These are the 2 photos of Eugene and me by Daniel, on top of Gerik icon signage. As a young-at-heart and at times playful, I climbed further up with Eugene and waving the flag heartily....hahahaha.
At times I wondered do I look, feel like I'm in my 40. More of a 14 years old lad to me :) Eugene and me on top of GERIK sign
Me waving the flag if I've CONQUERED Gerik...hahaaa
This morning I woke up by the alarm, not from my handphone which I doubled it as alarm clock daily, but from the cars alarm. Daniel bike-key alarm was too activated…
And for the 1st time in my life, I brushed my teeth with a water hose. The budget hotel was indeed budgeted with simple facility, a double-bed, toilet functioned also as a bathroom which is fine for me. BUT there was no wash basin, so as traveller I make do with the hose. Well it still does the job...
We left the budget hotel at 6.30am for the next destination. The sky was still dark, the place Rawang was quiet and cool unlike last night full of people and trafficccc
I like the early morning weather, environment which gave one peaceful feeling.
Take a last photo with my camera that I took inside the police station of our bikes before my camera went 'Batery depleted...beep' and it went dead. So for the rest of the journey, I'd to rely on Eugene's camera.
I've forgotten that I still have my 3.2mp handphone camera, picute quality is not that lousy and good enough for simple photography.
But I've forgotten about it till I came back, is this the sign I'm into my silver year...
After a day of 15 hours riding and a night of well rested body and soul, we started our journey to Gerik at 6am in the morning because we do not want to be caught up as Day1 with the dark and foggy weather. We timed that by the time we reached Gerik, it will be bright and shine in the morning. We loaded up our stuffs to our bikes and prepared to set-off. Suddenly I heard a ‘thud’ sound of bike fallen and saw Eugene’s bike on the ground. I helped him to lift up the bike and saw his right footrest has broken off. The cause of bike fallen was due to Eugene forgotten to remove his lock from the front wheel disc brake. Eugene's bike footrest GONE...but not his spirits
With no alternatives of fixing or swapping his rear footrest, we rode off to Gerik town with Eugene riding with no footrest to hold on his feet. The front brake also came in contact when riding making Eugene uncomfortable with his bike. But what to do, still need to ride it. Suggest to him if he felt uneasy and wanted to U-turn back home, I’ll be with him…my thought ‘We came together, we back together’.
The morning ride was good, weather cooling and road condition clear with not many traffic. We went through Rantau Panjang checkpoint and to Gerik town via the close border of Betong next to it.
Nice scenery along the road to Gerik town. Reached Gerik town and we settled down for breakfast of rice with veggy, chicken drumstick and squid for me. It’s a self-serving meaning we just took how much we want.
Route to Gerik; Grik 155Km - Eugene start to ride off; Riding off
Nice scenery; Cold in the morning - nice weather; Mist and the many many insects on my visor
Well I just took moderate portion as I’m not a big eater. After a few mouthfuls, what a nasty and disgusting sight I’ve…a black cricket below my veggy. It immediately caused me to lose my appetite and spoiled my day. What the hell I’m cursing inside but still I finished the rice, drumstick and squid as I still need to fill up my stomach for the long journey ahead. As for the cricket and veggy, I’m not into fear-factor and left those 2 untouched.
After breakfast, Daniel checked with a local, as he is more conversant in Malay, is there any bike shop around to fix Eugene’s bike footrest. Lucky there was a bike shop around the corner and Eugene got his bike fixed with RXZ’s footrest, damaged RM20 for a pair.
Without much ado, we proceeded to Gerik as we’re behind time. We’ve fun riding the trunk road of Gerik with many up and down turns and the nice scenery of mountains, greenery and lake. It also improved our skills.
Singapore road is kind of monotonous and is a big difference if one ever rode on Malaysia soil. We reached 3 quarters of Gerik and hit upon Gerik town and have our lunch at KFC. It was hot and Eugene’s camera memory was full.
Eugene's bike fixed with RXZ footrest, damaged RM20...
After lunch, we rode around the town as Eugene wanted to buy new memory card but it cost RM60 for a 1GB memory card. End up he burnt all his photos into a CD for RM5 and clear his memory card for more photos to be taken.
