My First Touring Trip on my Ducati - Singapore to Penang, 1,800km over 18hours

That's me on my Ducati, on NS Highway

It was my very first touring trip on my bike and yes, my friends decided to take me to - PENANG, Malaysia.

Distance                : Approximately 850km from Singapore
Duration               : 8 - 10 hours non-stop, depending on cruising speed
Average Speed     : 150 - 180km/h, occasionally hitting over 200km/h if you please.
Weather               : Rain or shine, we are riding
No. of breaks       : 4 stops, ideally every 150km- 200km for refuel and coffee

All packed and ready

We all met up somewhere in the east as we did some final prep and checks before moving off. I had no idea what to bring so I brought my clothes and make up of course hahaha and no bike-related stuffs as I didn't have any, other than my Ducati. I'm sure the guys were prepared anyway :p

And so, I was thinking how to inform my parents as they definitely won't approve me of the trip. At about 11:50pm, I called my mom:

"Hello Mommy"

"Do you know what time is it now? I am already halfway into Dreamland"

"Ya, I am going to Penang now ok"

"Oh, for? And how are you going there?"

"For a friend's wedding. I'm taking.. Grassland Express. You know the horse logo one?"

"Oh okay. Be safe and enjoy. Goodnight"

Like since when did my Ducati become Grassland Express right? Hahahaha. As long as she knew where I was going, I guess I didn't have to let her know how I'm getting there. I just didn't want my parents to worry.

Off We Go! The Touring Trip Begins Now

1:00AM
After dilly dallying for like an hour plus, we finally moved off. I was excited.
Questions were flooding my head.

What's it gonna be like? 
I hope it doesn't rain.
Am I going to doze off while riding halfway?
What if we meet with some robbers on motorbikes on the way?

Once we passed Malaysia customs,
high beams on (it was dark as there were no street lamps on North South Highway)
right signal on (this is a common road signal in Malaysia to let other road users know you're going at high speed, it is also a signal to ask for others to give way on the 1st lane)
and off we go! Riding into the night at an average of 150km/h.

Traveling at such a speed at night really requires a lot of concentration and eye power. Also because it's so dark, we are only dependent on the little dots of road reflectors planted at the side. Reaction time is cut short because of the speed we are going at, therefore I was permanently on "alert" mode.

I wasn't confident especially when it got really dark and I can't see the road ahead. My friend would go ahead of me to guide me and I'd just follow. I was never left as the last one behind.

As my bike doesn't have a wind shield and the sitting position was upright, the wind blast was fully absorbed by my body trying to counter it all the way. Sometimes I would duck down and rest my chin on my handlebar area to reduce the wind impact. Occasionally, when we hit the cross-winds, my bike would sway left and ride. My muscle-less arms would cling onto the handlebar real right to keep my direction straight.

I was nervous, and fatigue started to creep in. My whole body was so tensed up, it felt like every single muscle I had was grasping on to my bike as tightly as I could.

Shag

2:24AM
After traveling for about 150km, we did our first stop at a petrol kiosk in Pagor for coffee and refuel. My entire body was so stiff, I had difficulty even putting my left leg down to park my bike.
My neck was stiff, my shoulders were aching, my thighs were tired, my joints were cold. Ahhhh~

"So how is it so far? Ok right?" asked a friend.

"I can't feel my bones. Oh my goodness.." I replied, while trying to stretch my arms.

The rest laughed and said "well, we are.. 1/4 of the journey! Keep it up".

One quarter? I thought, sounds encouraging. Gawwd, I'm soooo tired already! Lord, help :'(

Close Shave  

As we were just taking a break, a few big groups of 40 - 50 over rowdy kup kias (Malaysian small bikes) swarmed in. I was a bit concerned, as you know, news report of robbery, rape and other bad stuffs are usually under the hands of these kup kias. We are definitely over outnumbered.

They surrounded us within minutes, and were screaming, shouting, laughing like hyenas. We just kept our cool, drank our coffee, and looked as calm as can be (although inside my mind I was already preparing myself for if they attacked, how I'm going to throw my helmet at their face and run or something). They didn't do anything, some of them started posing with my bike and take photos.

After about 15 minutes, batch by batch they left. We waited about 10 minutes after they left before moving off, continuing our journey. Thinking we are safe for now.

