Transborneo / Kota Kinabalu,Brunei,Sarawak,Indonesia

The rain was heavy 0n the 21st Sept 09 morning and we waited while hopping the rain will slow down so we can start our long ride. as we load up our luggage the on the support vehicle the rain started to slow down and drizzled we didnt waist any time, we sadled up and started riding towards south headed for brunei which was a 354km ride across the Sabah,Sarawak and Brunei Boarders. we had lunch at sipitang and continued the ride across the 1st boarder entering sarawak it was an easy transit not long we had to enter brunei which we had to cross to rivers by ferry. the total boarder check points was 8 my passport was full of chopped of red green and blue stamps. Checking in and checking out it took to much time and we only arrive at the brunei hotel at 2100hrs had dinner and did my briefing for the next day ride. since it was hari raya the kings palace was lighted up and look beautiful we enjoyed the fire works too while riding in brunei. the people was friendly and was suprised to see a group of japanese riding bikes.for the next 6

fays our ride went through villages and farms acrros the back bone of borneo island. stoping along the way to enjoy the view of padi fiealds and forest swamps, the most important thing to cross the boarder is to have compleat documants of your bike,passport, intention or a later from national seciruty of malaysia but if your traveling on a bus all you need is your passport to enter every boarder up to pontianak. But indonesia will be the most difficult to enter as many may know that the country is base on corruption so you need to have a lot of patiance and money to bribe officers even if your documant is compleat. we got stranded almost 3 hours just to pass through.They will make things difficult by giving all kinds of excuses just to delay your entry to the country...in other words you pay me something and we will give you the pass. Thats what i had to do,....by having compleat documants i thought it would be easy to just enter but i found out thats not the case.

We spent our knight at 3 star to budget accomodation and stratigicaly in town so we can

find easy food stores aroubd and not fare from the hotel. its best this way since we arrive in the evenings and dont have the energy to walk a couple of blocks just to have dinner. The ride per day basically cover 300 to 380 km but from bintulu to serian its its 507km and that was a very long ride. we stop every 40min riding so as to relax our body at the same time visiting the villages along the way.

Hell's gate

The Path to Hell's Gate
We lead where others follow.

Pushing, crawling under fallen tree's, traversing rivers and a hard push up steep hills (Hell's gate)...we did it all. The worse was when the rain started to fall and the surface got very slippery and one by one the guys started to fall of there bikes. It was like a romaniacs race there where all sort of obstacle along the way. But it was the fun of it that mad everyone smile! you dont get this kind of adventure anywhere els.

Never the less we had to decide to go on or not, turning back was an option going on was not. The trail was almost at its end but it does connect to a wider path headed for Ranau. As much fun as it was it was a disappointment to us to turn back after assessing all the safety and logistics. But we will be back to take this hells gate and be batter prepared for the unforseen obsticals ahead. The bikes did there part, taking us this fare was more than we expected it is just the time, water and food we didnt have.The villages was accomodating by even offering us to stay at there homes for the night.

The ride to maliau basin

Words cant express the satisfaction of this riders when they took the long ride every effort of calculation of fuel and food was taken in to consideration. few fell of there bikes due to overconfidence of handling there machine. It took us a total of 9 hours to make it to Maliau basin camp sight. The guys was hip and excited to explore the unknown freedom of riding through the rainforest of north borneo.

The Camp Site

There was some funny moments during the ride, we had shan who thought he had puled out the bike stan and got off and ended up on his back with the bike. Another zuki who thought the surface of the down hill was not slippery mad a bad decision negotiating a curved rolled over with the bike. Than there's the over confidence of reducing the tyre pressure to have batter grip on the gravel blow out a tube.

The Maliau basin camp site had good basic facilities provided a kitchen with cooking utensils, a camping ground just next to the sky bridge and a good fencing around the camp site to prevent from unwanted animals coming in. It cost about RM230.00 per person for all the facilities excluding meals.

Over the Hills to Long Pasia

30th May 2009, on the eve of our national harvest festival a group of my buddy's set out on a 520km journey headed for a place not many have been to but have only heard of. The last time i was there was 10 years ago and wondered if it look like is does than. All preparation was done and riders was ready the waiting was unbearable as some was still organizing them self at the last minute.

We set out at 0900hrs through scenic views of padi fields and villages along the way i try to take as much as possible photo's and video's to set up on this blog but the mere excitement of riding overtook my objectives. the best of the ride was when we enter the of road in to mandolong throug a logging road. Any rider will take the advantage of enjoying the scenery of rolling hills and valleys along the way but this time i was more excited because of the road condition so did the others. We had all the imaginable style of reaction on the bike as you open up the throttle from drifts,struted corners to whoops. Smiling and joking after every 5 min stops along the way when everyone try's to explain there experience on this in joyable ride.

Through out the journey it was an enjoyable experiance to everyone and is something of a life time memory. Although we did lost someone during the journey who actually arrive the destination first.

tin

Unexpected Chain reaction.

