boyz,

am planning a ride on a kapcai starting from Kuching - Sibu - Miri - Brunei - Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan - Tawau in 2019.
using a kapcai (likely a Honda Wave 110) n taking an easy lazy 4 week trip. 2000+ km.

appreciate fellow bikers who may have either done the trip before or are staying in Sarawak/Sabah for guidance on the following:

1. road safety n conditions eg. safe to travel alone on a bike and any paricular stretches which may be considered as difficult terrain.

2. customs (import/export of bike n bike insurance) and immigration requirements in n out of Brunei (4 border crossings in total). any special bike riding licence requirements?.

3. intend to fly into Kuching (ex KLIA), purchase either a new or a used kapcai here.
ride it all the way to Tawau n then sell it off there n fly home.
Tropicana Motorworld has shops at all the major towns n possibly ideal for the buy (@ Kuching), ride n sell (@Tawau) option.

4. definitely not looking at a clutch bike like the super cubs or mini adventure bikes like Versys or even the FZ 150.
i have ridden big n small bikes solo to Thailand n round Msia, and feel comfortable on a semi auto bike when touring at leisure. also not keen on FI bikes.

5. weather wise, which is a better month to ride between March and July?.


thanks for your inputs.
btw, I am retired n hve time on my hands to go slow n see more.

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the Route :




This post has been edited by myred: Dec 9 2018, 02:55 PM

i try best answer you ya

1. road safety and condition
you can travel alone no worry, road condition is bad, you need slow down, dun ride on nite if possible on sarawak stretch
so far no difficult terrain, just bad road condition. you need be careful with 4 wheel driver, they drive too fast in this kind of road

2. you just need fill this form http://www.bdnsw.gov.bn/Pages/VehiclePass.aspx
bring all original insurans, roadtax and green card if possible , about licence they didnt check much
just make sure all your document still valid

3. new or used bike is fine no worry

4. just get any bike you think comfortable for your ride, although road is bad but still can use normal bike, just dont push too hard
ride leisurely

5. March to July is good no worry although that time is ramadan, i advice you dont choose 25 May till 10 June for ride, too many car on the road, have twin festival for gawai and hari raya
that particular month March till July not moonsoon should be okay


about your map maybe i can recommend you have ride from kuching to Pusa use coastal road, not many car and you can ride slowly
you can take a nite in maludam, have homestay there
if you use pan borneo road from kuching to betong you cant see many thing
pan borneo road mostly avoid going inside town like Seri Aman, Betong Pusa Saratok Sarikei etc

4 week trip better you use non pan borneo road stretch in my opinion you can use Triso-Maludam car ferry for your life time experience

This post has been edited by apisfires: Dec 9 2018, 10:45 PM

another road i recommend is from Sibu go to bruit- daro- mukah-kuala tatau- bintulu

you can take a nite in mukah

This post has been edited by apisfires: Dec 9 2018, 10:54 PM

tqvm sir for your comments n gratefully noted.
will rework the route to take into account scenic n less busy roads.as suggested.
yes, coastal roads are so much better to ride than inland ones..

yup, if you have any question, just tag me, im happily to help

i like your planning of solo trip. wish that i can do the same one day riding my scooter or driving.

another note is i will advice TS, try go to telok melano, Sematan Lundu 1st before go leave kuching
i can accompany you if you want, only on weekend lah
last time i have this kind of ride, Arau to Melaka for 12 hour ride using trunk road . mostly coastal area

I'm in too, if going to these two (or any of these 2 spot).... i;m from Kuching, Sarawak. currently on a ex5 FI, y15zr, jet power 125 scooter and a y80...

This post has been edited by fastreader: Dec 10 2018, 12:47 PM

I can only advise on Item 3. Iklan sekejap, my family runs a motorcycle shop...so, I can help u with that...u can get a reliable second hand bike or , a new one, if u wan, at a very reasonable price from us...will give special price in support of such effort for fellow rider...

and most importantly, welcome to Kuching!!

TQ boyz for guidance n adv given.
will redo the route taking into account the info suggested.
will consider your kind offers to show me round n bike purchase after I hve fixed the travel dates.
btw my last ride was round Peninsular Malaysia in August 2018, covering all 11 states in 27 hours (target was 24 hours) non stop, 1732 km. mad but memorable.

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y do u wana do it so fast?

u can singgah my place at beluran - small town before sandakan. i belanja u teh tarik

yeah can ride together with TS, i never ride telok melano yet
Lundu Sematan already done, the farthers ride in sarawak Saratok though Maludam - Pusa
im NVX user

too fast for 27 hour ah bro. ahahaha
better ride slowly and try visit and eat something nice on the road

For Bintulu and Miri stretch i can recommend coastal road too
For sabah my advice dun go straight to KK
Go to Sepitang-Tenom- Keningau-Tawau- Semporna -Lahad Datu- Sandakan-Beluran-Kundasang- Kudat -KK
you can finish it in labuan if you interested and take flight back home through there
can do around sabah

i have already done many trips in peninsular and borneo
so far driving trip lah
im lucky married with sabahan, work in kuching so can enjoy Pan Borneo adventurer every year
since this year need drive solo from kuching to KK return, my wife already got promotion and work in kedah
you can read my trip
https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=3872004&hl=

Nice. Thanks for the share

you can read the mad ride named Cannonball Loop in Kapcai magazine, issue # 195 or search the thread in LY forum. was using a KTM 690 Duke. some ride long distances up and down the Plus highway n chase for the US Iron Butt Association honours. but we did it for the satisfaction of circumriding (as opposed to circumnavigating) mainland Msia in the shortest possible time.
yes, a non stop ride is too fast. but in this instance, the game plan was to ride round Peninsular Msia touching all the 11 states within 24 hours.
but owing to heavy school holiday traffic n wet weather, completed ride in 27 hours. this was a go fast or go home ride.

thanks again for more inputs.
refining the route as we go along.

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sure bro, just whatsapp me or ask here, i already tracking this topic, i happily to help fellow rider
few month ago, one selangorian dude have ride from kuching to KK in two days using NVX
so far you have longer time time frame, so my advice just enjoy leisurely take it slow

Make sure to record all your journey. At least you can share a little bit of view point thru the video. It's interesting me as I always watch The Missendenflyer touring around Europe by a big bike.

Wow.. interesting. Post your journey here pls