Tom, vietnam coracle on his bike stavros

Table of Contents

Why Rentabike supports Vietnam Coracle

At Rentabike, we’ve spent years exploring, and supplying people with practical information for their adventures in Vietnam. We’ve got loads of motorbike tour itineraries, guides to the country’s best destinations and national parks and much more! Here, though, we just wanted to tell you a bit about Vietnam Coracle. It’s another fantastic online resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Vietnam or is preparing to travel the country.

Tom, vietnam coracle on his bike stavros

Who runs Vietnam Coracle?

The site is run by Tom Divers, an English guy who has lived and worked in Vietnam since 2005. He loves travelling and began documenting his trips. This turned into his personal blog and as it grew he realised just how many people there are out there with the same desire to explore this awesome country. Vietnam Coracle is a really useful source of information and inspiration and, pretty much since it was first set up, we’ve been following along with interest to see where he’ll go next.  You can learn more about Tom in an interview with Vietnam Coracle or in this podcast.

What is it about?

The content is Tom’s opinion based on his experience travelling as so many of us do: on a bike (Tom’s named his Stavros) without a fixed itinerary. He publishes his notes on places of interest, sites to stop at, locations of food, mechanics and accommodation and he’s got loads of articles on the local culture, too. We love his content so much that we’ve asked him to guest blog for us on multiple occasions—his trip expense guide remains one of our favourite posts. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re coming to visit or already living here! 

Vietnam Coracle Stavros the bike
Stavros is Tom's trusty steed and has taken him all over Vietnam

What areas does it cover?

Articles on the site cover the North and the South of the country, but Tom is based in Saigon so we don’t see him up here as much as we would like. Whenever he does come this way, we try to get in touch and talk routes because it is great to share tales and knowledge with like-minded individuals. If you would like to find out more and have some help with route planning, get in touch.  

What does it cost?

Nothing! The site is a free resource for travellers to Vietnam without any sponsored content. I remember the discussion Tom and I had many years ago when I thought he should monetize and he was dead against it. Chapeau. You can support him on Patreon or he outlines several ways in which you can help on Vietnam Coracle Support Page. He does earn income through some paid advertising, but this is only enough to keep the site running and updated. 

How long have RentABike supported the site?

So, we support Vietnam Coracle and refer as many people as we can to the site. I have followed Tom since I can’t remember when, actually, but I do know that we began to advertise with him in around 2015 or so. I’ve always wanted him to get something back for all the work he has put in and to be able to continue doing what he does so well. Hopefully, Coracle will get a few more hits coming from us and this will be an advantage. 

Why go there?

You should visit the site and see what it has to offer. Personally, it is the route maps that I suggest you view as they IMHO are the most useful content. You can find them on the ‘Motorbike Guides‘ page.  We also have route maps on our ‘RentABike Tours‘ pages,  which are a lot simpler versions (they are purely route maps). Or, it might interest you to find out more about the flora and fauna, get book recommendations, learn more about food and drink. Just be careful—it’s easy to get sucked in.

Quick Connect

BMW 1250 GS

Engine Type

air-liquid cooled, twin cylinder, DOHC, boxer engine

Displacement

1255 cc

Bore X Stroke

102.5 mm x 76 mm

Ignition

FI

Fuel System

fuel injection

Compression Ratio

12.5:1

Starter

electric

Gearbox

6-speed

Front Suspension

BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 37 mm

Rear Suspension

single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever

Front Brakes

dual disc brake, floating brake discs, diameter 305 mm, 4-piston radial calipers

Rear Brakes

single disc brake, diameter 276 mm, double-piston floating caliper

Front Tyres

120/70 R19

Rear Tyres

170/60 R17

Wheelbase

1514 mm

Seat Height

850 mm

Ground Clearance

790 mm

Kerb Weight

249 kg

Fuel Capacity

20 litres

Dimensions

2207 mm (L) x 952.5mm (W) x 1430 mm (H)

Honda XR 150 motorcycle rental

Engine Type

air cooled, OHC, single cylinder

Displacement

149 cc

Bore X Stroke

57.3 mm x 57.8 mm

Ignition

CDI

Fuel System

20 mm piston valve carburettor

Compression Ratio

9.5:1

Starter

electric with kick starter backup

Gearbox

5-speed

Front Suspension

telescopic fork, 180 mm axle travel

Rear Suspension

single shock swing arm, 150 mm axle travel

Front Brakes

dual piston caliper, 240 mm disc

Rear Brakes

mechanical drum

Front Tyres

90/90 19

Rear Tyres

110/90 17

Wheelbase

1362 mm

Seat Height

825 mm

Ground Clearance

243 mm

Kerb Weight

129 kg

Fuel Capacity

12 litres

Dimensions

2091 mm (L) x 811 mm (W) x 1125 mm (H)

Honda CB 500X motorcycle rental

Engine Type

liquid cooled parallel-twin four stroke

Displacement

470 cc

Bore X Stroke

67 mm x 66.8 mm

Ignition

PGMI – FI

Fuel System

fuel injection

Compression Ratio

10.7:1

Starter

electric

Gearbox

6-speed

Front Suspension

41 mm SFF-BP USD Forks

Rear Suspension

Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster

Front Brakes

dual 296 mm discs with 4 piston calipers; ABS

Rear Brakes

240 mm disc; ABS

Front Tyres

110/80R19M/C (59H)

Rear Tyres

160/60R17M/C

Wheelbase

1445 mm

Seat Height

830 mm

Ground Clearance

180 mm

Kerb Weight

199 kg

Fuel Capacity

17.7 litres

Dimensions

2,155 mm (L) x 830 mm (W) x 1,410 mm (H)

Honda CRF 300 motorcycle rental

Engine Type

single cylinder, DOHC, liquid cooled

Displacement

286 cc

Bore X Stroke

76 mm x 63 mm

Ignition

Full Transistor Digital

Fuel System

PGM-FI electronic fuel injection

Compression Ratio

10.7:1

Starter

electric

Gearbox

5-speed

Front Suspension

43 mm telescopic upside down

Rear Suspension

Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster

Front Brakes

256 mm disc, 2 piston caliper

Rear Brakes

220 mm disc, single piston caliper

Front Tyres

80/100 21

Rear Tyres

120/80 18

Wheelbase

1455 mm

Seat Height

880 mm

Ground Clearance

285 mm

Kerb Weight

142 kg

Fuel Capacity

7.8 litres

Dimensions

2230 mm (L) x 820 mm (W) x 1200 mm (H)

Tourist

One-Way

Expat

Pricing

N/A

N/A

Damage Waiver

$0/day

N/A

N/A

Security Deposit

N/A

N/A

Required Docs

passport

N/A

N/A

Mileage Limit

unlimited

N/A

N/A

Touring

N/A

N/A