While waiting for Eugene in a coffeeshop, I dosed off again under the hot weather. And feeling bored, I went opposite to look see look see and bought a few stickers as souvenir.
We started to proceed again with the remaining quarter of Gerik which I lasted went through when going to Betong. Reached the Gerik icon signage, this time Eugene and me climbed further up the GERIK sign and from there I took some pictures that were awesome.
GERIK icon signage; Daniel below; An elated Eugene
Top view from GERIK signage Feeling great with the Gerik trip, we went to Rawang for a night stay to prepare for day3. Reached Rawang at night, there was no street light and traffic was busy. It made our riding tough. And as the going gets tough, the tough gets going.....our spirits was still high!
Couldn’t found a place to stay, we took our dinner at 10pm in Uma Yam, 10 minutes ride after Rawang as we’re famished and tired before deciding where to stay put. During dinner, Daniel remembered he saw a budget hotel at Rawang, so back to Rawang we booked a budget hotel for the night.Eugene and me again shared a room [we're NOT gay!!!, LOL] and as usual Daniel has his own room.
While parking our bikes with Daniel checking the hotel price, a lady told us that Rawang here have bikes stolen almost every night and suggested to us to park opposite inside the police station.
The budget inn hotel
It made us worried and we went to ask for permission to park our bikes INSIDE the police station. The policemen were friendly and agreed to our request. While parking inside the police station and chained and locked our bikes, I joked with Eugene ‘Aren’t we ‘insulting/belittle’ them that we have to chain and locked our bikes INSIDE their premises'.
Rawang polis station - Eugene; Kup kia with thick chain and locked
Well is always better be safe than sorry as we saw a kup kia with chained and locked much tighter than ours. Went to our room and took our bath and rested to prepare for day3….
* to be continue. My camera battery went flat with no photos for day3, pending Eugene to post his photos…
I began this trip 4am early in the morning to meet up with Daniel & Eugene @ Kranji MRT. I was the first to arrive, followed by Daniel. Eugene was late again and when I called him 30 minutes later, he was still at home. So Eugene, if you see this blog, pls be punctual. LOL.
Well while waiting for Eugene, Daniel and me rest or sleep a while on the pavement. Eugene came at 5am, without delay, we rode to 1st link and start our east coast ride to Mersing for breakfast with Eugene leading and Daniel behind.
Daniel sleep on pavement
Mersing
A small town with lots of colorful boats, a few of them heading toward Tioman Island.
It was fogging and cold along the way to Mersing at 6am. We rode on route no.3 and I was stressed out after breaking away from Eugene when he overtook a truck because I used his VARA125 rear red light to guide me before I lost him. The visibility of the road was only about 2 or 3m, all I had to guide me is the white lines.
Literally we were riding almost blindly and I was traveling around 50kmh without knowing when is the turning or any obstruction in front.
Lucky Daniel came up after sometimes and he rode in front with his blinking lights as marker. Eugene waited for us and we stopped to clear our visor of
the condensation. My spec were misted too because I lifted up my visor for a better view but it seem to get worst.
Condition of the visibility was getting better as the sky slowly brighten up. We reached Mersing around 8am though I do not keep the timing.
We took our breakfast along the roadside which reminds me of Spore in the 70s. It was a much needed rest and I had a simple yet rich breakfast of steaming hot Luo Mai Kai and Siew Mai plus a cup of nice hot coffee.
Park our bikes beside the roadside coffeeeshop; The coffeeshop; Hot steam buns, siew mai & luo mai kai
We proceed with our journey and along the way, took some nice photos of the Coast. The weather was getting
hot and we rested for drink at a coffee shop to keep us from dehydrated. Rest and lots of water/drinks is a
‘protocol’ for long haul trip to keep riders with the energy and mentality for safe riding.
Some photos taken - The East Coast Beach; My reliable Super Four; Route to Kuantan
Turning sign; Another coffeeshop - good about coffeshop in malaysia is we can park our bikes beside it, no worry of summon; Daniel, Me, Eugene
Kuantan
A developed but relaxed city.
Cherating
A very long beach with a long stretch of western restaurants, resorts and activities...
