantages of small CC bikes.... 125cc is just enough for everyday riding in Brunei..... small, light and good enough power!

That's when i set my eyes on the Terra 125..... 

and so i've decided to create this blog which is dedicated to the Terra 125!

Why the Terra 125 you might say??? i should post this on the next post!!

Regards,
Spawai

My blog dedicated to Derbi Terra 125

So i've been eyeing the Derbi Terra 125 .... 125cc you'd say??