Ride Borneo (Expedition) 23 Days.

Transborneo motorcycle tour 2010.

(2 country's, 11 guys and a good time.)






Our ride started of on a sunny sunday morning 11 guys on a dirt bike heading for an adventure of 22 days roughing it out on logging roads, muddy trails and river crossings in the heart of Borneo. On this ride i had good company's from natherlands and 1 guy from belgium nice bunch and really adventourouse.

for the next 2 days the weather was good until, half way out of brunei we had some really heavy rain experiance i could not see the road up ahead. The guys was realying on my taillight to navigate through the blistering rain. Once we enter the dirt road we knew that if it rain for the next 2 days we will be in one hell of an adventure..thoughts flesh through my mind of slipery logging road, falling off the bike and getting stuck in the middle of god knows where. when finaly we arrive mulu it was a great feeling of joy. no more blistering back side for the next 2 days...at least for the next 2 days. Mulu was great, we visited the caves, watch the bats, eat smoked wildboare and swim in the clear water river.

On the day we where departing there was heavy rain the night before,..it was flooding everywhere and we got our boat and headed out for our next destination. Due to the nature of the flood we had to get our bike on the boat and cruise out of this location...but thats another story to be told.

Ride Green

Sabah has in many ways developed its infrastructure in road ways mainly to towns along the coastal area. And most would go to road side junction conservation or park area within a close distance to the towns area. I have travel in Sabah logging area and crisscrossing village within the interior of sabah before. But on my last ride this route has changed so much that i was thinking of how many open logging sites is there. There is awareness of conservation but just out side of this conservation area you find palm oil estate. I dont think our rain forest will last very long with the logging going on. As we enter a palm oil plantation, it took us about 2 hours than we find a gate belongs to the sabah foundation a conservation area. the dirt road was fantastic if it rain well i guess it would be really though and slippery but we where lucky the weather was good. We rode for about 12 hours until we arrive a village and took a rest and had dinner. we talk to the head man about where to camp for the night and he informed us of a small water fall just about a kilometer away. After dinner we went up to this water fall since it was dark and only the bike lights to show us the way we got a little lost as the water fall was slightly further in by the road side. We where like hooligans riding around up and down and going around the village looking for the water fall. About 30 min latter we found it and put up camp, took a bath in the small stream and had a short chit chat before going to bed.


On day 2 we geared up and mad our way to telupid we where told it would take an hour but it actually took 2 hours of dirt road and going through conservation areas and palm oil plantations. Than i thought just at the fringes of the rain forest you find the oil palm...you need to go right smack in the middle to see the rain forest. This route is also used for transporting logs and also as an alternative route crisscrossing from tawau to ranau and keningau..it is right in the middle of sabah. we didn't manage to achieve our goal but we will be back to find that illusive Luasong dirt road to tawau.

HELL'S GATE TO BORNEO

It was a clear blue sky and bright sunny day, there where no clouds it was a perfect morning to start of on our 2 day adventure heading for what we called the gates of Hell to borneo. We try to ride through this hursh and thick jungle terrain last year but never mad it but this time we where well prepared for the worst situation we can encounter during the 2 day ride. We started out at 0830hrs on a 2 hours ride on tarmac and stop at a small town to have lunch and pack a few items and caned food for the night. the only thing i had with me was a tent a book of bread 3 cane food and a 5 liter fuel. No other clothing i thought i would just sleep in my pants for the night. The dirt road was really dusty and you couldnt see 5 mtr infron of you when other riders was up front, i had to slow down to see where i was going it was like riding in a clouds. At one point the road took a sharp benned i almost went strait over the ridge....i stop at the road side took a breather than took a piss thinking got to be more carefull.

The other was making good time making dust clouds behind it looked like the dakar race i thought. The road started to get smaller and smaller until there was no road except trails that the locals use to get to market area to sell there jungle products. as the road run out we started to climb steep hills with huge poth holes and boulders. We cross rivers only one guy fall off his bike the others was doing well. we stop for the night put up our camp and cooked some went to the river to take a deep. the guys was having fun although they new it was going to be a rough night sleeping on the ground with rocks and tree branches as there beds.

The next morning it was bright and cool towards the evening it got blistering hot and humid i was running out of water and sweating really heard. In desparation i went down the river and use the river water since it was clean. The ride went from bad to worse as the hill climb was getting more steeper and slipery. there was almost no traction on my rear wheels to the point i was going no where while the tyre was spinning. The other guys was at the same state as i was tired bushed out and hungry. by the evening at 1630 we reach the top point of took a long rest and lough most of the time about the ride up. Our ride out was fast and enjoyable we stoped at a small village crossing a river and arrive kota kinabalu at 2230hrs after a big dinner.

