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

currently plotting a few route options as suggested by apisfires.
will post them later for comments. using maps.me. platform.
200, thks for invite n may say hello.
fastreader, interested to know more about your moto shop n bikes available either new or pre owned. pls pm me.
tq all.

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This post has been edited by myred: Dec 12 2018, 03:36 PM

I would like to recommend a few suggestions / detours.

1. KK to Ranau, to change it to KK to Kota Belud, then either go back to KK or from Kota Belud to Ranau. both roads have great views.
2. Kunak to Semporna, then to Tawau.


From Sarawak side:
Lawas to sindumin via the Lawas-Merapok ferry route, and not through the not-so-newly-minted Lawas-Sindumin trunk road. Its one of the rare moments to ride a ferry across the river (its a short river, but still).


As for roads, its not like what you're used to be in Peninsular.

I speak from experience since I attempted a "ride" from Semporna to Kota Kinabalu on a MZ Moskito (yes, that scooter) and burned out my piston rings (the good old folks in TBBOC can verify that I did it), and I have numerous experiences on ER6N (also again, Semporna-KK-Sindumin then back again)

The most notorious patch of road will be Tamparuli-Kundasang-Ranau route. If you don't ride it properly your brakes will warp, your engine can get busted. Make sure its sufficiently cooled, or you'll end up with a busted piston ring like mine (and I had to overbore the block later, much to my chagrin) and the bike's as good as gone because it'll never feel the same way anymore.

I would suggest staying in Kundasang, someplace like B-Inspired Abode where you can get a GREAT view of Mt. Kinabalu. You can also visit some tourist hotspots, you may end up having a 1-2 days there. Beluran is an empty town, but there are forumers there and i'm sure they'll be very happy to meet you (as you've seen in the replies).

Sandakan has some great spots to visit, so take your time.

Kunak's good for their Kunak Payau (venison, Kunak style cooked). Semporna has great islands, lots of homestays and hotels. Good cheap ikan bakar (may not be as flavourful as the ones in Peninsular). Tawau's great as an end stop, but you may want to to try going to places like Hoko muzeum, Bukit Gemok, Felda Kalabakan (just because) and have a maggi there (because me and my friends once did that on our scooters from Tawau, just for giggles and because we can).

Always have hotline numbers to call to in your next / previous destination. You never know when you'll need it.

Don't travel at night, watch out for the bulls on the road if you do, and the goats in the wee hours.

I'll think up of others when I can remember.

TQ hfirepower for additional info, paricularly on Sabah.
the Sabah portion of the ride needs tweeking.
plan to ride in daylight hours only n cover average 200 km per day with frequent overnight stops.
noted the difficult sections n maybe see if can route around them.

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hello boyz,
now that both New Years are over, time to firm up on my Kuching - Tawau kapcai ride.
have planned the route with inputs from apisfires n firepower. tq.
planned 15 overnight stops including Bdr. Seri Begawan n Labuan with a total of 33 trip days. mid March to mid April.
first night out of Kuching will be Maludam, n following the coastal road to Bintulu.
will ride up north to Kudat n then cut back to Kinabalu Park / Kundasang.

Preferred bike is the Honda Wave 110 (non fuel injected).
hve contacted several bike dealers in Kuching for a used model.
Tropicana Motor World, HBM, GHC Bikes, Tay Motors n Stephen Goh.
no response from fastreader on his bike offer.

Stephen Goh seems to hve fairly new bikes which interest me at reasonable prices.
he advertises in mudah.my but i do not know if he operates a physical bike shop or not (no address).
any Kuching bikers know him or hve done business with him?. pls adv.

my planned route is as below :

i have contact with Tay Motor directly if you want
i pm you
your planned road is nice
better you change Sibu Selangau Balinggian Tatau Bintulu
Sibu-Bintulu road very bad
i will ask some ktard advice you

This post has been edited by apisfires: Feb 16 2019, 04:02 PM

can tell me where you take overnite?
dun ride on nite ya... 7am till 7pm is safe

thanks for info re Tay Motors apis.
will look at the Sibu - Bintulu leg again.
ride itinerary is to start off after breakfast at around 8 am n reach destination by noon. this should give about 4 hours riding n with distances between towns less than 200 km apart, it should be doable.
definitely no riding at night n in the hot afternoons.
btw, i am on Maxis. how is their coverage in Sarawak/Sabah re voice n data.
tq.

