Mr. Minsk is now for sale!

After over 7 months of traversing the whole of continental South East Asia (Hanoi to Singapore to Saigon) on two Belorussian wheels it is time to go home. Thus I am selling my wonderful Mr. Minsk that's been my good companion through all of those 12,000 kilometers.

About the bike:

It's an '89 model (with a license) fitted with a new engine, new gear box, new tires and a set of good (Honda) front shocks when I bought it 7 months ago. I got it from the most respected Minsk mechanic in all of Vietnam, Mr. Coung of Hanoi. It cost me 420$ plus another 30$ for the ultra handy waterproof saddlebags, a set of necessary tools and a spare part kit (including a spare electric box which is quite hard to find).

State of things:

Over the months I did some work on the bike since it has been taken through some pretty rough terrain. I changed the cables, replaced wheel and gear-box bearings (two months of offroading in Laos will do that to a bike), fitted new sidelights, replaced generator coils and have recently fitted a brand new back tire (8$), drive chain (8$) and a set of brilliant rear shocks (10$). 

Arriving in Saigon few days ago I have spent 45$ on an overall maintenance by a respected Minsk mechanic to get it back into top notch state (fitting new brakes, new clutch, throttle and brake cables, new engine bearings and a new clutch casing, transmission sprocket and transmission chain).
The rule of thumb when it comes to Minsks is the less shiny the better (unless of course bits are falling off due to rust). There is plenty if Minsk retailers (generally westerners) that claim their bikes to be the best there is where all they done is spray-painted them. I had a chance to ride a few of these back in Hanoi and trust me, stay away!

Why a Minsk:

It has been a blast riding it. It is not very powerful (125cc) but you can take it anywhere (highways, dirt roads, ox-cart tracks, mountain trails, rivers, marshes, you name it) and fix it on the spot if, god forbid, something goes wrong. It qualifies as an antique and looks totally awesome (I had people rolling down their windows and taking photos of me when riding the highways of Thailand and Malaysia).
If you're a person that goes berserk when a nut holding the license plate falls off or a throttle cable snaps this is not a bike for you. Get a Honda Wave like everyone else!

If you're however up for a proper adventure off the beaten path and don't mind getting your hands dirty (if you're planning a long trip something will inevitably go wrong - it's Russian design afer all) this is the bike for you!
Don't worry you know nothing about motorbikes. I hadn't either - first time I sat behind the handlebars was in Hanoi seven months back and now I'm a self-certified Minsk mechanic!

The adventure:

It's super easy to cross the borders of Vietnam with a bike although 99% of Minsk riders never do. True, there is lots to see in Vietnam but wait till you hit the roads in Laos. Ha!

Here is a taste of my adventures. For more checkout my Motorcycle diaries or my Flickr photo account.

Mountains near Sapa, Vietnam

 River crossing in Cambodia

Offroad in Mondulkiri, Cambodia

A ferry in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Through Sapa, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh trail, west of Laos

Bamboo bridge, Laos

Mountains of central Laos

River crossing, Laos

A highway, Malaysia

The deal:

All in all I am asking for $375 (negotiable) for the bike, a helmet, saddlebags, toolset and whatever spareparts there are left (electric box, generator coils and puncture repair kit - all other you can get in Saigon and all over Vietnam - I can advise what you need). It is much less then the 700$ I spent on it in total but that's the way it goes.

I am leaving Vietnam on the evening of 14/9/10 and obviously need to sell before then. I will take the bike for a last run to the Mekong delta tomorrow and will be back in Saigon for the weekend to do test drives.

If you're interested drop me a message at  l.dittel[at]gmail.com. Sorry, no phone contact - both my phones got stolen.