Truck tyre about this size or slightly bigger

Barely 2km into the ride, under the dimly-lit street lamps, from afar, I saw a black patch that seemed somewhat like new road tar, like when they touch up the road, you know. It was in between lane 1 and 2. I thought to maintain minimal movement on my bike, I'd just go over it. As I drew a little closer but not close enough to accurately identify the object, I decided to just move a little to the right side so I won't go over it. Traveling at 160km/h, as I approached the black patch within seconds, I realized it was not tar. It was a FREAKING BIG TRUCK TYRE.

And a group of kup kias were waiting by the road shoulder, screaming in excitement when each one of us successfully went past it without hitting the damn tyre.

What.
The.
Fuck.

The tyre belonged to a 20 wheeled trailer kind of size. It was huge. If a car hit it, the car would definitely be badly damaged and the driver would suffer from serious injuries. That's when it's the kup kias opportunity to rob. Can you imagine if a bike traveling at speeds above 150km/h?
The result would be unimaginable - probably a really bad death.

Ok, so I was freaked out. I was like "omg omg omg" in my head, but I stayed calm and rode on.
Not long after the first truck tyre planted, these evil kup kias placed a SECOND FREAKING BIG TRUCK TYRE between lane 2 and 3 this time. Same thing, yelling and jumping when we each passed it.

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with them? Such evil people should just be burnt to death and perish from the face of earth. Fuck man.

Thankfully, all of us missed the tyres. One of my friend managed to dodge it just by less than a meter. Phew! Sigh, that's why its so crucial to be alert all the time when we are riding.


4:29AM
While we were on our way to the 2nd stop, it started to RAIN! The roads were wet, visibility was even poorer when it wasn't good to begin with at night. I slowed down to 137km/h as I couldn't really see beyond 6metres ahead. When I'm unsure, I just slow down. I'll eventually catch up anyway. Safety always comes first.

We rode through the rain, as I slowly felt my jeans getting damp. My top remained dry because I was wearing my Komine Waterproof Jacket :) After riding out from the rain, we continued on, back to speeds of about 160KM/H. Soon after, our clothes were all air dried. Haha.

All lined up neatly

I was so shag I didn't have strength to smile

We reached our 2nd stop to fuel up and break time, passing Kuala Lumpur by about 70km. By then, fatigue had set in completely and boy, I was really sleepy. I needed toothpicks in between my eyelids to hold them open. Ah! We are already halfway there.

I can do this, I told myself. It's all in da minddddd.

We continued, this time I hit speeds between 180km/h - 200km/h to keep myself awake with the adrenaline of speed. It worked hahaha and the fatigue started to slowly fade away. You know when you get past the sleepy hour, you're not tired anymore. Yup, that was how I was feeling.


6:03AM
We are 3/4 there! Right outside Ipoh, at our 3rd stop, I was not tired anymore.

"Wa, not bad ah somebody! Not tired anymore, hor? Can hit 200km/h some more!" said a friend, while I just giggled away.

Say Cheese everybody!

The sky color reflected on the ground behind

By this time, the sky started to lit up very slowly, with hues of blue and purple. The morning mist was dense and it was really cooling. I felt determined being already at 3/4 of the journey. While I started to get my energy going, some of the rest started to get tired, especially the ladies who were pillions.

Stoned

Sunrise @ 7:02AM

Signal to exit

Through the highway, we passed a couple of toll area. For motorcycles it's free because we go by the side. Along the way, the leader of the group will always stop at the different exit and signal to the rest, to ensure nobody overshoots and go on a detour.

Are we reaching?

7:15AM
As the sun rose and lit the sky, I started to get tired and hungry. Telling myself I'm only left with 1/4 of the journey before reaching my destination. It was really not easy handling all the wind blast, night alert mode, rain and speed for the past 6 hours straight but I felt determined and encouraged. This is my first time, and I am going to make it!

We continued on, this time slowing down a little occasionally to enjoy the sunrise and the scenery around us. Endless palm trees and lush greenery all around gave quite a soothing tranquil feeling yet refreshing.

8:32AM

Our 4th stop

Our last stop to refuel before heading on towards the Penang bridge! Yayyy we're almost there!
By then, I did not know the word "tired" anymore. I was just really focused on the ride.
Now that the sun is up, it's much clearer on the roads with better visibility. This increases my confidence as well being able to see better at what's ahead. My friends were encouraging throughout the journey which I appreciated.

"Vaune, you're still alive! Congrats hahaha" one of them said, while I just nod in agreement.