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go to celcom lol
ohh ride for 4 hour per day? not bad

Sincere apologies for the late response. I have PM you regarding the bike arrangement.

Will be most happy to assist and support u in any way i can. Cheers!

Just to share, Rider Chris managed the same trip last year. You can read all about it here

tqvm for the info.
noted that Chris is an Iron Butt rider and his Peninsular ride was published in the Kapcai magazine.

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yeah he is and he has done lots of trips to thailand

Please take note that construction is ongoing for the Pan-Borneo Highway on Sarawak side. Please be extra careful on the road.

the ride has started from Kuching, heading north towards Miri.
the bike used is a 2013 Modenas Ace 115.
Kuching to Sibu via Maludam, Triso, Pusa and Saratok. Two ferry crossings. this coastal road was free from road works but very undulating.
unable to avoid the short stretch of the Borneo highway from Sibu to Selangau on the way to Bintulu. that part was bad. road works galore. after Selangau, continued back on the coastal road.

Pixs are of the route, bike used, the rider, first ferry crossing Lupar River to Triso and Sibu and Bintulu towns.

many thanks to Apis from Kuching who is continuously updating me on road conditions ahead n the must see attractions in each of the towns i pass through.

to be continued ...........




This post has been edited by myred: Mar 27 2019, 12:21 AM

waahhh nice... ride carefully bro.. keep it up...

Wow... nice journey.. keep us update bro.

ride safe and enjoy the trip .

This post has been edited by Zack Styler: Mar 27 2019, 03:20 PM

........... continuing the ride from Bintulu to Niah National Park, once again using the two lane (one in each direction) coastal road. this road is fairly straight with some gentle bends through green fields and forests. watch out for the bumps as you ride over small bridges. a comfortable speed of under 70 kph on the kapcai has the bike under control at all times. best is the complete absence of any road works.
cheap hostel accommodation is available at the National Park. a four single bed, room with private basic bathroon/toilet facilities is rm40 per room nite. book and pay online thru the Sarawak Forestry Dept.
the walk from the hostel to the great cave is 3 km each way on wooden plank trial.
crossing into Brunei by motorcycle is not a hassle so long as you hve applied for their Vehicle Pass online before hand and given a unique QR code for your bike. you can keep the QR code on your smart phone and use it to scan at the border crossing.
btw, foreign vehicles can only buy petrol in Bandar Seri Begawan at designated Shell stations. Shell Gadong is one of them. since fuel is also subsidised in Brunei, locals pay Bcents 51 (Ron92) and Bcents 53 (Ron97) per litre whilst foreign vehicles pay B$1.10 (Ron97 only). multiply by 3 to convert to ringgit.

to be continued .........

Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Nasi Katok is their version of our nasi lemak.
Sungai Kebun Bridge in BSB.


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nice sharing..

keep good work bro
keep update

ride safely!

have a safe trip, enjoy the ride and don't forget to share photos and experiences

....... continuing the ride to Labuan through Lawas. Caught the big ferry at Menumbok. One way fare is Rm15 for kapcai and rider. Ferry crossing takes about an hour and forty five minutes. The town is full of duty free shops and a paradise for cheap beer/liquor and cigarettes. After Labuan continued to Kota Kinabalu via Beaufort. The roads are fairly good but patchy, ie. uneven patches of road repairs. KK is interesting for the fresh fish market at the waterfront in the evenings. Here you select the seafood, weigh and pay and then pass to the nearby stalls to cook to whatever style you want. Sit back and enjoy the meal.
Onwards from KK rode up to Kudat and the tip of Borneo. Met a fellow biker from Indonesia. Next was crossing Sabah from west to east passing through Kinabalu National Park, Kundasang and Ranau (home of Sabah Tea). Roads were again patchy with steep uphill climbs.
Next stop was Sandakan. Please note that there is no petrol station in Telupid. Careful with the roads here as there are many stretches of road works. Ride in the middle due to pot holes at the shoulder side.
From Sandakan, carried on to Lahad Datu, Semporna and finishing in Tawau.

Total distance covered : 3268 km
Average distance per day : 220 km
Trip duration 28 days.
Ride days 15.

