Muhammad Nazarudin Radzi, 35, began his journey in mid-September from Kajang, Selangor, on a Honda C86. Over 14 days, the 45-year-old motorcycle took him across the Bukit Kayu Hitam border in Kedah and through various parts of Thailand.

His route included stops in Hat Yai, Chumphon, Kanchanaburi, Mea Sariang, Bangkok, Uttaradit, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Mae Sai, and the Golden Triangle, a region connecting Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

Nazarudin shared that riding to Thailand had been a longtime goal, fuelled by past convoy experiences across Peninsular Malaysia.

“I enjoy riding and joining convoys with friends. After touring the peninsula, I wanted to venture across borders. Hearing and reading about other Malaysian riders’ journeys only intensified that desire: the more I read, the more excited I was to experience their journeys firsthand,” he told Bernama.

“I felt proud because I finally achieved it, even though I was only riding a low-powered motorcycle.”

Nazarudin averaged 400km a day, maintaining speeds of between 70 and 80km/h, and only stopped to rest as needed before reaching his hotel for the night.

“Throughout, I was grateful not to encounter any issues, and the motorcycle held up without any mechanical problems or flat tyres. Maybe it was because of my thorough preparation, including doing a complete overhaul before starting the trip,” he said.

The father of four had bought the motorcycle eight years ago from his friend’s father, who also lived in Kajang, for RM600. He then repaired it himself until he felt it was safe for long-distance travel.

“At that time, the motorcycle was in pretty bad shape, and it wouldn’t be wrong to call it a ‘junk bike’ because of its rusty appearance from years of neglect. The engine wouldn’t start, as it hadn’t been used in over three years.

“I started by replacing several parts, including the engine and tyre rims, to get it running again. Once it was functional, I made further modifications to prepare it for long-distance journeys,” he added.