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Motorcycle Street, Ha Noi, Vietnam
Our
recent ride in Vietnam gave us a chance to wander
through one of the local motorcycle precincts...
(March 2024, Guy 'Guido' Allen)
Vietnam's motorcycle market is
dominated by scooter and stepthru sales in numbers that
would defy comprehension back home in Australia. Some 2.78
million two-wheelers were sold in the country in 2023,
which was considered the worst result in 15 years.
It also has a significant motorcycle
manufacturing industry.
With that sort of volume, it's easy to
imagine big glamorous shops, and they do exist. However
they tend to be stand-alone buildings instead of being
located in bike precincts. Above is one of two Ha Noi
outlets owned by Thang Loi, a Honda franchise. You'll see
similar places in the larger regional cities.
Away from the high-profile places, your
more typical store is a modest street front affair, often
with sleeping quarters above or in the back.
Some appear chaotic, with everything from
tyres through to luggage, used frames and engines on
offer. In fact, that's Spannerman above, checking out a
70cc potential replacement for his much-loved
and ancient C50 stepthru.
And then there are the highly-specialised
places, such as this chain and sprocket shop.
Or the old-style helmet shops. A popular
style here is a light skullcap for men and women, with the
latter having a curved cut-out at
the lower rear edge that allows for a pony tail.
Just a few doors up from the shop above
is this flash new boutique-style place.
If ever you need an illustration of how
different the Vietnam market is, look closely at this
Dream II. You'll note it has an extra seat-cum-luggage
space mounted in front of the saddle. It's to carry the
toddler in the family so three and potentially four people
can squeeze aboard. It's a popular accessory.
***
See our latest Vietnam tour – the Ha Noi Run.
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