Bike used was a 2012 Modenas Ace 115. Bike has a 5 litre fuel tank which makes it ideal for touring.
Fuel consumption averaged about 50 km/litre.
The rear monoshock suspension is superb in handling uneven and undulating roads.

thank you to wingman Apis in Kuching who kept me updated on road conditions, local attractions and what local delicacies to try along the way. 😬


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This post has been edited by myred: Apr 15 2019, 05:58 PM


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thanks for the update!

so is the trip considered has come to an end?

what's next hehe..

yes sir. the end.
shipping the bike back to Port Klang cos no bike shop in Tawau wants to buy it. n too little time to sell it privately.
have it overhauled n maybe do a West Malaysia loop but it will not be as interesting as Borneo. or take it north to Mae Hon Song. 🙄

how is the bike condition till need an overhaul?

finally you completed one important chapter in your life lol..

ahahhahahha
enjoy your trip
hahah see your update feel good bro

top speed when you open up the throttle to maximum is below 80 kph.
think it should do 100+ easily.
so will need to hve the moto checked out. 🤔

What is the latest update?ts

Bro, the trip has ended.

Yup, didn't read the full posts before asking the question, thanks bro

How much did you spend the whole trip?

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accommodation is the biggest expense as i was traveling alone. difficult to find single rooms, hence it was on a double room, single occupancy basis. the actual trip was 32 days, 31 nights. RM2023.
meals budgeted RM30 per day. say RM1000.
Air fare (KUL/KCH RM112 + TWU/KUL RM213) = RM325 (Air Asia).
Petrol : RM146.
Cost of motorbike + preparation : RM2300.
Misc eg. entrance fees, ferry fares : RM50.

Total : RM5844 (inclusive of second hand bike purchased in Kuching).

add another RM700 to ship bike back from Tawau to Shah Alam, Selangor.

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This post has been edited by myred: Aug 11 2019, 09:24 PM

Thanks for sharing the ride info! You mentioned no FI bike: was it a cost-related decision or you found carb to be more reliable?

You also mentioned having done semenanjung and Thailand trip. Do you happen to have the experience documented? Would love to read it just in case I want to do the same. Thanks!

yes, deliberately opted for a non fuel injected bike because of reliability.
on one trip had a flat battery, then just used the kick starter n was soon back on the road.
not on a FI bike. no juice, fuel pump won’t work.
alloy rims with tubeless tyres are also preferred. just carry a puncture repair aerosol can as back up.
keep it simple.

you can read my kapcai adventures in FB : The Kapcai Photo Diary.
or pm me for any further info. would like to share trips n tips with likewise bikers.
ride safe n tq.

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Thanks man for the response! Saw your south of the border ride plan - exactly what I wanna do in near time. And your comment got me thinking I will need to carry one of those powerbank for cars/bike in case battery gone kaput. And tube and foot pump for the tube tyres. Stay awesome dude!

@ Kuala Terengganu

riding the 1000 km East Coast loop at the moment.

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This post has been edited by myred: Jul 11 2021, 08:17 PM

Couldn't you have left the bike on the east coast with one of the lowyat members? you could always come back and ride again.

I live in Selangor n hve no plans to ride again in Borneo (East Malaysia). This sector was a bucket list ride.
hve also completed rides in Peninsular Malaysia on a kapcai covering the north west, south, central, and just finished the north east sector.
over five adventure trips, hve completed the tour of Malaysia.

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Nice sharing. Would like to plan the same and ask your advice.

latest report (containing trip info, route n photos) of my East Coast Ride, August 2019 is uploaded to FB : The Kapcai Photo Diary. TQ.

you may pm me for any info about touring on a kapcai.
TQ.

Issue #206
September 2019.

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Somehow this gets me all excited to plan for my future ride.

Hi, i am planning my borneo tour. Hope you can advise.

1. The route from sarawak -> brunei -> sabah, can i continue to kalimantan, indonesia onwards to make a circle south back to kuching? Got road?

2. If i ship my bike from kuala lumpur to kuching for this trip, how much? Any contact?

Thanks.

the above route from Tawau looping back to Kuching thru Kalimantan is plotted using the app Maps.me.
I also use google maps n sygic to cross check the routes as map updates are not reflected in all the maps.
When on the road, my map of choice is Maps.me. as it allows me to set my start n end towns, it then plots the route n provides a turn by turn guide to the destination.

I used MDM Shipping Agency to ship the kapcai back to Shah Alam from Tawau at a cost of RM700 all in (freight, documentation, custom clearance, etc. with nothing more to pay).
you may contact them at 03 7845 1423.

good luck with your Super Borneo Trip.

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