It does not take long to discover that mopeds are the main mode of transportation in Asian countries, let alone most of the world. I would be tempted to say that there is almost a 1:1 ratio in busy metro areas such as Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. During our stay in Phuket, Thailand a couple of months ago, our contacts were sure to discourage the use of mopeds, as the fatality rate averages about one per day for inexperienced and unsuspecting tourists! In Malaysia, young riders(I am talking 12 or 13!) could be spotted racing up and down the street near our house in the late afternoon and evenings, popping wheelies and gunning their engines to try to get a rise out of us.
Needless to say, we have seen some pretty crazy things on these trusty steeds during our stay in Asia and wanted to make sure we shared them with you, mostly because we are not sure you would believe us otherwise. There is always the moment on travel day where you sleepily glance out the window to see a large propane tank balancing haphazardly on the back of a moped swerving in and out of traffic and you turn to your bus buddy, with the look of did you just see that?!.
So here it is. The top 11 craziest things we saw on a moped during our race in Asia. Think you can top this list? If you’ve already been on the World Race, or just have some crazy stories from other adventures around the world, feel free to add to our list in the comments section. Impress us!
Note: These photos were taken 'paparazzi’ style by Ty in the front seat of our van. Enjoy!
1. Little Loads
5. Wide Loads
7. Scary Loads
8. Enlightened Loads
10. Bloody Loads
11. Oversized Loads