(Ready to Ride) (Admin Building)

Ever plan for something so carefully and thought that you have everything in control....Not!

On a sunny sunday morning we prepare to venture in to the unknown....well i had a vague idea the place that we where headed to be honest. Its been a year since i have been to the Mahua water falls the guys was excited and even mention about not getting some sleep at all because of the excitement. The bikes was refuel and we where ready to go..the distance was 96km...it was to be a leisure ride across the crocker range. As we where getting ready to depart we met up with the Borneo Biking Adventure guys who was riding the Aprilia 650 we chatted for a while and off we go.

Ascending the crocker range was as usual exhilarating the bends and curves is always a favorite of mine no matter what bike you use its always about the feeling of freedom taking that journey and experiencing the unknown and adventure. As crazy as it sounds we actually had some one who was on a really small bike traveling with us...... when i mean small its a midget bike but it was as fast as we where going at about 80-100 up hill...most of the time it was up front.

( Mahua) (Jimmy)

As we got closer to the entrance to the junction to the water fall which was about 6-7 km i was expecting the road would be an unsealed road all the way in. It would be a fun ride with mud,gravel and just playing around with the bikes. To our dismay it was sealed all the way in....Great! there goes the high expectation of riding on an off road. As we enter the site it was fully renovated with administration building and toilet facilities again "there goes the expectation of being in the wild natural rain forest with a water fall". Since we are there already why not make it the best of the day. The trail in was properly looked after and there is a plank walk half way to the water fall, because this place is not really fully promoted you only see locals picnicking and having a deep in the pool.

(Sealed Road) (Lunch at Tambunan) (After the rain)

By midday we started to head back to Kota Kinabalu, we heard thunder and the clouds was getting darker the rain was coming. When we thought what worse can happen except just getting wet one of the guys bike chain break loose and fell of while riding...the pin was gone so we decided to head for tambunan to see if there is any bike shop is open. after a tiring looking ther was no bike shop that was open as it was a sunday, than another rider had his breaks jammed...what!.. we fix the problem and stop by at a local shop to have lunch. The journey back was at a slow speed as the rain came down we just had to be more careful riding on a wet condition.

If you ride in Borneo make sure to expect the rain...its a life style hear.

Enjoying the country side

04th April 09,

After breakfast and a short briefing we headed for a short easy off and on road trip towards the back roads of Kinarut area. along the way i gave pointers on how to ride on a gravel road since being on a flat pavement and being bounced around and trying to control your machine at the same time can be difficult. another reason why o take 1st timers on this part of the area..almost flat, easy, turns and corners and straight long gravel road which is ideal for beginners. it only took us half a day to finish the trip and i was happy as i can see a satisfied face.

There is a few places for a fun off road adventure it all depends on the riders experience handling the Machine, road condition and curves. Mud is the most you have to be careful of , going to fast on a muddy road can mean disaster.

Nulu ridge Home of the Mountain Guides

The day looked sunny and bright! Our tour this time was heading to a village at the foot of Mt Kinabalu just a short visit. We started out running at 130km heading for Tuaran and would stop by the last refuelling point for some spare fuel just in case.

The road up Nabalu was one of the best even for an enduro bike as the curves and bends snakes up the Mountain, the only mistake was not to take photo as the clouds draws in we stop as much as possible on every corner to get a good shot of the mountain. But I guess luck was not on our side as every stop we mad the clouds seem to cover the mountain “ The hell with it” one of the guys said and we proceeded on for our main destination. The trail we took was in a valley the trail was along ridges that is hidden along the hills and ridges that connect to Mt Kinabalu. We stop for a tea break after the 2 hours riding,…my back was beginning to feel the pain of seating on the bike to long.

The mountain was totally gone by this time, no hope for any photos but loads of off road trail to explore and we where excited to try out an old trail that has not been used for quite a while. Well that’s what we thought. Nulu is where you find most of the Mountain guides are from! So visiting the village where the legends of Mt guides is quite exciting to see how they everyday life in the natural way. We proceeded to another village along the crocker range bank bone to small village called pahu. The descend was really steep and if you think riding a bicycle down hill is challenging try riding a motorcycle down with big rocks the size of a rugby ball and a 45 degree angle down at 45 km per hour with a sharp turn. If you mis the tern, the drop is 100 feet down a riverside. Than cross a suspension bridge across a river which was dodgy enough that you feel the bridge is going to give way. Than there is a few other rivers we had to cross,…at first glance it looked flat and an easy challenge, but than some loose con troll and takes a plunge in to the river. The worse part of it was by this time the rain started to fall, with the bikes engine filled with water we had to drain the engine of its oil and replace it which took us about 45 min. Smiling and still full of excitement it was more of a joy ride. The guys had fun even after the gruelling ride down the ridge and the experience of falling in to the river. With no airfilter and the rain still heavy we where lucky to make it out before any of the other rivers swelled up.