I just want to save every bit of energy I have left haha that I didn't answer him back verbally.
We all looked forward to reaching the Penang bridge, as it marked the destination. Traffic was starting to build up as people were going to work and stuff, as we carried on our ride.

9:08AM

We made it!

On Penang Bridge

HOOORAYYY!
God! It feels so good! After traveling for over 850km for more than 8hours at speeds of 150km/h - 210km/h, WE HAVE ARRIVED IN PENANG!!!

The sense of achievement was overwhelming despite my body and mind drowning in exhaustion. I was so tired, but so happy, and being able to share this joy with my beloved friends was simply awesome. I felt so blessed and thankful that everyone was safe and sound. Kudos to all!

Into Penang City

The traffic in the city was pretty insane. Lane dividers were useless, everyone was just going whichever they wanted, cutting from the extreme left to right. Usually when we enter into a foreign country, we tend to be more mindful of our road courtesy especially to the locals there, as a form of respect. But I realized I need to switch my "gangster riding mode" on if not I ain't getting anywhere.

I rode like a mad woman, fitting into their road culture hahaha and I even almost got hit by a car. Halfway towards our hotel, one of my friend's bike stalled from overheating and we lost him. As we were waiting for him by a roundabout, I just sat down by the roadside.. and then I lay down there. I couldn't take it anymore. I am so fucking tired, I don't care about my image anymore. Hahaha

My friends went like "Vauneee! The road very dirty! Don't lie down like that ah" and laughed.

I didn't care. I swear I could just fall asleep there and then.


10:38AM
 Finally, our friend caught up and we proceeded to check into our hotel.

Our hotel

We stayed at Rainbow Paradise Beach Resort over the next 4 days here in Penang, in a 3 bedroom apartment suite, with balconies overlooking the sea.

Seasoned riders also shagged out

When we reached the hotel, our room weren't ready for check-in yet. The hotel staff told us to relax by the lobby first, and so.. we literally did. Just look at us, we were all over the place, lying on the floor. Other hotel guests had an appalled look on their faces but we just couldn't care less.

Waiting to check in

Posing with my Ducatis

Somehow I regained some energy to pose with my motorbike hahaha the hotel favored Singaporean bikers who travel all the way down and the safety of our bikes were their priority. Hence, our bikes were literally parked at the entrance of the hotel, where there is a 24-hour security guard to help us look after. Greatly appreciated :)

View from our balcony

The bed, after my sleep

Our rooms were finally ready and when I stepped in, there was only TWO things that I saw.

1. The beautiful sea view from the balcony
2. THE BED

When I saw the bed, I was like "is that a bed? Yes it's a bed! IT'S A BED! I NEED TO SLEEP! NOW"

Without any further hesitation, I showered and headed straight for THE BED. I didn't bother taking photo of how the neatly prepared bed for us looked. Hahaha the mili-second my head hit the pillow, I slept.. and slept.. and slept.. until my tummy woke me up, saying "woman, it's time for some food". It was already evening then and we headed out for dinner.


Over The Next 4 Days In Penang

We rented small Honda motorbikes (about 125cc) and explored Penang, an island filled with rich Chinese culture and artistic visuals freely expressed all around on buildings and architecture which added so much more character to the quaint little streets. Perhaps Singapore could adopt the same too.

Ready to explore Penang

Bro love, yo

With the small bikes, it was easier to commute around too as we're able to wheeze in between the heavy traffic jams there, where our big bikes would probably get stuck and overheat.

Artistic culture expressed everywhere

Penang's famous Three Layered Tea

Wall Art

Durian feast in the mountain

Ready to move off for more adventure!

At the War Museum

Rated Asia's Most Haunted by National Geographic Channel, was The Penang War Museum located exactly when and where the actual war took place. We decided to check the place out and at the same time, learn more about it's history and what really happened.

Through the trail inside, some of us had goosebumps in certain areas of the museum and felt the air temperature drop significantly. Sometimes, it feels like someone is watching me from behind but when I turn around, there is nobody. This place carries a dark and cruel past where tortures, murders, rapes were carried out which makes it even more eerier.

The caretaker of the place shared with us how she often encountered paranormal activities, and the ghosts residing there would "disturb" her at times. There was once, she was patrolling the place and stumbled upon a "lady" dressed in white but had blood all over, from head to toe. She was so terrified, she fainted on the spot. When she regained consciousness, the "lady" was gone.

