Ryder Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 cl3vfVjnzvU Hope you enojoy This covers the Big Ride Out Biker Build Up Hua Hin Bike Week 2009 http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050802.jpg Biker Build Up All throughout the 4th December droves and long lines of bikers roared up the highway into fair Hua Hin. We’d just arrived ourselves too and got some pictures of the action. The Tropicana boys! Ready and looking dressed for Bermuda Beach! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050795.jpg Note the cheeky numberplate. We’d like to say they’ve road-blasted all the way from the ends of Thailand and braved the police checkpoints with that thing. But more likely is a short blast from Cha-am where there’s no police to worry about The site of the big Hua Hin Bike Week festival was soi 48 Canal Road in Hua Hin. This is the usual venue spot. For the rest of the year it’s a bleak and blasted patch of sun-baked land, but now, on the day prior to the big festival it was taking form. We rode on in, checking it out. No problem riding in, just follow the police car and in you go! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050803.jpg Metal gantry’s and stages were set. Marques and stalls were established and being stocked up. The grizzled Tropicana boys were there taking in the scene too. This would be unrecognisable in one day’s time, the exposed and in-the-middle-of-nowhere Karaoke’s would join on seamlessly to the site and look like it was part of the show... Talking with the vendors and dealers was cool was they’d have time to chat as it was quiet and not busy like the next day would be. The Big Ride to Rama 6. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050812.jpg Early doors I’d hit the spot and found a small army of bikers pulled up in a petrol station. It was the Asian Nomads. A meaner faction of the biking fraternity but one which might be worth following to see what they were up to. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050810.jpg http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050814.jpg I snuck in and buzzed up into a corner of the petrol station. They’d greeted some other biker clan then refuelled and rode off. I breezed up into the tail section of the convoy. Annoying some grizzled ones who weren’t quick enough to join the traffic and was away. They were heading towards Cha-am and in the right direction, but for some inexplicable reason they road on past the army barracks and headed on into Cha-am. Not wanting to go there when the gathering scene was going to be at Rama 6 barracks I did a U-turn and headed on back to HHAD HQ to gather a crew of us to head on down to the barracks... It was nearly 2 in the afternoon and no-one was sure of the exact time for the big gathering. Word on the net was 1400 – 1600. We found it after a few false moves. There’s about two or three big military complexes prior to Rama 6 barracks but luckily we made it there without any major detours or wrong turns... Inside it was a grand and open place, Thailand being such a wide open place compared to cooped up Euro-land the long stretches of road invited risky blasts and long screamin’ antics. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050822.jpg We arrived, it was a mighty parade ground, with a whirly bird from the Vietnam War era sitting in wait. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050842.jpg Ridin’ past it was an array of machinery and biking prowess that I’d never seen in such numbers. Displayed and laid out like a biking army, ready to go to war and fight road battles up and down the land. Despite this appearance there was a carefully regimented way to the spectacle. Shining and gleaming chrome that blazed and shone like a reflector dish. The painted plastic and sculpted fairings of the fast-mover sportsbike factions in contrast to the flagship chopper cruisers. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050828.jpg Some might acclaim the fast-mover sportsbikers to be the kings of the road, yet do these kings of the road have mighty spikes and sharp metalwork ever present keeping the rider on-edge while riding? http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050826.jpg Each section of bikes was made to form a letter which, from the air, would spell out birthday greeting to HM the King of Thailand. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050834.jpg Despite doing some loops and ride-past moves for video footage I rejoined and was shown to my position. It was no simple matter of parking within a designated marked out box. Three thais were there to position, jockey and jostle my bike down to millimetre accuracy! Forward a bit, back a bit, straighten the tyre perfectly! OK! The Thais gave it the mark of approval and that was it ready to take its rightful place in the biking legions ranks. Mean machines on parade! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050825.jpg Here even the meekest of the bikes are given a space. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050890.jpg The Big Picture! Leaving only our helmets with the bikes we noticed that the biker army was moving away to our left. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050830.jpg A show or gathering we thought at first, but once we joined them we knew it was now our turn to form some letters! We all moved up and hustled into another area away from the bikes with lines marked out. Finding a spot we watched the thai organisers for the next move. At first we expected the huey helicopter to take to the air and buzz around but instead the big fire-engine was deployed and up went its ladder! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050865-1.jpg As you can see the camera man going up has a weighty beast to record the scene. Once up there the camera men shout out commands, turn this way, turn that way! Lords of the Camera they are now. High above and spelling out the ways. All they needed was a wand to weave! ‘Hold hands together’ they called down to us. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050868-1.jpg This wasn’t really the macho way, it’s the group-way thai style. For all that it brings back memories of roller coaster games and more innocent, happier decades from time gone by. But the heat is pounding down and really hitting those who aren’t protected hard. Buksida was in such haste to leave for the Big Picture event he hadn’t even got his boots or hat on! With boozy hang-overs amplifying head poundage we waited... One thai dude even stuck his helmet on to ward off the heat hardcore style! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050864-1.jpg Glad I had my hat, shades and neck shroud on I found the heat durable, but only just! After what seemed like an age more thai words came down from above. The camera lords now affirmed that we’d just done the rehearsal and we’d be summoned later on for the real thing. It was 1400 hrs and I realised the time frame would run till about 1600 hrs. It would be a waiting game again, we needed 50 or so more riders with bikes to make up the final letters... We scurried across the parade ground into the nearby shady trees. Some water was on sale which staved off thirst, but no food! I knew bringing electrolyte in my pack would come in handy and made full use of it. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050876-1.jpg At least the kites were flying though! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050847.jpg After that everyone found a space in the shady trees and settled down the rest to arrive. Sitting, lying and chillin’ it was a different scene to just getting it done and away again. I got my head down for a few minutes and soon more lines of bikers were roaring in from the distance and assembling. We grabbed some footage at the spectacle and witnessed one of the strangest and wildest of things. From in the midst of the biking convoy was a trike, not just any trike, but a Mighty Trike! Big enough to probably smash in a small car and the attitude to go with it! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050816.jpg Any trike that can pull of those moves gets OTRTs mark of approval. Little did I know how much this trike would interweave into things later! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050819.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted December 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 After they parked up it was followed by another big convoy of bikers. This time it wasn’t just a diverse section of biker gangs but a solid mass of riders of one-mindset. All rode powerful, newer bikes than the trend in general. I zoomed in, took off some pictures and had a closer look. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/MegaFortune.jpg It’s the Mega Fortune boys and they are look new to the biking scene! Once their jackets were off the yellow colours came a-shining along with a cool attitude of right-wing nationalist groove. They could probably form the vanguard for occupying a few airports and battling some red-shirts. Indeed after making this quirky assumption out came a massive thai flag and another royal flag deployed on the parade ground. Proud and bold these thais, ready to show their support and allegiance to the nation in a wave of nationalist fervour. A way of times gone by or showing the way forward and what needs to be done? Who can tell!? Friendly folk though... http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050844-1.jpg http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050903-1.jpg After the buzz died down waiting for the last thirty or so bikes was a drag. The chirpy Thai commentator who drones out syrupy songs and shrill notes occasionally twitters the need to have a calm heart, we now wait for xx amount of bikers every ten minutes or so. Finally it’s time for the big picture. First the whirly bird roars into action! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050929.jpg Then comes the dust cloud that sweeps over the biker horde like a dervish, after it’s settled and eyeballs are washed out with water we assume the positions again. Each time the Huey Chopper flies past we give it a wave. After what seems like dozens of waves the Mega Fortune Crew gather up the yellow royal flag and the police take up the national flag of Thailand. With the MF folks leading they run around the parade ground, behind them, the thai police with some volunteers run behind them shouting ‘hup – hup – hup’ in-step and like little clock-work soldiers. It’s quite some to behold. Like a laissez-faire symbolic ceremony of sorts. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050918.jpg Now it’s time to disperse and make our way to where the main Festival takes place. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050929.jpg The Huey helicopter lands and then takes off again. No doubt not wanting risk bikers having to dodge rotor blades as we departed. We hung around as the bikers started to pull away... To this day I don’t know how these mighty chopper bikes are practical or a good choice. Those diddy wheels on the front make slow-ride steering nearly impossible! They look showy and the exhibitionists bike of choice... http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050937.jpg Fish Riders in fetching blue... http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050941.jpg Batman’s show-bike... http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050943.jpg Nice old school CBR. Note the bungeed helmet... http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050935.jpg Hayabusa! This year there were lots of these bikes, notice this owner must really mother his machine, look at the wood pieces under the kickstand! http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050934.jpg Interesting numberplates, possibly indian? These bikers are either travelling through from afar, or are imported from overseas and being ‘visa run’ to a neighbouring country every few months... http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc174/Ulysses3100/Hua%20Hin%20Bike%20Week%202009/P1050926.jpg With the chirpy thai speakers words breezing about how not to go fast leaving the barracks we wondered how many would resist the urge to power blast away on the ride-out! Sure enough a few did! End of Part 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTO Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Huge fat wheels - saw a group come through here yesterday - Sawang Dan Din Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Why do they call it bike week when it only goes for two days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Hi, Thanks for the write up and the photos. Had no idea there was a yearly bike show in Thailand. Must admit this is one of the things I miss from back home, riding a big bike. (Used to ride a Suzuki Intruder VS700) Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted December 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Why do they call it bike week when it only goes for two days Because it's thai style for 'bike show that takes precent during a week period' I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted December 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hi, Thanks for the write up and the photos. Had no idea there was a yearly bike show in Thailand. Must admit this is one of the things I miss from back home, riding a big bike. (Used to ride a Suzuki Intruder VS700) Sanuk! They have bike shows all over Thailand Mr Sanuk! The one in Hua Hin is just one of many Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hi, I guess that since I don't have a bike here, I am rather out of touch Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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