So, after living in Phnom Penh for a little over a year, spending a fortune on Tuk-tuks daily, and with some advice from both a local Khmer and a network of Expat friends, I started looking into buying a motorcycle.
I began by searching the internet, through the usual google marketplace and Khmer 24 (a local equivalent). I tried visiting the locations of various motorcycle and suffered the inevitable disappointment that comes with the bike not being the one in the photographs – or it is the right bike, but the photos are about ten years old! This is not unlike Tinder in many respect, you see an interesting picture, swipe right, throw a few comments out there and hope for the best. But when you meet, you so often do not find what was promised. I found many of the extremely popular Honda Scoopy, where cost to value is poor, and the ubiquitous Honda Dream, which is literally the most stolen bike in Cambodia.
I finally settled on a Suzuki Smash Revolution (on reflection Smash probably the most auspicious name for a motorcycle). This particular model, (FK110SDG) of a 2008 vintage, came with front disc and rear drum brakes, a four-speed rotary gear box (which has the terrifying possibility of dropping directly from fourth gear to first, if pedals are pushed unwisely) and – treat of treats – an electronic starter system. According to Suzuki’s own stat sheet, it had an air cooled, four stroke, single cylinder engine of 109.7 cc, generating a massive 9 HP. It also had a black and grey paint job with yellow stickers!! Bikes go faster with yellow stripes!!
All of this was acquired from a back-alley bike shop just off Preah Sihanouk Boulevard, well known in Phnom Penh as a hub for new and second-hand motorcycles. By well known, I mean that practically every shop on that road is a motorcycle store! Accompanying a native speaker to a shop like this is vital, all kinds of misunderstandings can be avoided and they’ll be able to drive a harder bargain then you will. So, with the aid of my friend, the cost of the motorcycle was reduced from an acceptable $450 to a much friendlier $360 (with a free helmet thrown in).
After the paperwork was filled in and the seller assured me that all was well with the bike, I took it home. I believe the translated comments amounted to it being mechanically sound, but a bit messy. This was something that I was looking for, one of my colleagues advised me that the best way to avoid your bike being stolen was to make sure it was a bit dirty and looking in disrepair. As my friend said, “magpies are attracted to shiny things”.
I felt that the prospect head of me was quite exciting, this was the first motorcycle I had ever bought. Obviously, I had rented before, on trips to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam and I had even briefly owned an electric bike in China. But, this was my first real bike, although I do suspect that some in the biking community would reject the appellation of a 110 Suzuki as a ‘real’ bike!!
Almost immediately after purchasing my first real bike, some real problems became apparent. A colleague with some considerable experience of motorcycling inspected the bike and told me that there were some obvious issues! Firstly, he told me that the rear tyre was a bald as a coot, secondly that the engine sound was a bit off and that several things, including the chain, required in his words “a fettle”. This is probably the very next thing a motorcycle owner becomes aware of, after the feeling of excitement and freedom. The necessity for constant maintenance, there is always that needs to be done. Having little experience in working on motorcycles, I took myself and the motorcycle to the local mechanic. The local mechanics quickly and efficiently resolved the issues at hand, bar a slightly sticky electronic starter!
A few words of advice on picking your mechanic, this is an important relationship for a motorcycle owner, so time needs to be taken in selecting one. I do have some helpful guidance in this area. Never pick one where the staff aren’t, in some way, busy all the time. If you think about it, this is an obvious pointer since an empty restaurant is a bad one! Also, I would probably avoid guys in tin shacks on the corners of crossroads. They are usually scam artists who ensure that their repair gives way at just over walking distance from their shop! This may be personal experience!
I would also recommend that you avoid the mobile repair guys as well but not for the reasons you might think. Their work is usually good, but they generally don’t have specific parts with them. This means that you’re left loitering by yourself as they disconnect their motorcycle from its trailer and disappear for 20-30 minutes as they hunt down the part (which they will promptly overcharge you for!). But once you do locate a good mechanic with reasonable prices you should stick with them unless catastrophe occurs.
What can I tell you about general maintenance issues, specifically in reference to the Suzuki Smash? Well, it has tubed tyres, these are guaranteed to give way at some point, but replacement is quick and cheap. There are ways of extending the lifespan of your inner tubes, basically it boils down to checking your tyre pressure before every trip and making sure that the nuts securing the valve to the rim are tight. A quick press by the big toe of your foot will determine if the pressure is right. If it gives way, more than just a touch, get it checked immediately as a popped tube is more expensive and time consuming to replace then a puncture!
I would also recommend that you get your oil checked fairly regularly to begin with, until you become used to the wear and stresses on the engine. Once you are familiar it should only need to be replaced once every three months or so. But, you should definitely replace it immediately after purchase. This is a generalisation, but most natives (particularly those looking to sell their bikes) tend not to replace the oil.
Whilst I’m talking about oil, you should also oil your chain appropriately. Fortunately, the Smash I owned had a full chain guard. But an open chain can run into problems. Too much oil and the grit and dust sticks, turning into a grinding paste, which will damage the chain and drive sprockets. Too little and the chain will eventually start to lose its flexibility, again causing drive problems. I would recommend looking at this once a week, particularly after heavy rain. It’s the classic tale – the more effort you put into the maintenance, the less money you must spend on major repairs, or before you look to sell the bike on!
You should also look to replace the battery regularly as well, probably about once every three years. Most problems with the electric starter system can be resolved by replacing the battery. As it happens, this is probably the easiest task that can be accomplished by a first-time owner. As the battery is located under the seat and all the restraints can be removed with a Phillips head screwdriver, this is not a big hassle for anyone!