Best Three Motorcycles for a Road Trip Around Thailand

Thailand is considered one of the world’s best motorcycle touring destinations. The tropical landscape, palm trees, sun, amazing Buddhist temples, forgotten mountain villages, waterfalls, lush jungle, wild animals, and Thai cuisine make it a paradise for motorcyclists.

In comparison to other countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand’s infrastructure and services are at a rather high level. The condition of roads is satisfactory, which allows you to easily reach lesser-known places and avoid crowded tourist spots. Of course, the key is the right motorcycle, and you can rent one in any large city.

In this post, you will learn the most popular motorcycles for a road trip around Thailand. However, before you start thinking about choosing the right motorcycle for your Asian adventure, here are the most important things you should know before traveling to Thailand:

• Vehicles drive on the left side of the road.
• You must wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.
• You must have an international driver’s license (IDP) to drive a motorcycle, a scooter, or even a car in Thailand. You should apply for it in your home country before you leave for your trip. Driving without it is at best a risk of being caught by the police and paying a fine. At worse, if you are involved in a traffic accident, no insurer will cover your costs.
• Buy the proper travel insurance before going to Thailand. Remember that for insurance to work, you must have an IDP.
• The best time to travel to Thailand is between mid-October and April when the weather is most stable and the climate is at its driest. Unfortunately, this time is also the peak of tourist season, which is associated with higher rental and accommodation prices and a large number of tourists.

Honda CB500x

The Honda CB500X is the “eXplorer” version of the Honda CB500. It’s a direct competitor of the Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Suzuki V-Strom 650.

The CB500X is widely popular with Thais for touring and a bit of off-roading. It offers a great ride and offers a pillion passenger seat. A huge advantage of this motorcycle is its low weight and comfortable seat. It is suitable for long distances—it has enough power for highways, but it runs like a small motorcycle.

The Honda CB500X is a reasonable option for people less than 5’8″ tall and women dreaming about a tourist motorcycle. It is also an ideal option for people at the beginning of their adventure with motorcycles.

Check the rental price and availability of the Honda CB500X here.

Main Features

• 15 L fuel tank
• 400+ km range
• Comfortable seat (2’7″ high)
• Comfortably placed footrests
• Lightweight
• Load limit of 185 kg (407 lb.)
• Suitable for people 5’8″ and shorter
• One central and two side trunks
• Phone holder and charger

Kawasaki Vulcan 650s

The Kawasaki Vulcan is a classic chopper. Driving this motorcycle is a great pleasure. The engine is not only dynamic and flexible but also extremely quiet. It does not generate annoying vibrations and is relatively economical with fuel.

The low seat is good news for short people and novice motorcyclists, but tall riders and those with passengers may feel less comfortable. The back part of the seat is simply small.

The Kawasaki Vulcan performs surprisingly well on winding roads for its weight and limited ability to bend around the corners.

Check the rental price and availability of the Kawasaki Vulcan here.

Main Features

• 7’5” long (makes driving comfortable and pleasant)
• Maximum speed of 186 km/h
• Soft and wide driver’s seat suitable for long distances
• Fuel consumption of 5.5–6.5 L per 100 km
• Two side trunks and one top box
• Phone holder

Kawasaki Versys 650

The Kawasaki Versys is an incredibly maneuverable and rather light motorcycle that is well suited for winding Thai roads. The 181 kg (399 lb.) of weight should not cause difficulties for the driver, and maneuvering at low speeds or squeezing through a traffic jam is a pleasure.

Unfortunately, due to the height of the seat, it is meant for people.

The suspension in Kawasaki Versys is comfortable and works great on uneven roads. For fans of long-distance travel with a passenger, a minus is the maximum load capacity of 180 kg (396 lb.).

Check the rental price of the Kawasaki Versys here.

Main Features

• 400+ km range
• Three boxes
• Meant for riders 5’8″ and taller
• Seat height of 2’9″
• 19 L fuel tank

Final Thoughts

If you have finished this article, then you probably have an irresistible urge to travel in a way that gives a great sense of freedom: motorcycling. Choosing the best motorcycle for travel is often not easy. While the most important factor will be your heart and your budget, I hope that our article has been helpful.