Reached the public Cherating beach @ Kuantan, Capital of Pahang, The beach was quiet and calm with very few locals and Ang Mos, maybe due to
it isn't popular as Club Med Cherating beach which is some distance beside it.
We had our lunch here. The fried rich was sedap - malay
for delicious under the shelter roof with the hot midday
breeze blowing and I could still dozed off! Tired after 400km ride…
Kelantan
The relaxed Islamic Capital of Kelantan ("Land of Lightning") with lots of museum & performances for the mind and lots of food stalls for the body.
We rode past Terengganu and into Kota Bahru, Kelantan. This is yet another impromptu trip where we do not booked a hotel in advance before or during the trip. we just rode and find a hotel or any place to stay for a night.
I like it this way as it was more of an adventure, exploration, carefree and thrill rather than the same old style of so-called monotonous, effective, efficient ‘good, great planning’ as in our work.
Booked into Azam Hotel, Eugene and me shared a room while Daniel took a room. We unloaded our stuff and took a ‘long-wishing, needed’ bath to clean ourselves of the dust, dirt and the many many small insects which covered our visor, helmets, bikes and us, the human body…hahahaahahaaa
Saw a pamphlet of A&W and was getting excited about it as A&W in Singapore has closed down. Needless to say, we had an A&W dinner and I ordered 2 Rootbeer floats.
Taste was different, it is less sweet from the one I had in Singapore. I prefer the old A&W Rootbeer float in Singapore. After dinner, we went to walk around and explore the night market, pasar malam selling mostly clothing with few cuttlefish stalls.
Me @ A&W Kelantan; My one and a half finished Rootbeer Floats; Pasar Malam - Eugene
We rested into the night for the preparation of tomorrow trip to …..
For this Malacca trip, I set out very early from 6am in the morning to meet up some of the guys @ Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim exit 15A Shell petrol station where most bikers would meet before entering Malaysia thru the 2nd Link.
Nittybing
When I arrived, Nittybing – new biker was already there with his Phantom. Followed by Bryan and Daniel arrived. I’ve forgotten to bring my RM and SGD was not enough, so I made a trip nearby ESSO petrol station to draw some SGD.
Almost reaching ESSO petrol station, my bike engine dies off. My fuel is low and I pushed a short distance [very lucky] and pump petrol. Engine oil indicator lights up and bike couldn’t start with a ‘rusty, very rough’ crank sound. Bought a 4L engine oil cost me SGD 100+ and top-up engine oil and bike started. I’m lucky it did not happen in North South Highway – that’ll be very troublesome.
Went back to JAI, saw the rest there – Insaint[Patrick], SP, Flareon1982 [Joseph]. We proceed to meet Huairen’s [Eugene] group @ GP Petronas cos we’re late due to the minor hiccup I’ve and missed the kopi & loti session with Bryan. But is still nice riding with him. :)
Bryan @ GP Petronas
Reached GP Petronas, saw the group of 10+ bikers there, some with pillions. Few new faces but the group gel together well along the trip. FRIENDSHIP BONDED. :)
Miracle’s HAYA-baja having some problem with the bike rpm idling at 4k rpm. Some of the guys help-out to trouble-shoot. Problem lies with her throttle cable stuck and Steve helped her to rectify. Problem solved and Miracle was happy that she gave Steve kisses which last seem like minutes, hours. Steve face was as his X9 becomes ‘RED BULB’.
Well, I exaggerated abit. Hmm ok in fact I added the last part of kissing. *Just to make it more lively…LOL.
As usual, rest with some catch-up chatting and we proceed to Machap followed by Pagoh petrol station with Eugene leading and Steve as sweeper. I leisurely followed Steve with Bryan and Oriental[Shadow400].
At Pagoh, the other Super-Four members arrived – Lacerdust/Wee Li [though he nick is Stardust but we prefer to call him Lacerdust hehehee] with his partner, Jeanne – Fling/Andy with his partner. [Didn’t get her name, trying not to be a RED BULB…heheee] – Chawanmushi [hard for me to pronoun], Japanese egg with his partner [jialat, forget her name] – Allan, met him 1st time Lacerdust with partner, Jeanne
They traveled ‘open throttle 180kmh’ and able to meet us @ Pagoh. Actual they’re traveling at 160kmh constant and that’s the reason why Wee Li is called Lacerdust by us. Heheehe.
