What to do if your motorbike breaks down in Vietnam?

There is always the risk of a motorbike breaking down when doing a big trip so it is important you know what to do if this happens to you.

If you are riding your own bike or you have one of our rental bikes, there is always a risk that this could happen. We do fully service the bikes before they are rented but there is no way to make sure a problem doesn’t happen on the way. This is why we have our helpline and network of partner mechanics throughout the country. 

A problem could occur anytime and anywhere so there is no way to predict how to solve each issue and we need to tackle these as and when they happen.

Our Shops & Partners

We have a very large network of partner mechanics in addition to our own shops. Our own shops are spread across Vietnam, Ha Giang, Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An and HCMC. This makes us the largest rental motorbike shop in Vietnam. We also have our partners in all the major cities throughout the country. You can find these on our downloadable maps with a tool icon. 

What To Do?

The first thing you should do if there is a problem is contact us to make sure you haven’t missed a simple solution such as still being able to kickstart the bike, the choke might be needed on a cold morning, or the fuel reserve switch. 

Having a local around is key as they will know the area better than anyone and we can ask them where a local mechanic is or how we can get the bike to where it needs to be. Locals are very friendly and always happy to help, but it is unlikely that they will speak English, so a simple call to us means we can explain the situation and get the help you need. 

We have our preferred partner mechanics in most cities but we can also work with any local mechanic. It is important we speak with them first if they are not our partners to ensure that they know how to work on the particular model of bike and we can talk them through what needs to be done and ensure they are doing the right thing at the right price. 

In the event of an accident you can follow the same steps where you contact us but finding a local will make the solution much easier as we can ask them for help. 

If there is nobody around then you will have to head in the direction of the nearest town and flag down anyone you see. We can check with Google Maps if we know where you are, to what is nearby. If you are travelling with someone else then this makes it much easier as they are able to head out on the bike for help. 

A Flat Tire

This is the most common problem we get but is usually the easiest to get resolved. You will need to find a local mechanic, “sua xe”, on Google Maps. Or find a local person and point out the flat tire to them. They will often know who the nearest mechanic is and will point you in the right direction or might contact the mechanic for you. On smaller bikes the mechanic might be able to come to you but more often than not you will have to make your way to them. 

If you notice the flat early so there is still air then you will be able to ride slowly. If it is completely flat then you will have to unfortunately push the bike.  

Internet & SIM Card

Being able to contact us when you are renting is very important so having internet and a local sim card is equally important. If you are not able to contact us then we can help. But if you are in an area without internet or phone signal then find a local and if they live in that area they should have the right network provider meaning that they can ring us. 

General Maintenance

For the general maintenance, such as tightening the chain or the oil change, you can plan ahead for these and try to do them either at our shops or at our partners. Because our partners will recognise our bikes they will take better care of you than the other local mechanics so it is recommended to try and use these as best you can. 

The Honda “Head” service centres are also an easy place to find as they are in all the small towns. But the mechanics that work at these are usually not as good as the mechanics that work for themselves and the quality of the oil used in these is not as good either. 

You don’t need to call for the general maintenance as an oil change and tightening the chain are simple things to explain and the translation of both are written on the map and contract. But if you are not sure what is happening and need us to check with the mechanic then you can always contact us. 

Summary

One of the biggest benefits of renting from us is that you always have support on the way. Make sure that you can take advantage of this by being able to contact us if you ever need to, by having the internet and a local sim card. 

Remember to contact us whenever you need help from the biggest problems to just advice or guidance you need on the way. 

We are here to help you on your trip and make sure it is as good as it can be.