-shrugs-

Beer Heaven

Enough of ghosts and creepy moments! We continued our exploration and.. stumbled upon a beer heaven! We thought the beers were all going at mega wholesale price, but because we weren't buying in bulk, it wasn't that cheap after all. Bleah.


New Year Eve & Day - FIREWORKS!

What the boys got

For NYE, we decided to play with FIREWORKS! Since we can't do that in Singapore and somehow everything is possible just across the border hahaha. As we girls were tired, we decided to rest in the hotel room while we got the boys to get the fireworks. And that was what they got.

What its supposed to be

When it's supposed to be THIS ONE.

Oh well, our little fireworks were too pathetic, I didn't bother taking photos because they weren't explosive enough hahaha. Instead, we stood bewildered in excitement looking at the other mega fireworks that lined the shores, alighting the sky.

Fireworks directly outside our balcony

Cheers to a GREAT 2014!

We forgave the boys for buying the small fireworks and we still love them because they brought back delicious mouth watering penang fooooood! To fill our growling tummies. Hehe :)


Let's Go Out To Party!

All dressed up! Ready to party!

Checking out bars to drink at

One down!

The drinks here in Penang were cheaper than Singapore, and don't know who is out to get wasted anyway, so before we knew it, there were bottles after bottles on our table and slowly one by one, we were partying like crazy animals, celebrating the New Year!

Can you tell who is drunk? 

 Last Day In Penang

Morning view

After getting pretty drunk last night, it was relaxing waking up to a beautiful morning with blue skies, still waters and constant sea breeze. With a glass of juice in hand, I just sat by the balcony, chilling while the rest were still hungover in Dreamland.

Me Love Ducati!

As the weather was so good, I decided to change out and take some photos before the rest woke up and we prepared for our ride back to Singapore.

My baby

Magic Spyder Bag

As the rest got up with their sleepy/still half drunk faces, we started to pack up and get ready for our ride back. It's amazing how this Spyder Bag could fit ALL of my things in! I'm amazed hahaha.

Leaving Rainbow Paradise Beach Resort

Checked out, returned our small Honda bikes and got back to our big babies! Ready for the ride back. Man.. it's gonna be SO HOT.

Time check : 12 NOON 

Ho seh liao (prosperity/hitting the jackpot in dialect)!

I geared myself up for the scorching weather as we departed the hotel, to the ferry point where we were going to get to North South Highway, instead of riding across the Penang Bridge.

On the ferry

On the ferry

We rode our bikes up the ferry, together with other vehicles and off we go, across the sea!
Bye bye Penang!

Rain or Shine, we ride

Once we hit North South Highway, right signal lights on and off we went, into speeds ranging from 150km/h - 230km/h.

The sun was merciless, I could see intense heatwaves ahead of me. Then we saw dark clouds that formed in front of us, as we rode into a heavy rain where visibility was significantly reduced. Out from the rain, it was sunny again.

RAIN OR SHINE, the ride goes on.

Rider's spirit

We did 4 stops as usual, for breaks and coffee. Our journey back took a little longer compared to when we traveled at night towards Penang as traffic was a bit heavier in the day.

Along the way, when the road is REALLY CLEAR, we'd test our top speeds and playfully race with each other. AND I'M ALWAYS LAST! BOOHOOOO NOT FAIRRRRR :(

How we ride

My mischievous girlfriend who was a pillion imitating how we duck down to ride, so to achieve minimal wind blast. As pillion, it's not easy too. They have to be very familiar with their rider's so as to not jeopardize the ride with any abrupt movement.

Malaysia's KFC is yummier

We skipped lunch, but nothing beats a hearty KFC feast at our last refuel stop hahaha who cares if there wasn't a table or chair to dine on? The ground works just fine! :)

I made it! We all did!

10:45PM
At last, after covering more than 1,800km in approximately 18hours of riding, we made it back to Singapore safe and soundly. I felt this invigorating sensation of accomplishment gush through my veins. I've never felt so alive. I'm so thankful to be able to complete this despite just recovering from my accident just barely 2 months ago.

Through this riding experience, not only have I bonded with my friends, but I also got to know my bike better, in terms of it's character and handling. Every bike has a different character, you just have to spend some time to get to know it.

Thank you, to all of your who were with me throughout this journey! Your encouragements, assistance and guidance mean a lot :)

What a road trip this has been! 
Definitely looking forward to more in the future!