Total 18 bikes and we proceed to our destination, Malacca.
Eugene, the organiser
Eugene told me to be Marker. So I blur blur followed him to Ayer Keroh entrance point leaving the rest behind with Daniel’s taking over the leading role.
Reaching Ayer Keroh, Eugene asked me why I followed him, told him to be marker, right. He told me is AFTER MALACCA TOLL, hahahaaha.
His intention of getting Ayer Keroh 1st was to video the guys and gals on their bikes. Guess I’m the only one left out of his production aka Malacca 2B trip.
Into Malacca, we had our lunch [me very hungry, I did not eat breakfast], famous Chicken Rice Ball. The chicken meat is tender and nice. Kind of chewy. Somehow the rice ball, nothing special to me except it just looked like fish-ball.
Chicken Rice Ball stall, Chicken with rice balls look like fish balls; Me nonchalantly enjoying my Chendol
We also ate chendol and I tried the Mango ice-kacang. Not to my liking. The other members try the laska, food fritters etc…..
Half-way, Oriental called Eugene. He's coming over solo as he is late and missed the group. We met him inside the Cendol stall and I ordered Mango Ice-Kacang - verdic: not to my liking.
The group separated into 3 and to meet again at 4pm where we parked our bikes. Malacca town is small, so won’t get lost easily.
At 3pm, Daniel and one of the SP biker had to leave and back to Singapore. Daniel a happy man as he had eaten what he wanted and bought what he wanted – pineapple tarts.
We walked around look see look see. It was hot and the group suggest we go to the shopping mall – for AIRCON. All the way to Malacca, we looked for AIRCON, crazy huh??? LOL
In the mall, we came to a interesting net surfing ‘vendor’ machine. Steve slotted in RM0.20 for 2 minutes of surfing time and we logged in clumsily due to time limitation to SBF, to make our presence ‘seem’ LOL.
Eugene writing in sbf; The forum page we wrote Finally we called it a day and proceed back to GP Petronas via Machap, Pagoh for petrol stop. Along the way, WaitForMe, bike had to push start and bike dies off once throttle is off. He has to constantly ramp up his RPM to prevent bike's engine dies off.
We reached GP Petronas 9pm+ and the group went home. The Super-four group led by Bryan, hollanded and went straight into 1st link.
Eugene, Steve, Darren, Stanley & me proceed to meet up with Encik Pat at GP Petronas going to Johor. We’re at GP Petronas going back to Singapore….hmmmm. Wonder how to go back to meet Encik Pat without going to toll. Eugene made a ‘special’ U-turn and we meet Encik Pat’s gang.
Few familiar faces – Lao Uncle, Sam + partner. New faces – Rev’s, Vidak and some members who I do not know their name. A friendly bunch of bikers.....
We move-off. It has been sometimes since I rode at night in North South Highway, I like the silent night, cool weather, with only the front bikes rear red light as marker.
Reached Bt Indus, I ordered Frog’s leg porridge. The frog’s leg serving is generous and nice. Do not lose out to Geylang and Joo Chiat. Will patronized again when I’ve the time. Frog's leg porridge After makan, chatting, we proceed to next stall, the famous Old Town White Coffee for coffee!!! I was too tired and did not really engage much on the conversation…all I want is a GOOD SLEEP now !!! LOL.
We went back around 1am. Gosh, Eugene, Steve, Darren, Stanley and me are dead tired, having been traveling whole day…..but feel good with the ride.
I'm a Chinese guy from this tiny island called SINGAPORE. Was born and bred here for the past 40 years. Grew up in a 2 storey shophouse where HDB were unheard of. I like my childhood days where i used to catch spiders in the 'bush', guppies in longkang(drain), ladybird(orange with black pokka dot) on fences, pluck jambus, rambutans, mangoes etc from the roadside or other people's landed property...haha those were the days. This picture was taken when I rode up to GERIK with my Super-Four.
I'm just an ordinary guy who loves to tour ride on my super-four with friends.
I love the scenery, the rides, the early morning cool weather and the company and friendship...
This is my passion, my life because we only lived once...