Route 44

Time flies when your having fun, we took one fine sunny sunday to recce our old routes to fool around with our trail bike and see what has changed to up date our riders. Well...we really found out the easy way the old route where we use to have fun has been tarmec all the way up to the highest point in Kota Kinabalu “No more Dirt trail”. Thinking it would b a boring ride to my surprise it was not..as the trees has been trim down at the side of the road you get a batter veiw of Kota Kinabalu and the island around it. I lost count of how many times we stopped to enjoy the breath taking views. The really fun thing about it is the winding smooth tarmac all the way up that mad the ride fun mostly accompanied with the view. Our exit from this route was a small road that descended about 45 degrees...just enough for a small car to pas through. Dont try to pass through this route if your not a season rider as the road consist of sharp bends, gravel andsteep descends. We stop at the MARI-MARI cultural village for a breather which something you can add in to your biking itinerary with having lunch at the same time..just next door is the kionsom water fall. This is a good route for riders who want to enjoy views,culture and just to check out the part of Kota Kinabalu that your average tourist do not visit.

Distance - Total KM 51

Good for half day rides

Elevation about 700mrs

Over the Hills and Faraway.

There is a few really good places with really panoramic scenery in North Borneo however not excessive by road bikes. Last Sunday i took a short trip and did a recce along the crocker range took a trail that looked promising and found out it was really a breath taking view oft the west side of north borneo.Since there was only 4 of us it was a really enjoyable relaxed ride with a sunny and almost clear sky's.

Ride Borneo / Kudat - Mt Kinabalu

This time my group of riders was smaller and wanted to experience a shorter visit to Sabah and visit village area and to test the life style of the locals. it was a 3 day ride going up north and turning east ward along the foot of mt Kinabalu. we where very lucky for the 1st day and the 2nd half day as it was sunny and clear by noon the rain started. This didnt break the spirit of adventure of the guys because they had little or almost non experience in dirt road i had to give them a crash course theoretically. It was to them an experience of a lifetime traversing through gravel,muddy and wet conditions of the road up hill. The family that took us in was friendly and excited of our visit as this was the 1st time they have visitors on motorcycles. the long house was use to tourist visits but it was something new to them when they saw us on bikes.

The ride to Long Pasia (360)

Thomas after the crash.

(Minta Kesian, minta handle bar renthel baru)

The Fly(Adnand,Joe,Thomas).Top of the world

Good weather and smiling faces is a recipe for a good and enjoyable ride, the guys was very enthusiastic for the adventure ahead. Our ride started on time..well slightly after the ho.ho.ha.ha at the meeting point. Breifing was given and off we go. We stop at a small restaurant along the road headed for beaufort for breakfast it was good to see smiling faces and exchanging jokes as every one was getting familiarize with each other as some are 1st timers to Long pasia. We stop at Sipitang to refuel and pick up a few things before heading out. As we enter the gravel i can see all was fired up to try out the gravel road and bumps..so it was and it is. The scenery was breath taking at some parts but i didnt manage to take as much scenery photo;s as i wanted. Loose gravel and slight muddy pools mad the ride much more adventurous as the bike tend to slight and drift every one was comfortable with there handling skills. Being to worried of the others crashing the bike much to my dismay it finally happen to me after taking so much precaution and being a safe rider. On a tight corner thomas fell from his machine and skidded the others help him up and gave medical treatment....thank god there was only bruises as he was wearing protective gears. As i took a strutted corner embracing my self to drop to 4th and twisting the throttle for extra power to sway the rear to use it as a side way turn, a glimpse of jeff at the apex of the corner caught my eye giving the sigh to slow down. The bike was tilted to the side my legs was up from to give the front the support to take the corner, than i saw a red bike at the very edge of the corner of the apex,..i knew i was going the hit the bike and crash. as much as i could i dropped to 3rd and jem the breaks but it was to close as i was running at 70 to 80 on a strutted corner. The rear sway violently...my thoughts was "Hell....if im going to crash..at least i ll go in style". As the front skidded the rear was at a drift i was intending to jump in front of the handle bars but my knee got stuck at the handle bar and next thing i know im looking at the sky than the green bush. It was 360 summersault in front of the bike..Like i said at least id fall in style. few of the guys rushed to help me up..i was ok no cut or bruises the bike was fine to,..than i realize at that very corner,..there was at least 7 bikes parked...If i took that corner i would have crashed in to at-least 4 bikes at one time. The next day was leisurely ride out to tenom but it was fun as the road was much more slippery after the rain. Another fall due to slipery terrain..You guys know Who!.

Photo's of the Ride.